3COM 2000 TR User Manual
S
UPERSTACK
®
SER
U
Version 4.0
G
UIDE
II™ S
WITCH
2000 TR
http://www.3com.com/
Part No. 99032
Published October 1997
3Com Corporation ■ 5400 Bayfront Plaza ■ Santa Clara, California ■ 95052-8145
© 3Com Corporation, 1997.
documentation may be reproduced in any form or by any means or used to
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adaptation) without permission from 3Com Corporation.
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3Com Corporation provides this documentation without warranty of any
kind, either implied or expressed, including, but not limited to, the implied
warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. 3Com
may make improvements or changes in the product(s) and/or the
program(s) described in this documentation at any time.
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If you are a United States government agency, then this documentation
and the software described herein are provided to you subject to the
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If there is any software on removable media described in this
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Use, reproduction or disclosure is subject to
3Com, AccessBuilder, Boundary Routing, CardFacts, LanScanner,
LinkBuilder, NETBuilder, NETBuilder II, NetFacts, Parallel Tasking,
ViewBuilder, EtherDisk, EtherLink, EtherLink Plus, EtherLink II, SmartAgent,
TokenLink, TokenLink Plus, TokenDisk and Transcend are registered
trademarks of 3Com Corporation. 3TECH, CacheCard, FDDILink, FMS,
NetProbe, Star-Tek, SuperStack II are registered trademarks of 3Com
Corporation. 3ComFacts, Ask3Com, and CardBoard are service marks of
3Com Corporation.
CompuServe is a registered trademark of CompuServe, Inc.
Other brand and product names may be registered trademarks or
trademarks of their respective holders.
This guide was written, illustrated, and produced by Chris Flisher.
C
ONTENTS
A
BOUT THIS GUIDE
Introduction 1
How to Use This Guide 1
Conventions 1
Related Publications 2
1
O
VERVIEW
About the SuperStack™ II Switch 2000 TR 1-1
System Benefits 1-1
System Features 1-2
Summary of Features 1-3
Typical Applications of Token Ring Switching 1-4
Ring Segmentation 1-5
The Front Panel 1-6
RJ-45 Ports 1-7
Front Panel LEDs 1-7
LCD Display Buttons 1-7
The Rear Panel 1-8
Power Socket 1-9
Serial Number 1-9
Redundant Power System Connector 1-9
Reset Button 1-9
Console Port 1-9
Optional Slide-In Modules 1-9
The ATM Module 1-9
Benefits of an ATM 1-9
Summary of ATM Features 1-10
The FDDI Module 1-10
Benefits of FDDI 1-11
Summary of FDDI Module Features 1-11
The Token Ring-in-Fast Ethernet (TR-in-FE) Module 1-11
Benefits of TR-in-FE 1-11
Summary of TR-in-FE Module Features 1-12
Migrating to High-speed Technologies 1-13
High-speed Cascade Connectors 1-14
Token Ring Switching Concepts 1-14
Why Token Ring Switching? 1-14
Source Route Bridging (SRT) 1-14
Transparent Bridging (TP) 1-15
Bridge Table 1-15
Source Route Transparent Bridging 1-16
Spanning Tree 1-16
802.1d Spanning Tree 1-16
IBM Spanning Tree 1-16
Congestion Control 1-17
Forwarding Modes 1-17
VLANs 1-18
Advantages of VLAN 1-18
2
G
ETTING STARTED
Important Safety Information 2-1
Positioning the Switch 2000 TR 2-2
Considerations for Placement 2-2
Configuration Guidelines 2-3
Power Supply and Fuse 2-3
Replacing the Fuse 2-3
Installing the Slide-in Modules 2-3
Installing the Switch 2000 TR 2-5
Rack Mounting 2-5
Wall Mounting 2-5
Stack Mounting 2-5
Connecting Redundant Power System 2-6
Connecting to the Serial Port 2-6
Connecting a VT100 Terminal 2-6
Device Defaults 2-6
3
S
ETTING UP FOR MANAGEMENT
Switch 2000 TR Management Options 3-1
VT100 Management Interface 3-2
Via the Serial Port 3-2
Via an IP Network Connection 3-2
Configuring Switch 2000 TR in Stack 3-3
Head Unit 3-3
Cascade Connections 3-3
Managing over the Network 3-4
IP Addresses 3-4
Operating IP in a Closed Network 3-4
Obtaining Network Addresses 3-4
Management Prerequisites 3-5
Source Routing Prerequisites 3-6
Switch 2000 TR Management Consoles 3-6
The VT100 Console 3-6
Choice Field 3-6
Entry Field 3-7
Button 3-7
List Boxes 3-7
Key Board Shortcuts 3-7
Correcting Text Entries 3-8
Default Users 3-8
VT100 Console Menu Map 3-9
Setting Up the VT100 Console 3-10
Switch 2000 TR Management Setup Fields 3-11
MAC Address 3-11
Locally Admin Address 3-11
Work Group ID 3-12
Device IP Address 3-12
Device SubNet Mask 3-12
Default Router 3-12
SETUP TRAPS 3-12
SERIAL PORT 3-12
The LCD Console 3-13
LCD Console Buttons 3-13
Enter 3-13
Left Arrow 3-13
Right Arrow 3-13
Up Arrow 3-13
Down Arrow 3-13
LCD Console Menu Map 3-14
Setting Up the LCD Console 3-15
IP Address Setup 3-15
Setting Up BOOTP 3-16
Auto Logout 3-18
Upgrading Software 3-19
Upgrading Module Software 3-20
Resetting the Switch 2000 TR 3-21
VT100 Console Reset 3-21
