Appendix A - Protocol Information
The protocol information function of VNSM allows you to view the following protocol tables from VINES servers:
To view protocol tables, choose SHOW protocol information from the VINES Network Summary menu. The Protocol Information menu appears:
This menu allows you to access the available types of protocol information on the server. The menu always displays VINES Neighbors, VINES Routes and VINES Source Level Routes. The menu displays TCP/IP tables if the server is equipped with the TCP/IP Routing option or the TCP/IP Server-to-Server option. The menu displays AppleTalk tables if AppleTalk is configured on the server and the appropriate option is installed.
In the sample menu, notice that the server has either the TCP/IP Routing or the TCP/IP Server-to-Server option installed and has AppleTalk configured.
To display protocol information, choose one of the available table types from the Protocol Information menu.
The sections that follow describe the types of protocol information that you can view. Remember that you can press F10 to request an immediate update while viewing this information. Keep in mind that, with the exception of timers, this information remains fairly static.
If you choose VINES Neighbors from the Protocol Information menu, the screen that appears displays the Table of Neighbors, which contains entries for each neighbor server, and each neighbor DOS, Windows, or OS/2 workstation.
The top part of the screen displays the name of the server that you are currently monitoring, its network ID, and the number of entries in the neighbor table.
The rest of the screen displays the contents of the Table of Neighbors. Each VINES server keeps a Table of Neighbors, which contains an entry for each neighbor server, DOS workstation, Windows, workstation and OS/2 workstation.
Since Macintosh workstations use AppleTalk protocols to communicate with VINES servers, the Table of Neighbors does not have entries for neighbor Macintosh workstations. The server uses AppleTalk ARP cache entries to communicate with Macintosh workstations. See the section "AppleTalk ARP Cache" later on for information on AppleTalk neighbors such as Macintosh workstations.
Each neighbor entry contains the several fields of information, which are described in the remainder of this section.
#
This field displays the number assigned to the entry in the table. It is used by VINES routing software for accounting purposes.
LinkAdr
This field displays the address of the neighbor's physical interface, such as a LAN address. Ignore this field if the neighbor is connected to the called server by an HDLC or asynchronous line, an X.25 virtual circuit, a T1 LAPD connection, an ISDN B channel, or a TCP/IP network.
Sig
This field displays the number of bytes in the data link address. For example, this field displays 6 for Ethernet and Token-Ring LAN addresses or 1 for ProNET-10 addresses. This field displays 0 if the server that you are monitoring is connected to the neighbor by an HDLC or asynchronous line, an X.25 virtual circuit, a T1 LAPD connection, an ISDN B channel, or a TCP/IP network.
NetId
This field displays the network ID in the VINES internet address of the neighbor. Each network ID corresponds to the serial number of a server, and identifies a VINES logical network.
Network IDs form the first part of a VINES internet address. The second part of the address is a subnetwork ID, which uniquely identifies individual nodes within a logical network.
In effect, each VINES server forms a logical network. Each workstation to which the server assigns a VINES internet address becomes part of that server's logical network. When a server assigns a workstation a VINES internet address, the server becomes that workstation's routing server.
The server with the fastest processor becomes the routing server for most, if not all, of the workstations on a LAN. This happens because the server that responds to VINES ARP broadcast requests from a workstation first becomes that workstation's routing server. In most cases, the server that responds first is the server with the fastest processor.
Keep in mind that VINES servers assign VINES internet addresses to DOS, Windows and OS/2 workstations only.
The VINES internet addresses of these workstations contain the routing server's network ID and subnetwork ID that is uniquely assigned by the routing server. The subnetwork ID uniquely identifies the workstation within the logical network. The server's subnetwork ID is always 1. The subnetwork IDs of workstations can range from 32768 through 65534.
SNetId
This field displays the neighbor's subnetwork ID. See the preceding description of the NetId field for more information on the subnetwork ID.
NbrT
This field displays the neighbor type. A value of 1 indicates that the neighbor is a workstation. A value of 0 indicates that the neighbor is a server.
Slot
This field displays the number of the slot in which the LAN card or serial communications card for reaching the neighbor is installed. For T1 LAPD connections and ISDN B channel connections, this field does not display a physical slot number. Instead, the field displays an internal unit number that the server uses to keep track of these connections.
Line
This field applies to neighbors that are reached over HDLC and asynchronous serial communication lines and X.25 virtual circuits only. The field displays the line number of the serial communications line that is used to reach the neighbor.
