Configuring Dial-Up Connections

This chapter provides procedures for configuring Dial-Up Frame Relay connections using the StrataView Plus Connection Manager. It includes the following sections:

In a Dial-Up application, users end equipment signals the Cisco WAN switching network to activate a dormant connection maintained in its database. The signalling messages are routed over pre-configured signalling channel from a T1 or E1 PRI connected to a node to the DAS Server Shelf. The DAS Server Shelf call processing software handles the signaling protocol and discovers the caller information from the ANI field of the signalling message. When the call is accepted, the call processor forwards the ANI to the DAS (INS) Daemon software running on the StrataView Plus Workstation. After validating the ANI, the DAS Daemon has StrataView Plus set up the requested connection. Using connection information in its database, StrataView Plus adds the connection to the Cisco WAN switching network. The DAS Server Shelf monitors the now active connection for disconnects and signals StrataView plus to remove the connection when it is no longer needed. (The DAS Server Shelf also keeps Call Detail Records (CDRs) concerning the call, which are described in Appendix D, Call Detail Records.)

This chapter provides procedures for using the StrataView Plus Connection Manager to configure Dial-Up connection parameters, i.e., to create the dormant connection in the StrataView Plus (the network's) database. The examples in this chapter are taken from StrataView Plus 8.1; the procedures for StrataView Plus 8.4 are nearly identical. Where there are significant differences between StrataView Plus 8.1 and 8.4, they will be pointed out.

Opening the Connection Manager

After the INS (DAS) CLI and ANI Configuration Interface parameters are set, you use the StrataView Plus Connection Manager to add the Dial-Up connection (i.e., dormant frame relay PVC) to the database.

To access the StrataView Plus Connection Manager, follow these steps:

Step 1 Start StrataView Plus.

Step 2 Select 3 to Start Desktop.

Step 3 Select the Connection Manager icon from the StrataView Plus Desktop toolbox. The Connection Manger menu, shown in Figure 12-1 appears. (The Connection Mode field shown with the Normal or Dial-Up option pulled down normally only shows Normal, the default Connection Mode.)

Note The Cisco StrataView Plus Operations Guide for Release 8.1 or for Release 8.4 contains detailed information about using the Connection Manager.

Figure 12-1: Connection Manager Window

Adding a Dial-Up Connection

To add a Dial-Up connection, follow these steps:

Step 1 In the Connection Manager window, click on the Connection Mode button (Normal or Dial-Up) and select Dial-Up. The ANI Help List window, shown in Figure 12-2, appears. (The ANI Help List window lists all the ANIs that were configured with the INS/DAS ANI Configuration Menu described in Chapter 11, Configuring Automatic Number Identifiers.) Also, when you select the Dial-Up mode, the Connection Type of the Connection List Filters also changes to reflect the Dial-Up Mode. (The ANI field replaces the Normal connection Local Information, Remote Information, and Connection Status fields.)

Figure 12-2: Dial Up mode and ANI Help List

Step 2 In the ANI Help List window, select the ANI for which you are configuring a Dial-Up connection. Press the OK button. The selected ANI will appear in the Connection Manager Connection List Filters: ANI box, shown in Figure 12-3.

Figure 12-3: ANI for New Dial-Up Connection

Step 3 Click on the Apply button. All of the connections previously configured for the specified ANI will appear in the Connection List box, also shown in Figure 12-3.

Step 4 New Dial-Up connections are added slightly differently in StrataView Plus 9.1 and StrataView Plus 8.4:

In StrataView Plus 8.1, to add a new Dial-Up connection for the specified ANI, click on the New button. The New Connection window, for a Dial-Up connection, shown in Figure 12-4 appears.
In StrataView Plus 8.4, to add a new Dial-Up connection in StrataView Plus 8.4, pull down Configure Menu at the top of the window and select New ANI Connection as shown in Figure 12-5; the New ANI FR-FR Connection menu, show in Figure 12-6, appears.

Figure 12-4: StrataView Plus 8.1 New Dial-Up Connection Window

Figure 12-5: StrataView Plus 8.4 New ANI Connection Menu

Note Terminating end-points (slot.port) must be upped through the node's command line interface to be seen on the StrataView Plus Connection Manger's New Connection (or New FR-FR Connection) windows.

Figure 12-6: StrataView Plus 8.4 ANI New FR-FR Connection Menu

Step 5 Complete the New Dial-Up (StrataView Plus 8.1) or new ANI FR-FR Connection (StrataView Plus 8.4) menu for frame-relay parameters:

Originating end-point defines the originating end-point, Ingress policing parameters, Ingress queue thresholds, and Egress queue Priority. The originating end-point parameters are identical to the Normal frame relay connection parameters with the exception that Originating end-point is defined by an ANI, ANI Type, and DLCI as opposed to a Cisco wide-area switch standard Node.Slot.Port.DLCI. This is because the DAS Dial-Up Frame Relay application determines these end-point physical parameters from the PRI signalling connection, which has been pre-configured, and the ISDN network (i.e., the switch attached to the Cisco wide-area switch) will assign the logical channel (i.e., the T1 or E1 timeslot) for the connection.
Terminating end-point defines the originating end-point, Ingress policing parameters, Ingress queue thresholds, and Egress queue Priority.
Connection parameters defines the Class of Service, Routing Restrictions, and Local to Remote and Remote to Local % Utilization and Rate control parameters (MIR, QIR, PIR).

Note Frame-relay connection parameters are described in detail in the Cisco StrataView Plus Operations Guide, the Cisco WAN Switching System Overview, and the Cisco WAN Switching Command Reference for either Release 8.1 or Release 8.4.

Step 6 After you have entered your Dial-Up connection frame-relay parameters, click the Apply button to set them. The result field of the window should read Connection addition successful.

Step 7 Click the Cancel button to exit the New Connection window and return to the Connection Manager window. The new connection should appear in the Connection List field. If not, press the Refresh button to view connection information.

Note For the MGX 8220, Frame Relay connection end points must be configured through a command line in the watchdog.conf file on the StrataView Plus Workstation. This command line (insd on . insd ) takes an -x parameter with sub-options for MGX 8220 Frame Relay end points. These arguments are described in the README text file which accompanies the DAS (INS) Daemon tar file. The -x arguments should not be used, however, without the direction of Customer Support.