3com CoreBuilder 5000 FastModule User Guide

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CoreBuilder™5000

FastModule User Guide

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Document Number 17-00875-4 Published May 1997

3Com Corporation 5400 Bayfront Plaza Santa Clara, California 95052-8145

©3Com Corporation, 1997 (1996). All rights reserved. No part of this documentation may be reproduced in any form or by any means or used to make any derivative work (such as translation, transformation, or adaptation) without permission from 3Com Corporation. Portions of this product are based upon copyrighted materials of third parties.

3Com Corporation reserves the right to revise this documentation and to make changes in content from time to time without obligation on the part of 3Com Corporation to provide notification of such revision or change.

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 products or programs described in this documentation at any time.

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LEGENDS:

If you are a United States government agency, then this documentation and the software described herein are provided to you subject to the following restricted rights:

For units of the Department of Defense:

Restricted Rights Legend: Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c) (1) (ii) for Restricted Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software Clause at 48 C.F.R. 52.227-7013.

For civilian agencies:

Restricted Rights Legend: Use, reproduction, or disclosure is subject to restrictions set forth in subparagraph (a) through (d) of the Commercial Computer Software – Restricted Rights Clause at 48 C.F.R. 52.227-19 and the limitations set forth in the 3Com Corporation standard commercial agreement for the software. Unpublished rights reserved under the copyright laws of the United States.

If there is any software on removable media described in this documentation, it is furnished under a license agreement included with the product as a separate document, in the hardcopy documentation, or on the removable media in a directory file named LICENSE.TXT. If you are unable to locate a copy, contact 3Com and a copy will be sent to you.

Federal Communications Commission Notice

This equipment was tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which case you must correct the interference at your own expense.

Canadian Emissions Requirements

This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe A respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada.

EMC Directive Compliance

This equipment was tested and conforms to the Council Directive 89/336/EEC for electromagnetic compatibility. Conformity with this directive is based upon compliance with the following harmonized standards:

EN 55022 – Limits and Methods of Measurement of Radio Interference EN 50082-1 – Electromagnetic Compatibility Generic Immunity Standard: Residential, Commercial, and

Light Industry Warning: This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment, this product may cause radio interference, in

which case you may be required to take adequate measures. Compliance with this directive depends on the use of shielded cables.

Low Voltage Directive Compliance

This equipment was tested and conforms to the Council Directive 72/23/EEC for safety of electrical equipment. Conformity with this directive is based upon compliance with the following harmonized standard:

EN 60950 – Safety of Information Technology Equipment

VCCI Class 1 Compliance

This equipment is in the 1st Class category (information equipment to be used in commercial or industrial areas) and conforms to the standards set by the Voluntary Control Council for Interference by Information Technology Equipment aimed at preventing radio interference in commercial or industrial areas.

Consequently, when the equipment is used in a residential area or in an adjacent area, radio interference may be caused to radio and TV receivers, and so on.

Read the instructions for correct handling.

Fiber Cable Classification Notice

Use this equipment only with fiber cable classified by Underwriters Laboratories as to fire and smoke characteristics in accordance with Section 770-2(b) and Section 725-2(b) of the National Electrical Code.

UK General Approval Statement

The CoreBuilder 5000 Integrated System Hub and ONline System Concentrator are manufactured to the International Safety Standard EN 60950 and are approved in the U.K. under the General Approval Number NS/G/12345/J/100003 for indirect connection to the public telecommunication network.

Trademarks

Unless otherwise indicated, 3Com registered trademarks are registered in the United States and may or may not be registered in other countries.

3Com, LANsentry, Transcend, and TriChannel are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation. CoreBuilder and 3TECH are trademarks of 3Com Corporation. 3ComFacts and Ask3Com are service marks of 3Com Corporation. The 3Com Multichannel Architecture Communications System is registered under U.S. Patent

Number 5,301,303. CompuServe is a registered trademark of CompuServe, Inc. VT100 and the Digital logo are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation. OpenView is a registered trademark of Hewlett-Packard Company. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines, Incorporated. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp. NETBIOS is a trademark of Micro Computer Systems, Inc. IPX is a trademark of Novell, Incorporated. Solaris, SunNet Manager, and SunOS are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through

X/Open Company, Ltd. Other brand and product names may be registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders.

iii

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

Audience 1 How to Use This Guide 1 Conventions 2 Related Documents 3

3Com Documents 3 Reference Documents 4

1 INTRODUCTION

FastModule Overview 1-2

WorkGroup Solutions 1-2

FastEthernet Solutions 1-2 FastModule Names 1-3 FastModule Features 1-3

Scalable Performance 1-4

Packet-Forwarding Modes 1-4

Outlet Port 1-5

Intelligent Flow Management 1-6

Full Duplex Support 1-6

Security 1-7

Resilient Links 1-7

Virtual LANs (VLANs) 1-7

PACE Technology 1-8

Spanning Tree Protocol 1-8

VLAN Server 1-8 Comparing FastModules to Bridges 1-9 FastModule Descriptions 1-9

24-Port FastModule 1-10

24-Port FastModule with FX Downlink 1-11

7-Port FX/TX FastModule 1-12

7-Port TX FastModule 1-13

Aggregator/Downlink FastModule 1-14 FastModule Backplane Connections 1-15

2 FASTMODULE MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW AND SETUP

FastModule Management Functions 2-2 Basic Management Tools 2-2

Using the FastModule Management Agent 2-2

Using the Distributed Management Module 2-2 Using Advanced Management Tools 2-3

Transcend Enterprise Manager for UNIX 2-3

Transcend Enterprise Manager for Windows 2-4

Third-Party SNMP-Based Tools 2-4 Setting Up Access for Basic Management 2-5

Setting Up FMA Access 2-5

Setting Up Direct Terminal Access to the FMA 2-5 Setting Up TELNET Access to the FMA 2-6

Connecting the FastModule to the Backplane 2-6

Assigning a Backplane Port to a Backplane Channel 2-7 Isolating a Backplane Port 2-8

Setting Up DMM Access 2-8

Setting Up Direct Terminal Access to the DMM 2-8 Configuring TELNET Access to the DMM 2-8

Configuring FMA for Management 2-11

Logging On 2-12

Assigning a Security Level 2-13

Keyboard Shortcuts 2-14 Using the FMA Management Setup Screen 2-14 Logging Off 2-16 Auto Logoff 2-17

Setting Up FMA Users 2-18

Creating a New User 2-19 Deleting a User 2-20 Editing User Details 2-21 Viewing Users 2-22 Assigning Local Security 2-22

3 BASIC FASTMODULE CONFIGURATION

Basic Configuration Guidelines 3-2

Basic Configuration Examples 3-2 Startup Defaults 3-4 Configuration Rules 3-5

CoreBuilder 5000 Slotting Considerations 3-6 Fast Ethernet Considerations 3-6 Full Duplex Considerations 3-6

Server Considerations 3-7 Configuring General Switch Parameters 3-7 Choosing a Switch Management Level 3-8 Setting Up the FastModule 3-11 Setting Up FastModule Ports 3-15

Specifying the Outlet Port 3-19

Switch Database (SDB) Description 3-19

Trap Notification 3-20 Adding Entries to the SDB 3-20 Configuring the Switch Database 3-21 Searching the Switch Database 3-22

Searching by MAC Address 3-22

Searching by Port 3-23

Adding an Entry Into the SDB 3-23 Deleting an Entry From the SDB 3-23

Setting Up Resilient Links 3-23

Rules for Setting Up Resilient Links 3-24 Viewing Resilient Link Setup 3-24 Configuring Resilient Links 3-26 Creating a Resilient Link 3-28

Deleting a Resilient Link 3-28 Setting Up Traps 3-29 Setting Up the Serial Port 3-30

vii

4 ADVANCED CONFIGURATION

VLAN Overview 4-2

VLAN Benefits 4-2 VLAN Example 4-3

Using VLANs With CoreBuilder 5000 FastModules 4-4

Understanding the Default VLAN 4-4 Connecting VLANs to a Router 4-4 Connecting Common VLANs Between FastModules 4-4

Sharing VLT Bandwidth 4-5 Using AutoSelect VLAN Mode 4-5 Using Non-Routable Protocols 4-6 Connecting Multiple Network Adapters to a FastModule 4-6

VLAN Configurations 4-7

Example 1 4-7 Example 2 4-8 Example 3 4-9

Setting Up VLANs 4-11

Assigning a Port to a VLAN 4-13 Specifying an Outlet Port 4-13 Specifying an Outlet Port as Part of a VLT 4-13 Setting Up VLANs Using AutoSelect VLAN Mode 4-14

Specifying Information About the VLAN Server 4-14 Specifying AutoSelect VLAN Mode 4-15

Spanning Tree Protocol Overview 4-16

STP Description 4-16 STP Operation 4-18

STP Initialization 4-18 STP Stabilization 4-19

STP Reconfiguration 4-20 Typical STP Configuration 4-21 Example STP Configurations 4-23

Setting Up Spanning Tree Protocol 4-25

Configuring VLAN STP Parameters 4-25 Configuring Port STP Parameters 4-28 Enabling STP on the FastModule 4-30

viii

5 STATUS MONITORING AND STATISTICS

Using the FastModule Management Agent 5-2

Viewing Summary Statistics 5-2

Changing Statistic Types 5-3

Clearing Statistics 5-4 Viewing Port Statistics 5-4 Viewing Port Traffic Statistics 5-6 Conducting Port Error Analysis 5-9 Monitoring Status 5-11 Viewing the Fault Log 5-12 Remote Polling 5-13

Using DMM Commands 5-14

Using the SHOW MODULE Command 5-14 Using the SHOW PORT Command 5-15

Using Graphical Interface Tools 5-16

Using Transcend LANsentry Software 5-16 Using CoreBuilder 5000 Manager 5-17 Using Device Management for Hubs 5-17

6 TROUBLESHOOTING

Troubleshooting Using LEDs 6-2

Verifying LED Operation 6-2 Reading the LEDs 6-2 Troubleshooting Module and Switch Status LEDs 6-3 Troubleshooting Port Status and Packet Activity LEDs 6-4

Resetting the FastModule 6-4

Saving the CoreBuilder 5000 Configuration 6-5 Using the Reset Button 6-5 Using the FastModule Management Agent 6-6 Using the DMM 6-6

Initializing the FastModule 6-7 Upgrading Software 6-8

Using the FMA Software Upgrade Screen 6-8 Using the Software Upgrade Configuration Utility 6-10

Troubleshooting Management Problems 6-11 Obtaining Technical Assistance 6-13

A SPECIFICATIONS

Mechanical Specifications A-2 Power Specifications A-2 Environmental Specifications A-3 Cable Specifications A-3 Cable Pinouts A-3

9-Pin to 25-Pin Crossover Cable A-4 9-Pin to 9-Pin Crossover Cable A-4 Modem Cable A-5 RJ-45 Pin Assignments A-5 Telco Pin Assignments A-6

B TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Online Technical Services B-1

World Wide Web Site B-2 3Com Bulletin Board Service B-2

Access by Analog Modem B-2

Access by Digital Modem B-2 3ComFacts Automated Fax Service B-3 3ComForum on CompuServe Online Service B-3

Support From Your Network Supplier B-4 Support From 3Com Corporation B-5 Returning Products for Repair B-6 Accessing the 3Com MIB B-6 Contacting 3Com Technical Publications B-7

INDEX

3COM CORPORATION LIMITED WARRANTY

FIGURES

1-1 24-Port FastModule 1-10 1-2 24-Port FastModule with FX Downlink 1-11 1-3 7-Port FX/TX FastModule 1-12 1-4 7-Port TX FastModule 1-13 1-5 Aggregator/Downlink FastModule 1-14 1-6 FastModule Backplane Connections 1-15 1-7 Aggregator/Downlink FastModule Backplane Connections 1-16 2-1 TEM/UNIX Tools for Configuring FastModules 2-3 2-2 TEM/Windows Tools for Configuring FastModules 2-4 2-3 FMA Screen Map 2-11 2-4 FMA Logon Screen 2-12 2-5 FMA Main Menu 2-13 2-6 Help Screen 2-14 2-7 Switch Management Setup Screen 2-15 2-8 Auto Logout Screen 2-17

2-9 User Access Levels screen 2-18 2-10 Create User Screen 2-19 2-11 Delete Users Screen 2-20 2-12 Edit User Screen 2-21 2-13 Switch Local Security Screen 2-22

3-1 Configuration Example 1 3-2

3-2 Configuration Example 2 3-3

3-3 Switch Management Screen – Port Level 3-8

3-4 Switch Management Screen – Unit Level 3-9

3-5 Switch Management Screen – VLAN Level 3-9

3-6 Switch Unit Setup Screen 3-11

3-7 Switch Port Setup Screen 3-15

3-8 Switch Unit Database View Screen 3-21

3-9 Unit Resilience Summary Screen 3-25 3-10 Port Resilience Screen 3-26 3-11 Trap Setup Screen 3-29 3-12 Serial Port Setup Screen 3-30

4-1 Example VLAN 4-3 4-2 VLAN Configuration With a Single FastModule 4-7 4-3 VLAN Configuration With Two 24-Port FastModules 4-8 4-4 VLAN Configuration With a 7-Port FX/TX FastModule 4-10 4-5 VLAN Setup Screen 4-11 4-6 VLAN Server Screen 4-14 4-7 Network With an Illegal Topology 4-16 4-8 STP Sends Traffic Flow Through Bridges C and A 4-17

