Cabletron Systems ATX User Manual

ATX

USER’S GUIDE

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Notice

NOTICE

Cabletron Systems reserves the right to make changes in specifications and other information
contained in this document without prior notice. The reader should in all cases consult Cabletron
Systems to determine whether any such changes have been made.

The hardware, firmware, or software described in this manual is subject to change without notice.
IN NO EVENT SHALL CABLETRON SYSTEMS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL,

INDIRECT, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING BUT
NOT LIMITED TO LOST PROFITS) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS MANUAL OR
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN IT, EVEN IF CABLETRON SYSTEMS HAS BEEN
ADVISED OF, KNOWN, OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN, THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGES.



Copyright 1997 by Cabletron Systems, Inc., P.O. Box 5005, Rochester, NH 03866-5005
All Rights Reserved
Printed in the United States of America

Order Number: 9031871-02 April 1997

FCC NOTICE

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

NOTE:

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 uses, generates, and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed in
accordance with the operator’s manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause interference in which case the user
will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital

WARNING:

party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

Changes or modifications made to this device which are not expressly approved by the

i

Notice

DOC NOTICE

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions from digital
apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of
Communications.

Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites applicables
aux appareils numériques de la class A prescrites dans le Règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique
édicté par le ministère des Communications du Canada.

VCCI NOTICE

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

Consequently , when used in a residential area or in an adjacent area thereto, radio interference may be
caused to radios and TV receivers, etc.

Read the instructions for correct handling.

ii

Notice

EXCLUSION OF WARRANTY AND DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

1. EXCLUSION OF

writing, Cabletron makes no warranty, expressed or implied, concerning the Program (including
its documentation and media).

CABLETRON DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OTHER THAN THOSE SUPPLIED TO
YOU BY CABLETRON IN WRITING, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING
BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE PROGRAM, THE
ACCOMPANYING WRITTEN MATERIALS, AND ANY A CCOMPANYING HARDWARE.

2. NO LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT SHALL

CABLETRON OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER
(INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS,
PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR RELIANCE DAMAGES, OR OTHER LOSS)
ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS CABLETRON PRODUCT,
EVEN IF CABLETRON HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGES. BECAUSE SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, OR
ON THE DURATION OR LIMITATION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, IN SOME
INSTANCES THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO
YOU.

WARRANTY. Except as may be specifically provided by Cabletron in

CABLETRON SYSTEMS, INC. PROGRAM LICENSE AGREEMENT

IMPORTANT:

This document is an agreement between you, the end user, and Cabletron Systems, Inc. (“Cabletron”)
that sets forth your rights and obligations with respect to the Cabletron software program (the
“Program”) contained in this package. The Program may be contained in firmware, chips or other
media. BY UTILIZING THE ENCLOSED PRODUCT, YOU ARE AGREEING TO BECOME
BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, WHICH INCLUDES THE LICENSE AND
THE LIMITATION OF WARRANTY AND DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY. IF YOU DO NOT
AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, PR OMPTLY RETURN THE UNUSED
PRODUCT TO THE PLACE OF PURCHASE FOR A FULL REFUND.

Before utilizing this product, carefully read this License Agreement.

CABLETRON SOFTWARE PROGRAM LICENSE

1. LICENSE

package subject to the terms and conditions of this License Agreement.
You may not copy, reproduce or transmit any part of the Program except as permitted by the

Copyright Act of the United States or as authorized in writing by Cabletron.

2. OTHER RESTRICTIONS. You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the

Program.

3. APPLICABLE LA W. This License Agreement shall be interpreted and governed under the laws

and in the state and federal courts of New Hampshire. You accept the personal jurisdiction and
venue of the New Hampshire courts.

. You have the right to use only the one (1) copy of the Program provided in this

iii

Notice

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

Application of Council Directive(s):

Manufacturer’s Name:

Manufacturer’ s Address:

European Representative Name:

European Representative Address:

Conformance to Directive(s)/Product Standards:

Equipment Type/Environment:

89/336/EEC
73/23/EEC

Cabletron Systems, Inc.
35 Industrial Way

PO Box 5005
Rochester, NH 03867

Mr. J. Solari
Cabletron Systems Limited

Nexus House, Newbury Business Park
London Road, Newbury
Berkshire RG13 2PZ, England

EC Directive 89/336/EEC
EC Directive 73/23/EEC
EN 55022
EN 50082-1
EN 60950

Networking Equipment, for use in a
Commercial or Light
Environment.

Industrial

We the undersigned, hereby declare, under our sole responsibility, that the equipment packaged
with this notice conforms to the above directives.

Manufacturer Legal Representative in Europe
Mr. Ronald Fotino Mr. J. Solari

___________________________________ ___________________________________

Full Name Full Name
Principal Compliance Engineer Managing Director - E.M.E.A.

