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IPX, IGX, and BPX Fundamentals

IPX, IGX, and BPX Fundamentals

A workstation, terminal, or a PC can function as a control terminal for an IPX, IGX, or BPX node through an EIA/TIA-232 link or over an Ethernet TCP/IP LAN. All command input takes place at the terminal, and all displays appear on the terminal screen. Through displays that show status, alarm, or statistics, the terminal constantly provides a view of an individual node, a trunk, a connection, or the whole network.

The control terminal provides control of the network from any routing node. A remote access command is available for controlling the network from a node other than the node physically connected to the terminal. This command is the Virtual Terminal (vt) command. The vt command creates a communication channel for the operator to a remote node. Once a node is accessed by vt, command execution can begin at the accessed node. Most commands and tasks that are executable at the local node are also executable at a remote node.

The StrataView Plus Network Management Station provides network management capabilities for multi-node networks. StrataView Plus also collects and displays statistics. For access, StrataView Plus operates in LAN mode or telnet mode. (As of Release 8.0, access through the serial port is no longer possible.) Refer to the Cisco StrataView Plus Operations manual for more information.

Powering Up the Control Terminal

After the node receives power and correctly starts up, the terminal screen appears as shown below. If the screen is blank or does not display the initial screen, check all connections to the node, and make sure the terminal and node are receiving power. If the connections are correct, press the Delete key a few times or cycle the terminal power.

gamma TRM YourID:1 IPX 16 9.1 Aug. 15 1997 13:47 CST Enter User ID:

The User Command Screen Layout

The screen has three areas. The top line of the screen (status line) displays the node name, current user name, software revision level, date, time and time zone. If the date and time have not been configured on the node, the screen states this.

The middle part of the screen shows the information returned by the executed commands. This could be, for example, configuration or statistical information.

The bottom area of the screen displays prompts for the next command or the current command parameters. As the system receives the entered parameters, it duplicates them above the command entry line to serve as a record of the entries. The bottom area also shows the command last entered.

All command screens eventually time out. This includes dynamically updated screens such as the display for the dspbob command. Furthermore, if sufficient time passes, the user is logged out.

Entering a Command

This section describes how to enter a command for those who are unfamiliar with Cisco WAN switch equipment. It also describes the on-line help for the commands.

Each user command can have one or more privilege levels. Entering a particular command is possible for a user at the same or higher privilege of the command. Each definition in this manual shows the privilege or range of privileges for the command. Most commands are not case-sensitive.

When the Next Command prompt is at the bottom of the screen, the system is ready for a new command. Some commands do not require parameters. These usually are commands for displaying information. Display commands often have no required parameters but have one or more optional parameters for changing the scope of displayed information. Commands that require parameters usually prompt for each parameter. To abort a command for any reason, press the Delete key. More information for altering command line entries appears in the forthcoming section called "In case of a mistake."

The general syntax is command <parameter(s)> [optional parameter(s)]. When a command definition displays actual parameters, the required parameters appear within the arrow heads (<>). If the list of command parameters is too long, the command definition's "Syntax" field just shows "parameters," which means the parameters are available only in the parameters table for the definition. For information on the format of system resource numbering, see the forthcoming section titled "How network trunks, lines, and channels are numbered."

Users who are not familiar with the system can use the on-line help feature to become familiar with the categories of commands and obtain syntax information on a command. Seven categories of commands exist. The figure below lists them. To enter a command from the menu, do the following:


Step 1   At the Next Command prompt, either press the Escape key or enter the word help or a question mark. A list of command categories appears as in the example below.

gamma TRM YourID:1 IPX 16 9.1 Aug. 15 1997 13:47 CST All commands fall into one (or more) of the following categories: Control Terminal Configuration Lines Network Connections Cards Alarms and Failures This Command: ? Use cursor keys to select category and then hit <RETURN> key:

Step 2   Use the up/down arrow keys to select a command category, then press Return. A listing of all the commands in that category appears. (The next example is from the "line" category of commands.)

