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Chapter 5 - The ICA Family of Cards

Overview

An overview of each of the five cards in the ICA family and their maximum line speeds
A brief description of how T1 and Fractional T1 are supported on the ICA family of cards
Requirements for installing ICA cards
Guidelines and instructions for figuring out load averages on each card, planning for performance
A brief description of WAN Server-to-Server considerations

The ICA Family of Cards

ICA Line Speeds

A maximum line speed of 384 Kbps
Better throughput, because the card processes an entire frame at a time instead of a character at a time

Table 5-1. ICA/HS Line Speeds

Port Number Type of Communications Maximum Line Speed Supported
Lines 1 - 2 Synchronous (HDLC, X.25, 3270 SNA) 384 Kbps
Asynchronous Server-to-Server 115.2 Kbps
Asynchronous Terminal Emulation
or UNIX TTY
19.2 Kbps
Lines 3 - 6 Synchronous (HDLC, X.25, 3270 SNA) 19.2 Kbps
Asynchronous Server-to-Server 38.4 Kbps
Asynchronous Terminal Emulation
or UNIX TTY
19.2 Kbps

T1 and Fractional T1 Support

Note: You cannot connect a server running T1 Server-to-Server on a Promptus T1 card with a server running FT1 on an ICAplus card. For more information on configuring the Promptus T1 card, see the Banyan T1 Server-to-Server Guide.

Note: Throughout this document, a line that is used for FT1 communications is referred to as an FT1 line.

1 DS0 (64 Kbps)
2 DS0s (128 Kbps)
4 DS0s (256 Kbps)
6 DS0s (384 Kbps)
8 DS0s (512 Kbps)
12 DS0s (768 Kbps)

Figure 5-1. Two Servers Connected by Three DS0 Circuits

The lines can be connected to the high-speed ports on either the same card or different cards.
The server can use the lines connected to a CSU/DSU to communicate with the same remote server or different remote servers.

Figure 5-2. FT1 Connections Between One Server and Two Remote Servers

DCE and DTE Assignment

Data Communications Equipment (DCE)
Data Terminal Equipment (DTE)

Figure 5-3. DCE and DTE Roles

Figure 5-4. Example of DCE and DTE Assignment

Server Requirements

Installing Options

To Verify that the Option Is Installed

1. At the Operator Menu, choose Manage Communications. The Manage Communications menu appears.

2. Choose Serial Communications. The Serial Communications menu appears.

3. Choose Manage Serial Lines. The Manage Serial Lines menu appears.

To Install an Option

1. From the Operator Menu, choose Shut Down Server Software.

2. From the Shut Down Menu, choose Shut down services and return console to OPERATOR MENU.

3. At the Operator Menu, choose System Maintenance.

4. At the System Maintenance menu, choose Manage Software Options. Use the menu choices to install an option with the Option Code.

5. When the Option Code software is installed, press ESC until you return to the System Maintenance menu.

6. Select Return to Operator Menu.

7. Select Restart Services from the Operator Menu.

Allocating Options to ICA Cards

Identifying ICA Line Numbers

s is the server slot number in which the card is installed.

p is the port number.

Figure 5-5. ICA Port Numbers

ICA Line Priorities

ICA Card Load Guidelines

Determining the Load on the Card

Whether or not the card uses its the high-speed lines. Lines 1 and 2, the high-speed lines, use the DMA controller. The card load decreases if the card can use its DMA controller, because the DMA controller can receive a block of information and pass it to the 80286 processor, instead of having the 80286 process every character as it is transmitted and received. DMA is available on ports 1 and 2 of the card.
The load factor associated with each option. Each protocol requires a certain amount of processing overhead. Table 5-2, which follows, lists these load factors.
The line speeds the options use. Calculate the load value on a line by multiplying the option's load factor by the line speed you use. The higher the line speed, the more load you place on the card's processor.
The number of active lines that operate at the same time. After you determine a load value for each line on the card, add the load values of all lines that will operate at the same time. For example, if you have a server-to-server asynchronous line that runs only at night, and the rest of the lines run only during the day, the total should include all lines except the server-to-server asynchronous line. The resulting number represents the maximum load placed on the card at any one time.

Table 5-2. ICA Family Load Factors

To Calculate the Load on a Card

1. Write the line number in the Line # column on the worksheet.

2. Write the option name in the Option Name column. Remember, if you have synchronous options, assign them to lines 1 and 2 for best performance.

3. If the line will be active, write Y or N in the Active Line? column.

4. Use Table 5-2 to look up the load factor associated with the option for that line.

5. Write the load factor in the Load Factor column.

6. Choose the line speed for the line, referring to Table 5-1 if necessary, for the maximum speed allowed.

7. Write the line speed in the Line Speed column.

8. Calculate the line load by multiplying the load factor value by the line speed value.

9. Write the result in the Load column.

1. Add the values in the Load column for all lines that will be active at the same time.

2. Write the result in the space provided for Total Load at the bottom of the worksheet.

Adjusting the Load on the Card

If you have more than two options that run synchronous protocols, make sure the ones with the highest load factors or line speeds are assigned to ports 1 and 2.
If you reduce the line speed for one or more options, you may still be able to run all the options you want on the card. Reducing one line speed can sometimes reduce the total load considerably.
If the server includes more than one ICA card, balance options by distributing the number of active lines or by distributing options with very high and very low load factors among the available cards.

Card Load Examples

Example Adjusting the Load on an ICA/HS Card with Five Options

Figure 5-6. Worksheet Sample for an Overloaded ICA/HS Card

Reduced the line speed for line 2 (X.25) to 115.2 Kbps.
Reduced the line speed for line 3 (PC Dial-in) to 19.2 Kbps.
Disabled line 6, the second HDLC Server-to-Server line.

Figure 5-7. Worksheet Sample for a Balanced ICA/HS Card

Example Adjusting the Load on an ICA/HS Card with the Asynchronous Terminal Emulation Option

Figure 5-8. Worksheet Sample for Asynchronous Terminal Emulation Option

Planning for Performance

What to Do Next

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