LCD Console Reset 3-21
Reset Button 3-22
Power Cycle Reset 3-22
4
C
ONFIGURING WITH THE
Quick Setup 4-2
Bridge Configuration 4-3
Setting Source Routing Transparent (VT100) 4-3
Setting Source Route Bridging 4-4
Setting Transparent Bridging 4-4
Spanning Tree Fields 4-5
Spanning Tree Parameters 4-5
Port Configuration 4-6
Setting Up Ports 4-6
Setting the Port Admin. State 4-6
Setting VLAN ID 4-6
Setting Port Personality 4-7
Setting Port Priorities 4-7
Setting Congestion Control 4-7
Setting Port Speed 4-8
Setting Forwarding Mode 4-8
Dynamic Cut-Thru Threshold% 4-8
Setting the Locally Admin. Address 4-8
Setting Broadcast Storm Control 4-9
Rising Threshold% 4-9
Falling Threshold% 4-9
Rising Action 4-9
Falling Action 4-9
Port Bridge Configuration 4-10
I/O Module Configuration 4-11
Stack Configuration 4-11
Setting Up the Stack 4-11
Setting sysName 4-12
BOOTP Client 4-12
VLAN Configuration 4-12
Assigning a Port to a VLAN 4-13
Specifying a Backbone Port 4-13
VT100 I
NTERFACE
Unit Configuration 4-14
Setting Up the Unit 4-14
Unit ID 4-14
Unit Name 4-14
Port Capacity 4-14
Option Slot 4-14
Power Supply 4-14
Power On Self Test 4-15
Roving Analysis 4-15
Administrative Configuration 4-15
Setting Local Security 4-16
Creating New Users 4-17
Deleting Users 4-17
Editing Users and Changing Passwords 4-18
About the Switch Database (SDB) 4-19
Database Entries 4-19
Database Entry Methods 4-19
Switch Database Configuration 4-20
Adding Entries to the Database 4-21
Deleting Entries from the Database 4-21
Finding Entries in the Database 4-21
SNMP Trap Configuration 4-21
Serial Port Configuration 4-22
Connection Type 4-23
DCD Control 4-23
DSR Control 4-23
Flow Control 4-23
Auto Config 4-23
Speed 4-23
Char Size 4-23
Parity 4-23
Stop Bit 4-23
Initializing the Switch 2000 TR 4-24
5
C
ONFIGURING WITH THE
Unit Configuration 5-1
Bridge Configuration 5-2
Port Configuration 5-3
Setting Port ID 5-3
Viewing Link State 5-3
Setting Port State 5-4
Setting Speed 5-4
Setting Port Personality 5-5
I/O Module Configuration 5-5
6
M
ONITORING THE SWITCH
Locating Statistics 6-1
Unit Statistics 6-2
Port Statistics 6-3
Port Statistics (Traffic) 6-4
Stack Status 6-6
Status 6-7
Fault Log 6-8
Remote Polling (PING) 6-9
LCD Status 6-10
LCD C
2000 TR
ONSOLE
Connecting Common VLANs Between Switch Units 7-4
Using Non-routable Protocols 7-4
Using Unique MAC Addresses 7-4
Extending VLANs into an ATM Network 7-4
Example 1 7-4
A
S
OFTWARE UPGRADE UTILITY
Software Upgrade Utility Command Set A-1
Starting the Software Upgrade Utility A-2
Using the Commands A-3
Resetting to Factory Defaults A-3
Downloading a New Software Image A-3
After the Download A-3
Status Messages A-4
B
S
CREEN ACCESS RIGHTS
Access Rights Table B-1
C
S
ERIAL PORT CABLE PIN-OUTS
Null Modem Cable C-1
Cabling for Module Options C-1
7
V
IRTUAL
What are VLANs? 7-1
Benefits of VLANs 7-2
VLANs and the Switch 2000 TR 7-3
LAN
S
How VLANs Ease Change and Movement 7-2
How VLANs Control Broadcast Traffic 7-2
How VLANs Provide Extra Security 7-2
The Default VLAN and Moving Ports From the Default
VLAN 7-3
Connecting VLANs to a Router 7-3
D
T
ROUBLESHOOTING
Troubleshooting Procedures D-1
E
S
WITCH
2000 TR
T
ECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Specifications for Module Options E-2
F
T
ECHNICAL SUPPORT
Online Technical Services F-1
World Wide Web Site F-1
3Com Bulletin Board Service F-1
Access by Analog Modem F-1
Access by Digital Modem F-2
3ComFacts Automated Fax Service F-2
3ComForum on CompuServe Online Service F-3
Support from Your Network Supplier F-3
Support from 3Com F-3
Returning Products for Repair F-4
3COM C
ORPORATION LIMITED WARRANTY
BOUT
A
T
HIS
G
UIDE
Introduction
This guide provides the information you need to
install and configure the SuperStack II™ Switch 2000
TR (3C510600) into your Token Ring network for
maximum benefit.
This guide is intended for use by network administrators responsible for installing and setting up networking equipment. It assumes a basic working
knowledge of Local Area Networks and Token Ring in
particular.
NOTE:
If the information in the release notes shipped
with the Switch 2000 TR differs from the information
in this guide, follow the release notes.
How to Use This Guide
This table lists where specific information can be found.
Chapter Information
1
2
3
4 Configuring with the VT100 Interface
5 Configuring with the LCD Console
6 Monitoring the Switch 2000 TR
7 Virtual LANs
Appendix
A Software Upgrade Utility
B Screen Access Rights
C Serial Port Cable Pin-outs
D Troubleshooting
E Technical Specifications
F Technical Support
Overview
Getting Started
Setting Up Management
Conventions
The following tables list icon and text conventions
that are used throughout this guide.
2
A
BOUT THIS GUIDE
Table 1
Icon Type Description
Table 2
Convention Description
Italics
“Enter” vs.