4-9 STP Reroutes Traffic Flow Through Bridge B 4-18 4-10 Port Costs in a Network 4-21 4-11 STP Redundancy for Fast Ethernet Links 4-23 4-12 STP Redundancy for Cabling Error 4-24 4-13 VLAN STP ID Screen 4-25 4-14 VLAN STP Screen 4-26 4-15 Port STP Screen 4-28 4-16 Unit Setup Screen 4-30

5-1 Switch Summary Statistics Screen 5-2

5-2 Switch Port Statistics Screen 5-4

5-3 Port Traffic Statistics Screen 5-6

5-4 Port Error Analysis Screen 5-9

5-5 Switch Status Screen 5-11

5-6 Fault Log Screen 5-12

5-7 Switch Remote Poll Screen 5-13

6-1 Reset Screen 6-6

6-2 Initialization Screen 6-7

6-3 Software Upgrade Screen 6-9

A-1 9-Pin to RS-232 25-Pin Cable Pinouts A-4 A-2 9-Pin to 9-Pin Cable Pinouts A-4 A-3 9-Pin to RS-232 25-Pin Modem Cable Pinouts A-5

xii

TABLES

1-1 FastModule Names and Model Numbers 1-3 1-2 FastModule Packet Forwarding Process 1-5 1-3 Comparison of FastModules to Bridges 1-9 1-4 CoreBuilder 5000 Backplane Configurations 1-15 1-5 FastModule Backplane Port Assignments 1-16 1-6 Aggregator/Downlink FastModule Backplane Port Assignments 1-17 2-1 Backplane Port Connections 2-7 2-2 Default Users 2-12 3-1 Startup Default Settings 3-4 3-2 FastChannel Assignment Effect on Backplane Channels 3-6 3-3 FastModule Port IDs 3-10 4-1 Default Root Path Costs 4-19 6-1 Module and Backplane Status LED Troubleshooting 6-3 6-2 Port Status and Packet Activity LED Troubleshooting 6-4 6-3 Software Upgrade Configuration Utility Commands 6-10

6-4 FastModule Management Problems 6-11 A-1 CoreBuilder 5000 FastModule Mechanical Specifications A-2 A-2 CoreBuilder 5000 FastModule Power Specifications A-2 A-3 CoreBuilder 5000 FastModule Fuse Specifications A-2 A-4 CoreBuilder 5000 FastModule Environmental Specifications A-3 A-5 Required Cable Type and Maximum Segment Length A-3 A-6 Pin Assignments for Ports Configured as MDI A-5 A-7 Pin Assignments for Ports Configured as MDIX A-6 A-8 Pin Assignments for Telco Ports 1 to 12 A-6 A-9 Pin Assignments for Telco Ports 13 to 24 A-7

xiii

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

3Com CoreBuilder™ 5000 FastModules are high-performance LAN-switching modules for the 3Com

CoreBuilder 5000 Integrated

System Hub.

This guide describes how to install, configure, and manage 3Com CoreBuilder 5000 FastModules.

If the information in the release notes shipped with your product differs from the information in this guide, follow the release note instructions.

Audience This guide is intended for the following people at your site:

■ Network manager or administrator

■ Trained hardware installer or service personnel

How to Use This

The following table shows the location of specific information.

Guide

If you are looking for: Turn to:

FastModule features and general descriptions Chapter 1 Information on setting up FastModule management Chapter 2 Information on configuring FastModules Chapter 3 VLAN overview and configuration information Chapter 4 Information on monitoring FastModule operation Chapter 5 Information on troubleshooting FastModule LEDs, management

problems, and resetting FastModules Detailed FastModule specifications and cable pinouts Appendix A 3Com technical support information Appendix B

Chapter 6

2 About This Guide

Conventions The following tables list conventions used throughout this guide:

Icon Notice Type Alerts you to...

Information note Important features or instructions

Caution Risk of personal safety, system damage, or loss

of data

Warning Risk of severe personal injury

Convention Description

Syntax Syntax means you must evaluate the syntax provided and

supply the appropriate values. Placeholders for values you must supply appear in angle brackets. Example:

Enable RIPIP by using the following syntax:

SETDef ault !<por t> -RIPIP CONTrol = Listen

In this example, you must supply a port number for <port>.

Commands Command means you must enter the command exactly as

Screen displays This font represents information as it appears on the

The words enter and type

shown in text and press the Return or Enter key. Example:

To remove the IP address, enter the following command:

SETDef ault !0 -IP NETaddr = 0. 0.0.0

This guide always gives the full form of a command in uppercase and lowercase letters. However, you can abbreviate commands by entering only the uppercase letters and the appropriate value. Commands are not case-sensitive.

screen. Enter means type something, and then press the Return or

Enter key. Do not press the Return or Enter key when an instruction says type.

INTRODUCTION

This chapter describes the features and components of 3Com CoreBuilder chapter contains the following sections:

■ FastModule Overview

■ FastModule Names

■ FastModule Features

■ Comparing FastModules to Bridges

■ FastModule Descriptions

■ FastModule Backplane Connections



5000 FastModules and their principles of operation. This

1-2 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

FastModule Overview

CoreBuilder 5000 FastModules are high-performance LAN-switching modules for the 3Com

CoreBuilder 5000 Integrated System Hub. Based on the BRASICA Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), the FastModule family extends switching from the backbone, enabling you to provide your users with greater bandwidth, faster throughput, and high-speed connections.

WorkGroup Solutions The 24-Port 10BASE-T FastModule provides switched 10BASE-T

connectivity to the workgroup and allows for one switched connection to one of four CoreBuilder 5000 FastChannel backplane networks.

The 24-Port 10BASE-T FastModule with FX Downlink provides the same switched 10BASE-T connectivity to the workgroup with an additional 100BASE-FX port for connection to Fast Ethernet backbone networks.

FastEthernet

Solutions

Support for collapsed Fast Ethernet backbones and large central server farms is provided by the following FastModules:

■ 7-Port 100BASE-FX/TX FastModule – Provides five FX-port and two

TX-port switched Fast Ethernet connections to any one of four CoreBuilder 5000 FastChannel backplane networks. When used in conjunction with other CoreBuilder 5000 FastModules, this FastModule lets you create backbone and floor configurations based on shared and switched Fast Ethernet and Ethernet.

■ 7-Port 100BASE-TX FastModule – Provides seven TX-port switched

Fast Ethernet connections to any one of four CoreBuilder 5000 FastChannel backplane networks.

■ Aggregator/Downlink FastModule (with an optional FX, TX, or ATM

downlink port) – Consolidates traffic from up to four CoreBuilder 5000 FastChannel backplane networks and three Ethernet backplane segments within a single CoreBuilder 5000 hub. The 100BASE-FX front panel port provides a downlink connection into a switched Fast Ethernet backbone network. Three daughter card options are available, providing one additional downlink port using 100BASE-FX, 100BASE-TX, or 155 Mbps ATM technology.

FastModule Names 1-3

FastModule Names Table 1-1 correlates each type of FastModule with its model number

and maps the full product name to the shortened name used throughout this document:

Table 1-1 FastModule Names and Model Numbers

FastModule Name Model Number Shortened Name

CoreBuilder 5000 24-Port 10BASE-T FastModule

CoreBuilder 5000 24-Port 10BASE-T FastModule with FX Downlink

CoreBuilder 5000 7-Port 100BASE-FX/TX FastModule

CoreBuilder 5000 7-Port 100BASE-TX FastModule

CoreBuilder 5000 Aggregator/Downlink FastModule

3C96524M-TP 24-Port

FastModule

3C96525M-TPFX 24-Port

FastModule with FX Downlink

3C96507M-FXTX 7-Port FX/TX

FastModule

3C96507M-TX 7-Port TX

FastModule

3C96501M-BFX Downlink

FastModule

FastModule Features

For more information about Downlink FastModule option cards, refer to the installation document that accompanies the option card.

FastModule features are described in the sections below:

■ Scalable Performance

■ Packet-Forwarding Modes

■ Outlet Port

■ Intelligent Flow Management

■ Full Duplex Support

■ Security

■ Resilient Links

■ Virtual LANs (VLANs)

■ PACE Technology

■ Spanning Tree Protocol

■ VLAN Server

1-4 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Scalable Performance Each FastModule is equipped with its own high performance switching

Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). 3Com BRASICA ASIC technology provides scalable performance for switching on each port.

Packet-Forwarding

Modes

The 10 Mbps front panel ports on the 24-Port FastModule and 24-Port FastModule with FX Downlink can operate in any of the following forwarding modes:

■ Fast Forward – Frames are forwarded as soon as the destination

address is received and verified.

■ Fragment Free – A minimum of 64 bytes of the received frame is

buffered before the frame is forwarded.

■ Store and Forward – Received packets are buffered in their entirety

before forwarding. This ensures that only good frames are passed to their destination.

■ Intelligent – The FastModule monitors the amount of error traffic

on the network and changes the forwarding mode accordingly.

Error traffic is defined as:

■ alignment errors

■ CRC errors

■ long frame errors

■ short events

■ collisions

If the FastModule detects:

■ less than 18 errors per second, it will operate in FastForward

mode.

■ more than 18 errors per second, it will operate in Store and

Forward mode until the number of errors returns to 0.

The 7-Port FX/TX FastModule, 7-Port TX FastModule, and Downlink FastModule operate in Store and Forward mode only.

FastModule Features 1-5

Outlet Port In the 24-Port FastModule only, you can designate any port to act as an

outlet port. The outlet port serves as an exit path for any packet that arrives at a FastModule with an unknown destination address. By default, the backplane port on the 24-Port FastModule (port 25) is designated as the outlet port.

For more information about designating a outlet port, refer to Setting

Up VLANs on page 4-11.

Table 1-2

shows how a packet is processed when it arrives at the FastModule, and delineates the difference between the action performed by the 24-Port FastModule versus all other FastModules.

Table 1-2 FastModule Packet Forwarding Process

24-Port FastModule With

Packet Source

Any port EXCEPT outlet port (Unicast packet)

Any port EXCEPT outlet port (Multi/Broadcast packet)

Outlet port (Unicast packet)

Outlet port (Multi/Broadcast packet)

Destination Address

Unknown Forward to outlet port only Flood to all ports Flood to all ports

Same port as source address

Another port (not outlet port)

Not applicable Flood to all ports within

Unknown Filter (discard) N/A (no outlet port

Known on a port (not outlet port)

Not applicable Flood to all ports within

Bridging Mode Set to Forward to Outlet

Filter (discard) Filter (discard) Filter (discard)

Forward to specific port only

same VLAN as source port

Forward to specific port only

specific VLAN

Action

24-Port FastModule With Bridging Mode Set to Forward to All

Forward to specific port only

Flood to all ports within same VLAN as source port

designation) N/A (no outlet port

designation)

N/A (no outlet port designation)

All Other FastModules

Forward to specific port only

Flood to all ports within same VLAN as source port

N/A (no outlet port designation)

1-6 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Intelligent Flow

Management

Intelligent Flow Management (IFM) is a congestion control mechanism built into the FastModule. Congestion is caused by one or more devices sending traffic to a FastModule port that is already busy.

IFM is available only on the FastModule front panel ports.

The FastModule contains both input and output packet buffers. While congestion is rare, IFM is designed to alleviate problems when packet buffers in the FastModule are full. IFM prevents packet loss by preventing the transmitting device from sending any further packets until the port is no longer congested.

If a packet arrives at a conventional switch that does not operate IFM, and that port is congested (resulting in packet loss), the transmitting device is unaware of this. The originating station may retransmit the packets, effectively wasting bandwidth.

A FastModule using IFM senses congestion, and prevents packet loss by inhibiting the transmitting device from transmitting the packet in the first place. It does this by forcing the device to retransmit the packet later. This “back-off” and retransmission occurs quickly (typically less than 1 second) and is much faster than waiting for the transmitting device to time-out.

There are two benefits:

■ The packet is transmitted quickly and successfully

■ The packet is only transmitted once, saving bandwidth

If the FastModule is connected to a repeated segment with local traffic, and the FastModule invokes IFM on the repeated segment, the FastModule would not only inhibit the devices transmitting to the congested port, but also inhibit devices on the segment transmitting to each other.

IFM does not operate in Full Duplex mode.

Full Duplex Support The FastModule provides full duplex capability on all front panel Fast

Ethernet ports. Full duplex capability allows frames to be transmitted and received simultaneously, in effect doubling bandwidth available on a link. Full duplex capability also supports 100BASE-FX cable runs of up to 2 km.

FastModule Features 1-7

Security Security is available on the 10 Mbps front panel ports of the 24-Port

FastModule and 24-Port FastModule with FX Downlink. FastModule security prevents users from connecting unauthorized stations to the network through the front panel ports. You enable security using the FastModule Management Agent. When security is enabled on a port, that port enters into a single address learning mode. This port is then permitted to learn just a single Ethernet address. After that address is learned, if the FastModule sees a different address on that port, the port will be disabled. Until security is disabled, no other address can be learned.

Resilient Links You can set up resilient links on FastModule front panel ports only.

Resilient links enable you to protect critical links and prevent wasteful network downtime if the link fails. If a main communication link fails, a standby duplicate link automatically takes over the task of the main link. Each main and standby link pair is referred to as a resilient link pair. The main and standby links must be set up on the same FastModule.

Virtual LANs (VLANs) The Virtual LAN (VLAN) feature allows you to build your network

segments without being restricted by physical connections. A VLAN is defined as a group of location- and topology-independent devices that communicate as if they are on the same physical LAN.

Implementing VLANs on your network has three advantages:

■ When you move a workstation, minimal physical intervention is

required. Within the VLAN setup, you can configure a group of devices on different floors in a building into a common communications group. For example, if you move a workstation from VLAN 1 to VLAN 2, you only need to know address information for that device. The physical location of the port is irrelevant.

