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Chapter 3 - Administrator's Tasks

Overview

Planning the network topology
Installing Banyan networking software and software options
Setting up and configuring hardware

Planning the Topology

In the early stages of your planning, concentrate on mapping and cabling the individual LAN or LANs in your network.
Combine separate LANs if you are planning a multi-server network.
Determine how much information networks will exchange across WANs. Plan WAN connections to mainframe computers, PDNs, and network LANs in distant locations accordingly.
Determine the types of communications devices you need.
Choose the appropriate Banyan serial communications software options.

LAN Hardware

LAN cards appropriate for the LAN type you chose (a card for each workstation)
Sufficient cable to connect the servers and workstations together
A set of the diskettes containing files required to run the workstation LAN cards under the Banyan networking software

Components and Options for WANs

One of Banyan's ICA serial communications cards on the gateway server in your network. Chapter 5 describes the ICA cards currently available. For information on installing the ICA cards, see the Banyan ICA Installation Guide.
A Promptus T1 card for full T1 communications. For information on installing and configuring this card, see the Banyan T1 Server-to-Server Guide.

Serial Communications Hardware

Provides both synchronous and asynchronous communications
Accepts standard serial communications connections using one of its six ports

Modem
Modem eliminator/emulator
Null-modem cable
Channel Service Unit/Data Service Unit (CSU/DSU)

Serial Communications Lines

1. One computer initiates the call.

2. The other computer answers.

3. The phone system establishes a temporary switched circuit like a person-to-person phone call between the two endpoints in the connection.

4. The temporary circuit is maintained until either end of the connection "hangs up." Then the circuit becomes available for another connection.

Modems and Modem Scripting

asy_lstn.sct, asy_call.sct - Default listening and calling scripts for asynchronous connections.

synclstn.sct, synccall.sct - Default listening and calling scripts for synchronous connections.

The Script Interpreter

Takes control of the ICA slot and line that was configured for communication
Reads the entire script file into memory
Executes script commands (for example, send ATDT) and sends the commands through the correct ICA slot and line
At the end of the script processing, returns control of the line to the appropriate protocol driver and leaves a status (succeeded or failed) in shared memory

When the Scripts Run

Figure 3-1. Running the Listening Script

Full T1 and Fractional T1 Support

Note: You cannot connect a server running T1 Server-to-Server on a Promptus T1 card to a server running FT1 on an ICAplus card.

Channel Service Unit/Data Service Units

Configuring the Software

The Managing Communications Menu

Figure 3-2. The Managing Communications Menu

To manage serial communications, see Chapter 7 in this guide.
To set-up TCP/IP, see the Banyan TCP/IP Guide.
To manage AppleTalk, see Managing AppleTalk on a VINES Network.
To mange T1/E1 Server-to-Server, see Chapter 5 in this guide.
To mange source level routing, see Chapter 4 in this guide.
To manage VINES/IP, see Chapter 8 in this guide.

Managing Services

Configuring LAN and WAN Cards

Note: Some systems require you to run hardware configuration software to install the network card. Typically, hardware configuration includes configuring the RAM, ROM, and Interrupt values for the network card.

You must run hardware configuration software before you use VINES to install and configure the network card. You must also use the same values when you install the network card on your VINES server as you did when you ran the hardware configuration software.

To Install a LAN or WAN Card

1. From the Operator Menu, choose the System Maintenance menu. The System Maintenance menu appears.

2. Choose Configure/Diagnose Server. The Banyan Server Configuration menu appears.

3. Choose Install/Remove Communications Drivers menu.

4. Place the driver diskette into the drive. Press ENTER.

The driver software is copied onto the server system.

To Load the Driver and Configure a LAN or WAN card

1. From the Operator Menu, choose the System Maintenance menu. The System Maintenance menu appears.

2. Choose Configure/Diagnose Server. The Banyan Server Configuration menu appears.

Figure 3-3. The Banyan Server Configuration Menu

3. Choose Add Cards/Change Card Configuration. The Add/Change Card menu appears.

4. Choose ADD a Card. The Add a Card menu appears.

5. Use the arrow keys and choose the correct card type.

6. If you need to change the default settings, choose Change Card Settings. Use the arrow keys to choose the card you just added.

7. Enter the following information.

- Slot Number

- Card Number

- Card Interrupt

- I/O Address

- RAM Address

Follow the guidelines suggested by the manufacturer. If your system required you to run hardware configuration software to specify the RAM, ROM, or Interrupt value, be sure to enter the same values here as you entered during hardware configuration.

8. From the Add/Change Card menu, choose Save Configuration and Exit.

9. Reboot the server.

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