Step 3   Use the cursor key to select the command you want to enter (dsptrks for example), then press the Return key. The selected command appears on the screen, and the system prompts you for any additional parameters that are required to complete the command.


Figure 1-1: Entering a Command

A faster way to enter a command, using fewer keystrokes, is to enter the command on the command line, then press the Return key. The system prompts you for any additional parameters required to complete the command. The fastest way to enter a command, using the fewest keystrokes, requires that you know the command along with the necessary parameters. Enter the command name and all of the required parameters in the correct format, then press the Return key.

About Command Categories

The command category menu is listed when you press the Escape key. The commands are organized into seven categories. (These categories are not the categories used to organize this manual.) Table 1-1 lists and describes the command categories.


Table 1-1: Command Categories
Category Description

Control Terminal

These commands let you configure your password, serial port and printer functions, use the help facility, establish virtual terminal connections, and create and edit jobs.

Configuration network and line timing.

These commands configure voice and data channels, and display network configuration.

Lines

These commands activate and deactivate lines and display line status.

Network

These commands add and delete trunks, configure a node name, and display and print network status.

Connections

These commands add, delete, and display circuit (voice and data) and FastPacket data channel connections, configure network routing and connection characteristics (Frame Relay and ATM), and perform connection.

Cards

These commands activate, deactivate, and reset printed circuit cards, and display power supply status.

Alarms and Failures

These commands display, print, and clear alarms, errors, and network history. They also configure alarm thresholds.

Aborting a Command

You can abort any command by pressing the DELETE key [on terminals without a DELETE key, you may need to type SHIFT-BACKSPACE or some other key(s) to perform the DELETE function]. The Next Command: prompt appears at the bottom of the screen indicating that you can enter another command. The command you aborted appears in low intensity letters on the screen after the Last Command: prompt.

About Command Names

Most of the command names follow a descriptive verb and noun format. For example, the addcon command adds a connection, the delcon command deletes a connection, and the dspcon command displays information about a connection. Table 1-2 lists the command-related abbreviations.


Table 1-2: Command-Related Abbreviations
Format Mnemonic Descriptor

Verb

add

Add

bye

Bye

clr

Clear

cnf

Configure

cpy

Copy

del

Delete

dn

Down

dsp

Display

edit

Edit

grp

Group

help

Help

prt

Print

red

Redraw

reset

Reset

run

Run

stop

Stop

switch

Switch

tst

Test

Noun

adv

Adaptive voice

ait

AIT

alm(s)

Alarms

bob

Breakout box

bus(es)

Bus(es)

cd(s)

Card(s)

ch

Channel

clk

Clock

cln(s)

Circuit line(s)

cls

Class

cnf

Configuration

con(s)

Connection(s)

congrp

Connection group

cond

Conditioning

cos

Class of service (COS)

Nouns (continued)

d

Data

date

Date

dfm

DFM

dial

Dial

dl

Dial type

eia

EIA

errs

Errors

extlp

External loop

fp

FastPAD

fr

Frame relay

ftc

FTC

func

Function

gn

Gain insertion

grp(s)

Group(s)

ict

Interface control template

ip

IP

job(s)

Job(s)

lcn

Logical connection

ln(s)

Line(s)

load

Load

loclp

Local loop

log

Log

mc

multicast

msg

Message

name

Name

nw

Network

ospace

Open space

parm(s)

Parameter(s)

port

Port

pref

Preference

prt

Printer

pwr

Power

rcv

Receiver

red

Redundant

rmtlp

Remote loop

rts

Routes

scr

Screen

seg

Segment

sig

Signal

Nouns (continued)

slot

Slot

snmp

SNMP

src(s)

Source(s)

st

Status

stats

Statistics

stby

Standby

sys

System

term

Terminal

tmzn

Time zone

tp

Type

trig

Trigger

trk(s)

Trunk(s)

user

User

utl

Utilization

xmt

Transmit

yred

Y-cable redundancy

Command Shortcuts

When you enter a command, it displays next to the Last Command: prompt at the bottom of the screen. To copy the command to the new command line, press the Ctrl and A keys simultaneously. To execute the previous command, you can edit the command line and then press the Return key. You can also enter an exclamation mark (!) followed by the first letter or letters of a previous command and press the Return key. For example, to repeat the dspcons command:

  Last Command: dspcons
  Next Command: !dsp

Press the RETURN key. You can use the Display Command History (.) command to display the 12 most recently executed commands:


Step 1   Type . ( a period) and press Return. A numbered list of commands displays. In the following example, the most recently executed command is numbered 1.