■ Use of network resources becomes much more efficient. You can set

up each VLAN to contain only those devices which need to communicate with each other.

■ Network security is enhanced. Devices within the same VLAN can

only communicate with member devices in the same VLAN. For example, if a device in VLAN 1 needs to communicate with devices in VLAN 2, you configure the device to cross the router between VLAN 1 and VLAN 2.

1-8 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

PACE Technology 3Com PACE Technology allows you to carry multimedia applications

using voice and video traffic over standard Ethernet and Fast Ethernet LANs. PACE Technology provides the quality of service that these applications require, reducing latency to a minimum and prioritizing the multimedia traffic.

Both multimedia and data traffic are improved considerably by:

■ Introducing an Ethernet switch into the LAN

■ Attaching each end-station to its own dedicated 10 Mbps switch

port

This removes any contention between different end-stations for the Ethernet bandwidth. However, when 2-way traffic passes between an end-station and the switch port, access to the bandwidth can still be unfairly allocated to traffic in one direction, resulting in poor quality video display. PACE Technology allocates the available bandwidth fairly to traffic in each direction. You can use existing Ethernet adapters and cabling to run high-quality multimedia sessions across the LAN.

You can enable PACE Technology to operate on the same CoreBuilder 5000 backplane FastChannel between a maximum of two FastModules installed in the same hub.

Spanning Tree

Protocol

Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is part of the IEEE 802.1D bridging specification that provides a system of allowing parallel paths for network traffic while allowing:

■ A redundant path is disabled when a parallel main path is

operational

■ A redundant path is enabled if a parallel main path fails

Refer to Spanning Tree Protocol Overview in Chapter 2 for more information.

VLAN Server The VLAN Server function allows you to create a VLAN Server database

from which you can set FastModule ports to automatically receive assignment to a VLAN.

Refer to Using AutoSelect VLAN Mode

in Chapter 4.

Comparing FastModules to Bridges 1-9

Comparing FastModules to Bridges

Table 1-3 shows FastModule operation compared to that of an IEEE

802.1D bridge.

ways except for those shown in Table 1-3

Table 1-3 Comparison of FastModules to Bridges

Feature

Address Learning

Forwarding Mode

Operation when packet buffers full

Spanning Tree

Action on Unknown Destination Address

Database size

Bridge and FastModule operation is identical in all

IEEE

802.1D Bridge

All ports All ports (except

Store and forward

Discard packets

Supported Supported Supported Supported

Flood all ports

Variable 500 addresses 4080 addresses 4080 addresses

24-Port FastModule

outlet when Bridging Mode = Forward to Outlet)

Fast Forward, Fragment Free, Store and Forward, or Intelligent

If enabled, IFM is invoked to suppress transmissions at source.

Forward to outlet port only (when Bridging Mode = Forward to Outlet)

24-Port FastModule w/ FX Downlink

All ports All ports

Fast Forward, Fragment Free, Store and Forward, or Intelligent

If enabled, IFM is invoked to suppress transmissions at source.

Flood all ports Flood all ports

All Other FastModules

Store and forward only

If enabled, IFM is invoked to suppress transmissions at source.

FastModule Descriptions

This section describes the following FastModules:

■ 24-Port FastModule

■ 24-Port FastModule with FX Downlink

■ 7-Port FX/TX FastModule

■ 7-Port TX FastModule

■ Aggregator/Downlink FastModule

1-10 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

24-Port FastModule The CoreBuilder 5000 24-Port FastModule provides 24 switched

Ethernet ports for connecting network devices to any of four available CoreBuilder 5000 FastChannel backplanes using shielded or unshielded twisted-pair cabling. The 24 10BASE-T-compliant ports are provided through two Telco connectors on the FastModule front panel.

10BASE-T ports 1 to 12

10BASE-T ports 13 to 24

Figure 1-1

24-Port FastModule

Out-of-band console port connection

shows the 24-Port FastModule.

SWITCH-STAT

Reset button

CoreBuilder 5000 FastChannel Backplane

Backplane port 25

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23

MOD-STAT

RESET

1X-12X

13X-24X

Module Status/

2 4 6

8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Switch Status LEDs

Port Status LEDs

Telco connector (ports 1 to 12)

Telco connector (ports 13 to 24)

Figure 1-1 24-Port FastModule

CONSOLE

Console port

6524M-TP

FastModule Descriptions 1-11

24-Port FastModule

with FX Downlink

10BASE-T ports 1 to 12

10BASE-T ports 13 to 24

100BASE-FX port 26

The 24-Port FastModule with FX Downlink is similar to the 24-Port FastModule, and includes an additional switched 100BASE-FX downlink port using an SC connector to connect to Fast Ethernet backbone networks.

Figure 1-2

24-Port FastModule with FX Downlink

shows the 24-Port FastModule with FX Downlink front panel.

SWITCH-STAT

Reset button

CoreBuilder 5000 FastChannel Backplane

MOD-STAT

RESET

8 10

9 11

1X-12X

13X-24X

Module Status/ Switch Status LEDs

Port Status LEDs

Telco connector (ports 1 to 12)

Telco connector (ports 13 to 24)

Out-of-band console port connection

Backplane port 25

100BASE-FX port 26

CONSOLE

Console port

6525M-TPFX

Figure 1-2 24-Port FastModule with FX Downlink

Using a 90° Telco connector cable on the bottom Telco port physically prevents access to the 100BASE-FX port. Use either a 180° or 45° cable. You can order a 45° cable through 3Com. Refer to Appendix A for details.

1-12 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

7-Port FX/TX

FastModule

100BASE-FX ports 1 to 5

The CoreBuilder 5000 7-Port FX/TX FastModule provides:

■ Five 100BASE-FX ports using SC connectors which can be used as

downlink connections to the data center

■ Two 100BASE-TX ports using RJ-45 connectors which can be used

to provide dedicated 100 Mbps connections to workgroup servers

Figure 1-3

7-Port FX/TX FastModule

shows the 7-Port FX/TX FastModule front panel.

SWITCH-STAT

Reset button

CoreBuilder 5000 FastChannel Backplane

PACKET

MOD-STAT

RESET

STATUS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Module Status/ Switch Status LEDs

Packet Activity/ Port Status LEDs

100BASE-FX ports 1 to 5

100BASE-TX ports 6 to 7

Out-of-band console port

Backplane port 8

connection

Figure 1-3 7-Port FX/TX FastModule

100BASE-TX ports 6 to 7

CONSOLE

Console port

6507M-TXFX

FastModule Descriptions 1-13

7-Port TX

FastModule

100BASE-TX ports 1 to 7

The CoreBuilder 5000 7-Port TX FastModule provides seven 100BASE-TX ports using RJ-45 connectors that allow dedicated 100 Mbps connections to workgroup servers.

Figure 1-4

7-Port TX FastModule

shows the 7-Port TX FastModule front panel.

SWITCH-STAT

Reset button

CoreBuilder 5000 FastChannel Backplane

PACKET

MOD-STAT

RESET

STATUS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Module Status/ Switch Status LEDs

Packet Activity/ Port Status LEDs

100BASE-TX ports 1 to 7

Out-of-band console port

Backplane port 8

connection

Figure 1-4 7-Port TX FastModule

CONSOLE

Console port

6507M-TX

1-14 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Aggregator/Downlink

FastModule

100BASE-FX port 1

The CoreBuilder 5000 Aggregator/Downlink FastModule is a dual-width module that can consolidate traffic from four FastChannels and three 10 Mbps Ethernet backplane segments.

The 100BASE-FX front panel port using an SC connector allows downlink connections into a switched backbone. Three daughter card options are available that provide an additional front panel downlink port using 100BASE-FX, 100BASE-TX, or 155 Mbps ATM technology.

Figure 1-5

Downlink FastModule

shows the Aggregator/Downlink FastModule front panel.

SWITCH-STAT

Reset button

3 10 Mbps Ethernet backplanes

PACKET

MOD-STAT

RESET

STATUS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

CONSOLE

Module Status/ Switch Status LEDs

Packet Activity/ Port Status LEDs

100BASE-FX port 1

Console port

Optional port 9 (FX, TX, ATM)

4 100 Mbps FastChannel backplanes

Out-of-band console port connection

Figure 1-5 Aggregator/Downlink FastModule

Option card blanking plate

6501-BFX

FastModule Backplane Connections 1-15

FastModule Backplane Connections

The FastModule connects to the CoreBuilder 5000 backplane which supports four 100 Mbps FastChannel networks. In addition, the Aggregator/ Downlink FastModule has access to three 10 Mbps Ethernet networks. Table 1-4

describes the backplane configuration

options available for each FastModule type:

Table 1-4 CoreBuilder 5000 Backplane Configurations

FastModule Type Backplane Configuration

24-Port FastModule FastModule 100 MB backplane port is 24-Port FastModule with FX Downlink 7-Port FX/TX FastModule 7-Port TX FastModule Aggregator/Downlink FastModule

(includes optional FX, TX, and ATM daughter card)

switchable to any one of four 100 MB FastChannels

Can connect to all four 100 MB FastChannels and three 10 MB backplane channels

The 24-Port FastModule, 24-Port FastModule with FX Downlink, 7-Port FX/TX FastModule, and 7-Port TX FastModule provide one 100 MB backplane port that you can assign to any one of four CoreBuilder 5000 FastChannels, as shown in Figure 1-6

CoreBuilder 5000 backplane FastEthernet 100Mbps networks 1, 2, 3, 4

FastModule backplane port (assignable to one of four CoreBuilder 5000 FastEthernet backplane networks)

Figure 1-6 FastModule Backplane Connections

1-16 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Table 1-5 describes FastModule port assignments:

Table 1-5 FastModule Backplane Port Assignments

Backplane

FastModule Type

24-Port FastModule 25 100 Any one of four 24-Port FastModule with

FX Downlink 7-Port FX/TX FastModule 8 100 7-Port TX FastModule 8 100

Port Number

25 100

Speed (MB)

CoreBuilder 5000 Network

FastChannels

The Aggregator/Downlink FastModule provides seven backplane ports that are hardwired to four FastChannel and three 10 Mbps Ethernet networks in the CoreBuilder 5000 hub. These port assignments cannot be changed. However, you can isolate the ports. The backplane port architecture is shown in Figure 1-7

FastModule backplane ports 100 Mbps ports 2, 3, 4, 5

10 Mbps ports 6, 7, 8

CoreBuilder 5000 backplane networks

10 Mbps Ethernet networks 5, 7, 8

100 Mbps Fast Ethernet backplane networks 1, 2, 3, 4

Figure 1-7 Aggregator/Downlink FastModule Backplane Connections

FastModule Backplane Connections 1-17

Table 1-6 describes the Aggregator/Downlink FastModule port

assignments:

Table 1-6 Aggregator/Downlink FastModule Backplane Port Assignments

FastModule Backplane Port

2 100 FastChannel 1 3 100 FastChannel 2 4 100 FastChannel 3 5 100 FastChannel 4 6 10 Ethernet 5 7 10 Ethernet 7 8 10 Ethernet 8

Speed (MB)

CoreBuilder 5000 Network

Port 1 on the Aggregator/Downlink FastModule represents the front panel 100BASE-FX port. The optional front panel port provided by the daughter card is designated as port 9.

For information about the CoreBuilder 5000 backplane, refer to

CoreBuilder 5000 Slotting Considerations

on page 3-6.

FASTMODULE MANAGEMENT

OVERVIEW AND SETUP

This chapter describes FastModule management requirements and tools and explains how to setup access to management tools.

This chapter contains the following sections:

■ FastModule Management Functions

■ Basic Management Tools

■ Using Advanced Management Tools

■ Setting Up Access for Basic Management

■ Configuring FMA for Management

■ Setting Up FMA Users

2-2 CHAPTER 2: FASTMODULE MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW AND SETUP

FastModule Management Functions

Basic Management To o l s

Using the

FastModule

Management Agent

FastModule management tools allow you to perform the following functions:

■ Configuration

■ Status and Performance Monitoring

■ Troubleshooting

This section identifies the basic management tools that are available for you to manage CoreBuilder 5000 FastModules. FastModule basic management tools include:

■ FastModule Management Agent (FMA)

■ Distributed Management Module (DMM) (includes Advanced DMM)

The FastModule Management Agent (FMA) management tool is built-in to the FastModule software. FMA allows you to manage the following FastModule tasks:

■ General switch and VLAN configuration

■ Status monitoring

■ Statistics generation and performance monitoring

Using the

Distributed

Management Module

■ Resetting and initializing the FastModule

You can access the FMA in either of two ways:

■ Connect a terminal directly to the console port of the FastModule

■ TELNET to the IP address for the FastModule

The 3Com CoreBuilder

™

5000 Distributed Management Module (DMM) and Advanced DMM provide commands that allow you to assign FastModule backplane ports to one of the CoreBuilder 5000 backplane FastChannels or to isolate a backplane port.

You can access DMM in two ways:

■ Connect a terminal directly to the console port of the DMM

■ TELNET to the DMM (Refer to Setting Up Access for Basic

Management on page 2-5)

Using Advanced Management Tools 2-3

Using Advanced Management Tools

Transcend Enterprise

Manager for UNIX

Operating Systems

Network management platforms

3Com management application

This section identifies the advanced management tools that are available for managing CoreBuilder 5000 FastModules, including:

■ Transcend Enterprise Manager for UNIX

■ Transcend Enterprise Manager for Windows

■ Third-Party SNMP-Based Tools

3Com Transcend® Enterprise Manager for UNIX (TEM/UNIX) provides a suite of advanced graphical tools for network management. Figure 2-1 illustrates the TEM/UNIX tools you can use to configure CoreBuilder 5000 FastModules.

