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Conference netcad::hub_mgnt

Title:DEChub/HUBwatch/PROBEwatch CONFERENCE
Notice:Firmware -2, Doc -3, Power -4, HW kits -5, firm load -6&7
Moderator:NETCAD::COLELLADT
Created:Wed Nov 13 1991
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:4455
Total number of notes:16761

1059.0. "DECbridge 900MX questions?" by WARABI::CHIUANDREW () Thu Jun 02 1994 02:45

    HI,
    
    After reading HUBwatch V3.0 manual regarding configuring
    DECbridge900MX, I still have the following questions:
    
    1) Page 6-24, DECbridge 900MX port 3, "you can connect port 3 of the
    DECbridge 900MX to the Thinwire or any of the Ethernet flexible
    channels. You can only connect the other Ethernet ports to the 
    Ethernet flexible channels."
    
    a) Does it mean, by default (without any configuration setup on the
    DECbridge 900MX), port 3 (1st UTP port) will be connected to Thinwire
    segment?
	
    b) Port 3 can be connected to any one of the 6 Ethernet flexible
    channels as well as Thinwire Segment while other Ethernet ports
    (2,4,5,6,7) can ONLY be configured to any one of the 6 Ethernet
    flexible channels BUT NOT TO Thinwire Segment?
    
    c) Without any configuration set up, the FDDI ports (PHY A and PHY B)
    can be used to connect to external FDDI ring through the Front panel
    ports?
    
    d) What is the default bridge priority of DECbridge 900MX?
    
    e) In a 'normal' bridge network environment, should DECbridge 900MX be 
    	the root bridge (if DECbridge 900MX plays a very important role in 
    	bridge network)?
    
    
    2) By default, port 1 of DECserver 900TM is configured to Thinwire
    Segment in DEChub900, can we put port 2 to another Ethernet flexible
    channels? Is there port grouping function with DECserver 900TM (P6-17,
    it seems to me that there are two ports (1 and 2) to DECserver 900TM?
    
    3) In DECbridge 900MX manual Page 3:
    "When connected to a DEChub ONE docking station, one of the 10BASET
    pors (ports 3-6) can be switched to the DEChub ONE AUI connector.",
    could someone explain in more details? Does it mean, the AUI port of
    the DEChub ONE MUST be connected to DECbridge 900MX through any one of
    ports 3-6?
    
    Thanks in advance for help!
    Andrew Chiu - NIS Sydney 
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1059.1Some AnswersLEVERS::DRAGONThu Jun 02 1994 09:4174
    
    Andrew,
    
    
>    1) Page 6-24, DECbridge 900MX port 3, "you can connect port 3 of the
>    DECbridge 900MX to the Thinwire or any of the Ethernet flexible
>    channels. You can only connect the other Ethernet ports to the 
>    Ethernet flexible channels."
    
>    a) Does it mean, by default (without any configuration setup on the
>    DECbridge 900MX), port 3 (1st UTP port) will be connected to Thinwire
>    segment?
    
    By default port 3 will face out the front. You need to point port 3 out
    the back using the [configure] feature in HUBwatch. This is available
    via the LAN Interconnect Window.
	
>    b) Port 3 can be connected to any one of the 6 Ethernet flexible
>    channels as well as Thinwire Segment while other Ethernet ports
>    (2,4,5,6,7) can ONLY be configured to any one of the 6 Ethernet
>    flexible channels BUT NOT TO Thinwire Segment?
    
    Correct. Port 3 is special.
    
>    c) Without any configuration set up, the FDDI ports (PHY A and PHY B)
>    can be used to connect to external FDDI ring through the Front panel
>    ports?
    
    Correct. However in order to go through the DEChub 900's backplane you 
    need to configure the DECbridge 900MX via HUBwatch (create FDDI LAN, set 
    LIGO types, etc.).
    
>    d) What is the default bridge priority of DECbridge 900MX?
    
    It is 128.
    
>    e) In a 'normal' bridge network environment, should DECbridge 900MX be 
>    	the root bridge (if DECbridge 900MX plays a very important role in 
>    	bridge network)?
    
    Not sure I understand the question, but don't see any reason why a
    DECbridge 900MX can't be the root bridge.
    
>    2) By default, port 1 of DECserver 900TM is configured to Thinwire
>    Segment in DEChub900, can we put port 2 to another Ethernet flexible
>    channels? Is there port grouping function with DECserver 900TM (P6-17,
>    it seems to me that there are two ports (1 and 2) to DECserver 900TM?
     
