OVERVIEW: LANalyzer Applications for NetWare File Server Access
Characterization On a Locally Attached Network Segment

Ron Lee
Senior Consultant
Systems Engineering Division

Abstract:

     The LANalyzer applications described herein allow the network
     administrator to characterize the workload of both servers and
     workstations on a local area network. Four network management
     applications are included.

Disclaimer

     Novell, Inc. makes no representations or warranties with respect to
     the contents or use of these Application Notes (AppNotes) or of any of
     the third-party products discussed in the AppNotes. Novell reserves
     the right to revise these AppNotes and to make changes in their
     content at any time, without obligation to notify any person or entity
     of such revisions or changes. These AppNotes do not constitute an
     endorsement of the third-party product or products that were tested.
     Configuration(s) tested or described may or may not be the only
     available solution. Any test is not a determination of product quality
     or correctness, nor does it ensure compliance with any federal, state
     or local requirements. Novell does not warranty products except as
     stated in applicable Novell product warranties or license agreements.

     Copyright { 1991 by Novell, Inc., Provo, Utah. All rights reserved.

     As a means of promoting NetWare AppNotes, Novell grants you without
     charge the right to reproduce, distribute and use copies of the
     AppNotes, provided you do not receive any payment, commercial benefit
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     any copyright notices appearing on or in the document.

Introduction

     The OVERVIEW filters collect eight different kinds of NetWare Core
     Protocol (NCP) file service requests on the locally attached network
     segment.

     Information gathered during this test provides interesting insights
     into the use of NetWare file servers. Although the test's default
     filter settings are configured to capture all file service requests on
     the locally attached network segment, the test can easily be altered
     to capture requests addressed to a specific server or requests
     transmitted by a specific workstation.

     Data gathered by OVERVIEW provides an accurate assessment of the
     various levels of file server use. With the gathered information, the
     network manager can keep a utilization history for each NetWare
     server.

     OVERVIEW is a Novell LANalyzer application, included with LANalyzer
     v3.0 that began shipping in 1990. The applications described in this
     AppNote are derivatives of the default OVERVIEW application.

How It Works

     Novell's NetWare Core Protocol (NCP) is the remote procedure call
     language that NetWare workstation shells use to communicate with
     NetWare file servers. Some other tightly integrated products, such as
     NetWare Loadable Modules (NLMs) also use the NCP when communicating
     with NetWare servers.

     With the exception of peer-to-peer traffic, routing traffic (RIP), and
     broadcast messages, the majority of NetWare traffic is made up of
     request and response messages encoded in NCP primitives.

     When an application residing at a workstation initiates a DOS Open
     File operation (3Dh), for example, the NetWare shell intercepts the
     request and translates it into an NCP request. The new NCP request is
     built from information in the DOS request and forwarded to the file
     server. The server then processes the request and sends a response
     back to the workstation. Finally, the workstation shell receives the
     response and passes any completion codes and data back to the
     application.

     OVERVIEW captures selected NCP requests as they travel from
     workstations to the destination server. The default OVERVIEW test is
     configured with source and destination addresses set to "don't care"
     to capture all server-related traffic. However, by setting the source
     or destination address to known workstations or servers, the server-
     related traffic originating from or destined to a specific set of
     nodes may be examined.

Operating instructions

     Before using the OVERVIEW default application or derivatives,
     determine whether the target network is configured for Ethernet II
     (the ECONFIG configuration) or 802.3 (the standard NetWare
     configuration). If you don't know how the network is configured, use
     the LANalyzer application NETVIEW to determine the kind of packets
     being broadcast on the wire and the packet type configuration.

     : NETVIEW Run Rate Screen

     If NETVIEW captures ECONFIG packets (as in ), then select the ECONFIG
     LANalyzer application suite for NetWare. If NETVIEW captures only
     802.3 packets, then select the 802.3 LANalyzer application suite for
     NetWare.

     Select OVERVIEW to run or edit the OVERVIEW application.

Receive Channels

     : OVERVIEW Receive Channels, Triggers and Controls Edit Screen

Receive Channel 1: Requests

     : Receive Channel 1 - Requests Setup Pattern Screen

     Requests Filter: All NetWare Core Protocol (NCP) Requests
          (template = NetWare)
          Request Type = 2222

     This NCP request filter captures all NetWare workstation file service
     requests except two: Create Service Connection and Destroy Service
     Connection. All others have their request type set to 0x2222. (The
     Create Service Connection and Destroy Service Connection NCP requests
     are not captured during this test. Their presence, however, is
     reflected in the Login Receive Channel 3).

Receive Channel 2: Replies

     : Receive Channel 2 - Replies Setup Pattern Screen

     Replies Filter: NetWare Core Protocol (NCP) Write To A File
          (template = NetWare)
          Reply Type = 3333

     This NCP reply filter captures all NetWare file server service replies
     except one: Request Being Processed. All others have their reply type
     set to 0x3333. (The Request Being Processed NCP reply is captured with
     receive channel five).