SunOS, Solaris, HPUX, AIX

HP OpenView, SunNet Manager, NetView

Transcend Enterprise Manager for UNIX

Tools accessible from network management platform Tools menu

Figure 2-1 TEM/UNIX Tools for Configuring FastModules

You can access TEM/UNIX applications by:

■ Selecting the application directly from the Tools menu of the

Network Platform (for example, HP OpenView

■ By selecting a launch point from one TEM/UNIX application to

another.

You can access VLAN Manager from the Tools menu only.

CoreBuilder 5000 Manager

Device View

Alternative launch points

Bridge Management

)

VLAN Manager

2-4 CHAPTER 2: FASTMODULE MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW AND SETUP

Transcend Enterprise

Manager for

Windows

3Com Transcend Enterprise Manager for Windows (TEM/Windows) provides a suite of advanced graphical tools for network management.

Figure 2-2

illustrates the TEM/Windows tools that you can use to

configure CoreBuilder 5000 FastModules.

Operating Systems

Network management platforms

3Com management application

Tools accessible from network management platform Tools menu

CoreBuilder 5000 Manager

Device View

Figure 2-2 TEM/Windows Tools for Configuring FastModules

Windows 95, Windows NT

HP OpenView for Windows

Transcend Enterprise Manager for Windows

Bridge Management

Alternative launch point

VLAN Manager

Third-Party

SNMP-Based Tools

You can access TEM/Windows applications by:

■ Selecting the application directly from the Tools menu of the

Network Platform (for example, HP OpenView)

■ By selecting a launch point from one TEM/Window application to

another.

You can access VLAN Manager from the Tools menu only.

After you set up the FastModule IP parameters, you can use any SNMP network manager for in-band management (if the Management Information Base (MIB) is correctly installed on your network management station).

Setting Up Access for Basic Management 2-5

Setting Up Access for Basic Management

Setting Up FMA

Access

This section provides procedures you must follow to set up access to the FastModule Management Agent (FMA) and DMM management tools.

This section includes the following topics:

■ Setting Up FMA Access

■ Connecting the FastModule to the Backplane

■ Setting Up DMM Access

You can access FMA by:

■ Direct terminal access

■ TELNET access

Setting Up Direct Terminal Access to the FMA

To set up a direct terminal connection to the FMA, connect a VT100 terminal (or workstation with terminal emulation software) to the FastModule serial port. You can connect a terminal directly, or remotely through a modem.

The default FastModule serial port settings are set to:

■ Character Size – 8

■ Parity – None

■ Stop Bit – 1

The terminal connected to the serial port on the FastModule must be configured with the same settings as listed above. This procedure is described in the documentation that accompanies your terminal application. If you enabled auto-configuration for the FastModule, the terminal’s line speed (baud rate) will be detected automatically. The maximum baud rate the auto-configuration detects is 19200 baud.

After you establish access to the FMA, you can use the Serial Port Setup screen to change serial port parameters. For more information, refer to Setting Up the Serial Port

on page 3-30.

Appropriate cables are available from your local supplier. If you need to make your own cables, pin-outs are detailed in Appendix A.

The serial port requires a female 9-pin crossover cable.

2-6 CHAPTER 2: FASTMODULE MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW AND SETUP

Setting Up TELNET Access to the FMA

Connecting the

FastModule to the

Backplane

After you specify the FastModule IP parameters, you can use any TELNET application that emulates a DEC VT100

terminal to access

FMA over the network.

To begin a TELNET session, specify the IP address of the FastModule. For example:

TELNET 185.104.1 0.2

For more information on using TELNET, refer to the documentation supplied with your TELNET application.

Up to three active TELNET sessions can access the FMA concurrently. If a connection to a TELNET session is lost inadvertently, the connection is closed by the FastModule after 30 minutes of inactivity.

Use DMM commands to set the backplane port of the FastModule to the CoreBuilder 5000 backplane FastChannels.

Your options for setting the backplane port assignment depend on the type of FastModule:

■ Downlink FastModule – Upon installation, all Downlink

FastModule backplane ports are isolated from their hardwired backplane channels (see Table 2-1

). These channel assignments cannot be changed. You can only enable or isolate Downlink FastModule backplane ports.

■ All other FastModules – You can assign FastModule backplane

ports to:

■ Backplane channel

■ Isolated mode

Setting Up Access for Basic Management 2-7

Table 2-1 describes the backplane port connections of each

FastModule type:

Table 2-1 Backplane Port Connections

FastModule Type

24-Port FastModule

24-Port FastModule with FX Downlink

7-Port FX/TX FastModule

7-Port TX FastModule

Downlink FastModule (All Types)

Backplane Port Types

100 MB backplane port switchable to any of four 100 MB FastChannels

Four 100 MB backplane ports are assigned to backplane FastChannels

Three 10 MB backplane ports are assigned to standard Ethernet channels

FastModule Port Number

25 FastChannel

8 FastChannel

2, 3, 4, and 5FastChannels

6, 7, and 8 Standard Ethernet

Valid Backplane Channel Assignments

1, 2, 3, or 4

1, 2, 3, and 4

channels 5, 7, and 8

Assigning a Backplane Port to a Backplane Channel

To assign the FastModule backplane port to one of the backplane channels, use the following DMM command:

Refer to Ta bl e 2-1

set por t

■ slot – CoreBuilder 5000 slot number that the FastModule is

for backplane port assignment restrictions.

slot.port

network {fast_ether_1 ... 4}

{ethernet_ 5, 7, 8}

installed in

■ port – FastModule backplane port number (see Table 2-1)

For example, the following command sets the backplane port on a 24-Port FastModule installed in slot 3 to FastChannel_2:

CB50 00> set po rt 3.25 network fa st_ether _2

2-8 CHAPTER 2: FASTMODULE MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW AND SETUP

To save configuration changes, use the SAVE command. For example, the following command saves all configuration changes:

CB50 00> save all

If you do not save module settings, you may lose configuration data.

Isolating a Backplane Port

You can isolate a FastModule backplane port from its assigned backplane network by using the following command:

set por t

slot.port

network isolated_ {1. ..7}

For example, the following command isolates port 5 on a Downlink FastModule installed in slot 3 from the default network.

CB50 00> set po rt 3.5 networ k isolated_4

To save configuration changes, use the SAVE command. For example, the following command saves all configuration changes:

CB50 00> save all

Setting Up DMM

Access

If you do not save module settings, you may lose configuration data.

You can access the DMM by:

■ Direct terminal access

■ TELNET access

Setting Up Direct Terminal Access to the DMM

Refer to the Distributed Management Module User Guide for procedures to set up a direct terminal connection to the DMM.

Configuring TELNET Access to the DMM

This section describes how to configure in-band access to the DMM, which allows you to manage the CoreBuilder 5000 hub from a remote terminal or SNMP manager such as the 3Com Transcend Enterprise Manager application.

This procedure is not necessary if you have already established IP connectivity to the DMM through another module installed in the CoreBuilder 5000 hub.

Setting Up Access for Basic Management 2-9

The FastModule has embedded network connectivity to the DMM across the hub management channel.

Before you begin this procedure, you must have assigned FastModule backplane ports to a backplane network as described in Connecting the

FastModule to the Backplane on page 2-6.

To configure in-band access to the DMM:

1 Log in to the DMM using a terminal connected to one of the serial

ports. The default login name is system (all lowercase) with a blank password. For example:

Logi n: sy stem Passwo rd: [press Enter]

2 Make sure that the device you plan to use for remote management has

connectivity to the network you assigned earlier to the FastModule. For example, you could assign a media module port to the selected

network and connect the port to a router that has connectivity to your SNMP management workstation.

3 Set the IP subnet mask for the selected network. For example:

CB50 00> set ip subnet_ma sk ff.ff.ff.0 fa st_ether_ 2

4 Set the IP address for the selected network. For example:

CB50 00> set ip ip_address 185.1 04.10.2 f ast_ether_2

5 Set the DMM IP default gateway for the selected network. For

example:

CB50 00> set ip default_g ateway 185. 104.10.7 f ast_ether_2

6 Use the SET MODULE INTERFACE command to enable the network

monitoring interface. For example:

CB50 00> set module 4.1 interfac e enable

You can use the SHOW INTERFACE command to display information about the FastModule, including the slot.subslot location.

2-10 CHAPTER 2: FASTMODULE MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW AND SETUP

7 Set the default gateway for the selected network to be the active

default gateway for the DMM. For example:

CB50 00> set ip active_de fault_gateway 1 85.104.10 .7

8 Use the SHOW IP command to verify the subnet mask, IP address,

default gateway, and active default gateway.

9 If you plan to use an SNMP manager to manage the CoreBuilder 5000

hub, use the SET COMMUNITY command to create an entry for the manager in the DMM community table.

The following example creates a community named mgt. This community provides all access privileges for an SNMP manager with the IP address 185.104.10.9:

CB50 00> set community mgt 185.104.10.9 all

10 Use the SAVE ALL command to save all changes.

Configuring FMA for Management 2-11

Configuring FMA for Management

The following sections explain how to access the FMA screens for the CoreBuilder 5000 FastModules. Refer to Figure 2-3

to locate the screens

you require.

Figure 2-3 FMA Screen Map

This section describes:

■ Logging On

■ Using the FMA Management Setup Screen

■ Logging Off

■ Auto Logoff

2-12 CHAPTER 2: FASTMODULE MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW AND SETUP

Logging On To log o n to F M A :

1 From the FMA banner screen, press Return to display the Logon screen

shown in Figure 2-4

Figure 2-4 FMA Logon Screen

2 Enter your user name and password. They are both case-sensitive.

■ If you are logging on for the first time (after installation or

initialization), use a default user name and password to match your access requirements. We recommend you that you use the default user security so that you can access all functions. The defaults are shown in Ta ble 2 -2

■ If you were assigned a user name and password, enter them now.

Table 2-2 Default Users

Default

User Name

monitor monitor monitor - This user can view

manager manager manager - This user can

security security security - This user can access

Password Access Level

but not change, a subset of the manageable parameters

access and change the operational parameters but not special/security features

and change all manageable parameters

Configuring FMA for Management 2-13

Assigning a Security Level

When you have successfully logged on to FMA, the Main menu appears as shown in Figure 2-5

Figure 2-5 FMA Main Menu

From the Main menu, you can select the options you need to manage the module.

Access to options depends on the access level you have been assigned. Access rights to the FMA screens for the FastModule are listed in

Table 2-2

If you are a user with

security access level, and are using the

management facility for the first time, you should:

■ Assign a new password for the security access level as described in

Editing User Details

■ Assign new passwords for the other default users as described in

Editing User Details

■ Set up user names and passwords for any other users, and assign

on page 2-21.

each user an appropriate security level as described in Creating a

New User on page 2-19.

2-14 CHAPTER 2: FASTMODULE MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW AND SETUP

Keyboard Shortcuts

You can press Ctrl-K to display a Help screen listing keyboard shortcuts you can use to navigate the FMA screens. The help screen is shown in

Figure 2-6

Using the FMA

Management Setup

Screen

Figure 2-6 Help Screen

The Switch Management Setup screen allows you to configure IP and IPX parameters for the FastModule. This screen also allows you to display a screen for setting up traps.

The DMM/ADMM does not provide IPX support.

If you change the IP parameters using this screen, the changes do not take effect until you reset the FastModule. Refer to Resetting the

FastModule on page 6-4. Changes made using the SETUP TRAPS and

SERIAL PORT buttons take effect immediately.

To access the Setup screen, from the FMA Main menu screen, select the MANAGEMENT SETUP option. The Switch Management Setup screen appears as shown in Figure 2-7

Configuring FMA for Management 2-15

Figure 2-7 Switch Management Setup Screen

The screen shows the following:

MAC Address – The FastModule read-only MAC address required for management.

Power On Self Test (POST) Type – Normal/Extended Use this field to determine the type of self-test that the FastModule carries out when it is powered up. If this field is set to Normal, the FastModule executes a basic confidence check lasting approximately 10 seconds. If this field is set to Extended, the FastModule executes a full set of dynamic memory tests which may take up to 90 seconds to complete.

Device IP Address – If using IP, you must specify a unique IP address in this field. If you do not know your IP address, consult your network administrator. You can change the IP address using this field. For the change to take effect, you must reset the FastModule.

Device SubNet Mask – If using IP, type a suitable network mask. For a class B IP address, 255.255.0.0 is suitable. For more information, see your network administrator. You can change the Device SubNet Mask using this field. For the change to take effect, you must reset the FastModule.

2-16 CHAPTER 2: FASTMODULE MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW AND SETUP

Default Router – If a default router exists on your network, type the

IP address here. You can change the Device Router IP address using this field. For the change to take effect, you must reset the FastModule.

BOOTP Select – Enabled/Disabled If BOOTP is enabled and you have a BOOTP server on your network, an IP address is automatically mapped to the FastModule when it is first powered on. In addition to mapping an IP address, BOOTP can assign the subnet mask and default router. Using a BOOTP server avoids having to configure devices individually.

If you want to access your BootP server over the backplane, you must first establish backplane connectivity for the FastModule. Refer to the CoreBuilder 5000 FastModule Quick Start and Reference for information on setting the FastModule backplane port to a CoreBuilder 5000 network.

The following entries are provided on the Switch Management Setup screen (one for each data link layer protocol that can be used by IPX):

IPX Network – This field shows the address of the network for this protocol. This address is learned automatically from the local IPX router or Netware file server, and you do not need to change it.

Node – This read-only field shows the node address of the FastModule which is learned automatically.

Status – Enabled/Disabled If this field is set to Enabled, the FastModule supports SNMP over IPX. For security, set this field to Disabled if you do not require SNMP over IPX.

