IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers 1.0 Installation & Configuration 28APR95 This is a digest of the "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers 1.0 Installation & Configuration Guide". It is provided as an easy to download ASCII file for the convience of our customers. The digest provides the information you need to install and configure "NetWare Link Services Protocol NLSP" software on a NetWare server. For a printed, fuller version of the "Guide", complete with illustrations, call 800-NETWARE. DISCLAIMER Novell, Inc. makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents or use of this manual, and specifically disclaims any express or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, Novell, Inc. reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes to its content, at any time, without obligation to notify any person or entity of such revisions or changes. Further, Novell, Inc. makes no representations or warranties with respect to any NetWare software, and specifically disclaims any express or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, Novell, Inc. reserves the right to make changes to any and all parts of NetWare software, at any time, without any obligation to notify any person or entity of such changes. Conventions Used in This Document --------------------------------- - "Select" means to highlight an item and press . - "Enter" means to type the indicated text and press as one complete operation. It is shown in one of two ways, for example: Enter LOAD INETCFG or LOAD INETCFG - Lower case character strings show descriptive names for items that you must replace with appropriate values. For example, in the following NetWare console command, you replace driver with the specific name of a driver: UNBIND IPX FROM driver Special Characters - Angle brackets < > enclose a descriptive name for any value that is provided as output by a computer; for example: IPXRTR:3.00:32:Failed to unbind duplicate LAN board Characters enclosed in angle brackets can also represent keys; for example: - Press means you press the key on your keyboard. - Keys joined by a plus sign are to be pressed in combination. "Press ++" means you press those keys simultaneously. - Square brackets [ ] enclose an option item. - Braces { } enclose multiple items separated by the vertical bar | character. You must specify only one of the items; for example: LOAD IPXRTR [ ROUTING= { NLSP | RIPSAP | NONE }] - Vertical bars | separate items in a list of alternatives. If the list is enclosed in square brackets [ ], you can use any one or none of the items. If the list is enclosed in braces { }, you must use any one, but only one, of the items. - Do not type any of the following as part of user input: Angle brackets < > Brackets [ ] Braces { } Vertical Bar | Parenthesis Quotation Marks Chapter 1 INSTALLATION ======================== This Chapter explains how to install "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers" on NetWare 3 servers, NetWare 4.01 servers, and NetWare 4.02 servers. "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers" provides "NetWare Link Services Protocol" (NLSP), Novell's link state routing protocol, and RIP/SAP functionality for IPX LANs. NOTE: "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers" provides NLSP and RIP/SAP routing only for LAN based NetWare servers. You must use other Novell or third party products if you want to run NLSP or RIP/SAP over a WAN connection. Introduction ------------ NetWare servers have traditionally used the Routing Information Protocol (RIP) to route IPX packets, and the Service Advertising Protocol (SAP) to exchange service information with other NetWare servers. In addition to providing this same functionality for network devices that rely on RIP and SAP (NetWare 2 servers, for example), "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers" provides NLSP, a highly efficient routing protocol for IPX internetworks. NLSP is derived from Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (IS-IS), the link state routing protocol developed by the International Standards Organization (ISO). Like IS-IS, NLSP exchanges routing information between routers and makes routing decisions based on that information. For workstation-to-router communication, NLSP routers use RIP. Unlike RIP and SAP, which periodically broadcast routing and service information, NLSP transmits routing information only when a change occurs in a route or service, or every two hours - whichever occurs first. To run IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers, your server must be a PC running NetWare 3, NetWare 4.01, or NetWare 4.02. Additionally, one or more Novell certified network interface boards must be installed in the PC. INSTALLATION ------------ IMPORTANT: The "upgrade" cannot be installed on any server running NetWare MultiProtocol Router 2.0, 2.1, or 2.11, NetWare WAN Links 2.0, or NetWare MultiProtocol Router Plus 2.1 or 2.11. INSTALLATION on a LOCAL Server ------------------------------ PROCEDURE 1. Start the server if it is not already running. 