Receive Channel 3: LoginOut

     : Receive Channel 3 - LoginOut Setup Pattern Screen

     Logout Filter: NetWare Core Protocol (NCP) Logout
          (template = NetWare)
          Request Type = 2222
          Function Code = 25

     This NCP request allows a client to relinquish its current server
     access privileges without breaking its service connection.

     LoginObj Filter: NetWare Core Protocol (NCP) Login Object
          (template = NetWare)
          Request Type = 2222
          Function Code = 20

     This NCP request allows a client to identify itself to the file server
     and thereby gain rights to access certain directories within the file
     server.

Receive Channel 4: Delays

     : Receive Channel 4 - Delays Setup Pattern Screen

     Delays Filter: NetWare Core Protocol (NCP) Request Being Processed
          (template = NetWare)
          Reply Type = 9999

     The file server returns this message when it receives a duplicate
     service request while the original request is still being processed.

Receive Channel 5: Messages

     : Receive Channel 5 - Messages Setup Pattern Screen

     Messages Filter:  All NetWare Core Protocol (NCP) Message requests
          (template = NetWare)
          Request Type = 2222
          Function Code = 21

     This filter captures all NCP requests that make up the file server's
     message services.

Receive Channel 6: Queues

     : Receive Channel 6 - Queues

     Queues Filter: All NetWare Core Protocol (NCP) Queue requests
          (template = NetWare)
          Request Type = 2222
          Function Code = 17

     This filter captures all NCP requests that make up the file server's
     queue services.

Receive Channel 7: TTS

     : Receive Channel 7 - TTS Setup Pattern Screen

     TTS Filter: All NetWare Core Protocol (NCP) TTS requests
          (template = NetWare)
          Request Type = 2222
          Function Code = 34

     This filter captures all NCP requests that make up the file server's
     TTS services.

Receive Channel 8: NetWare

     : Receive Channel 8 - NetWare

     NetWare Filter: NetWare Core Protocol (NCP) Directory Requests
          (template = NetWare)
          Request Type = 2222
          Function Code = 22

Transmit Channels

     No transmit channels are defined or active during this application.

Applications

Application 1: Segment Characterization

     This application characterizes network server access (default).

     1.   Load and run the default OVERVIEW application.

     2.   At the Run Rate Screen, the channel packet counters provide the
          total number of NCP service requests and responses broken down by
          type.

     3.   If the test is run for a specified amount of time and started at
          the same time each day, using the LANalyzer's start and stop
          triggers, then the gathered data can be compared and contrasted.

Application 2: Single Server Characterization

     This application characterizes network server access by server.

     1.   Load the default OVERVIEW test.

     2.   In the RECEIVE CHANNEL "dest" pattern, set the Ethernet
          Destination address to the desired target Ethernet address of a
          known NetWare file server. For example, to capture file requests
          addressed to NetWare server NCS with the Ethernet address
          00001B02127A, set the filter as follows:

               Dst
          Station 00 00 AB 02 12 7A <---- XX XX XX XX XX XX

     3.   In the RECEIVE CHANNEL "src" pattern, set the Ethernet Source
          address to the desired target Ethernet address of the same known
          NetWare file server as in step 2. For example, to capture service
          replies transmitted from NetWare server NCS with the Ethernet
          address 00001B02127A, set the filter as follows:

               Src
          Station 00 00 AB 02 12 7A ----> XX XX XX XX XX XX

     4.   Run the OVERVIEW test.

     5.   The test results will reflect all filtered file service requests
          and responses addressed to and from the destination server.

Application 3: Workstation Characterization

     This application characterize network server access by workstation.

     1.   Load the default OVERVIEW test.

     2.   In the RECEIVE CHANNEL "dest" pattern, set the Ethernet
          Destination address to the desired target Ethernet address of a
          known NetWare file server. For example, to capture file requests
          addressed from workstation 00001B02127B to NetWare server NCS
          with the Ethernet address 00001B02127A, set the filter as
          follows:

               Dst
          Station 00 00 1B 02 12 7B <---- 00 00 1B 02 12 7A

     3.   In the RECEIVE CHANNEL "src" pattern, set the Ethernet Source
          address to the desired Ethernet addresses of the same known
          NetWare file server and workstation as in step 2. For example, to
          capture service replies transmitted from NetWare server NCS with
          the Ethernet address 00001B02127A to the target workstation
          00001B02127B, set the filter as follows:

               Src
          Station 00 00 1B 02 12 7B ----> 00 00 1B 02 12 7A

     4.   Run the OVERVIEW test.

     5.   The test results will reflect all filtered file service requests
          and responses addressed to and from the target workstation.

Application 4: Server Workload Analysis

     This application determines the number of delay packets observed
     during a given time period.

     1.   Load the default OVERVIEW test.

     2.   In the RECEIVE CHANNEL "dest" pattern, set the Ethernet
          Destination address to the desired target Ethernet address of a
          known NetWare file server (see Application 2).

     3.   Run the OVERVIEW test.

     4.   At the Run Rate Screen, the delay channel packet counter provides
          the total number of NCP Request Being Processed replies.

Editor's Note: The author accepts written feedback at FAX (801) 429-5511.


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