Data Link Protocol – This field shows the name of the IPX data link layer protocol.

SETUP TRAPS – Select this button to display the setup screen for trap parameters. Trap Setup is described in Setting Up Traps

on page 3-29.

SERIAL PORT – Select this button to display the setup screen for serial port parameters. Trap Setup is described in Setting Up the Serial Port on page 3-30.

Logging Off After you finish using the facility, select the Logoff option from the

bottom of the Main menu. If you accessed the facility using a TELNET session or modem connection, the connection closes automatically.

Configuring FMA for Management 2-17

Auto Logoff The built-in security timeout on the FMA interface works as follows:

■ If you do not press any keys for 30 minutes, FMA warns you that

the inactivity timer expires.

■ If you do not press a key within 10 seconds, the timer expires and

the screen becomes locked. Any displayed statistics continue to be updated.

■ When you next press a key, the display changes to the Auto Logout

screen shown in Figure 2-8

Figure 2-8 Auto Logout Screen

The Auto Logout screen requests you to enter your password again. If the password is correctly entered, the screen that was active when the timer expired is displayed. If you make a mistake entering your password, the Logon screen reappears.

2-18 CHAPTER 2: FASTMODULE MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW AND SETUP

Setting Up FMA Users

The User Access Levels screen allows you to create, edit, delete, and view users.

From the Main menu, select USER ACCESS LEVELS. The User Access Levels screen appears as shown in Figure 2-9

Figure 2-9 User Access Levels screen

From the User Access Levels screen you can access:

■ LOCAL SECURITY screen – Allows you to set up access levels for

users on the FastModule.

■ CREATE USER screen – In addition to the default users set up on

the FastModule, you can add up to ten new users.

■ DELETE USERS screen – Allows you to delete users from the

FastModule. The default users cannot be deleted. You can also use this screen to view the current list of users.

■ EDIT USER screen – Allows you to change your own password

and community string. You cannot change details for other users.

Creating a New User To create a new user:

1 Select the CREATE USER option. The Create User screen appears as

shown in Figure 2-10

Setting Up FMA Users 2-19

Figure 2-10 Create User Screen

2 Complete the fields and assign an access level for the new user. 3 After you complete the form, select OK.

The Create User screen contains the following fields:

User Name – Type in the name of this new user. The name can consist of up to 10 characters and is case-sensitive.

Password – Type in the password for this new user. The password can consist of up to 10 characters and is case-sensitive. For security reasons, the password is not displayed on screen.

Access Level – Assign an access level for this new user, as follows:

■ monitor – Access to view, but not change a subset of the

manageable parameters of the FastModule

■ secure monitor – Same as monitor

■ manager – Access to all the manageable parameters of the

FastModule, except security features

2-20 CHAPTER 2: FASTMODULE MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW AND SETUP

■ specialist – Same as manager

■ security – Access to all manageable parameters of the

FastModule

Community String – By default a community string identical to the user name is generated. You can change this to any text string of 32 characters or less. The community string is only needed for SNMP access. If you are using a remote SNMP network manager, the community string specified in the Network Manager’s database must be the same as that for the device.

Community strings greater than 32 characters are automatically truncated.

Deleting a User To delete a user:

1 Select the DELETE USER option. The Delete Users screen appears as

shown in Figure 2-11

Figure 2-11 Delete Users Screen

2 Use the spacebar to highlight the user that you want to delete. Note

that you cannot delete default users or the current user (that is, yourself).

3 Select DELETE USERS.

Editing User Details To edit user details:

1 Select the EDIT USER option. The Edit User screen appears as shown in

Figure 2-12

Figure 2-12 Edit User Screen

Setting Up FMA Users 2-21

2 Complete the fields as required. 3 After you complete the changes, select OK.

The Edit User screen contains the following fields:

User Name – This read-only field shows the name of the user that you are logged in as. This field cannot be changed; if you need to change the user name, you must delete this user and create a new one.

Old Password – Type the old password for this user.

New Password – Type a new password for this user.

Confirm Password – Retype the new password into this field.

Do not lose your password. If you forget your password while logged out of the FastModule FMA interface, contact your 3Com technical support representative.

Community String – Type a new community string into this field.

Community strings greater than 32 characters are automatically truncated.

2-22 CHAPTER 2: FASTMODULE MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW AND SETUP

Viewing Users Use the Delete Users screen to display the list of current users. To view

users:

1 Select the DELETE USER option. 2 Select CANCEL to exit.

Assigning Local

Security

The local security screen shows a matrix of options for access method (Serial Port, Remote TELNET, Community-SNMP) and access level.

To assign local security:

1 Select the LOCAL SECURITY option. The Local Security screen appears

as shown in Figure 2-13

Figure 2-13 Switch Local Security Screen

2 Complete the fields as required. 3 After you complete the form, select OK.

Options for the access methods are:

Serial Port Enabled/Disabled – To prevent access to the management facilities through the serial port, disable access to the facility for each access level. Serial Port access for Security is enabled and cannot be changed. This prevents accidental disabling of all access levels from management.

Setting Up FMA Users 2-23

Remote TELNET Enabled/Disabled – TELNET is an insecure protocol.

You may want to disable all access to the management facilities using TELNET if important or sensitive data exists on your network.

Community SNMP Enabled/Disabled – The FastModule can be managed through SNMP using a remote network manager. Community SNMP includes some simple security features, but it is an insecure protocol. You may want to disable all access to the management facilities if important or sensitive data exists on your network.

BASIC FASTMODULE

CONFIGURATION

This chapter describes how to use basic management tools to configure FastModule, hub, and general switching parameters.

You can use advanced management tools, such as Transcend Enterprise Manager (for UNIX or Windows) to configure your FastModule. Refer to Using Advanced Management Tools information.

This chapter contains the following sections:

■ Basic Configuration Guidelines

■ Configuring General Switch Parameters

■ Choosing a Switch Management Level

■ Setting Up the FastModule

■ Setting Up FastModule Ports

■ Switch Database (SDB) Description

for more

■ Setting Up Resilient Links

■ Setting Up Traps

■ Setting Up the Serial Port

3-2 CHAPTER 3: BASIC FASTMODULE CONFIGURATION

Basic Configuration Guidelines

Basic Configuration

Examples

This section provides information that you should keep in mind as you develop your FastModule configuration. This section includes:

■ Basic Configuration Examples

■ Startup Defaults

■ Configuration Rules

The following illustrations show some typical FastModule applications for your network.

Figure 3-1

shows how the FastModule fits into a corporate network with a Fast Ethernet infrastructure. 24-Port FastModules are positioned on each floor and servers are centralized with a 7-Port FX/TX FastModule.

Repeater

24-Port FastModule with FX Downlink

24-Port FastModule

100 Mbps Downlink

7-Port FX/TX FastModule

100 Mbps

Server

100 Mbps

Figure 3-1 Configuration Example 1

Superstack II Switch 100

Server

Basic Configuration Guidelines 3-3

Figure 3-2 shows four 7-Port FX/TX FastModules that provide 100 Mbps

server connections to end users attached to network devices. An Aggregator/Downlink FastModule consolidates traffic from four FastChannel backplane networks onto an ATM downlink.

CoreBuilder 5000 10-Slot hub

Superstack II Switch 1000

Superstack II Switch 3000

Downlink FastModule

100 Mbps Downlink

ATM

Figure 3-2 Configuration Example 2

Four 7-Port FX/TX FastModules (each connected to a separate backplane FastChannel)

100 Mbps server connections

Servers

3-4 CHAPTER 3: BASIC FASTMODULE CONFIGURATION

Startup Defaults Table 3-1 shows the default settings of a FastModule as it is shipped

from 3Com.

Table 3-1 Startup Default Settings

Port Status Enabled Serial port ■ Character size – 8

■ Parity – None

■ Stop bit – 1

■ Line speed – Auto detect

Port Enable Status

Forwarding Mode ■ 24-Port FastModule – Fast Forward

Intelligent Flow Management (IFM)

PACE Technology Unit: Disabled

Switch Database No Entries Backplane port Aggregator/Downlink FastModule – Isolated on all backplane

VLANs All ports in VLAN 1. The default VLAN is the only VLAN which

VLAN Configuration Mode

Full Duplex Off Power On Self

Test (POST) BootP Enabled System Gauge

(broadcast)

■ 24-Port FastModule with FX Downlink – Fast Forward

■ All other FastModules – Store and Forward

Enabled on front panel ports Not available on backplane ports

Port: Use Default

channels All other FastModules – Isolated

allows access to the FastModule Management Agent. Unit: Port

Port: Use Default

Normal

Enabled

■ High threshold: 20%

– No action

■ Low threshold: 10%

– No action

Basic Configuration Guidelines 3-5

Table 3-1 Startup Default Settings (continued)

System Gauge (errors)

Enabled

■ High threshold: 2%

– Notify

■ Low threshold: 1%

– No action

System Gauge (traffic)

Enabled

■ High threshold: 85%

– No action

■ Low threshold: 50%

– No action

System Gauge (frames forwarded)

Enabled

■ High threshold: 85%

– No action

■ Low threshold: 50%

– No action

Spanning Tree

Off

Protocol RMON 1 Ethernet Statistics session per port/VLAN monitoring the

Ethernet repeater traffic 3 Stats History sessions on the outlet port (24 Port FastModule

only) and 3 on the default VLAN 1 Host Table session on the default VLAN 1 Matrix Table session on the default VLAN No default topN groups 4 default Alarms per port Default Events for use with the alarm system

Configuration Rules This section identifies configuration rules in the following areas:

■ CoreBuilder 5000 Slotting Considerations

■ Fast Ethernet Considerations

■ Full Duplex Considerations

■ Server Considerations

3-6 CHAPTER 3: BASIC FASTMODULE CONFIGURATION

CoreBuilder 5000 Slotting Considerations

The CoreBuilder 5000 hub has the capacity for four Fast Ethernet channels (FastChannels). When you use assign a FastModule backplane port to a CoreBuilder 5000 FastChannel, one or more backplane channels are disabled.

Table 3-2

lists the backplane channels that become unavailable for each

FastChannel assignment.

Table 3-2 FastChannel Assignment Effect on Backplane Channels

Assigning Backplane Port to FastChannel

1 2 7, 8, and 9 4 and 5 2 1 and 2 5, 6, 10, and 11 3 and 6 3 1 1, 2, 3, and 4 1 and 2 4 3 13, 14, and 15 7 and 8

Disables CoreBuilder 5000 Ethernet Channel

Disables ONline Token Ring Channel

Disables ONline FDDI Channel

CAUTION: If you enable more than one Aggregator/Downlink Fastmodule on the same FastChannel and you do not have STP enabled, a network loop can occur, severely affecting network operation.

Fast Ethernet Considerations

The topology rules for Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps) differ slightly from those for 10 Mbps Ethernet. The key topology rules are:

■ Maximum UTP cable length is 100 m (328 ft.) over category 5 cable.

■ A 412 m (1352 ft.) fiber run is allowed for connecting switch to

switch, or end-station to switch, using standards-compliant half-duplex 100BASE-FX.

■ A total network span of 325 m (1066 ft.) is allowed in

single-repeater topologies.

Full Duplex Considerations

FastModules provide full duplex support for all front panel 100 Mbps ports. Full duplex support allows frames to be transmitted and received simultaneously and, in effect, doubles the bandwidth available on a link.

Configuring General Switch Parameters 3-7

With full duplex support, the topology rules are:

■ Maximum UTP cable length is 100 m (328 ft.) over category 5 cable.

■ A 2 km (6562 ft.) fiber run is allowed for connecting switch to

switch, or end-station to switch.

■ Intelligent Flow Management is not supported if Full Duplex is

enabled.

Server Considerations

When integrating the FastModule into your network, the following notes on server connections can help ensure that it is operating at maximum efficiency:

■ You should ...

... connect any local server to the FastModule using a 100 Mbps port.

■ If that is not possible ...

... connect the local server to a dedicated 10 Mbps port.

Configuring General Switch Parameters

■ If that is not possible and the local server is connected to a repeated

segment where the traffic is mainly local to that segment ...

... disable Intelligent Flow Management (IFM) on the port to which the repeater is connected.

Management on page 1-6.

Switch parameters for the FastModule include:

■ Unit Parameters

■ Port Parameters

■ VLAN Parameters

This section explains how to configure unit and port parameters for your FastModule. Refer to Chapter 4, Advanced Configuration

, for

information on VLAN parameters.

3-8 CHAPTER 3: BASIC FASTMODULE CONFIGURATION

Choosing a Switch Management Level

The Switch Management screen enables you to select port, unit, or VLAN configuration screens.

To select the type of parameters you want to configure:

1 From the Main menu, select SWITCH MANAGEMENT. The Switch

Management screen appears as shown in Figure 3-3

Figure 3-3 Switch Management Screen – Port Level

2 Select the management level at which you wish to configure the

FastModule. If you choose:

■ Port – The screen that appears is similar to that shown in Figure 3-3

and all operations invoked from this screen will configure an individual port that you identify.

■ Unit – The screen that appears is similar to the example shown in

Figure 3-4

and all operations that you initialize from this screen will

configure to the FastModule.

Choosing a Switch Management Level 3-9

Figure 3-4 Switch Management Screen – Unit Level

■ VLAN – The screen that appears is similar to that shown in

Figure 3-5

and from here you can access the VLAN Setup screen.

Figure 3-5 Switch Management Screen – VLAN Level

3 Specify the Port ID if you are configuring port parameters. The Port ID

parameter is defined below:

Port ID port range – If you have chosen to manage a FastModule port, type the particular port number into this field before selecting the next screen. Ta ble 3 -3

shows valid port IDs for each FastModule.

