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Conference 7.286::fddi

Title:FDDI - The Next Generation
Moderator:NETCAD::STEFANI
Created:Thu Apr 27 1989
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2259
Total number of notes:8590

1413.0. "gigaswithc and decconcentrator config?" by ODIXIE::RICHARDSON (Are we there yet??) Wed Jul 27 1994 12:56

          <<< SCHOOL::CLUSTERFILES:[NOTES$LIBRARY]GIGASWITCH.NOTE;1 >>>
                                -< GIGAswitch >-
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Note 262.0      GIGASWITCH configuration with DECconcentratro 900     No replies
ODIXIE::RICHARDSON "Are we there yet??"              27 lines  27-JUL-1994 11:53
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    I have a configuration question:
    
    I am configuring a gigaswitch to talk to 5 devices:
    
    1 6610 VAX cpu, 1 DECbridge 900MX and 3 DECconcentrator 900MX's.  All
    of these are in the same room so distance is not an issue.  I would
    like to keep everything at UTP due to fiber costs.  
    
    The DECbridge 900MX only has a DAS port so I'm assuming I'm going to
    need at least 1 DAS linecard (DEFGL-AB) to connect to the DECbridge. 
    The 6610 probably also has a DAS adapter.  I know it has a SAS adapter
    (You cant connect the 6610 with a SAS adapter to a DAS linecard can
    you?)
    
    Now for the DECconcentrator 900's I'm a little confused.  They will be
    used to connect 6 PC's using the UTP option.  What do I do for the
    actual connection to the Gigaswitch.  Is a DAS linecard the only
    option?  They will be in a DEChub 900 with HUBwatch software so I have
    a feeling this gets in to A and B ports (DAS) and M ports (?).
    
    If I can/should use DAS linecards for all devices, then I would simply
    put 3 DEFGL-AB's into the GIGAswitch? (5 devices = 3 cards @ 2 ports
    each).
    
    thanks for the help - 
    
    Cindy
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1413.1NACAD::STEFANIHave the # for the Mars Observer?Wed Jul 27 1994 21:5155
    >>1 6610 VAX cpu, 1 DECbridge 900MX and 3 DECconcentrator 900MX's.  All
    >>of these are in the same room so distance is not an issue.  I would
    >>like to keep everything at UTP due to fiber costs.  
    
    Not possible.  The DECbridge 900MX has two MMF DAS ports (A and B) so
    you need to run fiber at least from the DECbridge to the GIGAswitch.
    Also, what bus type does the 6610 use?  I don't believe we make UTP
    FDDI adapters except for EISA (DEFEA), TURBOchannel (DEFTA), and PCI
    (DEFPA) buses.
    
    >>The DECbridge 900MX only has a DAS port so I'm assuming I'm going to
    >>need at least 1 DAS linecard (DEFGL-AB) to connect to the DECbridge. 
    >>The 6610 probably also has a DAS adapter.  I know it has a SAS adapter
    >>(You cant connect the 6610 with a SAS adapter to a DAS linecard can
    >>you?)
    
    I'm not sure of the GIGAswitch line options, but I thought you could
    configure DAS (A and B) or SAS (S) ports, depending on your needs.  You
    can most certainly attach a SAS (S) port to the A or B port of a DAS. 
    That's actually one way of avoiding the cost of a concentrator.   If, for
    example, you wanted to connect two SAS and one DAS devices you can
    just connect each S port to one of the DAS ports.  It's not very fault
    tolerant (if the DAS dies, the two S ports can no longer communicate)
    but it's supported.
    
    >>Now for the DECconcentrator 900's I'm a little confused.  They will be
    >>used to connect 6 PC's using the UTP option.  What do I do for the
    >>actual connection to the Gigaswitch.  Is a DAS linecard the only
    >>option?  They will be in a DEChub 900 with HUBwatch software so I have
    >>a feeling this gets in to A and B ports (DAS) and M ports (?).
    
