Understanding VNswitch Architecture and Quickly Configuring a Module

The Quick Configuration Guide window provides a means for quickly configuring VNswitch components without having to refer to the application tree.  This is accomplished by clicking on one of the various components displayed in the illustration, which then brings up the web-based management application window associated with the selected component.

Architecture Overview

The illustration in the Quick Configuration Guide window depicts the architecture of the VNswitch and shows the relationship between the protocols, interfaces, ports, and VLAN Secure Domain (VSDs):

  • With the exception of the ATM physical interface,  a one-to-one relationship exists between physical interfaces and bridge ports.

  • The ATM physical interface has as many as 16 logical interfaces. These interfaces can be any combination of LAN Emulation Clients (ATM LECs) and ATM bridge tunnels, each of which has a one-to-one relationship with a bridge port.

  • The bridge ports in turn have a many-to-one relationship with the VSDs. That is, one or more bridge ports may be associated with a single VSD. The same bridge port cannot exist in more than one VSD.

  • Each VSD interacts with the network protocols through its own VLAN interface (VI).

Managing Physical Interfaces

You can use the Quick Configuration Guide window to access status and configuration information for a physical interface.  You can also access procedures to enable or disable an interface or modify interface characteristics.

Procedure:

Step Action
1 Select the physical interface that applies to the type of ports associated with your module: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, FDDI, or ATM.

Note: If your module is a VNswitch 900EA, XA, or FA, you can access ATM information from either the ATM physical interface or  the ATM logical interfaces.

2 In the Interface Configuration window, select the Details button associated with your physical interface:
  • Eth/n, for Ethernet devices
  • FastEth/n (?), for Fast Ethernet devices
  • FDDI/n, for FDDI devices
    (n represents the interface number)

For ATM devices, refer to Manage Logical Interfaces.

3 From the Status and Configuration window, you can:
  • View the status and configuration of specific interfaces
  • Enable or disable an interface
  • Set interface configuration parameters (parameters you can set differ depending on the interface)

For instructions on how to perform these tasks, click  the Help button on the bottom of the Status and Configuration window.

 

Managing Logical Interfaces

You can use the Quick Configuration Guide window to access status and configuration information for the ATM logical interfaces of a VNswitch 900EA, XA, or FA module. You can also access procedures to enable or disable the interface or modify interface characteristics.

Procedure:

Step Action
1 Select the logical interface associated with your ATM module: ATM LEC or ATM Bridge Tunnel
2 From the Interface Configuration window, select the Details button associated with your logical interface:
  • ALEC/n, for an ATM LAN Emulation (LANE) client
  • AFBT/n, for an ATM FDDI Bridge
  • AEBT/n, for an ATM Ethernet Bridge
    (n represents the interface number)
3 From the ATM (LEC or Bridge) Status and Configuration window, you can:
  • View the interface status and configuration information
  • Select the interface type
  • Enable or disable the interface
  • Set MAC type (if interface is a Bridge Tunnel)
  • Configure other interface parameters

For instructions on how to perform these tasks, click  the Help button on the bottom of the Status and Configuration window.

 

Managing Bridge Ports

You can use the Quick Configuration Guide window to access the bridge port status and configuration information. You can also access procedures to enable or disable the bridge port interface or modify interface characteristics.

Procedure:

Step Action
1 Select the circle that represents the Bridge Port  associated with the physical or logical interface.
2 In the Bridge Interface Configuration window, you can:
  • View the status and configuration of the bridge ports on your module
  • Modify bridge port characteristics for the following interfaces:

    Eth\n for Ethernet
    FastEth\n for Fast Ethernet
    FDDI\n for FDDI
    ALEC\n for ATM LAN Emulation clients
    AFBT\n for ATM FDDI Bridge Tunnels
    AEBT\n for ATM Ethernet Bridge Tunnels

For instructions on how to perform these tasks, click  the Help button on the bottom of the Bridge Interface Configuration window.

3 From the Bridge Interface - Add/Modify window, you can:
  • Enable or disable the bridge port interface
  • Enable or disable the Spanning Tree protocol
  • Enable or disable manual mode (non-listening)
  • Set bridge port priority

For instructions on how to perform these tasks, click  the Help button on the bottom of the Bridge Interface - Add/Modify window.

 

Managing VLAN Secure Domains (VSDs)

You can use the Quick Configuration Guide window to access the status and configuration information for VLAN Secure Domains (VSDs). You can also access procedures to add new VSDs and delete or modify existing VSDs.

Procedure:

Step Action
1 Select the VSD associated with your interface: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, FDDI, or ATM.
2 From the VSD Configuration window, you can:
  • View VSD configuration
  • Add a new VSD
  • Delete an existing VSD
  • Modify an existing VSD

Caution:  If you click Del, the VSD is deleted without verifying that you intended to delete the VSD.

For instructions on how to perform these tasks, click  the Help button on the bottom of the VSD Configuration window.

3 From the VSD - Add/Modify window, you can:
  • Add or modify a name for the VSD
  • Add or modify the VNbus tag/number
  • Add or modify bridge ports assigned to the VSD

For instructions on how to perform these tasks, click  the Help button on the bottom of the VSD - Add/Modify window.

 

Managing VLAN Interfaces (VIs)

You can use the Quick Configuration Guide window to associate a VSD with a VLAN Routing interface to allow data from the entities in the VSD to be routed.