3-10 CHAPTER 3: BASIC FASTMODULE CONFIGURATION

Table 3-3 FastModule Port IDs

FastModule Type Front Panel Port Number

24-Port FastModule 1 to 24 for the 10BASE-T ports 25 24-Port

FastModule with FX Downlink

7-Port FXTX FastModule

7-Port TX FastModule

Aggregator/Downlink FastModule

4 Select the button for the activity you wish to perform. Valid options are:

STP (Port and VLAN only) – Use this button to display the Spanning

Tree Protocol screen. Refer to Setting Up Spanning Tree Protocol page 4-25.

1 to 24 for the 24 10BASE-T ports 26 for the FX downlink port

1 to 5 for the FX ports 6 and 7 for the TX ports 1 to 7 for the TX ports 8

1 for the standard FX downlink port

9 for the FX, TX, or ATM option card

Backplane Port Number

2 to 5 for the 100 Mbps FastChannels

6 to 8 for the 10 Mbps Ethernet networks

SERVER (VLAN only) – Use this button to display the VLAN Server screen. The VLAN Server screen allows you to enter the IP address and community string of a VLAN Server. Refer to Setting Up VLANs

on page 4-11.

STATISTICS – Use this button to display statistics screens for the level of management you have chosen (unit, port). Refer to Chapter 5.

SDB (Unit only) – Use this button to display the Switch Database Configuration screen. Refer to Configuring the Switch Database

page 3-21.

SETUP – Use this button to display configuration screens for the level of management you have chosen (unit, port or VLAN). Setting up the unit and port is described in Setting Up the FastModule

and Setting Up

FastModule Ports later in this chapter. Setting up VLANs is described in

Chapter 4, Advanced Configuration

RESILIENCE – Use this button to display the resilience screen for the unit or specified port. Refer to Setting Up Resilient Links

on page 3-23.

Setting Up the FastModule 3-11

Setting Up the FastModule

To set up the FastModule:

1 Access the Switch Management screen. 2 Choose to set up the unit. 3 Select the SETUP button.

The Switch Unit Setup screen is shown in Figure 3-6

Figure 3-6 Switch Unit Setup Screen

The screen shows the following:

Unit Name – A read-only field showing the type of device. sysName – This field takes its name from the MIB II System Group

object. You can edit the first 30 characters of this field to make the name more meaningful. An SNMP Network Manager can also access this field.

Forwarding Mode – Fast Forward/Fragment Free/Store and Forward/ Intelligent

Forwarding mode options are available on 10 Mbps front panel ports only. 100 Mbps ports operate in Store and Forward mode only.

This field allows you to set the forwarding mode to:

■ Fast Forward – Frames are forwarded as soon as the destination

address is received and verified.

3-12 CHAPTER 3: BASIC FASTMODULE CONFIGURATION

■ Fragment Free – A minimum of 64 bytes of the received frame is

buffered prior to the frame being forwarded.

■ Store and Forward – Received packets are buffered in their entirety

before forwarding. This ensures that only good frames are passed to their destination.

■ Intelligent – The FastModule monitors the amount of error traffic on

the network and changes the forwarding mode accordingly. Error traffic is defined as:

■ Alignment errors

■ CRC errors

■ Long frame errors

■ Short events

■ Collisions

If the FastModule detects:

■ Less than 18 errors per second, it will operate in FastForward mode.

■ More than 18 errors per second, it will operate in Store and Forward

mode until the number of errors returns to 0.

Intelligent Forwarding – Fast Forward/Store and Forward. This read-only field shows the forwarding state if the Forwarding Mode is set to Intelligent.

PAC E – Enable/Disable. This field allows you to enable or disable PACE Technology for all ports on the FastModule. PACE allows multimedia traffic to be carried over standard Ethernet and Fast Ethernet LANs by providing two features:

■ Implicit Class of Service – When multimedia traffic is transmitted, it

is given a higher priority than other data and is therefore forwarded ahead of other data when it arrives at the FastModule. The Implicit Class of Service feature minimizes latency through the FastModule and protects the quality of multimedia traffic.

■ Interactive Access – When two-way multimedia traffic passes over

an Ethernet network, interference can occur because access to the bandwidth is unequally allocated to traffic in one direction. The Interactive Access feature allocates the available bandwidth equally in both directions, therefore increasing the quality of the traffic.



Setting Up the FastModule 3-13

Interactive Access should only be enabled on ports that connect to a single endstation, switch, bridge or router. Disable Interactive Access on a port if:

■ The port is connected to a repeater

■ The port is connected to a device with Interactive Access enabled

For more information about disabling Interactive Access for a port, see

Setting Up FastModule Ports

on page 3-15.

VLAN Configuration Mode – Use this field to specify the method by which FastModule ports are assigned to a VLAN. Mode options include:

■ Port – Port uses Port VLAN mode. In Port VLAN mode, you must

manually assign the port to the VLAN. This is the default mode.

■ AutoSelect – Port uses AutoSelect VLAN mode. In AutoSelect VLAN

mode, the port is automatically assigned to a VLAN identified in a VLAN Server database in 3Com Transcend Manager software.

Bridging Mode (24-Port FastModule Only) – Forward To All/Forward To Outlet. This field allows you to set the bridging mode, which controls

how packets with unknown addresses are processed:

■ Forward To All – The FastModule forwards packets with an

unknown address to all ports in the same VLAN as the source port.

■ Forward To Outlet – The FastModule forwards packets with an

unknown address to the outlet port defined for the VLAN of the source port. This is the default setting.

For more information about VLANs and outlet ports, see VLAN

Overview on page 4-2.

SDB Ageing Time – This field allows you to specify the aging time (hours:minutes) for all non-permanent entries in the Switch Database of the module You can set an aging time in the range 0 minutes to 277 hours with a default of 30 minutes. If you enter 00:00, the database entries are non-aging. Non-aging entries do not age but are deleted from the database if the FastModule is reset or a power-off/on cycle occurs.

3-14 CHAPTER 3: BASIC FASTMODULE CONFIGURATION

Spanning Tree – Enable/Disable. This field allows you to enable or

disable the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) on the FastModule. For more information about STP, see Spanning Tree Protocol Overview page 4-16.

Full Duplex on 100Mbps Ports (100 Mbps ports only) – Enable/Disable. This field allows you to enable or disable full duplex on all the 100Mbps ports which have their Duplex Mode set to Unit Default. For more information about Duplex Mode, see Setting Up

FastModule Ports on page 3-15.

Outlet Port (24-Port FastModule Only) – If all of the ports on the FastModule belong to VLAN 1 and use Port VLAN Mode, this field allows you to specify an outlet port for the FastModule. In all other situations, the field is not displayed.

Fixed 10Mbps Port Capacity – This read-only field tells you the quantity of Ethernet ports (10 Mbps) on this unit.

Fixed 100Mbps Port Capacity – This read-only field tells you the quantity of FastChannel (100 Mbps) connections available for the unit.

Plug-In Module Type (Aggregator/Downlink FastModule only) – This read-only field tells you the type of option card installed on an Aggregator/Downlink FastModule. This field does not appear for other FastModule models.

Setting Up FastModule Ports 3-15

Setting Up FastModule Ports

To set up FastModule ports:

1 Access the Switch Management screen. 2 Choose to setup the port. 3 Select the SETUP button.

The Switch Port Setup screen is displayed as shown in Figure 3-7

Figure 3-7 Switch Port Setup Screen

The screen shows the following parameters:

Port ID – (Read-only) Shows the ID of the port you have chosen to setup.

Media Type – (Read-only) Shows the media type of the link connected to this port.

Port Speed – Shows the speed of this link.

Link State – Present/Not Available. This read only field shows the state

of this link as one of the following:

■ Present – The port is operating normally.

■ Not Available – The link has been lost, or this port a backplane port

that is isolated from a backplane network.

Port State – Enable/Disable. This option allows you to enable/disable this port. To prevent unauthorized access, disable any unused ports.

3-16 CHAPTER 3: BASIC FASTMODULE CONFIGURATION

Lost Links – The number of times the link has been lost since the

FastModule was last reset. If this field displays a number other than 0, check your cables and replace any that may be damaged.

If the port is directly connected to an end-station, this counter increments each time the end-station goes through a power off/on cycle and is not a result of faulty cabling.

Intelligent Flow Management (IFM) Enable/Disable – This option allows you to enable or disable IFM on front panel ports. IFM minimizes packet loss which can occur with conventional switches.

IFM is not available for backplane ports. For backplane ports, IFM is always disabled.

If the FastModule is connected to a repeated segment with local traffic, and the FastModule invokes IFM on the repeated segment, the FastModule not only stops the devices transmitting to the congested port, but also stops devices on the segment transmitting to each other.

Security Enable/Disable – This option is available only on the 10 Mbps ports of the 24-Port FastModule and 24-Port FastModule with FX Downlink. The following events occur when security is enabled:

1 The selected port enters a single address learning mode. 2 The FastModule removes all addresses currently stored against this port

in the Switch Database.

3 The FastModule learns the source address from the first packet it

receives on the port since security was enabled.

4 The port enters a secure mode.

After security is enabled, no other station with a different address is permitted to access the network through the secure port. If a station with a different address attempts to transmit packets through onto the network through the port, the port is automatically disabled and a trap is generated. The port remains disabled until it is enabled using this screen or using SNMP management.

Security is not available on outlet ports. If the port is defined as a outlet port, the Security field does not appear.

Setting Up FastModule Ports 3-17

Disable Interactive Access – Yes/No. This field allows you to disable the Interactive Access feature of PACE Technology on the current port. You should disable Interactive Access on a port if:

■ The port is connected to a repeater

■ The port is connected to a device with Interactive Access enabled

For more information about the Interactive Access feature, see Setting

Up the FastModule on page 3-11.

VLT Mode – Enable/Disable. This field allows you to specify whether the port forms part of a Virtual LAN Trunk (VLT). A Virtual LAN Trunk is a connection which carries traffic for multiple VLANs between FastModules. You can find more information about VLANs in Chapter 4, Advanced Configuration

Duplex Mode – Half Duplex/Full Duplex/Unit Default. This option allows you to enable full duplex on Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps) ports:

■ Full Duplex – Full duplex allows frames to be transmitted and

received simultaneously and, in effect, doubles the potential throughput of a link. In addition, full duplex also supports 100BASE-FX cable runs of up to 2km. You should only enable full duplex on a point to point link between the FastModule and another device with full duplex support.

■ Half Duplex – You should use half duplex if the port connects to a

shared Ethernet LAN segment, or if the device at the other end of a point to point link does not support full duplex.

■ Unit Default – Duplex setting is defined by the Full Duplex on

100Mbps Ports field in the Switch Unit Setup screen. This is the default setting.

Full duplex does not work on a port with Intelligent Flow Management (IFM) enabled, therefore you cannot do the following:

■ Set the Duplex Mode field to Full Duplex if the Intelligent Flow

Management field is set to Enable

■ Set the Duplex Mode field to Unit Default if the Intelligent Flow

Management field is set to Enable and the Full Duplex on 100Mbps Ports field in the Switch Unit Setup screen is set to Enable

3-18 CHAPTER 3: BASIC FASTMODULE CONFIGURATION

VLAN Configuration Mode – Use this field to specify how

FastModule ports are placed on the VLAN. Mode options include:

■ Port – Port uses Port VLAN mode. In Port VLAN mode, you must

manually assign the port to the VLAN. This is the default mode.

■ AutoSelect – Port uses AutoSelect VLAN mode. In AutoSelect VLAN

mode, the port is automatically assigned to a VLAN identified in a VLAN Server database in 3Com Transcend Manager software.

■ Unit Default – The port uses VLAN Configuration mode specified in

the Switch Unit Setup screen (see Figure 3-6

Broadcast Storm Control – The FastModule automatically creates an alarm on each of its ports in order to monitor the level of broadcast traffic on each port. The Broadcast Storm Control fields allow you to specify thresholds for the level of broadcast traffic on a port. In addition, you can specify an action to take place if the threshold is exceeded.

■ Rising Threshold% – The value you enter is the percent bandwidth

of traffic using a broadcast address that is reached before you are notified. The default is 20%.

■ Falling Threshold% – The value you enter is the percent bandwidth

of traffic using a broadcast address at which the alarm trigger is reset. This prevents the rising threshold events from being triggered continuously. The default is 10%.

■ Rising Action – Use this field to specify the action for the alarm to

take when it reaches the rising threshold. Options are:

■ none – no action takes place

■ event – an SNMP trap is generated

■ disable port – the port is disabled

■ disable port/notify – the port is disabled and an SNMP trap is

generated

■ blip – the port is disabled, then enabled after 5 seconds

■ blip port/notify – the port is disabled, then enabled after

5 seconds and an SNMP trap is generated

Switch Database (SDB) Description 3-19

■ Falling Action – Use this field to specify the action for the alarm to

take when it reaches the falling threshold. Options are:

■ None – No action takes place

■ Event – An SNMP trap is generated

■ Enable – The port is enabled

■ Event + Enable – The port is enabled and an SNMP trap is

generated

Be aware of the following when using Broadcast Storm Control:

■ The FastModule takes 5 to 7 seconds to recognize that a broadcast

storm is occurring.

■ Broadcast Storm Control calculates the average broadcast traffic

during the previous 20 second interval. The average is based on 4 samples which are taken at 5 second intervals.

■ When the average value exceeds the rising threshold value, the

rising action is triggered. The action is not triggered again until the average broadcast traffic falls below the falling threshold level.

