InterChangeVS™ 1000 Series
VS1000 and VS1100
Novell
®
NetWare
®
Installation and Configuration
Guide
Copyright © 1998. Comtrol Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
Third Edition, April 8, 1998
Comtrol Corporation makes no representations or warranties with
regard to the contents of this guide or to the suitability of the Comtrol
products for any particular purpose. Specifications subject to change
without notice. Some software or features may not be available at the
time of publication. Contact your reseller for current product
information.
Trademarks
Comtrol is a trademark of Comtrol Corporation.
InterChangeVS is a trademark of Comtrol Corporation.
Microsoft and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation.
Novell, NetWare, BorderManager, and Intranetware are registered
trademarks of Novell, Inc. NetWare Connect, NetWare Loadable
Module, NLM, NetWare MultiProtocol Router, NetWare Directory
Services, and NDS are trademarks of Novell, Inc.
Citrix and WinFrame are registered trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc.
WanderLink is a registered trademark of Funk Software, Inc.
FAXserver is a trademark and Computer Associates is a registered
trademark of Computer Associates.
Other product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or
registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Corporate Corporate Headquarters:
Internet URL: www.comtrol.com
email: support@comtrol.com
FTP site: ftp.comtrol.com
FAX: (612) 631-8117
Phone: (612) 631-7654
Comtrol Europe:
Internet URI: www.comtrol.co.uk
email: support@comtrol.co.uk
FAX: +44 (0) 1 869-323-211
Phone: +44 (0) 1 869-323-220
Document Part Number: 6610D
Table of Contents
List of Tables........................................................................................5
Introduction.........................................................................................7
Product Overview...................................................................................7
Operating System Requirements....................................................7
Connectivity Requirements.............................................................7
Installation Overview.............................................................................8
Initial Installation............................................................................8
Installing VS-Link Software Updates.............................................8
Adding a VS1000 to an Existing Installation.................................9
Adding a VS1100 to an Existing Installation.................................9
“Hot-Swapping” a VS1000.............................................................10
“Hot-Swapping” a VS1100.............................................................10
Obtaining Software or Document Updates.........................................11
Comtrol Corporate Headquarters..................................................11
Comtrol Europe..............................................................................11
Technical Support.................................................................................12
Novell NetWare..................................................................................13
Overview................................................................................................13
Software Installation............................................................................14
Before You Begin............................................................................14
Extracting the Files........................................................................14
Creating an AIOVS1 Load Line...........................................................15
NetWare Connect Installation and Configuration..............................16
Adding VS1000 Virtual Servers....................................................21
Adding VS1100 Expansion Units..................................................21
NIAS/MPR Installation and Configuration.........................................22
Configuring Network Interfaces....................................................27
Configuring WAN Call Destinations.............................................28
3
Table of Contents
Configuring Protocols.....................................................................29
Configuring Bindings.....................................................................30
Reinitializing the System...............................................................32
Adding VS1000 Virtual Servers....................................................32
Adding VS1100 Expansion Units..................................................32
Troubleshooting....................................................................................33
Problem Resolution Procedures.....................................................33
VS1MAN.NLM................................................................................34
Operating VS1MAN.......................................................................34
Replacing Units in Service (“Hot-Swapping”)...............................34
VS1TRACE.NLM............................................................................37
Operating VS1TRACE...................................................................37
Notes on the Use of Trace Types...................................................39
Printer Configuration.....................................................................39
Index.....................................................................................................41
4
List of Tables
Table 1.Support Call Information.....................................................12
Table 2.Novell Operating System Releases Supported...................13
Table 3.
Table 4.Port Name Parameters.........................................................17
Table 5.VS1MAN Commands...........................................................35
Table 6.VS1TRACE Commands.......................................................38
Table 7.VS1TRACE Type Codes.......................................................39
VS1.NLM Parameters....................................................15
AIO
5
List of Tables
6
Introduction
Product Overview
The Comtrol InterChangeVS 1000 is a rack-mountable or stackable
“network appliance” that connects via Ethernet to a host server and
supports from 16 to 64* RS-232 asynchronous serial ports per network
address (MAC). All ports are supported at rates up to 230.4K bps.
* The base VS1000 has 16 ports. Additional ports can be added by
plugging in VS1100 expansion units, to a maximum of three
VS1100 expansion units per each VS1000 base unit.
Operating System Requirements
The InterChangeVS 1000 requires at least one network server
running one of the following operating systems:
• Microsoft Windows
Note: Windows NT 4.0 or higher is required to support Multilink
PPP.
Note: RAS or RRAS is required to support Remote Access Service.
®
•Citrix
• Novell
Note: Contact Novell for information regarding Multilink PPP
WinFrame® (1.7 or later)
®
NetWare® (3.12, 4.11, or IntranetWare™)
support for NetWare.
