Most WAN networks are a collection of point-to-point links. Virtual tunnel networks (for example Generic Routing Encapsulation
[GRE] tunnels) are also a collection of point-to-point links. To effectively scale the connectivity of these point-to-point
links, they are usually grouped into a single or multilayer hub-and-spoke network. Multipoint interfaces (for example, GRE
tunnel interfaces) can be used to reduce the configuration on a hub router in such a network. This resulting network is a
NBMA network.
Because there are multiple tunnel endpoints that are reachable through a single multipoint interface, there needs to be a
mapping from the logical tunnel endpoint IP address to the physical tunnel endpoint IP address, to forward packets out of
the tunnel interfaces over this NBMA network. This mapping could be statically configured, but it is preferable if the mapping
can be discovered or learned dynamically.
NHRP is an ARP-like protocol that alleviates these NBMA network problems. With NHRP, systems attached to an NBMA network
dynamically learn the NBMA address of other systems that are part of the network, allowing these systems to directly communicate
without requiring traffic to use an intermediate hop.
Routers, access servers, and hosts can use NHRP to discover the addresses of other routers and hosts connected to an NBMA
network. Partially-meshed NBMA networks typically have multiple logical networks behind the NBMA network. In such configurations,
packets traversing the NBMA network might have to make several hops over the NBMA network before arriving at the exit router
(the router nearest the destination network).
NHRP Registration helps support these NBMA networks:
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NHRP Registration—NHRP allows Next Hop Clients (NHCs) to dynamically register with Next Hop Servers (NHSs). This registration
function allows the NHCs to join the NBMA network without configuration changes on the NHSs, especially in cases where the
NHC has a dynamic physical IP address or is behind a Network Address Translation (NAT) router that dynamically changes the
physical IP address. In these cases, it would be impossible to preconfigure the logical (VPN IP address) to physical (NBMA
IP) mapping for the NHC on the NHS.