LANplex® 2500 Ver. 4.3.0 Software Release Notes

Modified: 05/22/98

LANplex 2500 Software Release Notes

Revision 4.3.0
September 8, 1995

Part No. 801-00173-000Published September 19953Com Corporation n 5400 Bayfront Plaza n Santa Clara, California n 95052-8154

© 3Com Corporation, 1995. All rights reserved. No part of this documentation may be reproduced in any form or by any means or used to make any derivative work (such as translation, transformation, or adaptation) without permission from 3Com Corporation.

3Com Corporation reserves the right to revise this documentation and to make changes in content from time to time without obligation on the part of 3Com Corporation to provide notification of such revision or change.

3Com Corporation provides this documentation without warranty of any kind, either implied or expressed, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. 3Com may make improvements or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this documentation at any time.

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LEGENDS:If you are a United States government agency, then this documentation and the software described herein are provided to you subject to the following restricted rights:

For units of the Department of Defense:Restricted Rights Legend: Use, duplication or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c) (1) (ii) for restricted Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at 48 C.F.R. 52.227-7013. 3Com Corporation, 5400 Bayfront Plaza, Santa Clara, California 95052-8145.

For civilian agencies:Restricted Rights Legend: Use, reproduction or disclosure is subject to restrictions set forth in subparagraph (a) through (d) of the Commercial Computer Software - Restricted Rights Clause at 48 C.F.R. 52.227-19 and the limitations set forth in 3Coms standard commercial agreement for the software. Unpublished rights reserved under the copyright laws of the United States.

3Com and LANplex are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation.

LinkSwitch is a trademark of 3Com Corporation.

3Com registered trademarks are registered in the United States, and may or may not be registered in other countries. Other brand and product names may be registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders.

Contents

Overview 1
Release Highlights 1
Before You Start 1
Updating Your System Software 2
Copying Software to a Hard Disk 2
Copying to UNIX 2
Copying to DOS 3
Loading System Software 3
Updating Your Diagnostic Software 5
Copying Software to a Hard Disk 5
Copying to UNIX 5
Copying to DOS 6
User Documentation 7
Whats New at Revision 4.3.0? 8
New Features 8
UDP Helper 8
IPX SnapTranslation 9
System Issues 10
Known Problems 10
SNMP MIB Files 11
Supported Versions 11
Compiler Support 11
Revision History 12

Software Release Notes LANplex 2500Revision 4.3.0

Overview

These release notes describe the revision 4.3.0 of the LANplex 2500 system software from 3Com Corporation, dated September 8, 1995. This revision supersedes the earlier revision 4.2.0 dated June 19, 1995.

Release Highlights

This release contains the following items:

UDP Helper for the LANplex 2500 configured with IP routing

IPX Snap Translation Option for the LANplex 2500 used in IPX environments with FDDI

For more information about this release, see the section Whats New at Revision 4.3.0? on page 8.

Before You Start

Prior to installing your new software, read these release notes in their entirety. Carefully read the sections System Issues and Known Problems on page 10.

Updating Your System Software

You can install a new software version from any host running ftp server. The LANplex software is distributed for both UNIX and DOS platforms.

The following media types are used to distribute software releases (the files are compressed on the media):

UNIX tar format 31/2 inch double-sided, high-density 1.44 MB diskette

DOS format 31/2 inch double-sided, high-density 1.44 MB diskette

To install or upgrade your system software, you must:

Copy the software from the diskette to your UNIX-based or DOS-based computers hard disk and uncompress the files.

Load the system software from your computers hard disk to flash memory.

Copying Software to a Hard Disk

You can copy software to either a UNIX-based or DOS-based hard disk.

Copying to UNIX

To copy software to a UNIX hard disk, follow the instructions below:

If the directory /usr/lp2500 does not exist on your computer, create the directory before proceeding. If your /usr directory is full, you can use a different directory. In this case, substitute the actual directory used for /usr in this and subsequent examples.

Insert the diskette containing the LANplex software file into a disk drive (these instructions assume drive fd0).