Specifying the

Outlet Port

Switch Database (SDB) Description

Specify the outlet port for the 24-Port FastModule using the VLAN Setup screen. Refer to Specifying an Outlet Port

Advanced Configuration

in Chapter 4,

This section describes the FastModule Switch Database (SDB), which maintains all addresses received on all of its local ports. The FastModule uses the information in this database to decide whether a frame should be forwarded or filtered. The database holds up to a maximum of 500 entries for the 24-Port FastModule and 4080 entries for all other FastModules. Each entry consists of the MAC address of the device and an identifier for the port on which it was received.

This section includes the following topics:

■ Trap Notification

■ Adding Entries to the SDB

■ Configuring the Switch Database

■ Searching the Switch Database

■ Adding an Entry Into the SDB

■ Deleting an Entry From the SDB

3-20 CHAPTER 3: BASIC FASTMODULE CONFIGURATION

Trap Notification If you set up Traps for the FastModule, notification that the database is

reaching capacity is provided through two traps:

■ Database is 90% full

■ Database is 100% full

These traps indicate that the maximum number of devices which can be attached to the FastModule has been reached. You cannot connect any more devices to the FastModule, however, additional devices can be connected to the rest of the network infrastructure.

Adding Entries to the

SDB

Entries are added into the SDB in two ways:

■ The module can learn entries. That is, the unit updates its SDB with

the source MAC address, and the port identifier on which the source MAC address is seen.

■ The system administrator can enter and update entries using a MIB

browser, an SNMP network manager or the Switch Database screen described on the following pages.

There are three types of entries in the SDB:

■ Aging entries – Initially, all learned entries in the database are

Aging. The system removes (ages) entries in the database if, after a period of time (aging time), the device has not transmitted. This prevents the database from becoming full with obsolete entries by ensuring that when a device is removed from the network, its entry is deleted from the database. Aging entries are deleted from the database if the FastModule is reset or a power off/on cycle occurs. For more information about setting an aging time, refer to Setting

Up the FastModule on page 3-11.

■ Non-aging entries – If you set the aging time to 00:00, all aging

entries in the database are defined as non-aging entries. This means that they do not age, but they are still deleted if the Switch is reset. For more information about setting an aging time, refer to

Setting Up the FastModule

■ Permanent entries – Permanent entries are retained if the

on page 3-11.

FastModule is reset or a power off/on cycle occurs. 500 permanent entries are retained for the 24-Port FastModule, 1000 for all other FastModules. The system administrator designates entries as permanent. You can do this for single addresses or for all addresses in the database using an SNMP Network Manager. Entries that are permanent can be learned (moved) on another port and remain permanent.

Switch Database (SDB) Description 3-21

If you enter a permanent address when the maximum number of permanent entries already exist, the new address appears as permanent in the Switch Unit Database View screen. However, the new address is not retained if the unit is reset.

Configuring the

Switch Database

The Switch Unit Database View screen (Figure 3-8

) allows you to display

the contents of the SDB and configure the FastModule SDB.

Figure 3-8 Switch Unit Database View Screen

To access the Switch Unit Database View screen, make sure the Switch Management screen is displayed. Refer to Choosing a Switch

Management Level on page 3-8. From the bottom of the screen, select

the SDB button.

The screen shows the following:

Database Entries – This read-only field shows the number of entries currently in the SDB. The database holds a maximum of:

■ 500 addresses for the 24-Port FastModule

■ 4080 addresses for all other FastModules (1000 permanent)

MAC Address – If an entry in the listbox is highlighted and you press Return, this field shows the device MAC address for this entry.

Port Number – If an entry is highlighted in the listbox, this field shows the port identifier for this entry.

3-22 CHAPTER 3: BASIC FASTMODULE CONFIGURATION

Permanent – Identifies an entry as permanent (yes) or not permanent (no).

You cannot specify that the current entry is permanent if the port uses AutoSelect mode. For more information on AutoSelect mode, refer to

Using AutoSelect VLAN Mode

A listbox containing the following three fields:

■ Port – The port ID for this entry.

■ MAC Address – The MAC address for this port currently stored in

the database.

■ Permanent – Displays Yes if this entry is permanent, or No if this

entry is aging. See the previous section, Switch Database (SDB)

Description on page 3-19, for a description of permanent and

aging entries.

FIND – This button lets you locate an entry in the database.

REFRESH – This button refreshes the database so that it displays the

latest information.

on page 4-5.

Searching the

Switch Database

INSERT – This button lets you insert an entry into the database.

DELETE – This button allows you to delete entries from the database.

You can search the switch database in two ways (MAC address or port number).

Searching by MAC Address

To locate the port number against which a particular MAC address is entered in the SDB:

1 In the MAC Address field, enter the MAC address you are trying to

locate.

2 Select FIND. The port ID is displayed in the Port Number field and the

entry in the listbox is highlighted with a star (*).

Setting Up Resilient Links 3-23

Searching by Port

To locate the MAC addresses entered against a particular port in the SDB:

1 Clear the MAC Address field by moving into the field and pressing the

spacebar.

2 In the Port Number field, enter the port ID for which you want MAC

addresses displayed.

3 Select FIND. The listbox shows entries in the database for that port

only.

Adding an Entry

Into the SDB

Deleting an Entry

From the SDB

Setting Up Resilient Links

To add an entry to the SDB:

1 In the MAC Address field, enter the MAC address of the device. 2 In the Port Number field, enter the port identifier for this device. 3 Specify Yes in the Permanent field if you want the entry to be permanent. 4 Select INSERT.

To delete an entry from the SDB:

1 In the listbox, highlight the entry you want to delete and press Return,

or type the MAC address into the MAC Address field.

2 Select DELETE.

You can configure FastModule front panel ports to provide resilient links. A resilient link consists of a main link and a standby link.

Under normal network operating conditions:

1 The main link carries your data. 2 The fiber Receive Idle signal or the Test Pulse on twisted pair links is

continually monitored by the management software.

3 If a signal loss is detected, management software enables the standby

port so that it now carries the data and network disruption is minimized.

4 In addition, the main port is disabled.

3-24 CHAPTER 3: BASIC FASTMODULE CONFIGURATION

Rules for Setting Up

Resilient Links

When setting up resilient links, note the following rules:

■ You can configure up to 12 resilient link pairs on the 24-Port

FastModule and the 24-Port FastModule with FX Downlink.

■ You cannot set up resilient links on backplane ports.

■ You must set up the main and standby ports on the same

FastModule.

■ You can set up resilient links on any of the external ports. The main

and standby links in the same pair however, can use any combination of twisted pair or fiber media or speed (10 Mbps/100 Mbps).

■ You must set up both ports to have the same security setup.

■ You must set up both ports in the resilient link pair to belong to the

same VLAN.

■ You cannot disable any port that is part of a resilient link pair.

■ You can only define a resilient link at one end of the link.

■ You can only set up a resilient link if neither of the ports already

form part of another resilient link pair.

■ If an active standby link fails and there is a link on the main port,

the ports toggle and the main port becomes active.

Viewing Resilient

Link Setup

This section describes how to view your current resilient link setup. From the Switch Management screen, choose to set up the unit and select Resilience.

The Switch Unit Resilience Summary screen is displayed as shown in

Figure 3-9

. This screen shows the current resilient link configuration for

the unit.

Setting Up Resilient Links 3-25

Figure 3-9 Unit Resilience Summary Screen

The following read-only information is displayed:

MAIN Port – The ID of the port configured as the main port for this resilient link pair.

STANDBY Port – The ID of the port configured as the standby port for this resilient link pair.

Pair State – Active/Both Failed/Unknown/Not Available. The current operating state of this resilient link pair:

■ Active – This resilient link pair is enabled and operating normally

with both main and standby port capable of carrying traffic.

■ Both Failed – Although the resilient link is correctly configured, both

links have failed. This could be due to loose connections or cable damage.

■ Unknown – The network configuration has changed and the

resilient link pair no longer conforms to the rules listed in the previous section.

■ Not Available – This resilient link pair is disabled.

Active Port – Main/Standby. Shows the port in the resilient link pair that is currently carrying traffic:

3-26 CHAPTER 3: BASIC FASTMODULE CONFIGURATION

■ Main – The pair is operating in its normal state with the main port

carrying traffic.

■ Standby – The main port has failed and the standby port is now

carrying the traffic. Rectify the fault and switch operation back to the main link as soon as possible. Note that the move is not carried out automatically.

■ Both Failed – Both ports of the resilient link pair have failed. This

could be due to loose connections or cable damage.

Pair Enable – Enabled/Disabled. States whether this resilient link pair is currently enabled or disabled. You enable or disable a resilient link pair using the Switch Port Resilience screen described in the following section.

Configuring Resilient

Links

This section describes how to configure resilient links. With the Switch Management screen displayed, choose the port you want to set up as the main port in the resilient link pair, then select Resilience.

Resilience is not available if Spanning Tree Protocol is enabled.

The Port Resilience screen appears (Figure 3-10

). This screen allows you

to set up, edit, and delete resilient link pairs.

Figure 3-10 Port Resilience Screen

Setting Up Resilient Links 3-27

The screen shows the following:

Main Port ID – The identifier for the main port.

Media Type Twisted Pair/Fiber – This field indicates the media type

connected to the main port.

Link State Available/Not Available/Not Present – This read-only field shows the connection state of the main port in the link:

■ Available – The port is operating normally

■ Not Available – The resilient link pair is disabled.

■ Not Present – The port is not present in the current hardware.

Standby Port ID – Shows you the current standby port ID and allows you to enter a new ID.

Media Type Twisted Pair/Fiber – This field indicates the standby port media type.

Link State Available/Not Available/Not Present – This read-only field shows the connection state of the standby port in the link:

■ Available – The port is operating normally

■ Not Available – The resilient link pair is disabled.

■ Not Present – The port is not present in the current hardware.

Standby Links Available listbox – This listbox shows the ports that are available to set up as standby.

Pair State Active/Both Failed/Unknown/Not Available – The current operating state of this resilient link pair:

■ Active – This resilient link pair is enabled and operating normally

with both main and standby port capable of carrying traffic.

■ Both Failed – Although the resilient link is correctly configured, both

links have failed. This could be due to loose connections or cable damage.

■ Unknown – The network configuration has changed and the

resilient link pair no longer conforms to the rules.

■ Not Available – This resilient link pair is disabled.

3-28 CHAPTER 3: BASIC FASTMODULE CONFIGURATION

Active Port Main/Standby – If your main link fails and the standby link

takes over the traffic, the link will not automatically switch back once the main link is reinstated. Use this field to manually switch traffic back to the main link.

Pair Enable Enabled/Disabled – Use this field to enable or disable the resilient link pair. If you disable the resilient link pair, you must remove cabling from the ports to avoid creating loops in your network configuration.

Creating a Resilient

Link

Deleting a Resilient

Link

To create a resilient link:

1 Ensure that the port nominated as the standby port is not physically

connected to the unit.

2 Ensure both ports have an identical port security mode configuration

and that they are members of the same VLAN.

3 At the Switch Management screen, select the port to be configured as

the main port in the link. Select the RESILIENCE button at the foot of the screen.

4 Select the standby port from the Standby Links Available listbox or

enter the port ID manually in the Standby Port ID field.

5 Enable the pair in the Pair Enabled field. Select APPLY. 6 Connect the cabling for the standby port.

To delete the resilient link pair set up on this port, select the DELETE button at the bottom of the screen. The Port Resilience screen closes and the Switch Management screen reappears.

Setting Up Traps 3-29

Setting Up Traps Traps are messages sent across the network to an SNMP Network

Manager. They alert the you to faults or changes on the FastModule.

Your Network Manager may automatically set up traps in the FastModule Trap Table. Check the documentation accompanying the network management software.

To access the Trap Setup screen, from the FastModule Management Setup screen (described in Setting Up Access for Basic Management page 2-5), select the SETUP TRAPS button.

The Trap Setup screen is shown in Figure 3-11

Figure 3-11 Trap Setup Screen

The screen shows the following:

IP or IPX Address – Type into this text field the IP or IPX address of the remote network management station to which traps should be sent.

Community String – The community string provides a simple method of authentication between the FastModule and the remote Network Manager. The text string can be of 32 characters or less. If you want a Network Manager to receive traps generated by the device, you must enter the community string of the remote Network Manager into the trap table. The default community string is public.

3-30 CHAPTER 3: BASIC FASTMODULE CONFIGURATION

Community strings greater than 32 characters are automatically truncated.

Throttle – To prevent a remote Network Manager from receiving too many traps at once, you can configure the FastModule to transmit traps with a delay between them. If several traps are generated at one time, they will be transmitted with the specified delay between them. The unit of throttle is one thousandth of a second. The default value is 100, which gives a minimum delay of one tenth of a second between each transmission.

Setting Up the Serial Port

This section describes how to set up serial port parameters to provide out of band access to the FastModule.

From the Management Setup screen, select the SERIAL PORT button. The Serial Port Setup screen is displayed in Figure 3-12

CAUTION: If you change any of the serial port parameters, you will terminate any existing sessions using the serial port when you exit the screen. Ensure that the connected equipment’s serial port parameters are set to match the new configuration. This will allow you to continue to access the FMA from the equipment after you change the serial port parameters.

Figure 3-12 Serial Port Setup Screen

Setting Up the Serial Port 3-31

The screen shows the following:

Connection Type Local/Remote – Select Remote if you want to manage the FastModule through a modem. DCD Control and DSR Control will be enabled automatically. For all other cases, this field should show Local.

DCD Control Enabled/Disabled – This field is only applicable to local connection types. It determines if DCD needs to be asserted for a local connection to be made, and if the connection should be released if DCD is deasserted. Refer to your terminal or modem user documentation if you are unsure of the correct setting.