For LAN neighbors, this field displays 0.
IfcT
This field displays the type of interface that connects the server you are monitoring to the neighbor. The values and their associated interface types are listed in Table A-1. Interface types that apply to TCP/IP and AppleTalk are also in this table.
This table may not provide all values because new ones are added each time VINES, TCP/IP, or AppleTalk supports a new interface.
IfcAdr
This field specifies the address of the interface, such as a LAN address, of the server that you are monitoring. If the server is connected to the neighbor by an HDLC or asynchronous line, this object specifies an internal identifier that the server uses to keep track of HDLC and asynchronous lines.
Ignore this field if the entry is for a neighbor server that is connected to the called server by a T1 LAPD connection, an ISDN B channel, or a TCP/IP or SNA network.
If the server that you are monitoring is connected to the neighbor by an X.25 virtual circuit, this field displays the local session number that the server assigns to the virtual circuit. The local session number is an internal identifier of a virtual circuit and is not the same as the X.25 virtual circuit number.
When you choose VINES Routes from the Protocol Information menu, the VINES Table of Networks screen appears.
The top part of the screen displays the name of the server that you are currently monitoring, its network ID, and the number of routes in the Table of Networks.
The information that this screen contains closely resembles the information you can obtain from the VINES Route Information screen (see Chapter 13). This screen also contains information that is not found on the VINES Route Information screen.
The fields on the VINES Table of Networks screen are described in the remainder of this section.
#
This field displays the number that VNSM assigns to the entry. It has no special significance.
NetId
This field displays the network ID of the destination network. Each network ID corresponds to the serial number of a server, and identifies a VINES logical network.
For more information on destination VINES networks, see the description of the Destination field in the section "VINES Route Information" in Chapter 13.
Metric
This field displays the metric for the route. For more information on routing metrics, see the description of the Metric field in the section "VINES Route Information" in Chapter 13.
TTL
This field displays the time-to-live (TTL) timer for the routing table entry in 90-second intervals. For more information on the TTL timer, see the description of the TTL field in the section "VINES Route Information" in Chapter 13.
Flags
This field indicates which flags are set for the routing table entry. For more information on VINES routing table flags, see the description of the Flags field in the section "VINES Route Information" in Chapter 13.
GateNetId
This field displays the network ID of the server that acts as the gateway to the destination network.
For more information on gateways, see the description of the Gate field in the section "VINES Route Information" in Chapter 13.
PrefNetId
This field displays the network ID of the server that acts as the preferred gateway to the destination. The preferred gateway is the best possible gateway for reaching a destination. On VINES 5.50 servers, this field should always be 0.
Servers that act as gateways can detect whether other servers should be using them to forward traffic to destinations. When a server detects that another server should not be using it to reach a destination, it sends a redirect packet to the other server. The redirect packet tells the other server to use a different gateway. The network ID of this gateway shows up in the PrefNetId field in the other server's routing table entry for the route. The gateway that was previously used appears in the GateNetId field in the entry.
When you choose VINES Source Level Routes from the Protocol Information menu, the VINES Source Level Routes screen appears.
The top part of the screen displays the name of the server that you are currently monitoring, its network ID, and the number of source-level routes through both IBM local Token-Ring bridges and IBM remote Token-Ring bridges.
A local Token-Ring bridge is a single PC that runs IBM local Token-Ring bridge software and connects two Token-Ring LANs directly.
A remote Token-Ring bridge consists of a bridge pair. The pair consists of two PCs that are connected by a serial communications line - typically over long distances - and run IBM Remote Token-Ring bridge software. Each member of the pair is connected to a Token-Ring LAN. Together, the pair bridges the two LANs.
A bridge pair appears to the rest of the network as a single entity, even though it consists of two separate PCs. The pair is assigned a single bridge number.
VINES servers, workstations, and other network nodes use the source-level routing (SLR) protocol to communicate through these bridges.
Each route entry identifies the type of Token-Ring bridge (local or remote) associated with the route, it's bridge number, the numbers assigned to the rings to which it is connected, and the VINES routing metric.
Note that VINES servers do not use source-level routing to communicate through servers equipped with the VINES Token-Ring bridge option. Instead, they use VINES protocols to communicate.
The fields on the screen are described in the remainder of this section.