Procedure:

Step Action
1 Select the VLAN Interface (VI) that applies to the VSD associated with your module: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, FDDI, or ATM.
2 From the Routing with VSDs window, you can:
  • View the VI routing configuration for VSDs
  • Modify the VI routing configuration for a VSD

For instructions on how to perform these tasks, click  the Help button on the bottom of the Routing with VSDs window.

3 From the Routing With VSDs Modify window, you can change the routing interface number associated with the VSD.

For instructions on how to perform these tasks, click  the Help button on the bottom of the Routing with VSDs Modify window.

 

Managing Internet Protocol (IP) Information

You can use the Quick Configuration Guide window to access information on the IP interface address for a router's VLAN interfaces (VI).  You can also access procedures to add or modify the IP interface address.

Procedure:

Step Action
1 Select the IP network protocol.
2 From the IP Interfaces Addresses window, you can:
  • View IP interface address information
  • Add an IP interface address for a VI
  • Modify an IP interface address
  • Delete an IP interface address

For instructions on how to perform these tasks, click the Help button on the bottom of the IP Interfaces Addresses window.

3 From the IP Address Add/Modify window, you can:
  • Add or modify the interface number
  • Add or modify the IP interface address
  • Add or modify the subnet mask
  • Delete an IP interface address by entering 0.0.0.0 in the IP Address field

For instructions on how to perform these tasks, click the Help button on the bottom of the IP Address Add/Modify window.

 

Managing Routing Protocols

You can use the Quick Configuration Guide window to access status and configuration for the following routing protocols:

  • Routing Information Protocol (RIP)

  • Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol

You can also access procedures to enable or disable the protocol,  and add, modify, or delete a routing protocol interface.

Procedure:

Step Action
1 Select the Routing Protocol:  RIP or OSPF.
2 From the Routing Interface window ( RIP or OSPF), you can:
  • View the routing interface status
  • Add a routing interface
  • Modify a routing interface
  • Delete a routing interface

Caution:  If you click Del, the routing interface is deleted without verifying that you intended to delete the interface.

For instructions on how to perform these tasks, click the Help button on the bottom of the Routing Interface screen.

3 From the RIP Interface Add/Modify window, you can:
  • Turn RIP on or off
  • Set send and receive flags

From the OSPF Interface - Add/Modify window, you can:

  • Enable or disable OSPF
  • Configure interface characteristic: Transit Delay, Hello Time, Retrans Time, Priority, Dead Time

For instructions on how to perform these tasks, click the Help button on the bottom of the Add/Modify window.

 

Undertanding Terminology

The following table provides definitions of the architectural components illustrated in this Quick Configuration Guide window.  For a general overview of the VNswitch, refer to the VNswitch Technical Overview guide.

Physical Interface

Physical point on the module to which a network transmission medium (cable or fiber, for example) is connected. Physical interfaces on VNswitch modules include Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, FDDI, ATM, and the VNbus.

Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, FDDI, and ATM physical interfaces are identified by a unique number next to each interface on the module’s front panel.

The VNbus physical interface is located on the module’s back panel. The VNbus interface number (0) is next to the VNbus Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) at the top of the front panel. (Refer to your module’s installation and configuration documentation to determine the exact location of these LEDs.)

Logical Interface

Abstract connection point, within the system’s software, between a physical interface and a bridge port. Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and FDDI physical interfaces are each associated with one logical interface. An ATM physical interface is associated with 1 to 16 logical interfaces, each of which is the connection point to either an ATM emulated LAN (ELAN), or an ATM bridge tunnel. Each logical interface on a switch is identified by a unique number.
ATM LEC Component of the LAN Emulation (LANE) service, an ATM LEC (LAN Emulation client) resides in each ATM edge-device, such as the VNswitch 900EA, XA, or FA switches.

Edge-devices translate Ethernet and FDDI frames as cells onto the ATM network and reassembles cells into frames when passing data back to the legacy network.

ATM Bridge Tunnel Point-to-point connection between two legacy LAN devices across an ATM network.

The VNswitch 900EA, XA, and FA modules support RFC 1483, allowing the creation of as many as 16 ATM bridge tunnels on their respective ATM ports. Either Ethernet or FDDI frames can be transported through a single bridge tunnel. Any mix of Ethernet and FDDI bridge is allowed.

Bridge Port

Abstract connection point, within the system’s software, to a transparent bridge. The transparent bridge forwards data to, or receives data from, bridge ports, based on the MAC address associated with the data. Each bridge port on a switch is identified by a unique number.

VLAN

Group of bridge ports logically linked to define a LAN on one or more hubs. This network configuration scheme enables you to configure a set of devices so they logically appear to be on the same LAN segment, although they may be physically on different segments.
VLAN Secure Domain (VSD) Logical set of one or more VLANs that operate with one spanning tree. A VLAN consists of a set of distinct bridge ports. Each set of bridge ports is isolated from other ports on the same switch by blocking all unicast and multicast traffic between VSDs. VNswitch modules presently support one VLAN per VSD, but the VSD concept provides for expanded support of multiple VLANs within a single VSD.

In most respects, each VSD operates as a separate logical bridge within the module. For example, a separate instance of the spanning tree protocol is run on each VSD.

VLAN Interface (VI) Abstract connection between a VLAN and a router, enabling you to connect multiple VLANs through the router.
IP Network protocol used by the VNswitch modules. It provides a common layer for packet switching   over dissimilar networks.
RIP Interior Gateway Protocol supplied with UNIX and most routers. It allows a group of VNswitch modules, located on a local network, to share routing information.
OSPF Open shortest path first, an interior gateway protocol  that replaces RIP.