2. At the server console prompt, type LOAD INSTALL 3A. If you are using a NetWare 3 server, skip to #4. 3B. If you are using a NetWare 4.01 or NetWare 4.02 server, press to select "Maintenance/Selective Install". 4. Select Product Options, then press . A new window displays the NetWare products currently installed on your server. 5. Press A new window displays a prompt with drive A: as the default. 6. Insert "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers" Disk 1 into the server drive. 7. If you are installing from drive A:, just press . If you are installing from drive B:, replace A: with B:, then press . If you are installing on a NetWare 4.02 server, press to change drives. The "Installation Options" menu appears after a few moments. 8. The selection "Install on Local Server Only" is already highlighted; just press . The files on Disk 1 are copied to a temporary directory on the server. 9. When prompted, replace "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers" Disk 1 with the "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers" Disk 2, then press . The files on Disk 2 are copied to the temporary directory. All files are then installed in their respective destination directories on the server. The following message appears when all files have been installed: "Installation was successful. Bring down and restart each server on which you installed the "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers" to ensure that it uses the newest NLM files. " 10. Press . The "Installation Options" menu reappears. 11. Press , then select "Yes". The "Currently Installed Products" window reappears, showing the software you just installed. 12. Press to return to the "Installation Options" menu. 13. Press again, then exit INSTALL. 14. Remove "Disk 2" from the drive. INSTALLATION on REMOTE Server(s) -------------------------------- Before you begin, make sure of the following: - That all servers have enough connection slots available. For example, NetWare Runtime 3.11, because it is a single-user version of NetWare - has only one connection slot. A remote installation occupies a connection slot on both the local and remote servers. - You have sufficient access rights to each remote server. ---- If the remote server is running NetWare 3, you must know its SUPERVISOR password. ---- If the remote server is running NetWare 4.01 or NetWare 4.02, you must know the ADMIN password or a username/password with equivalent access rights. Before the "Upgrade" can be installed on a remote server, the remote server must be running RSPAWN. If RSPAWN is not already loaded, you must either load it manually at the remote server - if the server is physically accessible or load it from a local NetWare workstation as explained in "Loading RSPAWN on the Remote Server", below. Figure 1 summarizes the steps you follow to install the "Upgrade" on a remote server. . --------- --------- . |Local | Step 3 |Remote | . |NetWare| -------------|NetWare | . |Server | |Server | . --------- --------- . / . /Step 2 . / . / . Step 1 / . / . ------------- / . |Local | / . |NetWare |/ . |Workstation | . ------------- Step #1. Open an RCONSOLE session to the remote server; copy RSPAWN to the remote server. Step #2. Load RSPAWN on the remote server. Step #3. Install software from the local server to the remote server. Loading RSPAWN on a Remote Server --------------------------------- To load RSPAWN on a remote server, you must first open a session to the server using the RCONSOLE utility from a NetWare workstation. If the most current version of RSPAWN - the one on Installation Disk #1 of the "Upgrade", is already loaded on the remote server, skip to "Installing the 'Upgrade' on Remote Servers" below. IMPORTANT: REMOTE.NLM and RSPX.NLM must be loaded on the remote server before you can open a remote session to it with RCONSOLE. If you are unfamiliar with RCONSOLE and are running NetWare 3, see "NetWare Version 3.1x System Administration". If you are running NetWare 4, see "NetWare 4 Supervising the Network". To load RSPAWN on the remote server from a local NetWare workstation, complete the following steps: PROCEDURE 1. Log in to the nearest local server as SUPERVISOR. This enables the workstation to run RCONSOLE from the server. 2. At the workstation prompt, type: RCONSOLE Note: If you are using a NetWare 4.01 or NetWare 4.02 version of RCONSOLE, select SPX as the connection type. A new window displays the available servers. 3. Select the remote server from the list, then press . 4. Enter the remote server password, then press . The screen displays the remote server console. 5. Insert the "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers" Disk 1 into the workstation disk drive. 6. Display the RCONSOLE "Available Options" menu. If you are using a NetWare 3 version of RCONSOLE, press the Asterisk (*) key. If you are using a NetWare 4.01 or NetWare 4.02 version of RCONSOLE, press +. 