12:
11:
10:
9:
8:
7: prtscrn
6: addcon 12.1 alpha 12.1 v
5: delcon 12.1
4: cnfport a 1200 n 8 1 x x n
3: cnftime 17 19 34
2: redscrn
1: help

Step 2   Type the number of the command you want to re-execute, then press the Return key. The command displays after the Next Command: prompt. You can press the Return key to execute the command, or you can edit the command line and then press the Return key. Whenever you end a terminal session by signing off (with the bye command), the command list is cleared.

In Case of a Mistake

Before you press Return, you can use control keys to edit a typed command. Table 1-3 lists the control key you can use to edit information on the command line. Not all terminals have the same key characters. If the exact key is not available, determine which key performs the function.


Table 1-3: Keys for Editing the Command Line
Function Keys Cursor Movement

Move the cursor

Ctrl-B

Moves the cursor left one word.

Ctrl-F

Moves the cursor right one word.

Ctrl-L

Moves the cursor right one character.

Ctrl-G

Moves the cursor left one character.

Arrows

Moves the cursor in the direction of the arrow.

Delete

Ctrl-W

Deletes a character.

CHAR DEL

Deletes a character.

Ctrl-H

Moves the cursor left one character and deletes that character.

Ctrl-D

Deletes all characters from the cursor position to the end of the line.

Ctrl-X

Deletes a line.

BACKSPACE

Moves the cursor left one character and deletes that character.

Insert

Ctrl-I

Toggles insert mode.

TAB

Toggles insert mode.

CHAR INSERT

Toggles insert mode.

Ctrl-^

Inserts line.

Miscellaneous

*

Leaves the data in this field as it is displayed and go to the next field.

DELETE

Aborts command.

Ctrl-M

Carriage return.

RETURN

Carriage return.

Ctrl-S

Stops the data flow from the node to the terminal screen.

Ctrl-Q

Restarts the flow of data from the IPX.

Ctrl-A

Copies the last command line.

! (..)

(The exclamation mark followed by the first characters or character of a command, brings that command back to the command line.)

Access Privileges

Access to the commands is password protected. To access the commands, type your user ID and user password at the log-in prompts. Each user is assigned a privilege level by the System Manager which determines what commands you can use. There are six user privilege levels, ranging from 1 to 6. Level 1 has access to all the commands and level 6 has access to the fewest commands. A given privilege level has access to all levels below it. For example, level 3 has access to levels 3 through 6. The privilege level for each command is part of the command summary. User ID and passwords are case-sensitive.

Commands Supported by Release 9.1

The screens and examples in this manual come network equipped with BPX, IPX, and IGX nodes with both narrowband (T1 and E1) trunks and broadband (DS3 and OC3) ATM trunks. IPX and IGX nodes run T3, E3, T1, E1, OC-3 and IMATM services.

Commands associated with optional software features function only if the option has been purchased and activated for each node in the network. Optional features are activated from the Cisco TAC. The features that fall into this category are:

Help

The system software provides a help function for commands. The help consists of a list of all commands and a display of command syntax. Entering "help" or "?" with no parameters displays a list of the seven command categories (see the list that follows). Entering "help" and a command name displays the command syntax. Entering "help" and a few letters of a command name lists all commands containing these characters. For example, "help fr" lists all commands containing the letters "fr." You can then select a particular command from this list for help information.

The On-Line Help feature of StrataView Plus provides more detailed command information. Hypertext links allow you to navigate through command category lists, alphabetical indexes, and the command descriptions. Refer to the Cisco StrataView Plus Operations manual for more information.