Copy the LANplex software file to the lp2500 subdirectory of your computer using the following commands:

cd /usr/lp2500

tar xvf /dev/fd0

Decompress the file using the following command:

uncompress lp2500.Z

Copying to DOS

To copy software to a DOS hard disk, follow the instructions below:

If the directory lp2500 does not exist on your computer, create the directory before proceeding.

Insert the diskette containing the LANplex software file into a disk drive (these instructions assume drive B:).

Copy the LANplex software file to the lp2500 directory of your computer using the following commands:

cd lp2500

copy b:lp2500.exe

The file lp2500.exe is a self-extracting archive. It decompresses and creates the loadable software file.

Decompress the file using the following command:

lp2500

This creates a file called lp2500, which you can then ftp into flash memory.

Loading System Software

Before loading the system software , verify that the host machine, which has a copy of the updated system software, is connected to the LANplex 2500.

You can load the system software into flash memory while the system is operating. You do not need to bring the system down. After the flash install is completed, a quick reboot will put the newly-loaded software to use.

If you are loading software from a PC, the ftp server must be running on the PC before beginning this procedure.

Depending on your network load, loading 4.3.0 software into flash memory should take approximately 10 minutes or less to complete.

To load the new software:

From the Administration Console top level menu, enter:

system softwareUpdate

You are prompted for the Host IP address, Install file name, User name, and Password. The current values are displayed in brackets [ ]. The password field does not display what you enter.

Next to Host IP address, enter the IP address of the host machine from which you are installing the software (such as a Sun workstation or PC).

In the following example, the IP address of the host is 192.9.200.96.

Next to Install file name, enter the complete path and file name.

At the Install file name prompt, you must use forward slashes [/] to delimit directories even if you are loading software from a DOS host.

Next to User name, enter your user name.

Next to Password, enter your password. You must enter a value for this field.

See the following screen for an example of the software installation prompts.

Host IP address [192.9.200.14]:192.9.200.96Install file name [/usr/lp2500/lp2500]:

User name: ronnyk

Password:

After the software is loaded, you are notified that installation has been completed:

Installation complete.

If the executable software image stored in EPROM is corrupted (for example, when a power failure occurs while you are updating software), contact 3Com Technical Support.

Updating Your Diagnostic Software

The diagnostics software runs internal tests on the system and option modules on power up.

It is not necessary to update the diagnostics software to Revision 2.08. However, 3Com recommends that you update the diagnostics software to the latest version.

You can install a new diagnostic software version from any host running ftp. The LANplex diagnostic software is distributed for both UNIX and DOS platforms. The following media types are used to distribute software releases (the files are compressed on the media):

UNIX tar format 31/2 inch double-sided, high-density 1.44 MB diskette

DOS format 31/2 inch double-sided, high-density 1.44 MB diskette

To update your diagnostic software, you must:

Copy the diagnostic software from the diskette to your UNIX-based or DOS-based computers hard disk.

Load the diagnostic software from your computers hard disk to flash memory.

Copying Software to a Hard Disk

You can copy diagnostic software to either a UNIX-based or DOS-based hard disk.

Copying to UNIX

To copy diagnostic software to a UNIX hard disk, follow the instructions below:

Insert the diskette containing the LANplex diagnostic software file into a disk drive (these instructions assume drive fd0).

Copy the LANplex diagnostic software file to the lp2000 subdirectory of your computer using the following commands:

cd /usr/lp2000

tar xvf /dev/fd0

Decompress the file using the following command:

uncompress LPX2000s.Z

Copying to DOS

To copy software to a DOS hard disk, follow the instructions below:

Insert the diskette containing the LANplex diagnostic software file into a disk drive (these instructions assume drive B:).

Copy the LANplex diagnostic software file to the lp2000 directory of your computer using the following commands:

cd lp2000

copy b:LPX2000S.EXE

The file LPX2000S.EXE is a self-extracting archive. It decompresses and creates the loadable LPX2000S file.