7. Select "Transfer Files To Server". 8. Enter A:\RSPAWN.NLM or B:\RSPAWN.NLM as the source path, depending on the workstation drive from which you are installing the software, then press . 9. Enter SYS:\SYSTEM as the remote server target path, then press . After a few moments, a message indicates that the upload is complete. 10. Press twice to return to the remote server prompt. 11. At the remote server prompt, type: LOAD RSPAWN SUGGESTION: To simplify other remote installations, add the following line to the remote server's AUTOEXEC.NCF: LOAD RSPAWN 12. Remove "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers" Disk 1 from the workstation disk drive. 13. Redisplay the list of available servers: A. If you are using a NetWare 3 version of RCONSOLE, press +, then select "Yes". B. If you are using a NetWare 4.01 or NetWare 4.02 version of RCONSOLE, press +, then select "Yes". 14. Press , then select "Yes", to exit RCONSOLE. Installing the "Upgrade" on Remote Server(s) -------------------------------------------- After you load RSPAWN on a remote server, complete the following steps from the local server console: PROCEDURE 1. At the server console prompt, type LOAD INSTALL 2A. If you are using a NetWare 3 server, skip to step #3. 2B. If you are using a NetWare 4.01 or NetWare 4.02 server, press to select "Maintenance/Selective Install". 3. Select "Product Options", then press . A new window displays the products currently installed on the local server. 4. Press . A new window displays a prompt with A: as the default drive. 5. Insert IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers Disk 1, into the local server disk drive. 6. If you are installing the "Upgrade" from drive A:, press . If you are installing from drive B:, replace A: with B:, then press . The "Installation Options" menu appears after a few moments. 7. Select "Install on Multiple Servers", then press . A new window displays the available servers that are running a version of RSPAWN. 8. Highlight a server, then press . NOTE: To install the software on two or more servers, press to select each server. When you are done, press . 9. Before the installation begins, you are prompted for login information for each server you selected: - If the remote server is running NetWare 3, the following fields appear: Username: REMOTE_SERVER_NAME/SUPERVISOR Password: - If the remote server is running NetWare 4.01 or NetWare 4.02, the following fields appear: Server: REMOTE_SERVER_NAME Username: ADMIN NOTE: If you want to use a different username login, delete ADMIN, type the username, then press . Remember that the username you use must have access rights that are equivalent to those held by ADMIN. 10. If the username does not have a password, press ; otherwise, enter the password, then press . The files on Disk 1 are copied to a local temporary directory. 11. When prompted, replace Disk 1 with the "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers"Disk 2, then press . The files on Disk 2 are copied to the local temporary directory. All files are then installed in their respective destination directories on each server you selected in Step 8. The following message appears when all files have been installed on each remote server: "Installation was successful. Bring down and restart each server on which you installed the software to ensure that it uses the newest NLM files. " 12. Press . The "Installation Options" menu reappears. 13. Press , then select Yes. The "Currently Installed Products" window for the local server reappears. 14. Press to return to the "Installation Options" menu. 15. Press again, then exit the INSTALL utility. 16. Remove Disk 2 from the drive. 17. Bring down and restart the server as mentioned in step 11. CHAPTER 2: Configuring "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers" ======================================================= This chapter explains how to configure "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers 1.0" by adding LOAD and BIND commands to the server's AUTOEXEC.NCF. IMPORTANT: This is strictly a command based configuration; you cannot use the Internetworking configuration utility INETCFG to configure this product. Loading Files ------------- This section presents the minimum set of LOAD commands required to enable or disable IPX routing on a NetWare server. Make certain you load all required NLMs before binding IPX to any network interface. The following NLMs represent the minimum set required for NLSP operation: IPXRTR IPX protocol stack that contains the NLSP and RIP/SAP routing software. IPXRTR uses the loadable router interface that comes with NetWare 4.01. IPXSTACK Patch that provides the NetWare 4 loadable router interface for NetWare 3. IPXSTACK is required only on NetWare 3 servers. NCPIDFIX Patch that satisfies a requirement in the NetWare 4.01 loadable router interface. NCPIDFIX is required only on NetWare 4.01 servers. All other required