BrTy
The type of Token-Ring bridge associated with the route. For remote Token-Ring bridges, this field displays 1. For local bridges, this field displays 2.
BrNu
The bridge number, in decimal, assigned to the bridge.
S_Ring
The hexadecimal number assigned to the source ring to which the local or remote bridge is connected. In a Token-Ring bridge configuration, one Token-Ring LAN is designated as the source ring and the other Token-Ring LAN is designated as the target ring. It does not matter which LAN is the source ring and which is the target ring.
T_Ring
The hexadecimal number assigned to the target ring to which the local or remote bridge is connected. See the preceding description of the S_Ring field.
Metric
The VINES routing metric, in 200-millisecond decimal ticks, for the route through the Token-Ring bridge. Keep in mind that metrics for source-level routes can be configured from the server console.
Chapter 13 provides more information on VINES routing metrics. See Managing Communications for more information on configuring source-level routes.
If you choose TCP/IP ARP cache entries from the Protocol Information menu, the screen that appears displays the TCP/IP ARP cache table.
On servers equipped with the TCP/IP Routing or Server-to-Server option, this table contains entries that resolve the physical addresses and the IP addresses of neighbor TCP/IP hosts. Either these entries are manually entered into the table through the TCP/IP configuration program, which is run at the server console, or the entries are received in TCP/IP ARP packets.
The table displays entries that are complete as well as entries that are incomplete. Incomplete entries are waiting for a reply to an ARP request.
If complete ARP entries are not used for 10 minutes, they are aged out of the table. Incomplete ARP entries age out in 3 minutes.
The fields on the screen are described in the remainder of this section.
#
This field displays the number that VNSM assigns to the entry. It has no special significance.
IPAdr
This field displays the IP address assigned to the interface that connects the server to the neighbor TCP/IP host associated with the ARP entry.
Flags
This field indicates which flags are set for the ARP entry. These flags provide descriptive information about the entry, such as whether the ARP entry is usable.
Each ARP entry has an 8-bit field that is used for setting flags. The value of this field depends on the specific bits that are set. For example, if bits 0 and 5 are set:
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
The value of the field is 21. All values appear in hexadecimal. The individual bits and their meanings are described in the list that follows.
LnkAdr
This field displays the interface address, in hexadecimal, of the neighbor TCP/IP host associated with the ARP entry. For neighbors that are connected to the server by LANs, this field displays the physical address of the neighbor, such as the Ethernet address.
For DOS workstations that use the VINES interface to route traffic through the server, this field displays the VINES internet address assigned to the workstation.
For VINES servers to which the server that you are monitoring tunnels TCP/IP traffic, this field displays the VINES internet address of the server.
Sig
This field displays the length, in bytes, of the address in the LnkAdr field.
IfcTyp
This field displays the type of interface that connects the server you are monitoring to the neighbor associated with the ARP entry. If the interface is a LAN card, this field displays a value that identifies the LAN card vendor. The VINES TCP/IP Routing and Server-to-Server options support many Ethernet and IEEE 802.5 Token-Ring LAN cards, as well as the ProNET-10 LAN card. Contact your Banyan sales representative for more information on the specific LAN cards that the Banyan TCP/IP options support.
The values and their associated LAN card types are described in Table A-1. A value of 25 specifies the VINES interface, which is not a physical interface such as a LAN card. This interface is used by DOS workstations that run a version of PC/TCP from FTP Software, Inc. that uses VINES to tunnel TCP/IP traffic through VINES networks to a server that has the VINES interface configured.
Slot
This field displays the slot number of the LAN card that connects the server to the neighbor TCP/IP host associated with the ARP entry. This field displays 0 for DOS workstations that use the VINES interface to route traffic through the server.
Send Qu
The total number of IP packets that are waiting to be transmitted because the ARP entry is not resolved. ARP entries are not resolved until they have both the IP address of the destination and the physical interface address, such as an Ethernet address, of the TCP/IP host that acts as the next hop to the destination. The next hop is the TCP/IP host to which the server forwards packets destined for the TCP/IP host identified by the IP address. In most cases, the next hop and the destination are the same TCP/IP host.
If you choose TCP/IP IP interfaces from the Protocol Information menu, the screen that appears displays the TCP/IP interfaces table.
On servers equipped with the TCP/IP Routing or Server-to-Server options, this table contains an entry for each TCP/IP interface on the server. These entries go into the table through the TCP/IP configuration program, which is run at the server console. See the Banyan TCP/IP Guide for more information on configuring TCP/IP interfaces.
