Packet flow from mail server to client
1. To respond to the client computer, the mail server issues an ARP request to 10.11.101.10.
2. The primary unit forwards the ARP request to the client computer.
3. The client computer responds with its MAC address (MAC_Client) which corresponds to its IP address of 10.11.101.10. The primary unit returns the ARP response to the mail server.
4. The mail server’s response packet reaches the primary unit external interface.
| IP address | MAC address |
Source | 10.11.101.200 | MAC_Server |
Destination | 10.11.101.10 | MAC_Client |
5. The primary unit processes the packet.
6. The primary unit forwards the packet from its internal interface to the client.
| IP address | MAC address |
Source | 10.11.101.200 | MAC_Server |
Destination | 10.11.101.10 | MAC_Client |
7. The primary unit continues to process packets in this way unless a failover occurs.