NLMs are loaded automatically by these files. IMPORTANT: A fourth NLM, IPXRTRNM, provides the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) instrumentation for IPX, NLSP, RIP, and SAP Management Information Base (MIB) variables. IPXRTRNM allows you to monitor the server from a remote location using the IPX network management console (IPXCON) or other SNMP management systems. Although IPXRTRNM is not required for NLSP operation, Novell recommends that you load it as part of the server configuration. Note that IPXRTRNM automatically loads SNMP.NLM and CLIB.NLM; make sure the server has enough memory to run these additional NLMs. About IPXRTR IPXRTR contains the NLSP and RIP/SAP routing software. The LOAD IPXRTR command supports the ROUTING parameter, with which you can specify the following options: ROUTING=NLSP enables NLSP routing on the server. However, if IPXRTR detects RIP routers on the network, it automatically runs RIP/SAP in addition to NLSP. ROUTING=RIPSAP enables RIP/SAP routing, the default setting. In this case, IPXRTR operates like a typical RIP/SAP router. ROUTING=NONE disables all IPX routing on the server. IMPORTANT: As a normal part of its operation, a NetWare server forwards IPX packets between its network interfaces. With ROUTING=NONE enabled, the server still performs its duties as a server, but broadcasts only its own services and internal network number - not those associated with its network interfaces. (A server operating in this way is sometimes called a multihomed server.) Use ROUTING=NONE only if you do not want the server to forward packets between its interfaces. Also, do not use ROUTING=NONE in a network running only NLSP. Loading IPXRTR without specifying one of these options enables RIP/SAP routing by default. By default, NLSP broadcasts its packets on an IPX network. NLSP uses broadcast as its default transmission mode because some LAN drivers do not properly support packet multicast. You can, however, configure NLSP to use multicast transmission. For this purpose, the LOAD IPXRTR command supports the MCAST parameter, with which you can specify the following options: MCAST=YES enables NLSP packet multicast on the server. MCAST=NO the default option, enables NLSP packet broadcast on the server. Loading IPXRTR without the MCAST parameter specifies broadcast transmission by default. NOTE: IPXRTR detects the NLSP packet transmission mode of other systems on the LAN. Even if you load IPXRTR with MCAST=YES, IPXRTR automatically reverts to broadcast if it discovers another system using broadcast. LOAD Commands Required on a NetWare 3 Server -------------------------------------------- To run IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers on a NetWare 3 server, add the following lines to the server's AUTOEXEC.NCF: LOAD IPXSTACK LOAD IPXRTR LOAD IPXRTRNM (Recommended but not required) Without the ROUTING parameter, the LOAD IPXRTR command enables only RIP/SAP routing. To enable NLSP routing, enter the LOAD IPXRTR command as follows: LOAD IPXRTR ROUTING=NLSP LOAD Commands Required on a NetWare 4.01 Server ----------------------------------------------- To run IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers on a NetWare 4.01 server, add the following lines to the server's AUTOEXEC.NCF: LOAD NCPIDFIX LOAD IPXRTR LOAD IPXRTRNM (Recommended but not required) Without the ROUTING parameter, the LOAD IPXRTR command enables only RIP/SAP routing. To enable NLSP routing, enter the LOAD IPXRTR command as follows: LOAD IPXRTR ROUTING=NLSP LOAD Commands Required on a NetWare 4.02 Server ----------------------------------------------- To run IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers on a NetWare 4.02 server, add the following lines to the server's AUTOEXEC.NCF: LOAD IPXRTR LOAD IPXRTRNM (Recommended but not required) Without the ROUTING parameter, the LOAD IPXRTR command enables only RIP/SAP routing. To enable NLSP routing, enter the LOAD IPXRTR command as follows: LOAD IPXRTR ROUTING=NLSP Binding IPX to a Network Interface ---------------------------------- The command for binding IPX to a network interface is as follows: BIND IPX boardname NET=network_number The variable boardname is the name of the network interface board associated with the LAN driver; network_number is the external network number of the IPX network to which the interface is connected. You can override the routing default you specify in the LOAD IPXRTR command by adding one of the following options to the BIND command line: RIP=YES | NO | AUTO SAP=YES | NO | AUTO NLSP=YES| NO NOTE: You cannot, however, enable NLSP on an interface after you have disabled NLSP routing from the LOAD IPXRTR command. These options have the following meaning: - YES enables RIP, SAP, or NLSP routing on the network interface. - NO disables RIP, SAP, or NLSP routing on the network interface. - AUTO accepts and broadcasts RIP or SAP packets only if non - NLSP devices, such as NetWare 2 servers, are operating on the