The fields on the screen are described in the remainder of this section.
IPAdr
This field displays the IP address assigned to the interface. This address is configured at the server console through the TCP/IP configuration program. An IP address appears in decimal dot notation, such as 131.100.1.1. See the Banyan TCP/IP Guide for information on TCP/IP addresses.
SubnetMask
This field displays the subnetwork mask assigned to the interface's address. The subnetwork mask is configured at the server console through the TCP/IP configuration program. It defines the number of bits in the IP address that are reserved for the network and subnetwork numbers. See the Banyan TCP/IP Guide for more information on the subnetwork mask.
BCastAdr
This field displays the interface's broadcast address. It is configured at the server console through the TCP/IP configuration program. The broadcast address consists of the same network and subnetwork numbers that are in the interface's IP address, and the remaining bits are either all 0s or all 1s. See the Banyan TCP/IP Guide for more information on the broadcast address.
Flags
Entries in the TCP/IP interface table have flags that provide TCP/IP option software with additional information about the interface, such as the type of framing used on the interface. Each entry has a 16-bit field that is used for setting flags. The value of this field is displayed in hexadecimal. The value of this field depends on the specific bits that are set.
For example, if bits 0 and 5 are set:
15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
the value of the field is 0x21. Only bits 0 through 8 are used.
The individual bits and their meanings when they are set are described in the list that follows. A bit is set when its value is 1. Note that the hexadecimal values in parentheses assume has just the specified bit is set. Keep in mind that multiple bits can be set.
IfcTyp
This field displays the type of interface. If the interface is a LAN card, this field displays a value that identifies the LAN card vendor. See Table A-1 for information on these values.
Slot
If the interface is a LAN card, this field displays the slot number of the LAN card. This field displays 0 for the VINES interface.
If you choose TCP/IP Domain name servers from the Protocol Information menu, the screen that appears displays the domain name servers that are configured on the server. A server queries the domain name servers specified in its configuration when it needs to resolve hostnames and IP addresses. Typically, domain name servers are either minicomputers or powerful UNIX workstations.
Servers typically have domain name servers configured when they run the VINES SMTP Gateway or when they run third-party applications that use hostnames. Domain name servers are configured at the server console through the TCP/IP configuration program. See the VINES SMTP Gateway Option Guide and the VINES TCP/UDP Programming Interface for more information on domain name servers.
Each domain name server has an entry in the TCP/IP configuration. Each entry contains fields of information that are described in the remainder of this section.
#
This field displays the number that VNSM assigns to the entry. It has no special significance.
IPAdr
This field displays the domain name server's IP address. IP addresses appear in dot notation, such as 131.100.1.1.
HostName
This field displays the domain name server's hostname. Hostnames consist of two parts. One part is the domain name, which identifies the domain in which the domain name server resides. A domain is a logical grouping of TCP/IP hosts. The other part identifies the host within the domain.
For example, the hostname
CSDEPT1.STATEU.EDU
identifies a domain name server, CSDEPT1, in the domain STATEU.EDU.
When you choose TCP/IP Routes from the Protocol Information menu, the VINES TCP/IP Routing Table screen appears.
The top part of the screen displays the name of the server that you are currently monitoring, its network ID, and the number of routes in the TCP/IP routing table.
The information that this screen contains closely resembles the information you can obtain from the TCP/IP Routes screen (see Chapter 13). The TCP/IP Routing Table screen also contains information that cannot be found on the TCP/IP Routes screen. The fields on the VINES TCP/IP Routing Table screen are described in the remainder of this section.
#
This field displays the number that VNSM assigns to the entry. It has no special significance.
DestIPAdr
This field displays the IP address of the destination. The address can identify either a TCP/IP network, a TCP/IP subnetwork, or a TCP/IP host. If the field displays 0.0.0.0, the destination is the default gateway. A destination address of 127.0.0.0 is reserved as the loopback address.
GateIPAdr
This field displays the IP address of the TCP/IP gateway to the destination network. If the destination is directly connected to the server, this field displays the IP address of the interface that the server uses to reach the destination.
If the destination is the default gateway, this field displays the gateway's IP address.
If the gateway is a VINES server that is reached through a VINES network, this field displays the serial number of the server in TCP/IP address format. For example, the serial number 02007812 would appear as 0.30.163.4.