“Press”
Text represented as
screen
display
Keys When specific keys are referred to in the text, they are
Notice Icons
Information
Note
Caution Cautions contain directions that you must
Warning Warnings contain directions that you must
Text Conventions
Italics are used for emphasis or to denote new terms.
The word “enter” means to type something and then
press the Return or Enter key. Do not press the Return
or Enter key when an instruction simply says “press.”
This typeface
appear on your terminal screen; for example:
Select a menu option
called out by their labels, such as the “Return key” or
the “Escape key,” or they may be shown as [Return]
or [Esc].
If two or more keys are to be pressed simultaneously,
the keys are linked with a plus sign (+); for example:
Press [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Del].
Information notes call attention to important features or instructions.
follow to avoid immediate system damage
or loss of data.
follow for your personal safety. Follow all
instructions carefully.
is used to represent displays that
Related Publications
Within the Switch 2000 TR document set:
Switch 2000 TR Quick Reference Guide. (Part
■
Number #99033)
■
Switch 2000 TR User Guide. (Part Number #99032)
Switch 2000 TR Release Notes. (Part Number
■
#99034)
SuperStack II Switch 2000 TR ATM OC-3 Module
■
User Guide (Part Number #99041)
■
SuperStack II Switch 2000 TR FDDI Module User
Guide (Part Number #99048)
SuperStack II Switch 2000 TR TR-in-FE Module
■
User Guide (Part Number #99045)
1
O
VERVIEW
This chapter describes the major features, components, and concepts of the Switch 2000 TR, including:
■
About the SuperStack™ II Switch 2000 TR
■
Summary of Features
■
Typical Applications of Token Ring Switching
■
The Front Panel
■
The Rear Panel
■
Optional Slide-In Modules
■
Token Ring Switching Concepts
About the SuperStack™ II Switch 2000 TR
The SuperStack II Switch 2000 TR is a multiport internetworking switch for Token Ring networks.
Designed to satisfy the high demand for bandwidth in
expanding Token Ring networks while preserving the
investment in existing equipment, the Switch 2000 TR
provides a natural migration path for network growth
and high-speed technologies, including ATM and
FDDI.
The Switch 2000 TR is a 12-port Token Ring stackable
switch that supports throughput rates of more than
400,000 packets per second. Designed to fit comfortably within the data center or the workgroup environments, the Switch 2000 TR supports up to 72 rings
per stack at 4 or 16 Mbps.
System Benefits
■
Network segmentation
low- performance PC bridges or routers, the
Switch 2000 TR provides a simple method for segmenting Token Ring networks into smaller, more
manageable workgroups.
Increased bandwidth
■
tation is reduced traffic load, which translates into
increased bandwidth and improved manageability.
—When used in place of
—A key benefit of segmen-
1-2 CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW
■ Port population—High density port population
relieves traffic congestion and supports 4 and 16
Mbps data rates. In addition, the Switch 2000 TR
has four custom-configurable ports designed for
direct workstation or dedicated server connection.
■ Network management—Switch 2000 TR is sup-
ported by the Transcend® Enterprise Manager
applications for UNIX and Microsoft Windows
95®. Both network management applications provide Simple Network Management Protocol
Remote Monitoring Management Information
Base (SNMP RMON MIB) data using an intuitive
graphical interface to report historical and performance statistics.
System Features
■ Congestion Control—The Congestion Control
feature optimizes available buffer space in the
Switch 2000 TR by using the buffering ability in all
Token Ring end stations. This is especially useful
when many ports are transmitting to a common
port such as a server connection. Having congestion control eliminates the chances of dropped
packets in high-traffic client-server environments.
■ Slide-in Option Slot—Optional downlink mod-
ules are available for the Switch 2000 TR. These
modules provide downlinks to high-speed backbones such as FDDI, ATM, and Fast Ethernet.
■ The FDDI module supplies a 100 Mbps point of
aggregation for multiple Token Ring switched
segments and supports either Single Attached
Stations (SAS) or Dual Attached Stations (DAS).
■ The ATM module supplies 155 Mbps UNI inter-
face, and retains all virtual LAN emulation configuration data, provides ATM signaling, and
offers standard LAN emulation.
■ The TR-in-FE module combines Token Ring and
Ethernet for the purpose of utilizing Fast Ethernet as a backbone and method of server attachment for Token Ring networks. Through a
process known as tunneling or encapsula-
tion, TR-in-FE uses Fast Ethernet to transport
natively formatted Token Ring frames.
■ High-speed Cascade Interface—The high-speed
cascade interface enables multiple Switch 2000
TRs to connect to form a single, large switched
domain while reducing the cost typically incurred
with FDDI or ATM functionality. This connection
allows as many as six Switch 2000 TRs to be
stacked.
■ VLAN Support—The Switch 2000 TR supports vir-
tual LAN (VLAN) operation by allowing any switch
port to become a member of any one of 15 unique
VLANs (workgroups). By establishing VLANs, LAN
administration tasks such as adds, moves, and
changes become easier while bulk downloads and
configurations remain across workgroups. VLANs
also enhance security and increase network efficiency by controlling traffic flow and containing
broadcasts. VLANs are preserved over the High
Speed Cascade Interface. In addition, industry-standard LAN emulation over ATM provides a
method for creating enterprise-wide virtual LANs
that reflect how networks actually function.
Summary of Features 1-3
■ Roving Analysis—The Roving Analysis Port (RAP)
feature allows you to configure the SuperStack II
Switch 2000 TR to capture and monitor traffic on
any Token Ring LAN connected to the switch using
any industry-standard LAN analyzer.