®
NT (3.51, 4.0, or higher)
Your choice of operating system determines the limits of the VS1000/
VS1100 configuration. Novell NetWare supports a maximum of 128
ports per server, while Microsoft supports up to 256 RAS ports or 1,000
COM ports per server.
Connectivity Requirements
• An Ethernet connection, either to an Ethernet hub or to a NIC card
in the host server. (See the Installing the Hardware section.)
Product Overview 7
Introduction
Installation Overview
The following outlines summarize the various VS1000/VS1100
installation scenarios. For more information about hardware issues,
see the Installing the Hardware section. For more information about
software issues, see the section for your network operating system.
Initial Installation
A. Hardware Installation
1. Install the VS1000.
2. Install one or more VS1100 units (optional).
3. Install RS-232 serial devices.
4. Connect the VS1000 to the network hub or server.
5. Power-up the new VS1000 and verify that it passes the poweron diagnostics.
B. Software Installation
1. Unzip the VS-Link distribution file.
2. Install the VS-Link software.
3. Configure VS-Link to support the VS1000/VS1100.
4. Configure serial ports to support the RS-232 devices.
5. Shut down and restart the server.
Installing VS-Link Software Updates
A. Hardware Installation (
no changes needed
)
B. Software Installation
1. Remove the existing VS-Link software.
2. Install the new version of the VS-Link software.
3. Configure VS-Link to support the VS1000/VS1100.
4. No port configuration changes are required.
5. Shut down and restart the server.
8 Installation Overview
Introduction
Adding a VS1000 to an Existing Installation
A. Hardware Installation
1. Install the VS1000.
2. Install any associated VS1100 expansion units.
3. Install RS-232 serial devices.
4. Connect the VS1000 to the network hub or server.
5. Power-up the new VS1000 and verify that it passes the poweron diagnostics.
B. Software Installation
1. Configure VS-Link to support the new VS1000/VS1100.
2. Configure serial ports to support the RS-232 devices.
3. Shut down and restart the server.
Adding a VS1100 to an Existing Installation
A. Hardware Installation
1. Install the VS1100.
2. Power down the VS1000 base unit to which you are attaching
the VS1100 expansion unit.
3. Connect the VS1100 cable from the VS1100 port on the VS1000
base unit to the Input port on the VS1100 expansion unit.
4. Install the terminator plug in the Output port on the last
VS1100 in the chain.
5. Install RS-232 serial devices.
6. Power-up the VS1000 and verify that it passes the power-on
diagnostics.
B. Software Installation
1. Change the VS-Link configuration for the VS1000 base unit to
support the added serial ports.
2. Configure the serial ports to support the RS-232 devices.
3. Shut down and restart the server.
Installation Overview 9
Introduction
“Hot-Swapping” a VS1000
Replacing a VS1000 with an identical VS1000
A. Hardware Installation
1. Power-down the VS1000 to be removed from service.
2. Install the new VS1000.
3. Transfer all cabling from the old VS1000 to the new VS1000.
This includes the VS1100 cable, if used.
4. Do not add or remove VS1100 expansion units. The new
VS1000 must be connected to the same number of VS1100 units
as the VS1000 that is being removed from service.
5. Connect the new VS1000 to the network hub or server.
6. Power-up the new VS1000 and verify that it passes the poweron diagnostics.
B. Software Installation
1. Change the VS1000 VS-Link configuration to reflect the
network address (MAC) of new VS1000 base unit.
2. No port reconfiguration is needed.
3. Do not shut down and restart the server.
“Hot-Swapping” a VS1100
A. Hardware Installation
1. Power-down the VS1000 base unit.
2. Install the new VS1100 expansion unit.
3. Transfer all cabling from the old VS1100 to the new VS1100.
4. Power-up the VS1000 base unit and verify that it passes the
power-on diagnostics.
B. Software Installation
1. No software changes required.
2. Do not shut down and restart the server.
10 Installation Overview
Obtaining Software or Document Updates
Introduction
For information that is not in this Guide, see the
README
and/or Help
files on the installation media. In particular, the Windows NT version
of VS-Link includes significant online help.
Comtrol manuals and other documents are available in electronic form
on the Comtrol web site. Driver software updates can be downloaded at
no charge from the Comtrol ftp site. Always check the web and ftp sites
to make sure that you have the current driver and documentation.
The current released version of the software is stored in the VS1000
directory. If a newer version has reached the beta testing stage, it can
be found in the BETA directory. Beta software is made available on an
“as-is”
basis and users of beta software assume all risks and liabilities
relating thereto.
Note:Downloadable driver software files are stored in either zipped
(filename.zip) or self-extracting zip (filename.exe) format. You
must extract the zipped files before installing a downloaded file.
For more information, see the appropriate section for your
server operating system.
