OSF

NAME

gateways − Specifies Internet routing information to the routed daemon

SYNOPSIS

/etc/gateways

DESCRIPTION

The /etc/gateways file identifies gateways for the routed daemon.  Ordinarily, the routed daemon queries the network and builds routing tables.  The routed daemon builds the tables from routing information transmitted by other hosts directly connected to the network. However, there may be gateways that this command cannot identify through its queries.  These unidentified gateways are known as distant gateways. Such gateways should be identified in the /etc/gateways file, which the routed daemon reads when it starts. 

The general format of an file entry in the /etc/gateways file is:

Destination Name1 gateway Name2 metric Value Type

The following is a brief description of each element in an /etc/gateways
file entry:

DestinationA keyword that indicates whether the route
is to a network or to a specific host. The two possible keywords are net
and host.

Name1The name associated with Destination.
Name1 can be either a symbolic name (as used
in the /etc/hosts or /etc/networks file)
or an Internet address specified in dotted-decimal format.

gatewayAn indicator that the following string identifies
the gateway host.

Name2The name or address of the gateway host to which
messages should be forwarded.

metricAn indicator that the next string represents the
hop count to the destination host or network.

ValueThe hop count, or number of gateways, from the local
network to the destination network.

TypeA keyword that indicates whether the gateway should
be treated as active, passive, or external. The three possible keywords
are as follows:

activeAn active gateway is treated like a network interface.
That is, it is expected to exchange RIP (Routing Information
Protocol) routing information. Information
about it is maintained in the internal routing tables as long as it
is active and is included in any routing information that is transmitted
through RIP. If it does not respond for a period of time, the route
associated with it is deleted from the internal routing tables.

passiveA passive gateway is not expected to exchange
RIP routing information. Information about it is maintained in the
routing tables indefinitely and is included in any routing information
that is transmitted through RIP.

externalAn external gateway is identified to inform
the routed daemon that another routing process will install
such a route and that alternative routes to that destination should
not be installed. Information about external gateways is not maintained
in the internal routing tables and is not transmitted through RIP.

Note that these routes must be to networks.

EXAMPLES

     1.To specify a route to a network through a gateway host with an entry in the gateways file, enter:

net net2 gateway host4 metric 4 passive

This example specifies a route to a network, net2, through the gateway host4. The hop count metric to net2 is 4, and the gateway is treated as passive. 

     2.To specify a route to a host through a gateway host with an entry in the gateways file, enter:

host host2 gateway host4 metric 4 passive

This example specifies a route to a host, host2, through the gateway host4. The hop count metric to host2 is 4, and the gateway is treated as passive. 

     3.To specify a route to a host through an active Internet gateway with an entry in the gateways file, enter:

host host10 gateway 192.100.11.5 metric 9 active

This example specifies a route to a specific host, host10, through the gateway 192.100.11.5. The hop count metric to host10 is 9 and the gateway is treated as active. 

     4.To specify a route to a host through a passive Internet gateway with an entry in the gateways file, enter:

host host10 gateway 192.100.11.5 metric 9 passive

This example specifies a route to a specific host, host10, through the gateway 192.100.11.5.  The hop metric count to host10 is 9 and the gateway is treated as passive. 

     5.To specify a route to a network through an external gateway, enter a line in the following format:

net net5 gateway host7 metric 11 external

This example specifies a route to a network, net5, through the gateway host7. The hop count metric to net5 is 11 and the gateway is treated as external (that is, it is not advertised through RIP, but is advertised through an unspecified routing protocol). 

RELATED INFORMATION

Daemons: routed(8)