Decompress the file using the following command:

LPX2000S

This creates a file called LPX2000S, which you can then load into flash memory.

User Documentation

This version of software is compatible with the documentation revisions listed below. These release notes describe only the changes and additions to this documentation.

The following documents comprise the LANplex 2500 documentation set:

LANplex 2500 Getting Started (Rev. 01, Part No. 801-00083-000, shipped with system)

LANplex 2500 Planning Your Site (Rev. 01, Part No. 801-00084-000, shipped with system)

LANplex 2500 Operation Guide (Rev. 01, Part No. 801-00085-000)

LANplex 2500 Administration Console User Guide (Rev. 01, Part No. 801-00086-000)

These additional documents are shipped with the individual modules:

Ethernet RJ-21 Module Installation, 2500/2016, (Rev. 01, Part No. 801-00118-000)

Ethernet RJ-45 Module Installation, 2500/2016, (Rev. 01, Part No. 801-00094-000)

Ethernet 10BASE-FL Module Installation, 2500/2016, (Rev. 01, Part No. 801-00095-000)

Ethernet 10BASE-2 (BNC) Module Installation, 2500/2016, (Rev. 01, Part No. 801-00111-000)

Ethernet 10BASE-5 (AUI) Module Installation, 2500/2016, (Rev. 01, Part No. 801-00112-000)

FDDI DAS MIC (MMF) Module Installation Guide, 2500, (Rev. 01, Part No. 801-00096-000)

FDDI DAS MIC (SMF) Module Installation Guide, 2500, (Rev. 01, Part No. 801-00153-000)

Whats New at Revision 4.3.0?

This section describes any new features, software enhancements, or corrections implemented at this release.

New Features

The following features are added at this release:

UDP Helper

This feature supports relaying of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets between routed subnetworks. UDP Helper provides support for UDP services, such as BOOTP or DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), that rely on the BOOTP relay agent. For example, by configuring the logical BOOTP port, you can now boot hosts through the router. It also provides a relay agent for DHCP broadcasts. UDP packets that rely on the BOOTP relay agent are modified and then forwarded through the router.

UDP Helper also provides support for the forwarding of UDP broadcast packets between routed subnetworks. Examples of the services UDP Helper supports are Time and DNS (Domain Name Server). These packets are received and forwarded by the router.

The LANplex implementation of UDP Helper allows you to configure the amount of time a UDP packet is forwarded between subnetworks. UDP packets are discarded based on the hop count and seconds value only for bootp and DHCP.

The UDP Helper functionality is located in the top-level ip menu of the Administration Console. Once you select ip, udpHelper appears in the menu. Once you select udpHelper, the following menu appears:

The menu items are described below, along with recommended values:

display

Displays the Hop and Threshold configuration and lists the ports with their IP forwarding addresses that are defined.

define

Allows you to specify port numbers and IP forwarding addresses for the UDP Helper. You can have up to 32 combinations of port number/IP forwarding address per router. You can also have multiple IP address entries for the same ports. The following are the ports for the UDP services mentioned in this section on UDP Helper:

BOOTP (including DHCP) = 67

Time = 37

DNS = 53

remove

Allows you to remove port assignments along with their IP forwarding addresses.

hopCountLimit (bootp/DHCP only)

Specifies the maximum hop count that a packet is forwarded through the router. The range is 0 through 16. The default is 4.

threshold (bootp/DHCP only)

Specifies the maximum time limit that a packet is forwarded through the router. If zero is used as the value, the seconds field is ignored by the router. If a non-zero value is used, the router uses that value along with the hop value to determine whether to forward the UDP packet.

IPX SnapTranslation

This feature is useful for the LANplex 2500 used in IPX environments with FDDI. If you enable IPX SnapTranslation, any 802.3_ RAW IPX packets being forwarded from Ethernet to FDDI will be translated to FDDI_SNAP. Likewise, SNAP IPX packets being forwarded from FDDI to Ethernet will be translated into 802.3_RAW packets. When IPX SnapTranslation is not enabled standard (IEEE 802.1H) bridging from 802.3_RAW packets to FDDI_RAW packets is implemented.