This feature operates on Port 1 of the Switch 2000
TR and applies to all ports of the same switch. To
view traffic on other switches in a stack you must
connect to Port 1 of the appropriate switch and
select the port you wish to view.
Network Analyzer
Switch 2000 TR Port 1
(configured as Hub port)
1x
7x
Figure 1-1 Roving Analysis
LINK STATUS
green =link OK
yellow =MGMT partition
flashing yellow =auto error partition
6x
off =inactive
6
5
4
1
3
2
Packet —
Power
5 6
4
123
Status —
C
12
O
Packet —
7
11
8910
12x
12
Status —
7
11
O C
8910
MGMT
Option Slot
Cascade
Switch 2000 TR Port 12
Ring to be monitored
Summary of Features
■ 12 switched shielded RJ-45 Token Ring ports
■ 4 ports selectable for direct end station attachment
■ High-speed cascade interface
■ Front Panel LCD Console for fast configuration
■ Flexible Option Slot for FDDI, ATM, or TR-in-FE
expansion
■ 400,000 packet-per-second aggregate forwarding
rate
■ Cut-Thru, Store-and-Forward, or Dynamic Cut-thru
modes
SuperStack II
Switch 2000 TR
ENTER
■ Low latency in cut-through mode
■ No forwarded errors propagated in
store-and-forward mode
■ Dynamic Cut-thru monitors error rates and
selects Cut-thru or Store and Forward as appropriate
■ Source route, transparent, and SRT bridging modes
supported
■ IBM and 802.1d Spanning Tree protocols sup-
ported with configurable BPDU addresses for additional flexibility
■ Congestion Control
■ SNMP network management support
■ Transcend
®
Enterprise Manager for HP OpenView, NetView/6000, SunNet Manager,
Microsoft® Windows 95
■ SmartAgent support
1-4 CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW
■ SNMP over IP
■ SNMP MIB II
■ Bridge MIB
■ SR Bridge MIB
■ BOOTP
■ Switch 2000 TR Private (3Com Private)
■ Part of SuperStack
■ Redundant Power System
■ Uninterruptable Power Supply
■ Integrated network management
■ One RS-232 DB-9 connector for local configura-
™
II architecture
tion
Typical Applications of Token Ring Switching
Token Ring switches are best suited for, although not
limited to, expanding Token Ring networks. These
networks demand high bandwidth, performance,
monitoring, management, and a logical migration
path for the continued growth of the network while
preserving your investment in existing infrastructure.
Offering a significant advantage over traditional
inter-networking equipment, Token Ring switches
bring immediate relief to networks, solving throughput and management problems. By replacing low performance two-port PC bridges or routers, Token Ring
switching provides the ability to perform Source
Route bridging, transparent bridging, or both with
Source Route Transparent (SRT) bridging. The following illustrations depict some possible uses of the
Switch 2000 TR, including ring segmentation and
migration to high-speed technologies.
Ring Segmentation
High-speed switches offer a more efficient solution over 2-port PC bridges or routers. As illustrated below, segmentation
with a Token Ring switch brings immediate improvement over existing networks by re-distributing traffic
.
Ring Segmentation 1-5
16 Mbps
4 Mbps
SuperStack II Switch 2000 TRs
Connected with high-speed cascade
SuperStack II Hub TR
16 Mbps
16 Mbps
SuperStack II Hub TR
16 Mbps
SuperStack II Hub TR
Direct attach Workstations/Servers
16 Mbps
Server
Server
SuperStack II Hub TR
NETBuilder II
Figure 1-2 Using Switch 2000 TR to Segment Network
1-6 CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW
The Front Panel
This section describes the front panel components and LEDs of the SuperStack II Switch 2000 TR. Figure 1-3 shows the front
panel.
1
7
12 x RJ-45 ports
Figure 1-3 SuperStack II Switch 2000 TR Front Panel RJ-45 Ports
O
O C
C
LCD Status Display
Power
MGMT
LCD Control Buttons
Power LED
MGMT LED
SuperStack II
Switch 2000 TR
ENTER
Status and Activity LEDs
Link Status
green =link OK
yellow =MGMT partition
6
12
Packet—
Status —
Packet—
Status —
flashing yellow =auto error
off =inactive
5
4
1
3
2
5 6
4
123
7
11
8910
7
11
8910
Option Slot
Cascade
Option Slot
Status LEDs
Cascade
Status LEDs
6
12
12
The Front Panel 1-7
RJ-45 Ports
12 RJ-45 ports support unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)
or Shielded Twisted Pair cabling (STP) at 4 Mbps or 16
Mbps wire speed.
All 12 ports default to adapter mode for connection
to a Token Ring hub. Additionally, ports 1 through 4
can be configured to hub mode to allow direct
attachment of workstations or servers.
Front Panel LEDs
The LEDs on the front panel of the Switch 2000 TR
reflect the current status of the switch. Use Table 1-2
to interpret the LED states.
Table 1-1 LED States
LED Name Color Indicates
Packet LEDs Green Traffic present
Flashing yellow
Status LEDs Green Port inserted
Yellow Partitioned via management
Flashing yellow
Off Port not inserted
Option Slot
Status/Packet
Cascade
Status/
Packet
Green Presence of Option card
Flashing green Activity on link
Green Cascade connection present
Error frames present
Auto Error Partition
Table 1-1 LED States
LED Name Color Indicates
Flashing green Activity on link
Power Green Power ON
Yellow RPS w/alarm
MGMT Off Operation normal
Flashing green (slow) Software download
Flashing green (fast) Power On Self Test
(POST)
Yellow POST has failed
LCD Display Buttons
Use the LCD display on the front panel of the Switch
2000 TR to select ports, change system parameters,
receive status information, and set the Unit ID number.
■ Right and Left buttons—Change or move
digits or go to the previous menu.