Flags
This field indicates which flags are set for the routing table entry. These flags provide internal routing software with descriptive information about the entry, such as whether the destination is reachable.
Each routing table entry has a 16-bit field that is used for setting flags. The value of this field depends on the specific bits that are set.
For example, if bits 0 and 1 are set:
15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
the value that VNSM displays is 3. VNSM displays values in hexadecimal.
The individual bits and their meanings when they are set are listed below. A bit is set when its value is 1. The hexadecimal values in parentheses assume that just the specified bit is set. Keep in mind that multiple bits can be set. At this time, only bits 0 through 11 are used.
Bit 0 (0x1) - Indicates that the route can be used.
Bit 1 (0x2) - Indicates that the destination is reached through a gateway.
Bit 2 (0x4) - Indicates that the destination is a host.
Bit 3 (0x8) - Indicates that the entry was created automatically by an ICMP redirect message. These messages tell the server about problems encountered during delivery of data. Typically, gateways make use of ICMP redirect messages to update routes, discover unreachable destinations, and become alerted to network congestion.
Bit 4 (0x10) - Indicates that the gateway specified in the entry was modified dynamically by an ICMP redirect message. An ICMP redirect message tells a server about a better route to a destination than one that the server chose to use previously.
Bit 5 (0x20) - Indicates that the entry was created from the server console through the TCP/IP configuration program.
Bit 6 (0x40) - Indicates that an administrator used the TCP/IP configuration program to delete the routing entry from the server console, but that copies of the entry are still being used by TCP/IP-based applications, such as the SMTP gateway. When these applications have finished using copies of the entry, the entry will be deleted from the TCP/IP routing table.
Bit 7 (0x80) - Indicates that the entry is for a route to a subnetwork, but is not in use because both of the following conditions are met:
- The interface that connects the server to the route's destination subnetwork and the subnetwork itself have the same network numbers.
- One of the addresses - the address of the interface or the address of the adjacent network - is not subnetted.
In this case, TCP/IP option software uses the network route entry that was created automatically when the interface was configured. However, the software keeps the subnetwork entry in case the network number in the address assigned to the interface is changed.
Bit 8 (0x100) - Indicates that the entry is for a manually defined route to an adjacent network or subnetwork that is in use. The administrator creates these routes through the TCP/IP configuration program.
Bit 9 (0x200) - Indicates that the route entry is for the default gateway.
Bit 10 (0x400) - Indicates that the route is a tunnel through a VINES network, and the gateway is a server that has the TCP/IP Routing option installed.
Bit 11 (0x800) - Indicates that the route is through a VINES network, which could be either a tunnel to PCs running PC/TCP or a tunnel that uses a server equipped with the TCP/IP Routing option.
Slot
This field displays the slot number of the interface that is used to reach the destination. If the VINES interface is used to reach the destination, this field displays 0. This field also displays 0 if the loopback interface is used to reach the destination.
MedTyp
This field displays the type of interface. If the interface is a LAN card, this field displays a value that identifies the LAN card vendor. See Table 1-1 for information on these values.
RefCount
This field returns the number of copies of the routing entry that TCP/IP-based applications are currently using. Examples of TCP/IP-based applications include the SMTP gateway service and applications developed with the VINES TCP/UDP Programming Interface.
When a TCP/IP-based application uses a route to communicate with another application, a copy of the routing table entry for that route is made and reserved for use by that application only. This eliminates the need for the TCP/IP option software to perform a routing table lookup every time the application sends data.
PktFwd
This field displays the number of IP packets that the server has forwarded over the route since it was last booted.
If you choose TCP/IP UDP entries from the Protocol Information menu, the screen that appears displays a list of the UDP entries on this server.
Each time a UDP-based application on the server, such as the SNMP proxy agent, opens a UDP socket, the server creates a UDP entry in memory. The entry is deleted when the application closes the socket.
The fields on the screen are described in the remainder of this section.
Local Address
The IP address that the application uses to send and receive datagrams. When the application is willing to accept datagrams on any of the server's IP interfaces, this field displays 0.0.0.0. UDP-based applications on the same server can also use the IP address 0.0.0.0 to receive datagrams from each other locally.
Local
The port number of the application on the server.
If you choose TCP/IP TCP Connection entries from the Protocol Information menu, the screen that appears displays a list of the TCP connections that the server currently maintains.