Comtrol Corporate Headquarters
Internet URL:
email:
support@comtrol.com
FTP site:
www.comtrol.com
ftp.comtrol.com
FAX: (612) 631-8117
Phone: (612) 631-7654
Comtrol Europe
Internet URL:
email:
support@comtrol.co.uk
www.comtrol.co.uk
FAX: +44 (0) 1 869-323-211
Phone: +44 (0) 1 869-323-220
Obtaining Software or Document Updates 11
Introduction
Technical Support
Comtrol has a staff of support technicians available to help you. U.S.
telephone support is available from 8 AM to 6 PM Central time,
Monday through Friday (holidays excluded), at the phone number(s)
listed on the previous page. Before you call Comtrol technical support,
please have the following information available.
Table 1. Support Call Information
Item Information
Hardware Type
VS1000 VS1100
Hardware Serial Number*
Network Address*
00 C0 4E ____ ____ ____
Operating system type and
release
SPACK revision number
(Novell only)
VS-Link version number
Server computer make,
model, and speed
Serial devices connected to
the VS1000/VS1100 ports
Other serial port adapters
installed in the server and
their COM port numbers
Other network adapter
devices installed in the
and their network
server
(MAC) addresses
* The hardware serial number and network address can be found on
printed tags on the back panel of the unit. VS1100 expansion units
have serial numbers only.
Comtrol supplies a self-adhesive label with each InterChangeVS
unit, which you can use to record the serial number and network
address. If the VS1000/VS1100 unit is not in a readily accessible
location, check to see if this label has been filled out and posted
elsewhere (for example, near the server console).
12 Technical Support
Novell NetWare
Overview
VS-Link for Novell (AIOVS1.NLM) is a NetWare Loadable Module™
(NLM™) that provides the software interface between AIO and the
VS1000 virtual server. This includes:
• All enqueuing and dequeuing of serial data.
• Communicating as a protocol stack to an Ethernet II driver.
• Modem control signal functioning (excluding ring indicator).
• Hardware and software flow control.
VS-Link works with the following operating system releases:
Table 2. Novell Operating System Releases Supported
Operating System Feature
NetWare 3.12
NetWare 4.1x
IntranetWare I NIAS (Support Pack V1.0)
MPR 3.1A or higher and/or NetWare Connect
2.0.30 or higher
MPR 3.1A or higher and/or NetWare Connect
2.0.30 or higher
Note: VS-Link also supports third-party products such as Computer
Associates
such a product you may not need NetWare Connect or MPR; for
more information see your application documentation.
VS-Link can support up to eight VS1000/VS1100 units networked to
one Ethernet adapter in one NetWare server. (All communication is
handled through a single Ethernet II driver, so all VS1000/VS1100
units must be connected to the same Ethernet adapter.) Each VS1000
can support three VS1100 expansion units: different combinations of
VS1000 and VS1100 units can be controlled by a single NetWare
server, provided the total number of units does not exceed 8 and the
total number of serial ports does not exceed 128.
Baud rates from 75 to 230.4 Kbps are supported on all ports. Actual
usable rates may vary, depending on operating system limits.
Note: You can obtain on-line help by entering load AIOVS1 ?
Overview 13
®
FAXserve™ and Funk WanderLink®. If you use
Novell NetWare
Software Installation
The installation process varies depending on whether you are
installing under NetWare Connect™, NIAS/MPR, or a third-party
product. In any event, you must collect the following information and
perform the following steps before beginning the install.
Note: It is not necessary to down the server during installation. In
fact, it is possible to switch VS1000 units in and out on the fly:
for more information, see “Hot Swapping” in the
Troubleshooting section.
Before You Begin
1. Install the VS1000/VS1100 hardware, as described in the
Installing the Hardware section.
2. Verify that the VS1000/VS1100 units pass the power-on
diagnostics.
3. Install NetWare Connect, MPR, or third-party software, if needed.
Note: You must have NetWare Connect, MPR, or a third-party
product installed before proceeding. If such a product is not
already installed, do so before continuing. Instructions for
installing NetWare Connect and/or MPR are found in the
Novell system administrator’s documentation.
4. Use a text editor or install.nlm to determine the device name of the
Ethernet network board (NIC) installed in your Novell server , and
write it down:
Ethernet Board Name
Extracting the Files
VS-Link for Novell is distributed as a zipped file (6612.zip). Before you
can install the software, you must extract the files. Follow these steps:
1. Locate 6612.zip on the installation media, or download it from the
Comtrol ftp site.
2. On a DOS or Windows client system, use a utility such as PKUNZIP
or WinZip to extract 6612.zip to a temporary directory.
3. Login to the Novell server, and copy all VS-Link files to the system
directory. The system directory is found on the sys volume.
4. If you are installing under NetWare Connect, continue with the
instructions that begin on the following page. If you are installing
under MPR, jump to the instructions under NIAS/MPR, later in
this section.
14 Software Installation
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