This document is designed to assist an IBM eServer pSeries or RS/6000 system administrator with configuring an IPX network on an AIX host. This process involves configuring a communications interface on the host for IPX.
This document is designed for AIX System Administrators with a knowledge of AIX administration and the 7318. Using this document to configure an IPX network takes approximately 15 minutes.
This document is comprised of modules that contain specific configuration steps. The modules have been arranged from general to specific configuration issues. This document does not contain detailed explanations about the modules and steps used in the IPX configuration.
This document applies to AIX Versions 3.2.5, 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3.
NOTE: This document does not cover configuration of Novell network services and protocols which are not required by the 7318.
To communicate with devices (and other hosts) on remote IPX networks, your host must be configured for an IPX network, and the router that connects the remote IPX network must be configured to pass IPX packets between the two networks. The steps for pSeries or RS/6000 IPX network configuration listed below are the same for a local or remote network configuration.
Before you begin using this document, it is assumed that the following conditions apply:
Terms used in this document:
To use this document effectively, you must know:
The procedure includes the following steps:
AIX Connections
AIX Connections uses an IPX protocol stack (denoted IPXd) that is slightly different than the IPX (denoted IPX) software that is used for NetWare and the 7318 Terminal Server. Both IPX protocol stacks (IPX and IPXd) cannot be active on a host at the same time. Therefore, to configure IPX for NetWare or the 7318, verify that AIX Connections is not active on the host.
NOTE: Other hosts running AIX Connections can reside on the same physical network without any compatibility problems.
# ps -ef | grep nw
Sample output:
root 11676 1 0 Oct 11 - 0:00 /usr/tn/nw/NWfile root 23948 1 0 Oct 11 - 0:00 /usr/tn/nw/NWbinderyd root 33958 1 0 Oct 11 - 0:00 /usr/tn/nw/NWprint user 34264 47824 2 16:30:01 pts/22 0:00 grep nw root 43820 11676 0 Oct 11 - 0:00 /usr/tn/nw/NWfile root 46740 1 0 Oct 11 - 0:00 /usr/tn/nw/NWlockd root 48002 1 0 Oct 11 pts/0 0:15 /usr/tn/nw/IPXd root 48558 1 0 Oct 11 - 0:00 /usr/tn/nw/NWdiagd
If any AIX Connections processes are active, you cannot configure an IPX network for NetWare or the 7318 on this host.
If AIX Connections is not active, continue with the next section.
Other versions of IPX
The IPX stack provided by ipx.rte that is used by the 7318 Terminal Server cannot coexist with any other IPX stacks. At AIX Version 4.3 and higher, another IPX stack is included with the operating system and may be installed. The fileset name is ipx.base.rte. If it is installed, it must be removed before the ipx.rte fileset can be installed and used. If both are installed at the same time, both IPX versions will have to be deinstalled, ipx.rte reinstalled, and the machine rebooted before proceeding.Check for the existence of the ipx.base.rte and ipx.base.api filesets by entering the following command:
lslpp -l ipx.base.*If it is installed and being used, 7318s cannot boot from this host. Otherwise, deinstall as previously mentioned.
The host communicates with the network through an interface (tr0, en0, et0, fi0). To configure an interface for IPX, the interface must already be active. The interface is active if the words <UP, RUNNING> appear in the flags when the ifconfig command is run.
NOTE: A communication INTERFACE is configured on a communication ADAPTER. That is, the tr0 interface is configured on the tok0 adapter card; similarly, the en0 (or et0) interfaces are configured on the ent0 adapter card. A communication adapter can have multiple interfaces. IPX networks can be configured on the following adapters.
ent0 Available 00-02 Ethernet High-Performance LAN Adapter (8ef5) fddi0 Available 00-03 FDDI Primary Card, Single Ring Fiber tok0 Available 00-04 Token-Ring High-Performance Adapter (8fc8) rhp0 Available 00-05 Network Terminal Accelerator
Verify that the communications interface is active using the ifconfig command and the adapter name for a Standard Ethernet Interface configured on ent0. Enter:
# ifconfig en0
Sample output:
en0: flags=8080863<UP,BROADCAST,NOTRAILERS,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> inet 9.3.6.32 netmask 0xffffffc0 broadcast 9.3.6.63
For a Standard Token Ring Interface on tok0, enter:
# ifconfig tr0
Sample output:
tr0: flags=80a0043<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,ALLCAST,MULTICAST> inet 9.3.6.68 netmask 0xffffffc0 broadcast 9.3.6.127
If the interface is active (the words <UP, RUNNING> appear in the flags list), then continue to the next section.
If the words <UP, RUNNING> do not appear in the flags list, then configure the interface through SMIT with the fastpath inet.
The /etc/netware/NPSConfig file contains configuration entries for the IPX network. To configure an IPX network, you must modify the interface's stanza in the /etc/netware/NPSConfig file.
