Cabletron Systems 9E423, 9E312 manual Introduction

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Chapter 1

Introduction

How to use this guide; related guides; software conventions; getting help; 9E312 and 9E423 ﬁrmware versions

Welcome to the Cabletron Systems MMAC-Plus Remote Management for the 9E312™ Ethernet Switch Module and 9E423 ™ Series Ethernet SmartSwitch Modules User’s Guide. We have designed this guide to serve as a simple reference for using SPECTRUM Element Manager for the 9E312-12 Ethernet Switch Module, and the 9E423-24 and 9E423-36 Ethernet SmartSwitch Modules for the MMAC-Plus. These modules provide Ethernet connectivity to the Internal Network Bus (INB) backplane via high-speed packet switching.

In basic terms, a packet-switching device provides forwarding logic for packets incoming or outgoing on two or more network interfaces on the device. The forwarding logic on Cabletron’s MMAC-Plus architecture devices is based on three separate modes:

•Traditional 802.1d bridging based on physical layer address information.

•Traditional IP Routing based on logical layer address information.

•SecureFast™ Switching, which is high-performance switching based on source and destination MAC (physical) layer addresses. Packets received from a source address on a module’s protocol-dependent front panel network are converted into ﬁxed-length, protocol-independent packets for transmission across a backplane, and then are re-converted at the destination device into the appropriate physical frame format for reception by the destination address. Future ﬁrmware and management software enhancements will allow an administratively deﬁned connection-policy between end stations connected to SecureFast Switching devices.

The INB is the Cabletron-proprietary network bus for protocol-independent, high-speed packet or cell switching between connectivity modules that support front-panel Ethernet, FDDI, Token Ring, or ATM networks. The connectivity modules incorporate Cabletron’s SecureFast Switch (SFS) technology to provide high-performance packet switching based on source and destination MAC addresses, rather than on internet protocol (IP) addresses. By basing packet

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Contents Page Virus Disclaimer Page Restricted Rights Notice Page Contents Index 9E312/9E423 Module BridgingIntroduction Using the 9E312 and 9E423 User’s Guide IntroductionRelated Manuals Software Conventions Common 9E312 and 9E423 Window FieldsUsing Buttons and Menus Getting Help from Cabletron Systems Technical Support Using On-line HelpGetting Help 9E312 and 9E423 Firmware FTPIntroduction 9E312 and 9E423 Firmware 9E312/9E423 Module View Viewing Module Information 9E312/9E423 Module ViewFront Panel Information Connection StatusMenu Structure E312/9E423 Module View Menu Structure Device MenuBridge Menu Utilities MenuHelp Menu 9E312/9E423 Module Port Status Display Bridge Port MenuChassis Manager Window Viewing the Device Type Setting the Device Date and TimeManaging the Module Edit Time Window Using the Find Source Address Feature Enabling and Disabling Bridge PortsSummary Information Find Source Address WindowInterface Description Fields IndexType DescriptionInterface Performance Statistics/Bar Graphs Raw CountsRate Interface Detail WindowLoad Interface Detail Window Statistics UnicastError MulticastDiscarded Unknown ProtocolTesting and Disabling the Current Interface Packets ReceivedPackets Transmitted Making Sense of Interface StatisticsUsing the Applications Pull-down menu 9E312/9E423 Module View Summary Information 9E312/9E423 Module Bridging Bridging BasicsAn Overview of Remote Bridge Management More on Transparent BridgingBridge Status Window Bridge Status Window Information Fields Bridge State on InterfaceInterface Speed Interface TypeInterface Address Enabling and Disabling Bridging Bridge StatisticsPerformance Graphs Errors Red Bridge Performance Graph Window FieldsFrames Forwarded Green Filtered MagentaInterface Statistics Window Conﬁguring the Bridge Performance GraphsInterface Statistics Window Fields AddressBridge Spanning Tree Non-Unicast9E312/9E423 Module Bridging Bridge Priority Conﬁguring the Bridge Spanning Tree WindowBridge Level Fields Root Bridge Root CostRoot Port ProtocolBridge Port Level Fields Path Cost Designated CostDesignated Root Designated BridgeChanging the Spanning Tree Algorithm Protocol Type Changing Bridge Spanning Tree ParametersChanging Bridge Priority Changing Max Age Time Changing Forwarding Delay TimeChanging Hello Time Changing Path Cost Filtering DatabaseChanging Port Priority 9E312/9E423 Module Bridging Filtering Database Window Filtering Database Window Fields ListNumber CapacityConﬁguring the Filtering Database Source PortReceive Port Port FilteringChanging the Receive Port Altering the Ageing TimeChanging the Type of Entry Changing the Port Filtering Action Adding or Deleting Individual EntriesUsing Port Source Addressing Clearing All Permanent, Static, or Dynamic EntriesSetting the Ageing Time Device Ageing Time WindowDuplex Modes Duplex Modes WindowFull Duplex Duplex Modes Window FieldsInterface Setting the Duplex Mode Index Index-2