network. IMPORTANT: Specific BIND command lines are required for interfaces connected to networks running UnixWare, OS/2 Named Pipes, and NetWare/IP. For configuration instructions, see the "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers 1.0 NLSP Migration Guide". ACTIVATING THE CONFIGURATION ---------------------------- To activate the configuration, bring down and then restart the server. Sample Configurations --------------------- This section provides sample configurations for IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers. Each sample shows the commands you add to the server's AUTOEXEC.NCF. RIP/SAP Routing on a NetWare 3.11 Server --------------------------------------- This sample configuration enables RIP/SAP routing on a NetWare 3.11 server. This is the most basic configuration, which replaces the standard RIP/SAP operation with that provided by IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers, but adds server and network monitoring capability: LOAD IPXSTACK LOAD IPXRTR LOAD IPXRTRNM #Load and bind LAN board LOAD NE3200 SLOT=3 FRAME=ETHERNET_II NAME=ORDER_ENTRY_NET BIND IPX ORDER_ENTRY_NET NET=C9971223 NLSP Routing on a NetWare 4.01 Server ------------------------------------- In addition to enabling NLSP routing on a NetWare 4.01 server, this sample configuration loads IPXRTRNM to provide server and network monitoring capability: LOAD NCPIDFIX LOAD IPXRTR ROUTING=NLSP LOAD IPXRTRNM #Load and bind LAN board LOAD NE3200 SLOT=3 FRAME=ETHERNET_II NAME=ORDER_ENTRY_NET BIND IPX ORDER_ENTRY_NET NET=C9971223 IPX Routing Disabled on a NetWare 4.02 Server --------------------------------------------- This sample configuration disables IPX routing on a NetWare 4.02 server. Disabling IPX routing makes more computing resources available for NetWare file and print services. This is useful when you already have a dedicated IPX router on the network, such as the one shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 IPX Routing Disabled on a NetWare File Server . --------------- . Backbone Network |NetWare | . -------------------------|MultiProtocol| . |Router | . --------------- . / \ . / \ . Manufacturing_NET / \ Order_Entry-Net . --------------------- ------------------ . \ / . \ / . \ / . ---------- . |NetWare 4| . |Server | . ----------- Disabling IPX routing on the NetWare 4 server in Figure 2 forces traffic from the MANUFACTURING_NET network to pass through the server running MultiProtocol Router - instead of the server - to reach the ORDER_ENTRY_NET network. The server's AUTOEXEC.NCF looks like this: #ROUTING=NONE disables all IPX routing LOAD IPXRTR ROUTING=NONE LOAD IPXRTRNM #Load and bind LAN boards LOAD NE3200 SLOT=3 FRAME=ETHERNET_II NAME=ORDER_ENTRY_NET BIND IPX ORDER_ENTRY_NET NET=C9971223 LOAD NE2000 SLOT=4 FRAME=ETHERNET_SNAP NAME=MANUFACTURING_NET BIND IPX MANUFACTURING_NET NET=C997F13A Controlling the Propagation of Type 20 Packets ---------------------------------------------- "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers" includes a new SET command option that enables you to control the propagation of type 20 packets through the server's interfaces. Type 20 is a special IPX packet type that refers to any propagated packet. NetBIOS packets, for example, are type 20 packets. To use this command, you type the following command at the server console: SET IPX NETBIOS REPLICATION OPTION [ 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 ] You can type the command by itself to check the current setting, or you can specify one of the following numeric options: 0 Server discards, rather than propagates, any type 20 packet it receives. This option disables type 20 packet propagation. 1 Server receives and propagates type 20 packets through all its interfaces regardless of whether those interfaces are equal-cost routes to the same source (that is, the server from which the packets originated). 2 Option that affects how the server propagates type 20 packets in two ways: -- The server does not "re-propagate" type 20 packets originating from the same source but received through different interfaces. For example, if Server A receives a type 20 packet from Server B, it forwards the packet through its other interfaces. If Server A then receives the same packet from Server C, it discards it. This is a packet forwarding mechanism known as reverse path forwarding. - The server does not propagate type 20 packets through the same interface from which it receives them. This is known as split horizon, a technique used with RIP and other distance vector routing protocols. 