3Com 5000 quick start Basic Configuration Steps, Default Configuration After Installation

6 COREBUILDER® 5000 SWITCHMODULE QUICK START AND REFERENCE

8.0Basic Configuration Steps

This section uses network configuration examples to introduce important concepts about implementing CoreBuilder 5000 SwitchModules in your network. Your network configuration may be more or less complex than the network configuration examples that are shown here.

8.1Default Configuration After Installation

After you install one or more SwitchModule into the CoreBuilder 5000 hub, the default configuration is as follows:

■All SwitchModule ports are assigned to virtual bridge 1. This assignment means that all SwitchModule ports can communicate with all other SwitchModule ports, regardless of the slot in which they reside, and subject to the slot restrictions that are described in Section 3.2, step 4.

■All SwitchModule ports are automatically connected to the switching backplane in the hub (either PacketChannel or PacketChannel with Cell-Switching). You do not need to enter a command to assign ports to the backplane, as other CoreBuilder 5000 media modules may require.

■Ethernet Backplane SwitchModule backplane ports (ports 17 through 24) are permanently connected to shared Ethernet backplanes 1 through 8.

■All SwitchModule ports (except Ethernet Backplane SwitchModule backplane ports 17 through 24) are enabled and capable of switching traffic if you attach devices to the ports. You must enable Ethernet Backplane SwitchModule ports 17 through 24 using the DMM command SET BPORT_MAU MODE ENABLE or SET PORT MODE ENABLE. For information about the special port numbering system that applies to these ports, see Chapter 4 in the CoreBuilder 5000 SwitchModule User Guide.

■The Spanning Tree Protocol is enabled on virtual bridge 1 and on all SwitchModule ports. Spanning Tree parameters are set to their default settings, which are described in Chapter 7 in the CoreBuilder 5000 SwitchModule User Guide.

■Frame Tagging is disabled. For more information about frame tagging, see Chapter 8 in the CoreBuilder 5000 SwitchModule User Guide.

■The maximum vbridge value is set to 32, which means that you can assign ports to virtual bridges 1 through 32. To change this value, see Chapter 2 in the CoreBuilder 5000 SwitchModule User Guide.

The following figure shows the default configuration with three SwitchModules installed in the hub:

SwitchModules in slots 2, 3, and 4

DMM in slot 1

Virtual bridge 1

8.2Enabling SNMP Management Through the SwitchModule

Configure IP settings for a virtual bridge only if the DMM has no other means of IP connectivity.

For example, you do not need to configure IP settings if the hub contains an Ethernet media module with a network monitor card (NMC) attached to it. The NMC provides connectivity between SwitchModules and the DMM.

If you do not already have an in-band connection to the DMM, and you want to manage the hub from a network management station (NMS) that is connected to a SwitchModule port, use the instructions in this section.

CAUTION: Although the DMM supports multiple IP addresses, enable the interface for only one address per subnet (on the network that is attached to your default gateway). Enabling multiple

IP interfaces on the same subnet may cause connectivity problems.

When a model A SwitchModule (the model number ends in -A) is installed in the hub, include at least one of its ports in the virtual bridge that is acting as the IP relay interface. For example, if there are five virtual bridges, and if you are managing the hub through virtual bridge 1, ensure that virtual bridge 1 includes at least one of the model A SwitchModule’s ports.