■ Up and Down buttons—Scroll up or down in
specific menu and increase or decrease digit
value.
■ Enter button—Enter a menu or use to enter
the edit mode.
I
ENTER
Figure 1-4 LCD Display Buttons
1-8 CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW
The Rear Panel
This section describes the rear panel components of the Switch 2000 TR. Figure 1-5 shows the rear panel.
Reset
IEC Power Socket
and Fuse Holder
Redundant Power
Serial Number
Figure 1-5 Switch 2000 TR Rear Panel
* Refer to the appropriate module installation manual for more information.
Reset Button
RS-232 Console
Optional Slide-In Module Slot*
High-Speed Cascade Connectors
Optional Slide-In Modules 1-9
Power Socket
The Switch 2000 TR automatically adjusts to the
supply voltage. The fuse is suitable for both 110 AC
and 220-240 AC operation. Refer to “Replacing the
Fuse in Chapter 2 for information on replacing fuses.
NOTE: The Switch 2000 TR has no ON/OFF switch.
Serial Number
Refer to this number if you need to report a fault.
Redundant Power System Connector
Use this connector to attach a Redundant Power
System (RPS) to the Switch 2000 TR. Disconnect the
AC plug when using an RPS.
Reset Button
Using the Reset button simulates a power on/off
cycle. You can also perform a software reset using the
VT100 interface. Refer to “Setting Up the VT100
Console in Chapter 3.
Console Port
Use the RS-232 console port for connecting a terminal for serial remote or local out-of-band management and configuration. Use the following settings to
configure the VT100:
■ 9600 baud
■ 8 bit
■ No parity
■ 1 stop bit
Optional Slide-In Modules
Option modules provide alternate downlinks for the
Switch 2000 TR.
NOTE: Be sure the filler plate cover is installed when
the module slot is not occupied.
Slide-in modules are available for the following:
The ATM Module
The SuperStack II Switch TR ATM OC-3 module provides a high-speed ATM connection between the
Switch 2000 TR and ATM networks. When positioned
in workgroup or departmental LANs, the ATM downlink module offers a 155 Mbps data path to building,
campus or ATM network backbones directly from the
Switch 2000 TR. Perfect for providing cost-effective
ATM access to smaller isolated LANs or bandwidth
intensive and mission critical applications, the ATM
downlink also provides a logical migration path for
existing Token Ring LANs to mainstream high-speed
networking technologies.
Redundant links can protect your Switch 2000 TR
from network failure or equipment inconsistencies.
The built-in Software Upgrade feature allows you to
download software revisions easily.
Benefits of an ATM
ATM is the only computer networking technology
designed to carry video, voice and data traffic simultaneously. ATM provides the level of service necessary
1-10 CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW
to run each of these bandwidth-intensive applications
across networks.
The primary benefits of ATM include:
■ ATM is a cell-based communications technology
that easily scales from T1 or ATM 25 to OC-3 (155
Mbps), OC-12 (622 Mbps), OC-48 (2.488 Gbps),
and OC-192 (10 Gbps).
■ Additional services are easily added to existing
ATM networks.
■ ATM networks are designed for growth and pro-
vide future scalability.
■ ATM provides LAN Emulation (LANE) technology
which provides interoperability between existing
Token Ring, Ethernet, and ATM devices.
Summary of ATM Features
The following list summarizes the features of the
SuperStack II Switch 2000 TR ATM module.
■ Conforms to ATM Forum Standards
■ Meets OC-3c 155 Mbps interface
■ SONET (STS 3c) and SDH (STM-1) compliant
■ Multimode Fiber, SC connections
■ LAN Emulation (LANE) version 1.0
■ 16 Emulated LAN Clients
■ 512 Virtual Circuits
■ 1024 remote MAC addresses
■ User-to-Network Interface (UNI) 3.1
■ Interim Local Management Interface (ILMI)
■ AAL5 ATM Adaptation Layer
■ 16 Virtual LANs (VLANs)
■ Data buffer to store 40,000 ATM cells
■ Wire Rate Transmission on ATM port
■ Low Latency (68 microseconds between ATM and
Token Ring components).
■ 3Com SmartAgent support, including:
■ SNMP management using 3Com’s Transcend
Enterprise Manager.
■ Telnet management using VT100 interface.
The FDDI Module
The SuperStack II Switch TR FDDI module provides a
high-speed connection between the Switch 2000 TR
and FDDI backbone networks. When positioned in
workgroup or departmental LANs, the FDDI downlink
module offers a 100 MB data path to building,
campus or FDDI network backbones directly from the
Switch 2000 TR. Perfect for providing cost-effective
FDDI access to smaller isolated LANs or bandwidth
intensive and mission critical applications. The FDDI
downlink also provides a logical migration path for
existing Token Ring LANs to mainstream networking
technologies.
Redundant links can protect your Switch 2000 TR
from network failure or equipment inconsistencies.
The built-in Software Upgrade feature allows you to
download software revisions easily.
Optional Slide-In Modules 1-11
Benefits of FDDI
Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) is a 100-Mbps
fiber optic local area network standard supported by
the ANSI committee.
The primary benefits of FDDI include:
■ A 100 Mbps point of aggregation for multiple
Token Ring segments.
■ Supports Single Attached Station (SAS) or Dual
Attached Station (DAS) functions.
■ Supports server connections via Token Ring FDDI
translation of IP, SNA, IPX, and NetBIOS.
■ Additional services are easily added to existing
FDDI networks.
■ FDDI networks are designed for growth and pro-
vide future scalability.
Summary of FDDI Module Features
The following list summarizes the features of the
SuperStack II Switch 2000 TR FDDI module.
■ Conforms to FDDI ANSI Standards
■ Wire Rate Transmission on FDDI port
■ Low Latency.
