9033024-01
DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethernet Switch
924TXG Release Notes
Version 1.1.1
April 2000
As warranted, we change the firmware of this device to make f unctional enhance ments or to correc t reported
problems. These Release Notes identify enhancements and changes to the firmware that impact
end-user operation s. They als o cont ain f irmware and so ftwar e requ irement s, and list updat es in th is re lease
as well as known conditions and restrictions that apply to the opera ti on of the DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast
Ethernet Switch 924TXG.
The following example describes the firmware version number:
Version 1.1.1
Engineering update
Functional enhancement or problem corrected
Major functional enhancement
Contents
Firmware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Management Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
clearVISN Patch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Known Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Restrictions and Limitations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
MIB and RFC Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Firmware Upgrades. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Accessing Online Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1
Firmware Requirements
The DIGITAL MultiSwitch 900 Firmware Version 5.5 or higher is required to manage the following
versions of network modules:
Product Version Filename
DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethernet Switch
924TXG
We recommend you update your network module(s) to the latest revision. Refer to the following World
Wide Web site for the latest module revision upgrades and release notes:
http://www.cabletron.com/dnpg/dr/hubs/firmware/
1.1.1 MA111.bin
Management Requirements
There are three processes that can be used to manage the DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethernet Switch
924TXG module:
Using . . . You can . . .
The Console
WebView
The clearVISN Web
Suite
Configure and manage the module. Procedures are described in Chapter 4
Configuring the Module found in the DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethernet
Switch 916TXG and 924TXG Installation and Configuration manual.
Configure and manage the module as described in the DIGITAL MultiSwitch
Fast Ethernet Switch 916TXG and 924TXG Web Management Guide.
Manage the module using the clearVISN Web Suite. Procedures for managing
the module are described in the clearVISN Web Suite 3.0 Installation and
Getting Star ted Guide.
Hardware Requirements
The minimum hardware revision level for the DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethernet Switch 924TXG
module that is required to support this release of firmware is hardware version 2.0.
clear
To download the latest cle arVI SN patch softwar e upgrades, go to either of the foll owing World Wi de Web
sites:
VISN Patch
http://www.cabletron.com/dnpg/dr/clearvsn/patches/
http://www.cabletron.com/dnpg/dr/hubs/firmware/
2
Known Conditions
This section describ es conditions and res trictions related to t he DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethernet Switch
924TXG Version 1.1.1 firmware.
DIGITAL MultiSwit ch 900 Resets may adversely affect MultiSwitch 924TXG LAN
Interconnect configurations
The DIGITAL MultiSwitch 900 maint ains and controls LAN Interc onnect configurati on tables for modules
that are connected to backplane LANs. This information is sh ared with clearVISN i n establishing ba ckplane
connections and is displayed within clearVISN’s LAN Interconnect window.
The following may arise when a reset occurs on the MultiSwitch 900 and ther e is no reset (at that same time)
on the MultiSwitch 924TXG:
• The MultiSwitch 900 loses the current LAN Interconnection information for the MultiSwitch
924TXG and clears the database of any connections the module may still have. (This is a
MultiSwitch 900 limitation and will be fixed in a later release.)
• clearVISN and the MultiSwitch 924TXG module retai n the b ackpla ne conf igura tion da ta the y
had before
LAN Interconnect window and the module’s LEDs continue to blink. However, since this
information is no longer in synchronization with the MultiSwitch 900’s control database, it is
considered “stale” and not valid.
the MultiSwitch 900’s reset. clearVISN continues to displ ay the connect ions i n the
• Any subsequent attempts to remove or establish backplane connections to the MultiSwitch
924TXG using clearVISN will fail.
To regain synchronization between the MultiSwitch 900, clearVISN and the MultiSwitch 924TXG and to
recover LAN Interconnect capabilities on the MultiSwitch 924TXG, do the following:
• Reset all MultiSwitch 924TXGs that are in the hub.
• Click on the “Refresh” butt on in clearVISN’ s LAN Interconnect window to update clearVISN
to the MultiSwitch 900’s configuration tables.
For notification of Multi Swit ch 900 r esets, an SNMP trap address may be set up to monitor and record the
MultiSwitch 900 events.
Walking SNMP v2 Objects through the 900 Hub
MIB objects of type COUNTER64 (SNMP v2) cannot be walked through the MultiSwitch 900 hub. The
MultiSwitch 924TXG has se ver al ob je cts wi th this data type. In or der t o wa lk th ese ob jects you must walk
the MultiSwitch 924TXG through a front-panel port using its own IP address and community string.
TFTP Filename Length
The length of TFTP fil enames is restri cted to 37 charac ters or less. Any attempt t o set a filename exceedin g
37 charact ers will cau se the switch to reset.
3
SNMP Downloads
Downloads using SNMP sets to the pcomLoad group are not supported in this release. Use the Download
Software Menu within the console interface to upgrade the module.
OBM and Console Ports Not Supported
The OBM and console ports on the back panel of the DEChub ONE and DEChub ONE-MX are not
supported. Use the front conso le port on the DIGIT AL MultiSwitch Fas t Ethernet Swit ch 924TXG module
to configure the module.
Activity LED Response on Ports Remapped to the Hub Backplane
On ports remapped to th e HUB backplane, the activity LED shoul d f li ck er o ra nge when there is receive or
transmit activity b etween the s witch and t he backplan e. However, if a cable wit h network tr affic is pl ugged
into the front-panel po rt, the activity LED wi ll turn green according to the cable traffic. The green LED
indication overrides the orange indication from the backplane traffic. Although the cable is isolated from
the switch and the backplane (i.e., the port has been remapped to the backplane), the LED indication still
reflects cable t ra ff ic when a c abl e i s connected. The fix for thi s is to remove the cable from t h e fr ont -pa n el
port (for those ports that have been remapped to the backplane).
MultiSwitch 900 v5.5 Backplane Connection Restrictions
The increased number of 924TXG backplane connection subtypes available (i.e., 100Mb Half-Duplex,
100Mb Full-Duplex, etc .) crea tes a re stri ction withi n the Mul tiSwi tch 900 (ve rsion s v5.5 and ear lier ). This
restriction limi ts the numbe r of modules th at can b e used f or backpl ane inte rconnect. This limitation will be
fixed in a late r release of the MultiSwit ch 900.
In V5.5 and earlier versions, the MultiSwitch 900 maintains a LAN Interconnect configuration table of up
to 256 subtypes. Each module supports a defined number of subtypes (see table below for the number of
subtypes on specific products). When a module is powered on within the MultiSwitch 900, the module’s
total number of subtypes is adde d to the MultiSwitch 900’s configuration table. Once the configu ration table
is filled to capacity or when the number of entries availa ble in the table does not accommod ate the number
of subtypes on a newly inserted module, all subtypes on that module will be ignored and none of its ports
will be usable on the backplane.
An indication that t his li mit at ion has bee n exceeded (or that the number of su bty pes of a module could not
fit within the MultiSwitch 900’s LAN Interconnect table) can be observed in the clearVISN LAN
Interconnect scree n. Attempts to expand a view o f the module wi ll fail such that no backp lane capable ports
will be displayed.
NOTE
This limitation only affects backplane connectivity . All othe r
features of the module are unaffected.
4
The number of backplane connection subtypes per module are listed in the following table:
Module Number of
Backplane
Connection
Subtypes
MultiSwitch 924TXG 60
DECswitch 900EF 15
PORTswitch 900TP/12 25
PORTswitch 900TPJ 7
DECrepeater 900TM 2
MultiSwitch Hub 924TXG
2
VNswitch 900EF 22
VNswitch 900FF 17
VNswitch 900CC 1
VNswitch 900LL 14
VNswitch 900EE 14
This limitation becomes a consideration in configurations that include modules with many subtype
capabilities (i.e., greater subtype values).
To determine whether a configuration will allow backplane connectivity on all of the modules’ backplane
capable ports, calculate the total number of subtypes per module within the hub and compare this number
to the 256 limitat ion. If the nu mber is greater than 256, loss of backplane c onnectivity on so me modules will
occur.
See the following examples of sample config urati ons that stay wi thin or exceed t he 256-s ubtype l imitat ion.
• Examples of configurations that stay within the 256 subtype limitation:
Three MultiSwitch 924TXGs (3 @ 60 subtypes) and three PORTswitch 900TP/12s (3 @ 25
subtypes) for a total number of 255 subtypes.
Two MultiSwitch 924TXGs (2 @ 60 subtyp es), t wo VNswitch 900EFs (2 @ 22 subty pes) a nd
two PORTswitch 900TP/12s (2 @ 25 subtypes) for a total number of 214 subtypes.
• Example of a configuration that exceeds the 256 subtype limitation:
Four MultiSwitch 924TXGs ( 4 @ 60 subt ype s) and two PORTswitch 900TP/12s (2 @ 25) for
a total number of 290 subtypes.
NOTE
In general, most combinations of two MultiSwitch 924TXGs plus six of any other modules fall
within the 256-subtype limitatio n of the hub. (An exception to this is the inclus ion of the
PORTswitch 900TP/12, where it is recommended the above calculations be followed.)
5
Connecting Two MultiSwitch 924TXGs in 2-Wire Mode
There are two port-ra nges relevant when connectin g two MultiSwitc h 924TXGs on the b ackplane usin g the
2-wire mode subtype. The two ranges are: Ports 7-9, 19-21; and Ports 10-12, 22-24.
NOTE
A port on one MultiSwitch 924TXG may only be connected to a port within the same
range on the other MultiSwitch 924TXG. For example, port 7 on one mod ule ma y be
connected to any port 7-9, 19-21 on the other module. Port 10 on one module may be
connected to any port 10-12, 22-24 on the other module.
Hot-Swapping Modules
Hot-swapping is the insertion or removal of a module residing in a DIGITAL MultiSwitch 900 chassis or
in a DIGITAL MultiSwitch 900-4 chassis without disrupting power to the chassis.
CAUTION
Do not hot-swap more than one
at a time. Simultaneously inserting or removing more than one module can cause
problems with the operation of other installed modu les.
module into or out of a DIGITAL MultiSwitch 900
Hot-Swapping GBICs
CAUTION
Do not install or remove a Gigabit (GBIC) card while the 924TXG module is
powered on. GBICs must not be hot-swapped; they must only be inserted in
or removed from a module tha t is powered off.
Refer to the detailed instructions supplied with the GBIC card for installation/removal procedures.
Diagnostics
If the diagnostic test fails, the module will not complete the power-up cycle. Access may still be gained
through the 924TXG console.
Features Not Supported in This Release
The following features are not supported in this release:
• IP Services
clearVISN Flash Loader
•
• Trunking on the Backplane
• VLAN on the Backplane
Xmodem Upgrades
Do not attempt an Xmode m upgrade unless e verything is in pl ace to follow t hrough. Not doing s o may force
you to power down the module to restart it.
6
Restrictions and Limitations
1. Certain traffic patterns may occasionally place addresses into the forwarding table that have not been
actually seen by t he swit ch. The Source MAC address of err or fr ames (64 bytes or greater in length) is
improperly learned by the switch.
2. Error and dropped packet statistics reported on the “Switch Summary and Individual Port Statistics”
screen may not synchroni ze prope rly wi th each other; depend ent on t he tra ffic flow th rough th e switc h.
3. Broadcast frames increment the SNMP “ifOut Octets” counter for ports that hav e no link.
4. When new entries are made to the SNMP RMON log table, they are not done so sequentially.
5. VLAN must be enabled to use Class of Service (priority queuing).
6. The maximum number of 924TXG port based VLANs that can be co nfigured on switches man ufactured
in week 9908 and later (a nd running this version of firmware) is 128. An y VLAN ID within the ran ge
of 0-4095 is valid, but only 128 VLANs can be created on the switch at one time.
7. The broadcast perf ormance on one group of 8 po rts (1- 8, 9-1 6, or 17- 24) is les s th an that of the ports on
the switch; dependent on which switch cluster broadcasts are being passed to the CPU.
8. When VLAN operation on the switch is enabled, the overall thr oughput performance of the switc h drops
due to the fact that interna lly, each packet passing throug h the switch is appended with a four-byt e IEEE
802.1Q VLAN tag.
9. When using the port mirroring feature, the mirroring and mirrored (source and destination) ports must
be in the same switch cluster (i.e., Group of 8 ports).
10. When using port mirroring, traffic rates on the mirroring port may be less than those on the mirrored
port; dependent on the traffic flow through the switch.
11. Discard address filtering rules can be overwritten. If a packet is received by the switch with a source
MAC address that is the s ame as a static addr ess set to be dis carded, the disc ard rule will be ove rwritten,
allowing packets with the source address to be forwarded through the switch.
12. When transmitti ng packets out of a port, the packet size statis ti cs counters on the Port Statistics screen
do not increment properly. The counters do properly increment for packets received on the port.
13. The switch will execute a software reset after performing a TFTP download. The reset will occur
whether the download was successful or failed.
14. If Hewlett-Packard GBIC (Gigabit Ethernet Interface Converter) modu le s are inserted/removed on t he
924TXG while power is applied to the switch, they may become damaged. The damage results in the
presence and type identity of the GBIC not being recognized by software. Data will still be switched
successfully through the port.
CAUTION
Do not hot-swap any GBIC.
The following issues are present when using the Port Trunking feature in this release of firmware:
15.
• When configuring Port Trunking, the Spanning Tree path costs on ports can become misconfigured.
• Ports in different VLANs can be placed into the same trunk, which should not be allowed.
• Trying to add a port to a trunk that has been created in a different switch cluster (group of 8 ports) causes
the ports in the trunk to be erroneously deleted.
• When a trunk group is configured, and the first port of that trunk group becomes disabled, local
management reports that the entire trunk status is disabled; this is a false signal. The status can be
corrected by disabling and re-enabling that port.
7
16. When a BootP server and DHCP server are both present in the network, in some cases only the IP
address will be acquired ; the fi rmware i mage will no t be rece ived. Bot h protoc ols work pr operl y when
only one server typ e is pr ese nt. This condition also exist ed i n earlier versions of firmwar e. Ca ble tr on’s
recommendation is t o remove the DHCP ser ver and reboo t the switch ; this will c ause the sw itch to sen d
BootP requests and receive an image from the BootP server.
17. When Microsoft Internet Explorer is used to access Cabletron WebView management, the initial start-
up time is excess ive (approxi mately 20 minutes), aft er which it pe rforms norm ally. To avoid this delay,
the switch's IP address should be added to Internet Explorer's Proxies “Ignore” area.
18. When configuring 802.1Q trunks , the VLAN that inclu des the ports co nfigured as tr unks must not have
those ports on the egress list for that VLAN. This results in a misconfiguration.
19. When configuring Port Trunks as 802.1 Q trunks, you must add the port trunks to the egr ess list as a pair.
Adding them separately results in an error reporting add VLAN Violation.
20. Spanning Tree Fast Step F eatur e change - On the Span ning Tre e conf igurat ion sc reen, t here i s an ex tra
selection called “stpstandby enable”:
• If defaulted to yes, there is a 30-second forwarding delay.
• If defaulted to no, ports will go to forwarding within on e second.
Management Disabling a por t, thr ough th e co nsole o r otherwis e, is n ot support ed in t his r eleas e. If you
21.
Management Disable a port, the 924TXG will eventually stop responding to queries or to pass traffic.
This will be fixed in the next firmware release.
8
MIB and RFC Information
The following MIBs are supported:
• Bridge-mib
• ctron-smarttrunk-mib
• ianaifType-mib
• if-mib
• igmp-mib
• multiswitch-common-mib
• netvantage-mib
• p-bridge-mib
• q-bridge-mib
• rfc1155
• rfc1213
• rfc1398
• snmpv2-mib
MIB and RFC information can be fou nd online. Ref er to t he sect ion enti tled Accessing Online Information
in these release notes for information about retrieving MIBs and RFCs.
Documentation
The following documentation supports the DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethernet Switch 924TXG Version
1.0 firmware release:
• DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethe rnet Switch 916TXG and 924TXG Installation and Configuration
• DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethe rnet Switch 916TXG and 924TXG Quick Start Card
• DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethe rnet Switch 916TXG and 924TXG Read Me First
• DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethe rnet Switch 916TXG and 924TXG Web Management Guide
These documents exist in Adobe Acrobat online readable and Printable Document Format (PDF) on the
Web Site (see Accessing Online Information).
9
Firmware Upgrades
This section describes the process for performing firmware upgrades for the DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast
Ethernet Switch 924TXG. To perform a firmware upgrade, complete the following instructions:
If the module is in a Digital MultiSwitch 900, select
MultiSwitch 900 INSTALLATION MENU
. Enter the slot number of the module to get the modu le’s
Start Redirect Mode
from the
DIGITAL
Installation Menu.
Main Menu
From the module’s installation menu, type f to view the Main Menu selections as described below.
************************************************************
DIGITAL MultiSwitch FE Switch 924TXG
Menu Name
Selectable
Items
Screen prompt &
Message area
MAIN MENU Access Control: READ/WRITE
a. System Configuration Menu
b. Switch Configuration Menu
c. Port Menu
d. Switch Statistics Screen
e. General Information Screen
f. Download Software Menu
g. Save Current Configuration
h. Return to Default Configuration
i. Logout
j. Reset
x. Previous Menu
z. Top-Level Menu
Enter Selection:
Access Privileges
(i.e. Read/Write or
Write Only )
Selection Description
System Configuration
Menu
Switch Configuration
Menu
Port Menu Shows the configuration of the individual ports on the switch and allows
Switch Statistics Screen Presents switch-level and port-level statistics.