Each time a TCP-based application on the server, such as the SMTP gateway, has a connection to another TCP-based application, the server creates a TCP connection entry in memory. The entry is deleted when the connection is closed.
The fields on the screen are described in the remainder of this section.
Local Address
The IP address that the application uses to send and receive segments on the connection. The address 0.0.0.0 indicates that the application accepts any packets directed to any of the server's local interfaces.
When the application is in the listen state and is willing to accept connections on any of the server's IP interfaces, this field displays 0.0.0.0. When the connection is established, another entry is created, and the field displays the IP address of the interface on which the application accepted the connection.
Remote Address
The IP address of the remote TCP/IP host that runs the application on the other end of the TCP connection.
Local
The port number of the local application.
Remote
The port number of the application on the other end of the connection.
ConnSt
The state of the connection. The states that appear in the ConnSt field are as follows:
MaxSeg
The maximum size of segments, in bytes, that the application can send on the connection.
SndWin
The send window size, which determines the maximum number of bytes that the application can send to the other end of the connection at a given time. This value is 0 if data cannot be sent on the connection, such as when the connection is in closed state.
RcvW
The receive window size, which determines the maximum number of bytes that the application can receive from the other end of the connection at a given time. This value is 0 if data cannot be received on the connection, such as when the connection is in closed state.
If you choose AppleTalk ARP cache entries from the Protocol Information menu, the screen that appears displays the AppleTalk ARP cache table.
On servers that have AppleTalk configured, this table contains entries that resolve the physical addresses and the AppleTalk internet addresses of neighbor AppleTalk nodes. These entries are created by received AppleTalk ARP packets.
The fields on the screen are described in the remainder of this section.
#
This field displays the number that VNSM assigns to the entry. It has no special significance.
Net
This field displays the network number in the neighbor's AppleTalk internet address. Each AppleTalk internet address consists of a network number, which identifies a node's network, and a node ID, which uniquely identifies the node within the network.
Node
This field displays the node ID of the neighbor.
AdrTyp
This field displays 1 if the neighbor is reached on an Ethernet LAN. This field displays 2 if the neighbor is reached on a Token-Ring LAN.
Sig
This field displays the length, in bytes, of the LAN address, such as an Ethernet address or a Token-Ring address.
LnkAdr
This field displays the LAN address of the neighbor. If this field displays a LAN address, the entry is complete and the Flag field displays 1. If the LnkAdr field does not display a LAN address, the entry is incomplete and the Flag field displays 0.
Incomplete entries are for AppleTalk neighbors that have not responded to the server with their LAN addresses. In this case, the LnkAdr field has no LAN address.
Complete entries are for AppleTalk neighbors that have responded with their LAN addresses. In this case, the LnkAdr field displays a LAN address.
Timer
This field displays the amount of time, in 2-second units, before the ARP entry for the neighbor expires in the server's ARP cache. If the entry is not used for 10 minutes (300), the entry is deleted.
Each time AppleTalk uses an entry to communicate with a neighbor, the timer is reset to 0 and the entry begins to age. Incomplete entries age faster than complete entries. Incomplete entries are removed when the timer reaches 90 (3 minutes). Complete entries are removed when the timer reaches 300 (10 minutes).
Flag
This field indicates which flags are set for the neighbor table entry. These flags provide internal routing software with descriptive information about the entry, such as whether the entry is complete and usable.
Each routing table entry has an 8-bit field that is used for setting flags. Only bit 0 is used. For example, if bit 0 is set:
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
the value that VNSM displays is 1.
If bit 0 is set, the ARP entry is complete and the physical address is valid. Otherwise, the entry is incomplete and invalid.
IfcTyp
This field indicates the type of LAN card. The values that identify these card types are listed in Table A-1.
Port
This field displays the slot number of the LAN card that connects the server to the neighbor. This field displays 0 for the VINES port.
If you choose APPLETALK Ports from the Protocol Information menu, the screen that appears displays the AppleTalk port table.
On servers that have AppleTalk configured, this table has an entry for each AppleTalk port on the server. Ports are configured through the AppleTalk configuration program, which is run at the server console. See Managing AppleTalk for more information on configuring AppleTalk ports.
The fields on the screen are described in the remainder of this section.
#
This field displays the number that VNSM assigns to the entry. It has no special significance.
Slot
This field displays the slot number associated with the port. For LAN card ports, this field displays the slot number in which the LAN card is installed. For the port for VINES, this field displays 0. The server uses the port for VINES to tunnel AppleTalk traffic to other VINES servers.