___________________________________ ___________________________________

Title Title
Rochester, NH, USA Newbury, Berkshire, England

___________________________________ ___________________________________

Location Location

iv

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 USING THIS MANUAL .........................................................................1-1

1.2 DOCUMENT CONVENTIONS.............................................................1-3

1.3 RELATED DOCUMENTATION ...........................................................1-4

1.4 GETTING HELP.......................................................................................1-5

1.5 ATX ARCHITECTURE ............................................................................1-6

1.6 ATX FEATURES .......................................................................................1-6

1.6.1 Netbios Name Caching.................................................................1-8

1.6.2 ATX Local and Remote Port Mirroring.......................................1-9

1.6.3 IPX with Token Ring Source Routing .......................................1-10

1.6.4 Event Logging on the ATX .........................................................1-10

1.6.5 ATX LAN Switch Workgroups................................................... 1-11

1.6.6 ATX Packet Processing Engine................................................... 1-11

1.6.7 Input/output Modules ...............................................................1-12

1.6.8 Power Supply ...............................................................................1-13

1.7 BRIDGING FUNCTIONS .....................................................................1-13

1.7.1 Transparent Bridging...................................................................1-16

1.7.2 Source Route Translational Bridging ........................................1-16

1.7.3 Source Routing Bridging.............................................................1-17

1.7.4 Source Routing Transparent Bridging ......................................1-19

1.7.5 Translation ....................................................................................1-20

1.8 ROUTING FUNCTIONS.......................................................................1-21

1.8.1 IP Routing .....................................................................................1-22

Routing Information Protocol (RIP).........................................1-22

Address Resolution Protocol (ARP).........................................1-22

Reverse Address Resolution Protocol (RARP)........................1-23

Proxy ARP....................................................................................1-23

BOOTP..........................................................................................1-23

IPM................................................................................................1-23

1.8.2 Multiple IP Networks Per Port ..................................................1-24

1.8.3 IP Multicast Routing....................................................................1-26

1.8.4 IP Routing Over Source Routing ...............................................1-29

1.8.5 Configuring IP Routing Over Source Routing.........................1-32

1.8.6 IPX Routing...................................................................................1-32

Routing Information Protocol (RIP).........................................1-33

Service Advertising Protocol (SAP)..........................................1-33

IPX Routing Over Source Route................................................1-33

v

Contents

1.8.7 Appletalk Routing........................................................................1-34

AppleTalk addressing..........................................................1-34

AppleTalk zones ...................................................................1-34

How a Macintosh learns its address..................................1-35

How a router learns its address.........................................1-35

Seed Routers .........................................................................1-36

1.9 TRUNKING.............................................................................................1-37

Trunk Groups........................................................................1-38

1.10 LOCAL CONSOLE MANAGER........................................................1-39

1.10.1 Command Syntax Conventions ...............................................1-40

1.10.2 Basic LCM Commands..............................................................1-41

CHAPTER 2 INSTALLING AND CONNECTING TO THE

NETWORK

2.1 ATX FRONT PANEL ...............................................................................2-1

2.2 MOUNTING THE ATX ...........................................................................2-3

2.3 CONNECTING THE POWER SUPPLY................................................2-4

2.3.1 Checking the Power-up Sequence...............................................2-5

Power-up Diagnostics Sequence..........................................2-6

Troubleshooting the Power-up Sequence...........................2-7

Replacing the Power Supply ................................................2-8

2.4 CONNECTING THE LOCAL CONSOLE MANAGER ...................2-10

CHAPTER 3 CONFIGURING

3.1 CONFIGURING BRIDGING..................................................................3-1

3.1.1 Enabling Bridging Functions........................................................3-3

3.1.2 Displaying Bridging Functions....................................................3-4

3.1.3 Disabling Bridging.........................................................................3-5

3.2 CONFIGURING IP ROUTING ..............................................................3-5

3.2.1 Assigning an IP Address...............................................................3-5

3.2.2 Deleting an IP Address..................................................................3-6

3.2.3 Changing a Subnet Mask..............................................................3-7

3.2.4 Displaying IP Addresses ...............................................................3-7

3.2.5 Enabling IP Routing Functions ....................................................3-8

3.2.6 Adding an IP Address to a Port ...................................................3-9

3.2.7 Deleting an IP Address From a Port..........................................3-10

3.2.8 Clearing All IP Addresses From a Port.....................................3-10

3.2.9 IP Multicast Routing LCM Commands ....................................3-11

3.2.10 Displaying IP Routing Functions.............................................3-12

vi

Contents

3.2.11 Disabling Routing Functions....................................................3-12

3.3 CONFIGURING IPX ROUTING..........................................................3-12

3.3.1 Assigning an IPX Address..........................................................3-13

3.3.2 Displaying IPX Addresses ..........................................................3-13

3.3.3 Enabling IPX Routing Functions ...............................................3-14

3.3.4 Displaying IPX Routing Functions............................................3-15

3.3.5 Disabling IPX Routing.................................................................3-15

3.4 CONFIGURING APPLETALK ROUTING.........................................3-15

3.4.1 Enabling AppleTalk Routing......................................................3-16

3.4.2 Displaying AppleTalk Routing Functions................................3-16

3.4.3 Disabling AppleTalk Routing.....................................................3-17

3.4.4 Assigning a Network Number...................................................3-17

3.4.5 Displaying the Network Number .............................................3-19

3.4.6 Adding a Zone Name..................................................................3-19

3.4.7 Displaying a Zone Name............................................................3-20

3.5 CONFIGURING TRUNKING ..............................................................3-20

3.5.1 Enabling Trunking.......................................................................3-21

3.5.2 Disabling Trunking......................................................................3-22

3.6 CONFIGURING MULTICAST STORM PROTECTION..................3-22

3.7 MODIFYING MIB VARIABLES...........................................................3-23

3.7.1 System Contact.............................................................................3-23

3.7.2 System Name................................................................................3-24

3.7.3 System Location ...........................................................................3-24

3.7.4 Authentication Password............................................................3-24

Set Password................................................................................3-24

Get Password...............................................................................3-25

Aging Parameter .........................................................................3-25

Traps (acknowledge)...................................................................3-25

Configuration Alarm Dynamic .................................................3-26

3.8 CONFIGURING NETBIOS NAME CACHING ................................3-26

3.9 VIRTUAL WORKGROUP LCM COMMANDS.................................3-27

3.10 CLASSIFICATION...............................................................................3-28

3.10.1 Workgroup of Type ALL...........................................................3-28

3.10.2 Workgroup of Type IP ...............................................................3-29

3.10.3 Workgroup of Type IPX ............................................................3-31

3.10.4 Same Port in Multiple Workgroups ........................................3-33

3.10.5 Workgroup to Workgroup Communication ..........................3-34

3.11 LOCAL AND REMOTE PORT MIRRORING COMMANDS .......3-35

3.11.1 Types of Media and Framing....................................................3-36

3.11.2 Packet Capturing and Mirroring .............................................3-37

3.11.3 Mirrored Filters ..........................................................................3-38

vii

Contents

3.11.4 Example #1: LOCAL Port Mirroring.......................................3-38

3.11.5 Example #2: REMOTE Port Mirroring....................................3-39

3.12 IPX ROUTING OVER SOURCE ROUTE COMMANDS................3-40

3.13 PING COMMANDS ............................................................................3-40

3.14 TRACE ROUTE COMMANDS...........................................................3-40

3.15 EVENT LOGGING COMMANDS.....................................................3-41

3.15.1 eventfilter ....................................................................................3-41

3.15.2 eventtrap .....................................................................................3-42

3.15.3 eventdisplay................................................................................3-42

3.16 CONFIGURING SOURCE ROUTE TRANSLATIONAL BRIDGING

(RIF CACHING)............................................................................................3-42

3.16.1 Managing SRTB..........................................................................3-43

3.16.2 SRTB Usage in the ATX .............................................................3-44

CHAPTER 4 MONITORING AND MANAGING THE ATX

4.1 MONITORING STATISTICS..................................................................4-1

4.1.1 General Status and Statistics ........................................................4-4

4.1.2 IP Status and Statistics...................................................................4-4

4.1.3 ICMP Status and Statistics............................................................4-6

4.1.4 UDP Status and Statistics..............................................................4-8

4.1.5 SNMP Status and Statistics...........................................................4-9

4.1.6 Spanning Tree Status and Statistics...........................................4-10

4.2 MODULE STATUS AND STATISTICS...............................................4-11

4.2.1 End-node Status and Statistics...................................................4-11

4.2.2 Traffic Analysis Statistics.............................................................4-12

4.3 MONITORING STATUS.......................................................................4-13

4.3.1 Displaying Status .........................................................................4-13

4.3.2 Displaying MAC Addresses .......................................................4-15

4.3.3 Displaying Manufacturing Information ...................................4-17

4.4 MANAGING YOUR ATX .....................................................................4-17

4.4.1 Disabling a Port............................................................................4-18

4.4.2 Enabling a Port .............................................................................4-18

4.4.3 Taking a Module Offline .............................................................4-19

4.4.4 Bringing a Module Online ..........................................................4-19

4.4.5 Setting The Baud Rate .................................................................4-20

4.4.6 Displaying The Baud Rate ..........................................................4-20

4.4.7 Assigning a Community Name .................................................4-20

viii

Contents

CHAPTER 5 FILTERS

5.1 FILTERING AND PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS ...............5-2

5.2 USING FILTERS FOR SECURITY PURPOSES....................................5-2

5.3 USING FILTERS TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE.............................5-3

5.4 ADDRESS TABLE FILTERS....................................................................5-4

5.4.1 Destination Address Filter............................................................5-5

5.4.2 Source Address Filter ....................................................................5-5

5.4.3 Combination Address Filters .......................................................5-6

5.4.4 Source Address Multicast Filter...................................................5-6

5.5 COMBINATION PORT FILTERS..........................................................5-7

5.5.1 Configurable Fields .......................................................................5-8

Type ....................................................................................................5-9

Source Range.....................................................................................5-9

Source Range Start............................................................................5-9

Source Range End.............................................................................5-9

Source Range Mask ........................................................................5-10

Destination Range ..........................................................................5-10

Destination Range Start .................................................................5-10

Destination Range End ..................................................................5-10

Destination Range Mask................................................................5-10

Port/Group Match .........................................................................5-10

Port/Group # ..................................................................................5-10

Protocol Match ................................................................................ 5-11

Protocol Type................................................................................... 5-11

Field Match......................................................................................5-11

Field Origin......................................................................................5-12

Field Offset.......................................................................................5-12

Field Value .......................................................................................5-12

Field Mask .......................................................................................5-12

Threshold Time ...............................................................................5-12

Threshold.........................................................................................5-13

Filter Index.......................................................................................5-13

Combination Port Filter Options..................................................5-13

Pseudo Filter Option ......................................................................5-13

Linking Combination Port Filters ................................................5-14

5.6 ADDING A FILTER...............................................................................5-14

5.7 MODIFYING A FILTER........................................................................5-18

5.8 DELETING A FILTER ...........................................................................5-18

5.9 DISPLAYING A FILTER.......................................................................5-19

5.10 FILTERING APPLICATION EXAMPLES........................................5-19

ix

Contents

5.10.1 Filtering for Security Purposes.................................................5-20

Example 1 — Blocking access to a network segment ................5-20

Example 2 — Blocking access to specific stations ......................5-22

Example 3 — Restricting access to authorized users.................5-25

Example 4 — Filtering by vendor ID ...........................................5-26

Example 5 — Configuring a firewall filter

to control multicasts .......................................................................5-27

CHAPTER 6 TRAPS

6.1 GENERIC SNMP TRAPS.........................................................................6-1

6.2 ATX UNIQUE TRAP IDS.........................................................................6-3

CHAPTER 7 DIAGNOSTICS AND TROUBLESHOOTING

7.1 DIAGNOSTICS OVERVIEW..................................................................7-1

7.2 POWER-UP DIAGNOSTICS ..................................................................7-1

7.2.1 Power-up LED Sequence ..............................................................7-2

7.2.2 Specific Power-up Tests.................................................................7-3

7.2.3 Software Checksum Comparison ................................................7-4

7.2.4 Power-up Diagnostics Results......................................................7-4

7.2.5 Responses to Failures at Power-up..............................................7-4

Failure Indicators..............................................................................7-5

NMS Failure Traps............................................................................7-5

7.3 DIAGNOSTICS WHILE ATX IS OPERATIONAL ..............................7-5

7.3.1 Loopback Tests ...............................................................................7-5

7.3.2 Diagnostic Results..........................................................................7-6

7.4 STATUS AND ACTIVITY LEDS............................................................7-6

7.5 TROUBLESHOOTING.............................................................................7-8

7.5.1 ATX Does Not Power Up ..............................................................7-9

7.5.2 Module Status LED Not Lit..........................................................7-9

7.5.3 Connectivity Problems..................................................................7-9

7.5.4 ATX Has Rebooted.......................................................................7-10

7.5.5 ATX Does Not Respond To NMS...............................................7-10

CHAPTER 8 ADDING/SWAPPING MODULES AND

MAINTENANCE

8.1 ADDING A MODULE.............................................................................8-1

8.2 SWAPPING A MODULE........................................................................8-2

x

Contents

8.3 MAINTENANCE.....................................................................................8-3

8.3.1 Power Fuse......................................................................................8-3

8.3.2 Fan Filters........................................................................................8-4

8.3.3 Hot Swapping the Power Supply................................................8-4

APPENDIX A SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE ATX
APPENDIX B PACKET TRANSLATION PROCEDURE
APPENDIX C NULL MODEM CABLE PINOUTS
APPENDIX D GLOSSARY
APPENDIX E BIG ENDIAN TO LITTLE ENDIAN CONVERSION

xi

Contents

xii

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the Cabletron Systems ATX User Guide. This manual
explains installation instructions, and provides specifications for
the ATX.

1.1 USING THIS MANUAL

This manual is for system administrators responsible for
configuring, monitoring, and maintaining the ATX.

You should have a familiarity with internetworking concepts and
principles when you install the ATX. A basic understanding of
SNMP is helpful. Additionally, if you are using IP routing, you
should have an understanding of how to assign addresses. The
incorrect use of IP addresses can cause problems on your network
as well as across the Internet if you are connected to it. A list of
reference material is provided in the section

Documentation

.

Related

This manual is the base of the ATX documentation set. Each
module that you can use in the ATX also has its own manual. The
complete documentation set is described in the section

Documentation

.

Related

Much of the configuration of the ATX needs to be done using an
SNMP-based network management station, therefore, how you
configure is dependent on the station you use. Where applicable,
this manual provides instructions for using the ATX’s Local
Console Manager (LCM) to perform basic configuration. Where it
isn’t possible to use LCM, general instructions and guidelines
applicable to most network management stations are provided.

The contents of each chapter are described below.

• Chapter 1,

Introduction

, provides an overview of the ATX
architecture, bridging and routing functions, and describes the
Local Console Manager and its command syntax.

1-1

Introduction

• Chapter 2,

Installing and Connecting to the Network

,
describes the ATX front panel, how to install the ATX, and how
to connect the Local Console Manager.

• Chapter 3,

Configuring

, provides instructions for configuring
bridging, and IP, IPX, and AppleTalk Phase II routing using the
Local Console Manager. It also provides the MIB variables for
configuring multicast storm protection and some common
variables you may want to change.

• Chapter 4,

Monitoring and Managing the ATX

, describes how
to monitor status and statistics. It also describes how to manage
modules and ports using the Local Console Manager.

• Chapter 5,

Filters

, provides instructions for adding, modifying,
and deleting filters using the Local Console Manager. It also
provides specific examples of how filters can be used.

• Chapter 6,

Traps

, describes the traps the ATX sends to an SNMP

manager.

• Chapter 7,

Diagnostics and Troubleshooting

, describes the ATX
diagnostics and provides information on troubleshooting
common problems.

• Chapter 8,

Adding/Swapping Modules and Maintenance

provides instructions for adding or swapping a module. It also
describes how to change fuses and clean the fan filters.

• Appendix A,

• Appendix B,

Technical Specifications

, lists ATX specifications.

Packet Translation Procedure

, describes the

canonical format the ATX uses for translating packets.

• Appendix C,

Null Modem Cable Pinouts

, provides the cable

pinouts for a null modem cable.

• Appendix D,

Glossary

, provides a glossary of terms both

specific to the ATX and common to the internetworking field.

,

1-2

Introduction

• Appendix E,

Big Endian to Little Endian Address Conversion

describes how to convert MAC addresses from big endian
(Token Ring native) to little endian (Ethernet) format.

1.2 DOCUMENT CONVENTIONS

The following conventions are used in presenting information in
this manual:

LCM commands, prompts, and information displayed by the
computer appear in Courier typeface:

Current Number of Static Addresses: 5
Current Number of Learned Addresses: 133
Number of Defined Filters: 4

Information that you enter appears in Courier bold typeface:

,

ATX >

status

Information that you need to enter with a command is enclosed in
angle brackets < >. For example, you must enter a MAC address to
execute the

ATX >

address matrix 00:40:27:04:1a:0f

address matrix <MAC address>

command:

Field value options appear in bold typeface. For example, a filter
type can be either

Note:

The Note calls the reader’s attention to any item of information that

Entry

or

Exit

.

may be of special importance.

Caution:

A Caution alerts the reader to a specific action which may
negatively affect your computer equipment, server
communication with your ATX, or may cause data loss.

Warning:

A warning means you could cause physical harm to yourself.
Follow the guidelines in the manual or on the unit itself when
handling electrical equipment.

1-3

Introduction

1.3 RELATED DOCUMENTATION

You may need to refer to the following documentation:

•

ATX MIB Reference Guide

•

Token Ring Switch Module User Guide

installing the modules into the ATX and connecting your Token­Ring module to the network.

•

FDDI Dual-Attached Intelligent Module User Guide

instructions on installing the modules into the ATX and
connecting your intelligent FDDI module to the network.

•

Fast Ethernet Switch Module User Guide

installing the modules into the ATX and connecting your Fast
Ethernet modules to the network.

– contains enterprise MIB information.

– contains instructions on

– contains

– contains instructions on

•

Ethernet Switch Module User Guide

– contains instructions on
installing the modules into the ATX and connecting your
Ethernet module to the network.

If you need internetworking reference material, you may find the
following books helpful:

•

Interconnections, Bridges and Routers,



Wesley

•

Internetworking with TCP/IP: Principles, Protocols, and Architecture

1992.

(2nd edition), Volumes I and II, Douglas Comer, Prentice Hall

Radia Perlman, Addison



1991.

•

Inside AppleTalk

Andrews, Alan B. Oppenheimer, Addison-Wesley

•

The Simple Book, An Introduction to Management of TCP/IP-based
internets

, Marshall T. Rose, Prentice Hall

(2nd edition), Gursharan S. Sidhu, Richard F.



1990.



1991.

1-4

Introduction

1.4 GETTING HELP

If you need additional support related to this device, or if you have
any questions, comments, or suggestions concerning this manual,
contact Cabletron Systems Technical Support:

Phone: [phone]

Monday – Friday

. – 8 P.M. Eastern Time

A.M

8

CompuServe: GO CTRON from any ! prompt

Internet mail: [e-mail]

FTP: ctron.com (134.141.197.25)

Login: anonymous
Password: your email address

BBS: [phone]

Modem setting: 8N1: 8 data bits, No parity, 1 stop bit

Before calling Cabletron Systems Technical Support, have the
following information ready:

• A description of the failure

• A description of any action(s) already taken to resolve the
problem (e.g., changing mode switches, rebooting the unit, etc.)

• A description of your network environment (layout, cable type,
etc.)

• Network load and frame size at the time of trouble (if known)

• The serial and revision numbers of all modules in the ATX

• Module status (crash codes, if any), firmware version, any
verbose display messages; to display messages, use the

display verbose

and

status

commands

• The device history (i.e., have you returned the device before, is
this a recurring problem, etc.)

1-5

Introduction

• Any previous Return Material Authorization (RMA) numbers

For additional information about Cabletron Systems products,
visit our World Wide Web site: http://www.cabletron.com/

1.5 ATX ARCHITECTURE

The ATX is a high-performance, multi-protocol, LANswitch
providing multi-technology, multi-layer switching capacity,
performance and intelligence, creating a unique platform for LAN
to ATM migration.

The ATX has five slots for various interface modules and space for
two power supplies. The ATX front panel is shown in Figure 1-1.

TM

PACKET PROCESSING ENGINE

QUAD IEEE 802.3 / ETHERNET 10BASE2
SEGMENT 4SEGMENT 3SEGMENT 2 SEGMENT 1

RXTXRXTXRX

PROCRX

TX

PWR

TX
OFFLINE

FastNET ATX

SEGMENT

OFFLINE

OFFLINE

OFFLINE

TX RX

OFFLINE

OFFLINE

POWER STATUS

ENGINE STATUS

NMS PORT

3X 4X 5X 6X 7X 8X2X1X

RING 1
RX ST

TX 16 TX 16 TX 16 TX 16 PWR

TX
RX
LK

FDDI MIC A FDDI MIC BOPTICAL BYPASS

MULTI-MODE MULTI-MODE

TX

RING 2
RX ST

TX
RX
LK

TX RX TX RX TX RX

RX

TX

TURBO STATUS

OCTAL IEEE 802.3 / ETHERNET 10BASE-T

LINK

ACT
COL

12345678

QUAD IEEE 802.5 TOKEN RING (UTP)
RING 3
RX ST

QUAD FAST ETHERNET / 802.3 100BASE-FX

SEGMENT 4SEGMENT 3SEGMENT 2 SEGMENT 1
TX
RX
LK

QUAD IEEE 802.3 / ETHERNET 10BASE2

SEGMENT 4SEGMENT 3SEGMENT 2 SEGMENT 1

RX

TX

SUPPLY A

POWER

INTELLIGENT FDDI

RING A
RING B

SUPPLY B

RING 4

RX ST PROC

TX
RX
LK

THRU

RX

TX

PROC

PWR

PROC

WRAP

TX PWR

PROCRX

1.6 Gbps
RESET

PWR

PROC

RX

PWR

Figure 1-1. The ATX Front Panel

1.6 ATX FEATURES

Cabletron Systems ATX is designed to meet the growing demands
for bandwidth across the enterprise-wide network. The ATX
integrates the functions of a translation bridge, router, and
concentrator/repeater into a single unit. It is designed to support
multiple independent networks which are internally bridged
and/or routed together with the level of reliability required of
mission-critical networks. The internetworking function is
performed by a high performance RISC processor-based Packet

1-6

Introduction

Processing Engine.
The ATX offers features which allow you to easily manage and

maintain your network, such as:

• Protection against multicast storms.

• Data flow control based on packet filters that you define.

• Compilation of statistics for traffic generated by each user
device connected to an ATX segment.

• Ping and Trace Route provide the ATX with the ability to execute
(through LCM) ping and trace route commands which show
router hops, IP interfaces each packet must traverse and how
much time elapsed between transmit and response of a ping
command. For additional information on Ping commands, see
section 3.13, Ping Commands. For additional information on
Trace Route, see section 3.14, Trace Route Commands.

• Power supplies and input/output modules that can be swapped
without disrupting operation of the ATX.

• Configuration and management using the Simple Network
Management Protocol (SNMP) with either an in-band or out-of­band connection.

The ATX includes many functions presently available only in
bridges or routers. It offers much greater throughput to users, since
each module is an independent network and the traffic from a
module or network is not repeated to the others as is done in many
hubs.

As a bridge, the ATX provides high throughput for each network
connected to its ports, translates user-selected packets, and
implements the IEEE and IBM Spanning Tree protocol.

As a router, the ATX implements a suite of IP routing protocols,
including IP, ARP, Reverse ARP, Proxy ARP, RIP, and IP multicasts.
The ATX also implements IPX routing using RIP and SAP.
Additionally it implements AppleTalk Phase II routing.

1-7

Introduction

With an innovative, multiple RISC processor architecture, the
ATX’s Packet Processing Engine is capable of filtering and
forwarding at full line speed. Further, the ATX’s protocol­independence and high performance allow for transparent, plug­and-play network operation. The ATX offers all the benefits of
interconnecting LANs across a backbone with an increase in
performance over existing bridges.

1.6.1 Netbios Name Caching

The ATX provides the capability of transforming certain Netbios
broadcast frames into non-broadcast frames. The specific frames
handled by Netbios Name Caching are those which seek to locate
another netbios station. These include Datagrams, Name Query,
and Name Recognized frames. For Netbios Name Caching to
function, it must be enabled on all ports for which Netbios traffic
exists.

When the ATX receives any of these frames and Netbios Name
Caching is enabled on the port the frame was received on, the ATX
will identify the frame as a special Netbios Name Caching frame.
Once identified, a couple of actions takes place. First, the ATX
learns the Source Netbios name, the MAC address of the source
workstation, which port the station lives on and any applicable RIF
information. Second, the ATX determines if the destination
Netbios name has been learned. If the Netbios name is learned,
then the ATX replaces the broadcast address with the learned
unicast address, constructs an appropriate RIF is applicable, and
directs the frame to the appropriate port.

The ATX posseses name caching, the ability to reduce the amount
of broadcasts of certain Netbios session initialization frames.
Name Caching works by using certain frames (Name_Query
request and Name_Recognized response) within the Netbios
architeture to identify workstation names and their respective
hardware MAC address. Once the ATX identifies a workstation
and its hardware MAC address, the workstation no longer needs
to flood broadcasts to locate a particular destination on the
network; the ATX replaces the broadcast address with the learned

1-8

Introduction

unicast address.
Name_Query_Request frames provide the ATX with the name of

the source workstation, the MAC address, the port which recieved
the frame and any applicable RIF information. The
Name_Recognized_Response provides the ATX with information
including the name of the workstation, the MAC address of the
workstation and any applicable RIF information.

Note: If cached information on the originating workstation has not timed

out, the Name_Recognized will be a directed response instead of an
all-stations broadcast. If the workstation name has not timed out
from the Netbios Name Cache, the next Name_Query frame
destined for either workstation is sent as a directed frame instead of
a single route broadcast.

1.6.2 ATX Local and Remote Port Mirroring

Port mirroring allows the ATX LAN switch to redirect network
traffic (excluding MAC layer errors) from one or more ports to any
other port, in effect “mirroring” all network traffic to a selected
port. This feature allows customers who have existing investments
in external analyzers, external RMON probes, or devices like
Network General’s Distributed Sniffer System to continue to
receive expert analysis and packet decode functions in a switched
environment - simply use the port mirroring function to mirror
switched traffic to the designated “diagnostic” port to which the
analyzer is attached.

The ATX LAN Switch supports local and remote port mirroring.
Local port mirroring is when the diagnostic port is on the same
ATX as the mirrored ports. Remote port mirroring is when the
diagnostic port is on a different or remote ATX from the mirrored
ports. The mirrored ports have to be either local or remote to the
diagnostic port, not both. In the case of remote mirroring, the
traffic from the mirrored ports is encapsulated into an IP packet
and sent to the IP destination defined (the diagnostic port). See
section 3.11 Local and Remote Port Mirroring Commands for
additional information on Port Mirroring commands.

1-9

Introduction

1.6.3 IPX with Token Ring Source Routing

Token ring networks often interconnect with source routing (SR)
bridges. Although the source routing is a MAC layer feature, all
packets must provide the correct source route information to the
bridges in order to traverse the networks. To successfully and
efficiently route network traffic in such environments, routers need
to have the capability to explore and select routes, cache and age
route information, and construct network packets with the proper
route information. Support of IPX over source routing (IPX SR)
enables the ATX LAN switch to achieve this capability and route
IPX packets through SR bridges.
Source Route Comands for additional information on source routing
commands.

See section 3.11 IPX Routing Over

1.6.4 Event Logging on the ATX

Event Logging is an ATX troubleshooting tool. It records selected
classes of networking events then analyzes the log of events
recorded to assist in diagnosing problems on the network. ATX
Event Logging includes the following features:

• Separate enabling flags for each event or class of events. The
enabling flags are symbolic and are thus easily used in
troubleshooting the network.

• Continuous monitoring of events is supported.

• Logging entries are easy to add and delete from the source code.

• The framework is integrated with SNMP and easily fits into the
anticipated fault/alarm restructuring.

See section 3.14 Event Logging Commands for additional
information on Event Logging.

1.6.5 ATX LAN Switch Workgroups

Virtual workgroups allow you the flexibility to control broadcasts
in the network. By reducing broadcasts throughout the network, it

1-10

Introduction

preserves network bandwidth for important user data and frees up
valuable end station processing. By defining virtual workgroups,
broadcasts will only be seen by other end stations within the same
virtual workgroup. With the functionality to define workgroups by
port grouping, IP network address and/or IPX network number, a
station can be part of multiple workgroups based on their location
and protocol.

Each workgroup can be defined by port, IP network address
and/or IPX network number. A total of 100 virtual workgroups
can be defined on each ATX LAN Switch. The ATX LAN Switch
can route between IP workgroups but all other workgroups will
need an external router (See Workgroup to Workgroup
Communication). For additional information, see section 3.8
Virtual Workgroup LCM Commands.

1.6.6 ATX Packet Processing Engine

The ATX architecture, diagrammed in Figure 1-2, is based on dual
29030 RISC processors on the Packet Processing Engine version
3(PPE-3). In addition, it includes the following:

• At least one RISC processor per i/o module

• Backplane providing 1.6 Gbps capacity, with a load balancing
architecture for maximum accessibility for I/O modules

• A 2mb shared RAM architecture, which is optimized using
adaptive buffer allocation. Adaptive Buffer Allocation (ABA) is
an algorithm providing a sophisticated distribution of packet
buffering to meet varied utilization demands per port.

1-11

Introduction

Packet Processing Engine

Main Processor
AMD 29030 RISC CPU

Dual Synchronous Protocol Independent Bus

RISC
PROCESSOR
4 SEGMENT
ETHERNET

4 Segments 4 Segments Dual Ring Multiple

DUAL RISC
PROCESSOR
FDDI

FAST
ETHERNET

SYNCHRONIZATION

1.6 Gbps
SHARED
MEMORY

RISC
PROCESSOR

Turbo Processor
AMD 29030 RISC CPU

RISC
PROCESSOR
Emerging
Technologies

Segments

DUAL RISC
PROCESSOR
4 SEGMENT
TOKEN RING

4 Rings

Figure 1-2. ATX Architecture

1.6.7 Input/output Modules

The ATX has four types of modules available. The modules slide
into the face of the ATX. The module installation procedures are in
Chapter 8.

The ATX supports the following:

• 3E02-04, 3E05-04, 3E07-04, 3E08-04, and 3E02-08-ATX - Multi­segment Ethernet modules that come in five models-four UTP
10BASE-T connections, four AUI connections, four BNC
10BASE-2 connections, four fiberoptic 10BASE-FL connections,
and eight UTP 10BASE-T connections respectively.

1-12

Introduction

• 3T02-04, 3T05-04 and 3T01-04 - Four ring Token Ring modules
accepting data frames from and sending data frames to four
Token Ring networks. The 3T02 and 3T01 modules support UTP
and STP cable types respectively, while the 3T05 supports either
UTP or STP.

• 3F00-01 and 3F55-01 - DAS (dual-attached station) FDDI
modules. These modules transfer packets from and to a FDDI
network. The front panel accepts media interface connectors
(MICs) for multi-mode fiber (MMF) such as the 3F00-01, or
single mode fiber (SMF) such as the 3F55-01. Both modules
support an external optical bypass switch (OBS). Each has a
built-in DMA controller, but not a general purpose processor, so
the station management functions are performed by the PPE.

• 3H02-04 and 3H08-04 - Four port 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet Switch
modules. These modules support UTP via RJ71 connectors and
fiberoptic via ST connectors respectively.

Modules are described in greater detail in the documentation that
accompanies each module.

1.6.8 Power Supply

The ATX comes with one self-ranging power supply. An optional
redundant power supply is also available that automatically takes
over when the primary power supply fails. Each power supply has
its own power entry module and fuse assembly to allow the use of
separate power sources. When both supplies are used the load is
balanced between the power supplies.

1.7 BRIDGING FUNCTIONS

The basic bridging function of an ATX is to transparently forward
data packets to the network segments (LANs) it interconnects.
Incoming packets are stored momentarily while the ATX checks
their destination addresses against the ATX's address table. If a
packet's destination address is not on the same network segment

1-13

Introduction

as the originating packet, the ATX immediately forwards the
packet to the segment associated with the destination address.
Local traffic, data packets whose source and destination address is
on the same segment, is automatically discarded.

The ATX forwards data packets to network segments based on the
IEEE 802.1D spanning tree algorithm, which converts multiple
LANs into a “spanning tree” of networks. This standard defines a
logical (not physical) network configuration consisting of one
extended LAN without active duplicate paths between ATXs. The
ATX and other spanning tree compliant bridges in the network
dynamically configure the network topology into a single
spanning tree by exchanging bridge protocol data units (BPDUs).

In a parallel configuration of bridges packets are forwarded to
LANs by only one ATX (or other spanning tree compliant bridge).
When there are multiple ATXs between two LANs, only one of the
ATXs forwards any individual packet. The spanning tree
algorithm determines which ATX should forward each packet.

Packets originating from one device and destined for a remote
device are forwarded in the same order in which they are received.

Each port of the ATX can be configured for transparent (802.1d)
bridging, IBM source routing bridging, or source routing
transparent bridging (802.5M). Depending on network topology, it
may be desirable to include a mix of these methods within a single
ATX.

The choice of bridging methods is determined both by end station
requirements and by other internetworking equipment.

Source routing end stations may use any of the ATX three bridging
methods. Transparent end stations must use either transparent or
SRT bridging. When in doubt, transparent bridging is the easiest to
configure and use.

If redundant links are employed along with IBM source routing
bridges, then the attached ATX port should be configured for
source routing. This will enable the mesh of bridges to derive a
spanning tree suitable for spanning tree explorer frames and for

1-14

Introduction

multicast packets.
If source routing is desired, and either Ethernet or FDDI is to be

used as a backbone between Token Rings, then the Ethernet or
FDDI port should be configured for SRT bridging. (SRT over
Ethernet is not a standard, but is available for use between
multiple ATX chassis in backbone applications. In this case, the
“Ethernet” may actually be a microwave or satellite link with an
Ethernet-like interface.)

A common mixture of bridging modes may occur when Ethernet
segments and Token Ring segments do not exchange data but
share an FDDI backbone. In this case, the Ethernets may be
configured for transparent bridging, the Token Rings for source
routing, and the FDDI backbone for SRT. (Don't infer from this
example that SRT is the sum of transparent and source routing
bridging; it is a distinct third method).

The bridging method is dependent on the configuration of the
bridge entry and exit ports, and the value of the Routing Indicator
(RII) bit in the received frame. The following chart summarizes the
interaction between the bridging method.

Exit Port Configuration

Entry

Port

Config.

SRT 0 spanning tree block spanning tree

SR 0 block block block

TST 0 spanning tree block spanning tree

RII

1 source route source route spanning tree

1 source route block block

SRT

(Source

Routing

Transparent)

SR

(Source

Routing)

TST

(Transparent

Spanning

Tree)

a

1 spanning tree

a. source address is not learned

a

block spanning tree

a

1-15

Introduction

1.7.1 Transparent Bridging

Transparent or spanning tree bridging requires no initial
programming. After being installed on the network, bridges
“learn” and remember the location of the attached devices by
reading the source addresses of incoming packets. Then they place
the source address and port information in a lookup table.

When a packet comes into a port, the bridge reads the destination
address and attempts to find the location of the destination node
using its lookup table. If the address is in the table, the bridge
simply re-transmits the packet out of the appropriate port. If the
address is not found in the table the bridge re-transmits the packet
out of all the ports except the source port.

Transparent or spanning tree bridges also usually provide some
packet filtering capabilities. On some networks it is desirable to
prevent certain stations from accessing other segments. The ATX
uses this bridging method.

1.7.2 Source Route Translational Bridging

Source Route Translational Bridging (SRTB) allows the ATX to strip
and cache routing information for source route frames. Routing
information (RIF) is used in source route networks to indicate the
path a frame has taken through the network. This feature will
enable the ATX to switch between source route only networks like
Token Ring and transparent networks like Ethernet and FDDI. RIF
is not supported on Ethernet networks and is seldom used on
FDDI networks. In order to merge source routed Token Ring
networks with transparent Ethernet and FDDI networks the ATX
must strip the RIF when communicating to Ethernet or FDDI and
insert the RIF when communicating back to Token Ring. SRTB on
the ATX contains the following features:

• A redundant/load sharing source route network is NOT
supported when SRTB (RIF caching) is enabled. A
redundant/load sharing source route network could have
multiple paths to the transparent network and cause the

1-16