The IPX translation functionality is located in the top-level bridge menu of the Administration Console. Once you select bridge, you can select ipx SnapTranslation.

You are prompted to enable or disable IPX translation. Disable is the default.

System Issues

The following system issues are identified at this release:

Packet filtering is not available on those ports that have an IP interface defined.

The LANplex 2500 may reboot if a incorrectly configured modem is attached to the modem port. This system issue may occur in the following configurations:

The modem is configured in local echo mode and the modem serial line speed does not match the LANplex Administration Console setting.

The modem is configured to force DSR on continuously and the serial line speed does not match the LANplex Administration Console setting.

To avoid problems when attaching a modem to the LANplex 2500 system perform the following steps:

Disable CTRL-X reboot using the command system ctlKeys from the Administration Console.

Enter the command system serialPort connectModem to connect the modem.

Attach the modem to the modem port.

Configure the modem. Ensure the serial line speed matches the setting specified in the system serialPort modemSpeed command and that local echo is off.

Known Problems

There are no known problems identified at this release.

SNMP MIB Files

SNMP MIB files are shipped with the LANplex system software as ASN.1 files. Copies of ASN.1 files are provided for each of the supported compilers described at the end of this section.

Supported Versions

The SNMP MIB file names and the currently supported version of each MIB are listed below.

bridge.mib Bridge MIB, RFC 1493

ethernet.mib Ethernet MIB, RFC 1398

fddiSmt7.mib FDDI SMT 7.3 MIB, RFC 1512

lp.mib LANplex Systems MIB, version 1.2.0

lpOpFddi.mib LANplex Optional FDDI MIB, version 1.2.0

mib2.mib MIB-II, RFC 1213

Compiler Support

ASN.1 MIB files are provided for each of the MIB compilers listed below. Any warnings or exceptions related to a particular compiler are listed with that compiler.

SMIC (version 1.0.9)

MOSY (version 7.1)

For the MIB file lpOpFddi.mib, the MOSY compiler reports warnings for counter names that do not end in s. This has no effect on the output produced by the MOSY compiler.

HP Openview (version 3.1)

mib2schema (with SunNet Manager version 2.0)

The MIB file fddiSmt7.mib produces the following warning messages when compiled using mib2schema:

Translating....
Warning: The following INDEX entries in fddimibMACCountersTable not resolved:
fddimibMACSMTIndex
fddimibMACIndex
Translation Complete.
Schema file in fddiSmt7.mib.schema
Oid file in fddiSmt7.mib.oid

However, these warning messages have no effect on the ability of SNM to use the schema file generated with versions of SNM greater than or equal to 2.0.

Revision History

The following table provides a brief description of the previous releases of the LANplex 2500 software.

Revision History for LANplex 2500 Software
Revision Number	Description of Release
4.1.0	New features: Support for the EFSM Roving Analysis for Ethernet Network Monitoring (ESM and EFSM) Support for Multiple SNMP Agents Multi-station Mode FDDI Backplane Paths Enhanced Administration Console User Guide
3.1.9	Maintenance release.
3.1.7	Maintenance release. MIB support removed: The Ethernet MIB attributes, requestedEnabledPaths and enabledPaths, are no longer supported. LANplex SNMP MIB traps, lpBridgePortAddressLearnedEvent and lpBridgePortAddressForgottenEvent, are no longer supported.
3.1.5	New feature: SMT MIB path attribute Ring Latency support
3.1.4	New features: BNC media support IP broadcast address configuration support
3.1.1	New features: IP routing functionality TP-DDI media support Nonvolatile data save and restore functionality
3.0.1	New feature: Baselining of Ethernet and FDDI statistics functionality
4.2.0	New features: IP Routing implemented Support for the AUI and BNC Option Modules
4.0.1	Several bug fixes implemented
4.0.0	First release of LANplex 2500 system software
4.2.0	Bug fix implemented
4.0.2	First release of LinkSwitch 2200 system software

© 3Com Corporation