    First, you have to make sure the 6 PC's are running Digital FDDI EISA
    cards (sorry, I just had to throw that in!)  :-)  Next, you have some
    choices.  You could dual-attach the concentrators so that the A port of
    the concentrator attaches to a B port of the GIGAswitch and vice-versa.
    Or, you can attach the A or B port of the concentrator to an S port of
    the GIGAswitch.  This isn't as fault tolerant as the first choice, but
    it is supported.  By the way, each concentrator has 6 ports, with at
    least 4 M ports, so why do you need 3 concentrators?
                    
    >>If I can/should use DAS linecards for all devices, then I would simply
    >>put 3 DEFGL-AB's into the GIGAswitch? (5 devices = 3 cards @ 2 ports
    >>each).
    
    You don't HAVE to dual-attach any of the nodes to the GIGAswitch. 
    Dual-attaching is more fault tolerant, and allows you to create a dual
    ring, or implement dual homing, etc, but for mere connectivity you can
    more or less ignore the fact that you have DAS ports and connect either
    the A or B port of each node to an S port on the GIGAswitch, and leave
    the other DAS port dangling.
    
    Did I make this confusing enough?  :-)
    
       - Larry
                               
1413.2FDDI rules in the DEChub900BIS5::RUTTENSThu Jul 28 1994 09:105
    Look im the Hub_mgnt notes file on Kali::. Their we we have a complete
    descrition of the configrules for FDDI in the DEChub900.
    Hope this is of any help for you.
    
    P.
1413.3so.. 1DEFGL-BB and ODIXIE::RICHARDSONAre we there yet??Thu Jul 28 1994 09:4921
    Thanks for the replies - I will look int he hub-mgnt file for the
    specifics on the DECbridge configuration.
    
    From what I can tell - and I do understand there are several ways to
    approach this but if I don't dual attach everything (personally I think
    this is BIG overkill but the customer wants to see the cost for this),
    the following will work:
    
    1 DEFGL-AB - 2 port DAS MM - the DECbridge 900 will connect to this
    1 DEFFL-BB - 4 port SAS MM - 6610, and 3 DECconcentrators will connect
       to this (I need 3 concentrators because I have a total of 13 PCs to
       connect via UTP FDDI - yes, the PCs do have the DEFEA FDDIcontrollers
       configured)
    
    With this configuration I will have an unused DAS port which I could
    connect a DAS device or 2 SAS devices, right?
    
    Larry - thanks for the clear explanation.  It's all starting to make
    sense now (I think).
    
    Cindy
1413.4GIGAswitch configurationsNPSS::MDLYONSMichael D. Lyons - Young enough and dumb enoughThu Jul 28 1994 11:3828
    
        As I indicated in the cross-post in the GIGAswitch notes,
    conference, FGL-2 cards provide (A,B,M,S) ports.  FGL-4 cards currently
    provide S ports, although it is expected that they will eventually also
    provide M port support.  At this time, the modular PMDs which snap onto
    the FGL cards come in three flavors: multi mode fiber, single mode
    fiber, and unshielded twisted pair.
    
        You are not required to use a DAS port to connect to a DAS port,
    although in most circumstances, it makes more sense.
    
        At this time, for configuring GIGAswitch FDDI ports, I'd use the
    following rules of thumb:
    
    DAS (A or B)  required - FGL-2
    M port required - FGL-2
    Cost effective S ports - FGL-4
    Most flexibility - FGL-2
    
        FGL-2s can be converted from DAS to SAS and vice versa by taking
    the card out and removing or adding PMDs.  FGL-2s are made into M port
    via SNMP network management (which can be done on the fly).
    
        FGL-4s can not be converted to DAS.  At this time, they can't be
    made into M ports.
    
        Note that FGL-4 cards may only be placed in certain GIGAswitch
    slots - a maximum of 6 in a GIGAswitch.
1413.5HUB_MGNT notes conf - topic #6514371::BATTERSBYThu Jul 28 1994 13:354
    Cindy - Look in note 651 of the HUB_MGNT notes file. Karl Pieper
    place that topic in there with the FDDI config rules.
    
    Bob