NOTE: The host's internal_network number must be different from all other IPX hosts throughout the entire IPX inter-network and different from all other external network numbers. Check all other IPX hosts on the network to make sure that no two hosts have the same internal network number. By default, the internal_network is 00000001, but it can be any eight-digit hexadecimal number. It is recommended that you use the last eight digits of the pSeries or RS/6000's hardware address to ensure uniqueness from other hosts.
NOTE: Each communication interface must be configured as a different IPX network. Therefore, a host can have multiple IPX network connections if a different interface is configured for each IPX network. If the IPX network you are now configuring is an additional IPX network, that is, another interface is already configured for an IPX network, the X in the lan_X_network of the interface configuration stanza must be modified to reflect the additional IPX network. In other words, X is incremented as more interfaces are configured for IPX. lan_1_network is for the first IPX network, lan_2_network is for the second IPX network, the third is lan_3_network, and so on.
REMOTE CONFIGURATIONS:
The lan_X_network number can NOT be the same IPX network number as the remote IPX network. Different physical LAN segments, for example, two Ethernet segments separated by a router, must use different IPX network numbers. Once we configure an IPX network, the host will "see" the remote IPX network if the router or gateway passes IPX packets.
Three sample interface stanzas for IPX configuration and different interfaces follow.
Token Ring example (frame type TOKEN-RING):lan_1_network = "00000002" lan_1_adapter = "/dev/dlpi/tr" lan_1_adapter_type = "TOKEN-RING_DLPI" lan_1_ppa = 0 lan_1_if_name = "tr" lan_1_frame_type = "TOKEN-RING" lan_1_module = "NULL"FDDI example (frame type FDDI):
lan_1_network = "00000002" lan_1_adapter = "/dev/dlpi/fi" lan_1_adapter_type = "FDDI_DLPI" lan_1_ppa = 0 lan_1_if_name = "fi" lan_1_frame_type = "FDDI" lan_1_module = "NULL"Standard Ethernet example:
lan_1_adapter = "/dev/dlpi/en" lan_1_adapter_type = "ETHERNET_DLPI" lan_1_ppa = 0 lan_1_if_name = "en" lan_1_frame_type = "ETHERNET_II" lan_1_module = "NULL" lan_1_network = "00000002"
Continue to the next section.
To implement any changes made to the /etc/netware/NPSConfig file (to add the new IPX network), the IPX daemons must be recycled.
WARNING: When the IPX daemons are recycled, any IPX communication with the host will be stopped.
# /usr/lpp/netware/bin/stopnps # /usr/lpp/netware/bin/startnps
Check the /tmp/rc.netware.out file for any error messages. The following messages typically appear in this file:
strload: cannot load ncp: A file or directory in the path name does not exist. /usr/lpp/netware/bin/startnps: started Streams Architecture Daemon (npsd) and SAPD Daemon (sapd) /usr/lpp/netware/bin/startnps: successfully brought up the Novell Protocol Suite
NOTE: The preceding ncp error can be ignored because the 7318 is the only driver or application using IPX.
Also, run the commands ps -ef | grep sapd and ps -ef | grep npsd. Both of these daemons should be running as a result of the preceding startnps command.
If the commands fail, please check the /etc/netware/NPSConfig file for syntax errors with the IPX interface configuration. If the commands still fail, please contact an IBM AIX Technical Support Representative.
If the command is successful, the interface is now configured for the new IPX network. Proceed to the next section to verify the IPX network configuration.
View the host's IPX routing table by executing the program /usr/lpp/netware/bin/drouter. If the IPX network is configured properly, it will be listed in the IPX routing table.
REMOTE CONFIGURATIONS:
All remote IPX networks appear in the host's IPX routing table if there is an active IPX communication channel between the two IPX networks, that is, the router or gateway is configured correctly and passes IPX packets.
# /usr/lpp/netware/bin/drouter
Sample output:
NETWORK HOPS TIME NODE NETWORK HOPS TIME NODE ------- ---- ---- ------- -------- ---- ---- --------- 00000001 0000 0001 000000000001 00000002 0000 0001 02608C2F7119 00000003 0000 0001 02608C2F1591 00000004 0001 0002 00406E0002F5 00000005 0001 0002 00406E0002DB END OF TABLE 5 known networks [root@levesconte] /#>
Definitions:
NETWORK is the network number, internal or external. There should be one entry in this table for each network segment in the overall network and one for each host on the inter-network.
HOPS is the number of routers that must be passed through to get to this network.
NODE is the hardware MAC address of the station used to get to the network.
If the IPX network is listed, then you have successfully configured an IPX interface on the host.
If the newly created network is not listed, carefully review the configuration steps listed above. If you are still unsuccessful, please contact an IBM AIX Technical Support Representative.
NOTE: Routers and gateways that are part of the IPX inter-network must be configured to use the same frametype as specified in the host's /etc/netware/NPSConfig file. They must also be configured to use the Routing Information Protocol (RIP) and Service Advertising Protocol (SAP) correctly. Their configuration is beyond the scope of this document.
[ Doc Ref: 90605193714782 Publish Date: Mar. 06, 2001 4FAX Ref: 6528 ]