    There are 2 ports on the DECserver 900TM. Each of these ports can be
    placed onto either the Thinwire or any of the Ethernet flexible
    channels independantly. There is no port grouping function. You always 
    get 2 seperate ports. By default they are both placed onto the Thinwire. 
    Port 1 is used for "normal" operations such as connects and port 2 is used
    for maintenance type operations such as downline load and upline dump. In 
    order to manage the DECserver 900TM it is important to remember that the 
    HUBwatch workstation must have network connectivity to the DECserver 
    900TM (through port 1), since it is not managed through IP Services.   
    
>    3) In DECbridge 900MX manual Page 3:
>    "When connected to a DEChub ONE docking station, one of the 10BASET
>    pors (ports 3-6) can be switched to the DEChub ONE AUI connector.",
>    could someone explain in more details? Does it mean, the AUI port of
>    the DEChub ONE MUST be connected to DECbridge 900MX through any one of
>    ports 3-6?
    
     In a DEChub ONE one of the 10BASET ports can be switched to point out
     the DEChub ONE's AUI port, similiar to pointing one of the ports to 
     the DEChub 900's backplane. It seems to me that this should be port 3,
     rather than "any of the 10BASET ports", but I am not certain of that. 
     Someone care to confirm that?
    
    
    Regards,
    Bob
1059.2LEVERS::ANILThu Jun 02 1994 20:0324
>    e) In a 'normal' bridge network environment, should DECbridge 900MX be 
>    	the root bridge (if DECbridge 900MX plays a very important role in 
>    	bridge network)?
    
    It would be a good idea to do so.  In choosing the root for the spanning
    tree, a couple of important considerations are: pick a robust,
    high-performance bridge.  It may decide how stable your network ends
    up being.  Secondly, pick a bridge in as central a place as possible,
    directly connected to the backbone.  Since the DB900 has an FDDI, it
    will most likely end up being used as a backbone bridge.
    
>    3) In DECbridge 900MX manual Page 3:
>    "When connected to a DEChub ONE docking station, one of the 10BASET
>    pors (ports 3-6) can be switched to the DEChub ONE AUI connector.",
>    could someone explain in more details? Does it mean, the AUI port of
>    the DEChub ONE MUST be connected to DECbridge 900MX through any one of
>    ports 3-6?
    
    Only port 4 (not 3) can be switched to the ONE AUI connector.
    (It doesn't matter much which port goes to the AUI as long as its one
    of the 10BaseT ports, for media type conversion, and we picked this
    one.) I'll try to make sure this is forwarded to the document author.
    
    Anil
1059.3While on this topic....LARVAE::HARVEYBaldly going into the unknown...Tue Jun 07 1994 20:4311
   As I understand it, this pointing of port 4 to the HUB ONE AUI port is 
   simply to aid conversion to an AUI outlet - yes ?
 
   If we don't point port 4 to the HUB ONE AUI, does this mean we have an 8 
   port bridge ?  ie. 1 x FDDI, 6 ethernet (2 x AUI & 4 RJs) AND a further AUI 
   on the docking station ? Or is the latter AUI linked to one of the 6 
   ethernet segments ?
 
   Confused...
 
   Rog
1059.47 ports only.SLINK::HOODI'd rather be at the KennebecWed Jun 08 1994 10:447
No matter how you slice it, the DECbridge 900MX is a 7 port bridge.

If you're running it standalone, you have the option of making port 4
either a 10baseT port (front panel) or an AUI port (back of the DEChubONE).

Tom Hood
HUBwatch
1059.5The *other* reason for ability to connect to DS AUI....NACAD2::BATTERSBYWed Jun 08 1994 13:0413
    The idea was that in stand-alone configuration. That is with
    the DB900MX plugged into a DEChub ONE, we would have a configuration
    of this HUB product that could directly replace a customer's DECbridge
    600 series bridge. The DECbridge 600 series bridges have "3" AUI
    ports along with the FDDI connections. Thus if we provide the ability 
    to direct one of the 10baseT ports of the DB900MX to the AUI port 
    available on the back of the DEChub ONE docking station, we have 
    provided some of our installed base customers with a replacement 
    bridge with far better performance than the DECbridge 600 generation 
    bridges, *AND* have also provided them with a migration path to our 
    HUB products. Makes sense eh?
    
    Bob
1059.6Engineering's Thinking!!!CGOOA::DURNINJim - Unum Cum Virtuitous Multorum Sun Jul 24 1994 18:091
    You're right Bob....pretty smart!!!
1059.7Credit Karl for that one.....NACAD2::BATTERSBYMon Jul 25 1994 13:314
    I can't personally take credit for that one. I think that was 
    Karl Pieper's original idea.
    
    Bob