3 Server propagates type 20 packets the same way as option 2, but does not forward them across WAN connections. Chapter 3 Examining Your IPX Network ===================================== How to use the IPX network management console (IPXCON) to examine any NLSP system or NetWare LAN in your IPX network. IPXCON can help you identify problems with your routers and LANs. IPXCON uses SNMP to exchange management information and statistics with NLSP routers on the network. IPXCON operates over either IPX or Internet Protocol (IP) networks using the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) transport. Selecting a Server or Router ---------------------------- IPXCON gives you management access to any server or dedicated router that uses NLSP as its routing protocol. In this section, the term "Local System" refers to the server or router from which you load IPXCON; "Remote System" refers to any other server or router on the network. > If You Want to Access the Local System To gain management access to the local system, just type the following command at the prompt: LOAD IPXCON IPXCON accesses the local system by default. > If You Want to Access a Remote System Complete the following steps to gain management access to a remote server or router: PROCEDURE 1. Go to a local server or router and type the following command at the prompt: LOAD IPXCON The "Available Options" window appears. 2. SNMP Access Configuration is already highlighted; press . The "SNMP Access Configuration" window appears. 3. Select the "Transport Protocol" field. The "Transport Protocol" window appears. 4. Select TCP/IP or IPX. The "SNMP Access Configuration" window reappears. 5. The Host Address field is already highlighted; press to see a list of available hostnames and addresses. NOTE: If you already know the system's hostname or address, just type it in. 6. Scroll through the list to find the system; press to select it. IMPORTANT: IPXCON can only access systems that are running IPXRTRNM. If you do not see the system in this list, check whether IPXRTRNM is loaded on that system. 7. Press to return to the "Available Options" menu. In a few moments, IPXCON begins recording statistics for the system you selected. Determining Where NLSP is Running in Your Network -------------------------------------------------- After migrating your network, you can identify which LANs on your IPX network are using NLSP or RIP - or both - as the routing protocol. If you partitioned your IPX network into routing areas, note the following points: - The procedure in this section shows only the LANs and NLSP routers that are within the same routing area as the system you are currently monitoring. - RIP should be running only on the routers at area boundaries. For an explanation of routing areas, see the "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers 1.0 NLSP Migration Guide". To find LANs on which NLSP or RIP is running, complete the following steps: PROCEDURE 1. Load IPXCON and select a system as described in "Selecting a Server or Router", above. 2. Select NLSP Information. The "NLSP Information" window appears. 3. Select LANs. The Known LANs window displays the following information about each NetWare LAN of which the local system is aware: Network Number External network number of the LAN. Throughput Number of Megabits Per Second (MBPS) reported by the LAN board. Delay Time, in microseconds, for packets to reach the LAN from the Designated Router. If NLSP is importing RIP routes to a LAN, the entry is labeled RIP Active. If the entry is labeled Unreachable, the LAN is no longer accessible from the local system. No label means that NLSP is the only routing protocol running on the LAN and that the LAN is reachable. 4. Select one of the LANs to see which NLSP routers are on it. Checking Your Network for Inactive Routers ------------------------------------------ You can use IPXCON to identify routers on your network that are inactive that is, not routing for some reason. This information can often help you locate a defective network interface. To check your network for inactive routers, complete the following steps: PROCEDURE 1. Load IPXCON and select a system as described in "Selecting a Server or Router", above. 2. Select NLSP Information. The "NLSP Information" window appears. 3. Select Routers. IPXCON lists the NLSP routers known to the system you are monitoring. 4. Scroll through the list. Any router labeled Unreachable is either down or has a defective network interface. Any router labeled Overloaded has run out of memory and can no longer process NLSP routing information. Routers not labeled Unreachable or Overloaded are operating properly. 