■ 3Com SmartAgent support, including:
■ SNMP management using 3Com’s Transcend
Enterprise Manager.
■ Telnet management using VT100 interface.
The Token Ring-in-Fast Ethernet (TR-in-FE) Module
TR-in-FE is a 3Com developed technology that encapsulates Token Ring frames in Fast Ethernet frames.
Bridging the gap between Token Ring and Ethernet,
this technology offers a more cost-effective integration than traditional bridging and routing, and allows
Token Ring users to expand their bandwidth while
preserving their TR infrastructure.
TR-in-FE is a unique way of combining Token Ring
and Ethernet for the purpose of utilizing Fast Ethernet
as a backbone and method of server attachment for
TR networks. Through a process known as tunneling
or encapsulation, TR-in-FE uses Fast Ethernet to
transport natively formatted Token Ring frames. This
means that both source route and transparent TR
frames addressing information is maintained through
Fast Ethernet (FE) so that it may be interpreted and
utilized by either a destination Token Ring (TR) switch
or FE server.
Benefits of TR-in-FE
TR-in-FE offers improvement in the following areas:
■ Scalability
■ TR switching
■ High-speed technologies
■ Wire-speed performance
■ Flexibility
■ High-speed flexibility (choice of D/L technology)
■ Desktop flexibility (TR, Ethernet)
1-12 CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW
■ Manageability
■ Simple to configure and administer
TR-in-FE allows both Token Ring and Ethernet to
share the same Fast Ethernet physical wiring infrastructure and server base without impacting network
performance. TR-in-FE accomplishes this by introducing routing or traditional bridging via Source-Route to
Transparent translation.
Fast Ethernet is relatively well understood and easy to
configure. Additionally, many tools exist to manage
and administer Fast Ethernet due to its wide acceptance in the industry and its similarity to Ethernet.
TR-in-FE benefits MIS managers most interested in:
■ Preserving existing investments in TR infrastructure
■ Seeking low-cost, high-speed connectivity
■ Combining Ethernet and Token Ring for common
server access
Fast Ethernet is less expensive than other options,
such as FDDI and ATM. Using FE, the price per port
for server attachment is 20% that of ATM and FDDI.
Summary of TR-in-FE Module Features
The following lists summarize the features of the
SuperStack II Switch 2000 TR TR-in-FE module.
■ Full duplex operation
■ Automatic configuration through PCI registration
■ RJ-45 connector for 100 Mbps data rates over cat-
egory 5 UTP wiring up to 100 meters
■ LEDs to indicate link integrity and link activity
■ Promiscuous mode support for NDIS 3.0 and
ODI32 drivers
■ Compliance with FCC Class B, CISPR B, and CE
■ Software configurable
■ DOS diagnostics and configuration utility
■ Support for frame sizes up to 3992 bytes
Token Ring switching allows the install base of TR
equipment and its configuration to remain intact and
operational while allowing for an upgrade to higher
performance through microsegmentation and interfaces to higher speed technologies. TR-in-FE represents one option for integrating Fast Ethernet into the
TR switched environment.
Migrating to High-speed Technologies
Managers want to migrate to FDDI, ATM, or TR-in-FE easily. Using Switch 2000 TRs, critical resources attach directly to
high-speed technologies while preserving the investment in Token Ring hardware. They also merge easily with existing network management applications. These features allow network managers to introduce additional switches, servers, and stations seamlessly via direct connections. Switch 2000 TRs can be contained in data centers while remaining connected to
high-speed links with single ATM, FDDI, or TR-in-FE module.
Migrating to High-speed Technologies 1-13
16 Mbps
SuperStack II Switch 2000 TR
ATM
SuperStack II Switch 2000 TR
CELLplex 7200
16 Mbps
4 Mbps
16 Mbps
16 Mbps
NETBuilder II
SuperStack II Hub TR
SuperStack II Hub TR
Direct attach
Workstations
SuperStack II Hub TR
SuperStack II Hub TR
WAN
SuperStack II Switch 3000 TX
SuperStack II Switch 2000 TR
SuperStack II Redundant Power System
Figure 1-6 Using Switch 2000 TR for Migration to High-Speed Technologies
CoreBuilder Chassis
Fast Ethernet
Server
SuperStack II Switch 1000 TX
SuperStack II Switch 2000 TR
Fast Ethernet
Servers
Token Ring
Servers
Direct attach Workstations
1-14 CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW
High-speed Cascade Connectors
These connectors provide a high-speed cascade connection between Switch 2000 TRs in a stack. You can
connect multiple units to form a single switched
domain. You can connect up to six Switch 2000 TRs
with these connectors.
A stack of Switch 2000 TRs act as a single multiport
switch. The setup configuration parameters are
shared among switches and the entire stack can be
managed and downloaded as a single IP entity.
Token Ring Switching Concepts
This section describes Token Ring Switching and
unique features of the Switch 2000 TR, including:
■ Why Token Ring Switching?
■ Source Route Bridging
■ Transparent Bridging
■ Source Route Transparent Bridging
■ Spanning Tree (802.1d and IBM)
■ Store-and-Forward
■ Cut-through
■ Dynamic Cut-through
■ Congestion Control
■ Workgroups
Why Token Ring Switching?
Existing Token Ring networks are built around shared
media technology and typically operate at 16 Mbps
wire speed. This 16 Mbps of bandwidth is shared
between all stations on the ring. As applications
become more sophisticated, or as work-stations
become more powerful, or as the number of users
per ring grows, the demand for bandwidth increases.
As a result, stations are limited not by their own processing power but by the limitations of the physical
network.
In an effort to reduce the traffic per ring and increase
the overall bandwidth availability, existing rings have
been divided into multiple smaller rings. This division
provides more bandwidth per station.