General Information
Screen
Download Software
Menu
Save Current
Configuration
Return to Default
Configuration
Logout Logs out of the Telnet interface. Once you logout, you must enter a
Reset Performs a software reset of the switch by restarting the system soft-
Previous Menu Returns you to the previous menu.
Top-Level Menu Returns you to the top-level menu.
Contains commands and parameters that reflect the global configuration
of the switch related to management.
Provides access to information and parameters affecting the function of
the switch, for instance, the movement of packets through the switch.
For example, you can configure Forwarding Table, Spanning Tree, and
virtual LANs (VLANs).
you to modify switch port operation.
Displays the system software version, switch serial number, base MAC
address, system up time and power-up count.
Contains parameters and commands for initiating a software download
to upgrade the switch operating software.
Saves current switch operating parameters to non-volatile memory.
Restores switch operating parameters to factory defaults. You must reset the switch for activate default parameters.
password before you can access the Telnet interface again. Note: this
menu item is only seen from within a Telnet session.
ware and reloading all operating parameters.
10
Download Software Menu
The Download Software Menu allows you to set up and initiate a software download.
To set up and initiate a software download, do the following:
1. Select f from the Main Menu to view the Download Software Menu.
2. Observe the following message prompt display (menu selections are defined in the following table).
DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE Access Control: READ/W RITE
a. TFTP Server IP Address 1.2.3.4
b. TFTP File Name
c. Start TFTP Download
d. Start XMODEM Download
x. Previous Menu
z. Top-Level Menu
Enter Selection:
Selection Description
TFTP Server IP Address The IP address of the TFTP server.
TFTP File Name The file name to be downloaded from the TFTP server (maxi-
Start TFTP Download Starts a TFTP download using TFTP Server IP Address and
Start XMODEM Download Starts an XMODEM (serial) download.
mum of 64 characters).
TFTP File Name information.
NOTE
These load procedures are used for both the main image file (.bin) and the web image file (.web).
Please note that an in-band connection is required for TFTP to work.
Save Current Configuration
The Save Current Configuration screen ensures that all ch anges made to the module via the console menus are stored
in the event of power outages or power cycles.
To save your current configuration, do the following:
1. Select g from the Main Menu to view the Save Current Configuration screen. The following message prompt
displays:
The current settings will become permanent.
All the saved settings will be lost!
a. OK
x. Cancel and return to the Previous Menu
z. Cancel and return to the Top-Level Menu
Enter Selection:
2. Select a to confirm the process; select x or z to cancel the process.
11
Return to Default Configuration
The Return to Default Configuration screen allows you to restore the original factory default switch settings before
changes were made via the user interface or SNMP.
To return to default configuration se ttings, do the following:
1. Select h from the Main Menu to view the Return to Default Configuration screen. The following message prompt
displays:
Switch will return to default settings.
All the current changes and settings will be lost!
a. OK
x. Cancel and return to the Previous Menu
z. Cancel and return to the Top-Level Menu
Enter Selection:
2. Select a to confirm the process; select x or z to cancel the process.
Logout
The Logout menu item allows you to log out of the Telnet interface and return to the Login screen. Select i from the
Main Menu to logout. After this command is entered, the system logout occurs automatically. Note: this menu item is
only seen from within a Telnet session.
Reset
The Reset screen allows you to perform a switch hardwa re reset. You are first prompted as to whether or not to save
the current switch configuration.
To reset the switch, do the following:
1. Select j from the Main Menu to view the Reset screen. The following message prompt displays:
Switch will go through a hardware reset.
All the current changes that have not been saved
will be lost!
a. Save changes and Reset
b. Don’t save changes and Reset
x. Cancel and return to the Previous Menu
z. Cancel and return to the Top-Level Menu
Enter Selection:
2. Select a or b to confirm the process; select x or z to cancel the process.
12
Accessing Online Information
Online Information
Product-specific information can be found at the following World Wide Web sites:
http://www.cabletron.com/digital
http://www.cabletron.com/dnpg/dr/hubs/firmware/
http://www.cabletron.com/dnpg/dr/clearvsn/patches/
Documentation Comments
If you have comments or suggestions about this document, e-mail them to:
TechWriting@cabletron.com
13
Copyright 20 00 by Cabletron Systems, Inc., 35 Industrial Way, Rochester, NH 03867
All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
DEChub, clearVISN and the clearVISN logo are trademarks of Ca bletron Systems, Inc .
DEC, DIGITAL and the DIGITAL logo are trademarks of Compaq Computer Corporation.
All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective hol ders.
Loading...