Inverse Address Resolution Protocol


Inverse Address Resolution Protocol

(networking, protocol)(InARP) Additions to ARP typicallyused for Frame Relay. Frame Relay stations route frames of a higher levelprotocol between LANs, across a Permanent Virtual Circuit.These stations are identified by their Data Link Control Identifier (DLCI), equivalent to an Ethernet address in aLAN itself.

InARP allows a station to determine a protocol address (e.g.IP address) from a DLCI. This is useful if a new virtual circuit becomes available. Signalling messages announce itsDLCI, but without the corresponding protocol address it isunusable: no frames can be routed to it.

Reverse ARP (RARP) performs a similar task on an EthernetLAN, however RARP answers the question "What is my IPAddress?" whereas InARP answers the question "What is yourprotocol address?".

See RFC 2390.