With an optional FDDI or ATM downlink module,
Token Ring switching also solves problems found in
client-server applications where a shared 100 Mbps
(FDDI) or 155 Mbps (ATM) pipeline can provide easy
access to servers and WAN links.
The major benefits of Token Ring switching are:
■ Bandwidth relief
■ Migration path to high-speed technologies
■ Cost-effective method for achieving LAN intercon-
nectivity
Source Route Bridging (SRT)
Source Route Bridging is a method of allowing a ring
station (node) on a Token Ring network to communicate with another ring station on a different ring
interconnected by bridges. The “source” ring station,
in other words, the node initiating the communication, is responsible for dynamically determining and
then maintaining information about the “route” to
Token Ring Switching Concepts 1-15
the destination ring station. A route is simply the path
a packet takes through a source route bridged network from the source ring station to the destination
ring station.
In a multiple ring environments, nodes on different
rings need additional bridging information before
they can communicate with each other. A source ring
station must first determine if one or more routes
exist to another station on a remote ring.
In general, the source ring station determines the
route by sending a “discovery” packet out across the
multi-ring network. Source routing bridges forward
this “discovery” packet while adding path information. Likewise, switches forward any response from
the destination ring station to the “discovery” packet
originator. When a source ring station receives a
response it updates its own bridging table with the
information. After determining the optimal path, the
ring stations include the path information in every
packet transmitted between them.
Switching provides connectivity between LANs, forming enterprise-wide networks. In a Token Ring environment, source routing switches connect Token Ring
LANs and enable peer-to-peer and terminal-to-host
communications across both local and wide area
Token Ring networks. Both PC workgroup protocols
and IBM’s Systems Network Architecture (SNA) networks are supported by source routing switches.
Another advantage of switching is that it allows the
segmentation of the Token Ring network into multiple rings to reduce traffic on any one particular ring
segment. The adjacent rings may be connected by
parallel source routing switches to provide fault tolerance. In the event one switch fails, the other parallel
switch can be configured to automatically maintain
connectivity, providing an alternate route for data
between the two rings.
Transparent Bridging (TP)
Transparent bridging provides the simplest data communication method. In transparent bridging end stations are not aware of existing intermediate bridges.
As such, a transparent bridge learns about its surrounding network from the source addresses of the
packets that it receives. Forwarding decisions are
based on the destination addresses contained in the
MAC header. Transparent bridges consult their bridging table (see “Bridge Table) to determine which port
should forward the traffic on to the destination port.
Bridge Table
A switch dynamically manages and updates its bridging table. All switches receive every packet transmitted on the segments attached to its ports. As a result,
a switch is able to “learn” the source MAC addresses
of each station that transmits packets on its attached
segments. Since a switch never places its own MAC
address in a packet that it forwards, the received
source MAC address always identifies the original
transmitter of the packet.
A switch uses the received source address information
to construct its bridging table. The bridging table contains a list of all received MAC addresses and the
ports on which they were learned. From its bridging
1-16 CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW
table, a switch knows which port must be used to
reach each known MAC address.
Every time a switch receives a packet, it examines its
bridging table to determine if the source MAC
address is contained in its bridging table. If it is not, it
creates a new entry. The switch then searches its
bridging table for the address contained in the
packet’s destination address field. The switch then
forwards the packet to the port associated with the
destination MAC address. If the port specified in the
bridging table is the same port on which the packet
was received, the switch discards the packet.
The “learned” entries in the switch’s bridge table are
subject to aging. That means that if the switch does
not receive a packet from each entry before the
entry’s Age Timer expires, the switches bridging table
deletes the entry. This feature allows entries associated with dormant stations to be removed from the
switch’s bridge table.
Source Route Transparent Bridging
As the name implies, source route transparent (SRT)
bridge performs both source routing and transparent
bridging. If a frame with routing information is
received at the bridge, the bridge performs source
route bridging. Likewise, if a frame without routing
information is received at the switch, the switch performs transparent bridging.
Spanning Tree
Spanning Tree support is provided in the Switch 2000
TR.
■ 802.1d Spanning Tree
■ IBM Spanning Tree
802.1d Spanning Tree
Spanning Tree is an industry standard protocol
(802.1d) which prevents redundant paths (loops)
from existing within a network. By ensuring that only
one active data path exists between any two rings,
the Spanning Tree protocol prevents the following:
■ Packet duplications
■ Broadcast storms
■ Packet misordering
In addition, Spanning Tree also provides fault tolerance within the network by automatically reconfiguring the active topology if a fault is detected in the
network. This provides contingency paths in the event
that the active path is disabled and guarantees stability.
IBM Spanning Tree
IBM Spanning Tree operates the same as 802.1d in
that it resolves network loops. However, IBM Spanning Tree uses different addresses and parameters
which do not interoperate with 802.1d Spanning
Tree.
The IBM Spanning Tree algorithm reduces the number
of broadcast frames in source routed networks. A
single path is formed between networks from the
root bridge. IBM Spanning Tree applies only to Spanning Tree Explorer frames (STEs). All Route Explorer
frames (AREs), and Specifically Routed Frames (SRFs)
Token Ring Switching Concepts 1-17
can use any path in the network. ARE packets are
flooded through all bridges onto all rings. This creates
multiple copies if redundant paths exist in the network.
When multiple requests are received at the destination; each one causes a response. Implementing
Spanning Tree ensures that the number of broadcast
packets are significantly reduced.
For more information on Spanning Tree, refer to
“Spanning Tree Fields in Chapter 4.
Congestion Control
Congestion control prevents loss of packets due to
congestion on destination ports. You have a choice
among:
■ Flow Control—Flow control balances the band-
width use of the client ring to that of the server
ring. This is especially useful in focused load conditions where many ports are sending data to a
single port.
