Cisco Discovery Protocol CDP

CDP Cisco Discovery Protocol

CDP Cisco Discovery Protocol is a proprietary protocol developed by Cisco Systems that helps network administrators to collect information about directly connected Cisco equipment.

How CDP Works

CDP works by sending out messages, called CDP advertisements, to devices on the network. These messages contain information about the device, such as its hostname, IP address, and the type of device it is.

CDP advertisements are sent out periodically, and when a device receives a CDP advertisement, it can store the information contained in the message in a CDP table. Network administrators can then use this information to identify the devices on their network and their connections to other devices.

Benefits of Using CDP

CDP can help network administrators to:

• Identify Cisco devices on the network
• Collect information about the connected devices
• Track the physical connections between devices
• Diagnose network issues

Conclusion

CDP Cisco Discovery Protocol is a powerful tool that can help network administrators to manage their Cisco networks more effectively. By using CDP, administrators can quickly identify devices on their network, collect information about those devices, and troubleshoot network issues.

How to Configure CDP Cisco Discovery Protocol

To configure CDP Cisco Discovery Protocol, follow these steps:

Step 1: Enable CDP on a Cisco Device

To enable CDP on a Cisco device, use the following command in global configuration mode:

enable cdp

This command enables CDP globally on the device, and CDP advertisements will be sent out on all interfaces.

Step 2: Configure CDP Timers

You can configure the CDP advertisement interval and holdtime using the following commands:

cdp timer <seconds>
cdp holdtime <seconds>

The default CDP advertisement interval is 60 seconds, and the default holdtime is 180 seconds. You can adjust these values based on your network requirements.

Step 3: Verify CDP Configuration

To verify the CDP configuration, use the following command:

show cdp neighbors

This command will display a list of directly connected Cisco devices and their interfaces.

Conclusion

Configuring CDP Cisco Discovery Protocol is a simple process that can be done using a few basic commands. By enabling CDP on your Cisco devices, configuring CDP timers, and verifying the configuration, you can use CDP to collect information about your network and troubleshoot issues more effectively.