DSR Control Enabled/Disabled – This field is only applicable to local connection types. It determines if DSR needs to be asserted for a local connection to be made, and if the connection should be released if DSR is deasserted. Refer to your terminal or modem user documentation if you are unsure of the correct setting.

Flow Control XON/XOFF / NONE/RTS-CTS Unidirectional / RTS-CTS Bidirectional – Select the correct flow control option for your terminal

or modem. Refer to your terminal or modem documentation if you are unsure of the correct setting.

Auto Config Enabled/Disabled – The FastModule can auto-configure the line speed (baud rate) to work with your terminal.

Speed 1200/2400/4800/9600/19200 – Select the correct line speed (baud rate) for your terminal or modem. If you have enabled Auto Configuration, line speed will be set automatically.

Char Size 8 – Shows the character bit size for the FastModule. You should set your terminal to the same value.

Parity NONE – Shows the parity setting for the FastModule. You should set your terminal to the same value.

Stop Bit 1 – Shows the stop bit setting for the FastModule. You should set your terminal to the same value.

ADVANCED CONFIGURATION

This chapter describes how to use basic management tools to configure FastModule VLAN and spanning tree configuration parameters.

You can use advanced management tools, such as Transcend Enterprise Manager (for UNIX or Windows) to configure FastModule VLAN parameters. Refer to Using Advanced Management Tools page 2-3 for more information.

This chapter contains the following sections:

■ VLAN Overview

■ Using VLANs With CoreBuilder 5000 FastModules

■ Setting Up VLANs

■ Spanning Tree Protocol Overview

■ Setting Up Spanning Tree Protocol

4-2 CHAPTER 4: ADVANCED CONFIGURATION

VLAN Overview Setting up VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks) on the

CoreBuilder 5000 FastModule minimizes time-consuming network administration and provides efficient network operation.

The following sections explain concepts of VLANs and explain how to implement them on CoreBuilder 5000 FastModules.

A VLAN is a group of location- and topology-independent devices that communicate as if they are on the same physical LAN. This means that LAN segments are not restricted by the hardware which physically connects them. The segments are defined by flexible user groups that you create using software.

With VLANs, you can define your network according to:

■ Organizational groups – for example, you can have one VLAN for

the Marketing department and one for the Finance department. Alternatively, you can have one VLAN for users with managerial status and one for users of director status.

■ Application groups – for example, you can have one VLAN for

users of email, and another VLAN for users of multimedia.

VLAN Benefits Implementing VLANs on your network has three main advantages:

■ Eases the change and movement of devices on IP networks

With traditional IP networks, network administrators spend much of their time dealing with moves and changes. If users move to a different IP subnet, the IP addresses of each workstation must be updated manually.

With a VLAN setup, if a workstation on VLAN 1 is moved to a port in another part of the network, the network administrator only needs to configure the new port to belong to VLAN 1.

■ Helps to control broadcast traffic

With traditional networks, congestion can be caused by broadcast traffic which is directed to all network devices whether they require it or not. VLANs increase the efficiency of your network because you can setup each VLAN to contain only devices which need to communicate with each other.

■ Provides extra security

Devices within each VLAN can only communicate with devices in the same VLAN. If a device in VLAN 1 needs to communicate with devices in VLAN 2, the traffic must cross a router.

VLAN Overview 4-3

VLAN Example Figure 4-1 shows a network configured with port-based VLANs, in

which a VLAN consists of a set of FastModule ports.

Figure 4-1 Example VLAN

There is one VLAN for each of the three departments who access the network. The membership of VLAN 1 is restricted to ports 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of Switch A; membership of VLAN 2 is restricted to ports 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 of Switch B while VLAN 3 spans both Switches containing ports 6, 7, 8 of Switch A and 1, 2, 3 of Switch B.

In this simplified example, each of these VLANs is a broadcast domain. A broadcast domain consists of physical LAN segments that are not constrained by their physical location.

Specific configurations using the FastModules are shown later in this chapter.

4-4 CHAPTER 4: ADVANCED CONFIGURATION

Using VLANs With CoreBuilder 5000 FastModules

Understanding the

Default VLAN

Connecting VLANs

to a Router

CoreBuilder 5000 FastModules support port-based VLANs, where a VLAN consists of a set of switch ports. Each switch port, other than VLT ports, can belong to only one VLAN at any one time, regardless of the device to which it is attached. Each FastModule can support up to 16 VLANs.

In any network setup, VLAN 1 is the Default VLAN. The Default VLAN is the only VLAN which allows access to the management agent of the unit. On a new FastModule, all the ports belong to VLAN 1 by default. If you want the devices attached to a port to belong to another VLAN, you must use the VLAN Setup screen to place the port in that VLAN. For more information about the VLAN Setup screen, refer to Setting Up

VLANs on page 4-11.

If the devices in a VLAN need to talk to devices in a different VLAN, each VLAN requires a connection to a router. Communication between VLANs can only take place if they are all connected to the router. A VLAN not connected to a router is isolated.

In a 24-Port FastModule, VLANs are typically connected to routers using outlet ports. Outlet ports have the following attributes:

■ Addresses received on outlet ports are not stored in the FastModule

Database.

Connecting Common

VLANs Between

FastModules

■ Frames with unknown addresses are forwarded to the outlet ports.

If you connect a 24-Port FastModule to a router using outlet ports, you must specify one outlet port for each VLAN connected to the router.

In a 24-Port FastModule, VLANs are typically connected to other FastModules, using outlet ports. Similar to the router connections, you normally require one outlet port per VLAN. However, to make the FastModule-to-FastModule connections more cost-effective, FastModules allow you to specify that one outlet port forms part of a Virtual LAN Trunk (VLT). A VLT is a connection which carries traffic for multiple VLANs between Fastmodules and other switch units. If you configure both ends of a FastModule-to-FastModule connection as part of a VLT, you only need that one connection for all the VLANs.

VLTs can only be used for links between FastModules. You cannot use VLTs for FastModule-to-router links.

Using VLANs With CoreBuilder 5000 FastModules 4-5

If you specify that an outlet port on one VLAN is part of a VLT, that outlet port becomes an outlet port for all the VLANs on the FastModule, even if they had no outlet port before. If you then disable the VLT function on that port, the port will become the outlet port for the Default VLAN (VLAN 1) and all other VLANs lose their outlet ports.

Sharing VLT Bandwidth

Each VLAN is capable of using 100 percent of the bandwidth on a VLT. For example, assume that VLAN 1 and VLAN 2 share a VLT. Heavy traffic on VLAN 1 can occupy 100 percent of the bandwidth available on the VLT. This means that traffic generated on VLAN 2 may be delayed until VLAN 1 traffic decreases, making VLT bandwidth available to VLAN 2.

Using AutoSelect VLAN Mode

By default, all non-backplane ports on the FastModule use Port VLAN Mode. Each switch port is manually placed in the required VLAN. The FastModule allows some ports to select another mode, AutoSelect VLAN Mode. In this mode, ports are automatically placed in the required VLAN by referring to a VLAN Server database in 3Com Transcend Enterprise Manager Version v6.0 for Windows



The advantage of AutoSelect VLAN Mode is that after you set up the VLAN Server database correctly, you can move endstations to other ports or other FastModule units. The VLAN assignment of each endstation is automatically configured.

AutoSelect VLAN Mode functions as follows:

1 When an endstation is connected to a FastModule or moves from one

port to another, the FastModule learns the MAC address of the endstation.

2 If the relevant port uses AutoSelect VLAN Mode, the FastModule refers

to the VLAN Server database which contains a VLAN allocation for each MAC address.

3 After obtaining the VLAN allocation for the MAC address, the

FastModule places the relevant port in that VLAN.

If you use AutoSelect VLAN Mode, note the following:

■ You must specify an IP address and community string for the VLAN Server.

■ You cannot use VLAN 15.

4-6 CHAPTER 4: ADVANCED CONFIGURATION

■ If you configure a port as an outlet port or as part of a VLT, the port

cannot use AutoSelect VLAN Mode.

■ If you store a permanent address for the port in the Switch

Database, the port cannot use AutoSelect VLAN Mode.

■ Connect each switch port to a single endstation. To connect a port

to multiple endstations, specify that the port uses Port VLAN Mode.

For information about Setting Up VLANs Using AutoSelect VLAN Mode refer to page 4-14.

For more information about the VLAN Server database, refer to the documentation supplied with Transcend Enterprise Manager.

Using Non-Routable Protocols

If you are running non-routable protocols on your network (for example, DEC LAT or NET BIOS), devices within one VLAN cannot communicate with devices in a different VLAN.

Connecting Multiple Network Adapters to a FastModule

If you connect a server with multiple network adapters to a FastModule, you must configure each adapter with a unique MAC address.

VLAN Configurations Example 1

Using VLANs With CoreBuilder 5000 FastModules 4-7

The example shown in Figure 4-2

illustrates a simple VLAN configuration comprising a single 24-Port FastModule. The ports are divided between two VLANs. VLAN 1 is able to talk to VLAN 2 due to the outlet port connection between each VLAN and the router.

VLAN 1

24-Port

VLAN 2

Router

Figure 4-2 VLAN Configuration With a Single FastModule

FastModule

Inter-VLAN connection

To set up the configuration shown in Figure 4-2:

1 Use the FMA screens to:

a Place ports 1 through 12 in VLAN 1. b Place ports 13 through 24 in VLAN 2.

2 Connect a port in VLAN 1 to the router. 3 Use the FMA screens to specify that the VLAN 1 port connected to the

router is an outlet port.

4 Repeat steps 2 and 3 for VLAN 2.

4-8 CHAPTER 4: ADVANCED CONFIGURATION

Example 2

The example shown in Figure 4-3 24-Port FastModules. VLAN 1 is able to talk to VLAN 2 due to the outlet port connection between each VLAN and the router.

Ports within the same VLAN which span the two FastModules communicate through a VLT on the Fast Ethernet backplane.

illustrates two VLANs spanning two

Virtual LAN Trunk (VLT) on Fast Ethernet Backplane

VLAN 1 VLAN 2

Inter-VLAN connection

Router

24-Port FastModules

Server 1 in VLAN 1

Server 2 in VLAN 2

Figure 4-3 VLAN Configuration With Two 24-Port FastModules

To set up the configuration shown in Figure 4-3:

1 Use the FMA screens to:

a Place ports 1 through 12 of both FastModules in VLAN 1.

b Place ports 13 through 24 of both FastModules in VLAN 2. 2 Connect the port 1 of the right 24-Port FastModule to Server 1. 3 Connect port 1 of the left 24-Port FastModule to Server 2. 4 Use the FMA screens to:

a Place port 1 of the right 24-Port FastModule in VLAN 2.

b Place port 1 of the left 24-Port FastModule in VLAN 1.

3com CoreBuilder 5000 FastModule User Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

CONTENTS

FIGURES

TABLES

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

Audience This guide is intended for the following people at your site:

Conventions The following tables list conventions used throughout this guide:

Related Documents 3

■ 3Com Documents

Reference Documents The following documents supply related background information:

INTRODUCTION

FastModule Overview

WorkGroup Solutions The 24-Port 10BASE-T FastModule provides switched 10BASE-T

FastModule Names 1-3

FastModule Features

Scalable Performance Each FastModule is equipped with its own high performance switching

Outlet Port In the 24-Port FastModule only, you can designate any port to act as an

Full Duplex Support The FastModule provides full duplex capability on all front panel Fast

Security Security is available on the 10 Mbps front panel ports of the 24-Port

Resilient Links You can set up resilient links on FastModule front panel ports only.

Virtual LANs (VLANs) The Virtual LAN (VLAN) feature allows you to build your network

PACE Technology 3Com PACE Technology allows you to carry multimedia applications

VLAN Server The VLAN Server function allows you to create a VLAN Server database

Comparing FastModules to Bridges

FastModule Descriptions

24-Port FastModule

24-Port FastModule with FX Downlink

7-Port FX/TX FastModule

7-Port TX FastModule

Figure 1-5 Aggregator/Downlink FastModule

FastModule Backplane Connections

FastModule Management Functions

Basic Management To o l s

Using Advanced Management Tools

Transcend Enterprise Manager for UNIX

Transcend Enterprise Manager for Windows

Setting Up Access for Basic Management

■ Setting Up FMA Access

Setting Up Direct Terminal Access to the FMA

Setting Up TELNET Access to the FMA

Assigning a Backplane Port to a Backplane Channel

Isolating a Backplane Port

Setting Up Direct Terminal Access to the DMM

Configuring TELNET Access to the DMM

Configuring FMA for Management

Logging On To log o n to F M A :

Assigning a Security Level

Keyboard Shortcuts

Logging Off After you finish using the facility, select the Logoff option from the

Auto Logoff The built-in security timeout on the FMA interface works as follows:

Setting Up FMA Users

Creating a New User To create a new user:

Deleting a User To delete a user:

Editing User Details To edit user details:

Viewing Users Use the Delete Users screen to display the list of current users. To view

Basic Configuration Guidelines

■ Basic Configuration Examples

Startup Defaults Table 3-1 shows the default settings of a FastModule as it is shipped

Configuration Rules This section identifies configuration rules in the following areas:

CoreBuilder 5000 Slotting Considerations

Fast Ethernet Considerations

Full Duplex Considerations

Server Considerations

Configuring General Switch Parameters

Choosing a Switch Management Level

Setting Up the FastModule

Setting Up FastModule Ports

Switch Database (SDB) Description

Trap Notification If you set up Traps for the FastModule, notification that the database is

Searching by MAC Address

Searching by Port

Setting Up Resilient Links

Setting Up Traps 3-29

Setting Up the Serial Port

ADVANCED CONFIGURATION

VLAN Overview Setting up VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks) on the

VLAN Benefits Implementing VLANs on your network has three main advantages: