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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

2594.0. "Switch reset and IPX" by BERFS4::NORD () Tue Aug 01 1995 08:34


	Hello switch fans,

	I have two questions about our DECswitch 900:

	1. Is it possible to reset the PE- and DECswitch counter without re-
	booting the system ( I think of some funny command like "TEST Z" known
	from the DECbridge 90 )?

	2. Does anybody know something about converting FDDI-frame-format to
	Ethernet V2.0 and/or IEEE 802.3. The problem is in IPX:
	A server system is connected to a DECconcentrator 900 and has to speek
	to some PCs, connected to a DECswitch 900, which are using different
	frame formats. Concentrator and Switch are tied together via FDDI-
	cables.


	Thanks in advance

	Wolfgang Nord, MCS Berlin, Germany

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2594.1<----RE: DECswitch questions...NETCAD::BATTERSBYTue Aug 01 1995 10:5919
    >1. Is it possible to reset the PE- and DECswitch counter without re-
    >booting the system ( I think of some funny command like "TEST Z" known
    >from the DECbridge 90 )?
    
    You can reset the switch counters by using HUBwatch (I'll leave
    the details on how to do this to others to explain).
    
    >2. Does anybody know something about converting FDDI-frame-format to
    >Ethernet V2.0 and/or IEEE 802.3. The problem is in IPX:
    >A server system is connected to a DECconcentrator 900 and has to speek
    >to some PCs, connected to a DECswitch 900, which are using different
    >frame formats. Concentrator and Switch are tied together via FDDI- 
    >cables.
    
    There are many other note threads in here which discuss this topic,
    such as notes 2497, 2253 & their replies. You can do a dir/title=ipx
    to check out other notes possibly related to your question.
    
    Bob
2594.2I think that's not so simpleBERFS4::NORDThu Aug 03 1995 04:1653


	Thanks for your answer Bob,

	but I think, that's not the right answer I expected from a user of
	notes, especially he/she is concerned with a theme.

	Ok, thanks about the information how to reset a switch, but I don't
	wanna physical reset, I'm looking for a methode to reset only the
	counters, not the whole switch --> looking at Hyperhelp of HUBwatch:
	" Resetting is the equivalent of turning power off ...". Do ya realy
	think, that's the right way, terminate all the connection the bridge
	have, wanna swap of the topology ( a little bit spanning tree )?

	I hope, you haven'd meant this!!!

	I think, I'm using notes not the first time, so I know some commands,
	helping me to do my work somewhere in the suburbs of the widespread
	networks. But not all the informations, being in someones brain, are
	documentated here in the notes files, so why I don't ask some
	questions, never asked befor??? Do you think you are knowing all
	the problems somebody out in the field can have??? Then you are the
	best!!! Sorry about, but I'm a little bit angry!!!

	I only ask a little bit shy to some problems, I found out there in the
	field, at first I do some searching in TIMA, Notes, my brain, asking
	someone around me ( or using the telefon), and then I ask in a confe-
	rence!!!

	The request for some help is the same as mentioned in .0:

	Something like "TEST Z" for the xxxSwitchxxx? ( Have do some network
	analyzing at customer side, can't break FDDI-ring)

	Novell-Server connected to a DECconcentrator 900 with FDDI_SNAP and
	FDDI_802.2 enabled ( somewhere in *.CFG ), going to a xxxSwitchxxx
	via backplane in a DEChub 900, can connect FDDI_SNAP to
	Ethernet_802.3 ( Novell-Client ) but there is no connection via
	FDDI_802.2 to Ethernet_802.2 possible.

	Ok, I've no input from customer side about firmware of:
	... hub ...
	... switch ...
	... HUBwatch ...
	... and so on ...


	Is it possible to answer such a question in a better way, that is
	done before???


	Wolfgang Nord, MCS Berlin, Germany
2594.3Some clarification and questionsNETCAD::BATTERSBYFri Aug 04 1995 15:5036
Wolfgang, I'm not sure I see any reason to be angry, but I do 
understand your frustration in your effort to assist your customer.
I also apologize if I misled you in any way or wasn't clear enough. 
I'll try to clarify my response a bit here.

   On the question of how to reset counters I had suggested using HUBwatch.
In some dyslexic fashion, I must have substituted your word reset with
the word read. You can *read* switch counters with HUBwatch, but you cannot
reset (or clear PE/DECswitch) counters dynamically using a management
tool such as HUBwatch. The only way to reset/clear PEswitch, DECswitch
counters is to reset the module (reset current settings) or power cycle
the unit. This was defined by the architecture to be the only way to 
clear/reset counters. The reason being is that if there is more than one 
network manager, and one manager arbitrarily reset/clears some counters, 
it might be confusing to other people managing the same extended LAN. 

   This approach was also used in past bridge products as the best way 
to minimize network management confusion. IE: The way to approach looking
at counters is to take periodic snapshots of the counters and subtract the 
differences to obtain absolute values for a given period of time so as
to see trends in the rate of change of certain specific counter values.

   On your second question on connectivity from a FDDI Novell-Server to
Novell-Clients, I have 2 questions.

1. Have you enabled the IPX switch on the PE/DECswitch? 
(if your switches have the recently released wave-3 images, then you can 
enable this via the switch console, in addition to enabling it from HUBwatch)

2. Are there any Ethernet v2 Clients on the Ethernet side of the Switches?
The same encapsulation should be used for all IPX end stations within an IPX 
network. If the end stations are using raw 802.3 (Not recommended) and
the FDDI server is using SNAP, then it would work, *if* the IPX switch
on the PE/DECswitch is enabled.

Bob