The Numbering of Trunks, Lines, and Channels

The information contained in this manual allows you to setup, configure, and maintain traffic on trunks and lines. Table 1-4 lists the format conventions for the name of trunks, lines, and channels.


Table 1-4: Formats of System Resource Names
Trunk, line, or channel Description

CDP/CVM Circuit Line and
NTC/NTM Trunk

The number assigned to a CDP or CVM line (CLN) or an NTC or NTM trunk (TRK) is the slot number of the BC-T1 or BC-E1 back card in the physical slot where the CLN or TRK is connected to the IPX or IGX node. In the case of redundant pairs, it is the slot associated with the primary back card.

AIT Trunk

The number assigned to the backslot of the BC-T3 or BC-E3 backcard.

BPX Trunk Numbers

The number assigned to a BPX trunk (TRK) is the backslot number and port (1 - 3) of the BNI (slot.port; example, 2.1) card to which the T3 trunk cable is attached.

Voice Channel Numbers

A voice channel is specified by "SLOT.CH". Sets of voice channels are specified by "SLOT.CH-CH". The notation "SLOT" refers to the back slot number of a circuit line and "CH" refers to a channel (1-24 for T1 or 1-31 for E1). For example, "12.1" indicates channel 1 on circuit line 12, and "12.1-9" indicates channels 1-9 on circuit line 12.

Data Channel Numbers

Data channels are specified by "SLOT.PORT", where "SLOT" refers to the slot number of a data card, and "PORT" refers to a port on that data card. For example, "9.3" specifies port 3 on the data card in slot 9. The notation "9.1-4" refers to ports 1-4 on that card. The range of port numbers is from 1 to 4 for SDI and DDS data cards. An appended "a", for example; 11.1-5a, indicates the channels are configured to use the super-rate alternating channel feature.

Frame relay channel
numbers (local addressing)

In the local addressing convention, frame relay channels are specified by "SLOT.PORT.DLCI", where "SLOT" refers to the slot number of an FRP, "PORT" refers to a port on the FRP card, and "DLCI" is the local data link connection identifier. The range of port numbers is from 1 to 4. For example, the following addcon command at alpha:

  addcon 6.1.101 beta 4.1.102 2

The command adds a connection between alpha and beta. The user device at alpha refers to this connection using the local DLCI of 101. The user device at beta refers to this connection using the local DLCI of 102. The DLCIs have local significance only. With local addressing, the same DLCI can be used again, but not for more than one destination from the same port. For example, the following adds another connection from alpha port 6.1:

  addcon 6.1.100 gamma 6.2.102 2

In this case, a DLCI of 100 is used at alpha. A DLCI of 102 can be used at gamma as well as at beta, because the DLCIs have only local significance.

Frame relay channel numbers (Global Addressing)

In the global addressing, the format for frame relay channel specification is "SLOT.PORT.DLCI." However, each FRP or FRM port (and associated user device) is identified by a unique DLCI. No two ports in the network can have the same DLCI. For example, alpha port 6.1, gamma port 6.2, and beta port 4.1 could be assigned unique DLCIs of 79, 80, and 81 when adding connections, as in the following example:

  addcon 6.1.80 gamma 6.2.79 2 (at alpha)
addcon 6.1.81 beta 4.1.79 1 (at alpha)
addcon 4.1.80 gamma 6.2.81 5 (at beta)

The user device at alpha refers to the connection between alpha and gamma, using the DLCI of 80 assigned to gamma. The user device at gamma refers to this connection using the DLCI of 79 assigned to alpha. The user device at alpha refers to the connection between alpha and beta using the DLCI of 81 assigned to beta. The user device at beta refers to this connection using the DLCI of 79 assigned to alpha. The user device at beta refers to the connection between beta and gamma using the DLCI of 80 assigned to gamma. The user device at gamma refers to this connection using the DLCI of 81 assigned to beta.

For information on adding frame relay connections through a FastPAD, refer to the command descriptions in the online version of the 8.2 FastPAD User's Guide.


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Posted: Thu Aug 22 09:31:25 PDT 2002
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