Flow control monitors buffer usage and shifts the
load onto the end station. This allows the Switch
2000 TR to use the available bandwidth to access
the port by balancing traffic on the sending ports.
■ Nonblocking—Occasionally packets that are des-
tined for a particular port cannot be delivered. This
is especially true if a ring is busy or not operating.
These packets inadvertently impede the delivery of
packets destined for known good or free rings.
Nonblocking provides a means for discarding packets that can not be delivered while ensuring deliv-
ery of packets with known good or free
destinations.
■ Off—In Off mode there is no congestion control.
Packet transfers are based on queue availability in
the receive buffer. If there is no buffer space on the
receiving port, packets are dropped.
Forwarding Modes
Switch 2000 TR provides three forwarding methods.
■ Store-and-Forward—Switch 2000 TR can use a
conventional store-and-forward method typically
found in bridges. In this mode, packets are
received and buffered (stored) in their entirety
before they are forwarded. This guarantees that
errored frames on the source ring are not forwarded to the destination. Although
store-and-forward guarantees packet stability, it
also involves a transit delay depending on the
length of the packet.
■ Cut-thru—Cut-thru avoids the transit delay found
in standard store-and-forward methods. Although
cut-through can be applied only between ports
that are operating at the same wire speed or from
a high speed port to a low speed port, it does provide better transit rates by forwarding a frame as
soon as enough information is available to determine the destination port.
■ Dynamic Cut-thru—In Dynamic Cut-thru mode
the switch monitors error rates on the source. If a
user set threshold is exceeded, the switch port
changes to store and forward mode until the error
rate reduces. At this point the port reverts to
1-18 CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW
VLANs
Cut-thru mode. The default mode for the Switch
2000 TR is Dynamic Cut-thru.
A VLAN is defined as a group of location- and topology- independent devices that communicate as
though they were on the same physical LAN. This
means that they are not restricted by the hardware
that physically connects them, and segments are
defined by flexible user groups created by the user.
For example, with VLANS, the user can define a network according to:
Department Groups—A VLAN could be created for
the Marketing Department, another VLAN for the
Finance Department, and still another for the Development Department.
Hierarchical Groups—A VLAN could be created for
directors, another for managers, and still another for
general staff.
Usage Groups—A VLAN could be created for Email
users, another for multimedia users, and so on.
VLANs facilitate the administration of logical groups
of stations that can communicate as though they
were on the same LAN. VLANs also facilitate moves,
adds, and changes of members of logical groups.
Traffic between VLANs is firewalled. This limits the
propagation of multicast and broadcast traffic
between VLANs.
Each distinct VLAN is uniquely identified throughout
the bridged LAN. A consistent representation of a
VLAN exists across a VLAN fabric (including ATM).
This means that the shared VLAN knowledge of a particular packet remains the same as the packet travels
from one point to another.
Advantages of VLAN
All 802 media and shared media support VLANs. In
addition, implementing VLANs:
■ Eases the change of devices
■ Helps control broadcast traffic
■ Provides extra security
2
GETTING STARTED
This chapter describes the installation and setup procedures for the Switch 2000 TR:
■ Important Safety Information
■ Positioning the Switch 2000 TR
■ Installing the Slide-in Modules
■ Installing the Switch 2000 TR
■ Connecting Redundant Power System
■ Connecting to the Serial Port
■ Device Defaults
Important Safety Information
NOTE: Warnings contain directions that you must
follow for your personal safety. Follow all instructions
carefully. Please read the following safety information
before installing the Switch 2000 TR.
■ Installation or removal of any add-in module or
cable must be performed by qualified personnel
only.
■ The Switch 2000 TR must be attached to a
grounded power source.
■ The power cord must comply with the standards of
the country in which the Switch 2000 TR is to be
installed.
■ For USA and Canada:
■ The cord must be UL-approved and CSA certi-
fied.
■ The minimum specifications for the flexible
cord:
No. 18 AWG
Type SV or SJ
3-conductor
■ The cord must have a rated current capacity of
at least 10 Amps.
2-2 CHAPTER 2: GETTING STARTED
■ If the power supply plug is unsuitable and you
must replace it, refer to the following specifications:
■ Brown wire to the Live (Line) plug terminal. The
terminal may be marked with the letter L or colored red.
■ Blue wire to the Neutral plug terminal. The ter-
minal may be marked with the letter N or colored black.
■ Yellow/green wire to the Ground (earth) plug
terminal which may be marked with the letter
(E) or the earth symbol or colored yellow/green.
■ The Switch 2000 TR operates under SELV condi-
tions (Safety Extra Low Voltage) according to IEC
950. This standard is complied with only when the
unit is connected to equipment following the same
standard.
■ Use only fuses of the same type and manufacture
with the Switch 2000 TR.
CAUTION: Never remove the cover. The Switch 2000
TR contains no user-serviceable parts.
Positioning the Switch 2000 TR
The Switch 2000 TR is suited for data center and
workgroup applications. It can be mounted in a standard 19-inch rack, on a wall, or free-standing on a
table or similar surface. A mounting kit with two
brackets is provided for wall or rack mounting.
Considerations for Placement
Be aware of the following considerations when
installing the Switch 2000 TR:
■ Can cable lengths and media be supported prop-
erly?
■ Is cabling located away from sources of electrical
noise such as radios, transmitters and other radio
frequency equipment?
■ Are all objects removed from the top of the unit or
stack?
■ Is air flow adequate through the side vents?
■ Is unit installed in moisture and water-proof envi-
ronment?
CAUTION: Never remove an Optional Slide-in
module filler plate without disconnecting the power
source first.
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