5. Select one of the routers. A new window displays the following information: - Attachment NLSP routers or IPX networks connected to the router you selected. - Network If the attachment is an IPX network, the networks external network number; if the attachment is a router, the router s internal network number. - Media Type LAN or WAN medium, such as Ethernet 802.3 or X.25. - Throughput Number of Mbps reported by the routers interface board. NOTE: For WANs, the throughput value is an estimate. Because of rounding errors, this estimate is typically less than the actual speed of the WAN link. - Delay Estimated time, in microseconds, for packets to be forwarded to the attached medium. Checking Your Network for Duplicate Network Numbers --------------------------------------------------- Each external network number that identifies a LAN on your IPX network must be unique. Incorrect configurations and other problems can cause two LANs to have the same external network number. One way in which this can occur is when a bridge connecting two LAN segments fails, a condition known as a "split LAN". When the bridge fails, each segment becomes a separate LAN but retains the same external network number. As a result, routers forwarding packets to that network number see two destinations and simply choose the nearest one. To check your network for duplicate network numbers, complete the following steps: PROCEDURE 1. Load IPXCON and select a system as described in "Selecting a Server or Router", above. 2. Select "NLSP Information". The "NLSP Information" window appears. 3. Select LANs. The "Known LANs" window appears. The LANs are listed in numeric order by network number. 4. Scroll through the list of LANs; look for duplicate network numbers. Checking Your Network for Duplicate System IDs ----------------------------------------------- To check your network for duplicate System IDs, complete the following steps: PROCEDURE 1. Load IPXCON and select a system as described in Selecting a Server or Router, above. 2. Select NLSP Information. The "NLSP Information" window appears. 3. System Information is already highlighted; just press . 4. The field associated with Detailed NLSP System Information is already highlighted; just press . 5. Check the numbers associated with the Sequence Number Skips and Own LSP Purges fields. If either of these numbers is increasing, there are two or more NLSP routers on your network with the same System ID. Change the System ID on one of the routers. Finding NLSP Routers with Insufficient Memory --------------------------------------------- To check your network for routers that have run out of memory, complete the following steps: PROCEDURE 1. Load IPXCON and select a system as described in "Selecting a Server or Router", above. 2. Select NLSP Information. The "NLSP Information" window appears. 3. System Information is already highlighted; just press . The field associated with Level 1 Overloaded should read No. If it reads Yes, the router does not have enough memory to process routing information. 4. As a further check, select "Detailed NLSP System Information". The "Level 1 Database Overloads" field indicates how many times the router has run out of memory. Finding the Designated Router on a LAN -------------------------------------- The Designated Router is an NLSP router elected by its peers to represent and keep track of the connectivity of its LAN. The Designated Router handles exchanges of link state information on behalf of all other NLSP routers on the LAN. To find the Designated Router on a LAN, complete the following steps: PROCEDURE 1. Load IPXCON and select a system as described in "Selecting a Server or Router", above. 2. Select Circuits. The Circuits window displays the name, type, and state of each circuit. Only broadcast (LAN) circuits have Designated Routers. 3. Select a broadcast circuit. The Circuit Information window displays, among other information, the name of the Designated Router and the external network number of the LAN it represents. 4. To see more information about the Designated Router, complete the following steps: - 4a. Record the name of the Designated Router. - 4b. Press until you return to the "Available Options" menu. - 4c. Select SNMP Access Configuration. - 4d. Select IPX as the transport protocol. - 4e. Type the name of the Designated Router in the Host Address field, then press . - 4f. Press to return to the "Available Options" menu. In a few moments, IPXCON begins recording statistics for the Designated Router. Related Novell Publications --------------------------- Novell publications which contain information about IPX, NLSP, RIP, SAP, and related topics: "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers 1.0 NLSP Migration Guide" Novell part # 100-002432-001 "NetWare Link Services Protocol In-Depth" Novell part number 481-000085-001 "NetWare Link Services Protocol Specification" Novell part # 100-001708-002 "The Novell Network Registry" Novell part # 461-000248-001 Additional Reading ------------------ Publications which provide general technical information about routing and related topics: "Interconnections: Bridges and Routers", by Radia Perlman Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc. "Routing in Today's Internetworks", by Mark Dickie Van Nostrand Reinhold, an International Thomson Publishing company. "Novell's Guide to Multiprotocol Internetworking" by Laura A. Chappell & Roger L. Spicer Novell Press: Sybex. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Any trademarks referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners. Consult your product manuals for complete trademark information. -----------------------------------------------------------------