Net
This field displays the network number in the server's AppleTalk internet address for the port. This number is in the range of numbers displayed in the RngBeg and RngEnd fields.
Node
This field displays the node ID in the server's AppleTalk internet address for the port.
RngBeg
This field displays the first network number in the range of network numbers for the port. For example, if the network number range for the port is 6-7, this field will display 6.
Keep in mind that if the port has only one network number, or if the server is running AppleTalk Phase 1, this field and the RngEnd field will display the same number.
RngEnd
This field displays the last network number in the range of network numbers for the port. For example, if the network number range for the port is 6-7, this field would display 7.
Keep in mind that if the port has only one network number, or if the server is running AppleTalk Phase 1, this field and the RngBeg field will display the same number.
Status and Flags
These two fields provide information on the current state of the port. The port undergoes frequent state changes as it initializes. After it initializes, the state of the port remains constant for the most part.
To understand how the status and flags fields work, you should understand something about the sequence of events that occur when a port initializes. The sequence of events differs between AppleTalk Phase 1 ports and AppleTalk Phase 2 ports.
Phase 1
When a Phase 1 port initializes, the following events take place:
1. The server broadcasts AppleTalk ARP probe packets on the cable to determine if the preliminary AppleTalk node ID it selected is not in use by another AppleTalk node. AppleTalk software on the server sets status to INITIALIZING. The software also sets the probing flag (bit 3) to indicate that a probe is in progress.
2. When the server receives a successful response to the probe broadcast from other AppleTalk nodes, it turns off the probing flag. This indicates that the AppleTalk node ID that the server originally selected can be used.
If the selected node ID is in use, the server keeps the probing flag set and probes again with a new address. If the response is successful, the server turns off the probing flag. The server sets the port to SHUTDOWN status if an unused node ID cannot be found.
3. If the port is a seed port, the server sets the network information flag (bit 6) and sends RTMP requests to neighbor AppleTalk seed routers to verify that the network number configured for the port is the same as the network numbers configured for other ports on the cable. The server turns off the network information flag when it receives responses to the RTMP requests, and the responses indicate that the network number for the port is the same as the network number configured for other seed ports on the cable. Otherwise, the network information flag is left on and the server sets status to CONFLICT.
If the port is a non-seed port, the server sets the network information flag and sends RTMP requests to neighbor AppleTalk seed routers to obtain a network number. It turns the network information flag off if the other routers respond with a number.
If no responses are received on a non-seed or a seed port, the port can still initialize if the port is the only port on the server. In this case, the server chooses a network number of 0 for the port and uses * (the asterisk) for the zone name. The server changes status from INITIALIZING to ALONE, and sets the flag that indicates that the initialization period is over (bit 2). The server sets status to ALONE and sets the ALONE flag (bit 9). The ALONE status and flag mean that the port can be used and there are no other routers on the cable connected to the port.
If no responses are received and the port is not the only one on the server, the server sets the port status to NEEDINFO and sets the ALONE flag (bit 9).
4. If the server receives a response to the RTMP request, the server sends a ZIP query request broadcast on the cable connected to the port. The zone information flag (bit 7) is turned on. This flag is turned off when a response to the ZIP query request is processed successfully.
- If the port is a seed port, the server compares the zone names that it receives in ZIP reply packets from other seed routers to the one configured for its own seed port. If the name matches, the port is initialized, status is changed from INITIALIZING to CONFIRMED, and the flag that indicates that the verification period is over (bit 2) is set. Otherwise, the server sets the status of the port to CONFLICT and sets the shut down flag (bit 8) to 1.
- If the port is a non-seed port and the server receives ZIP replies to the ZIP query, the server initializes the port, changes status from INITIALIZING to CONFIRMED, and sets the flag that indicates that the verification period is over (bit 2) to 1.
Phase 2
When a Phase 2 port initializes, the following events take place:
1. The server broadcasts AppleTalk ARP probe packets on the cable to determine if the provisional node address in the startup range that was selected is not in use by another AppleTalk node. AppleTalk software on the server sets status to INITIALIZING. The software sets the probing flag to indicate that a probe is in progress.
2. If the results of the probe indicate that the provisional node address is valid, the server turns the probing flag off and sets the preliminary address flag (bit 4). Otherwise, the server attempts to probe again.
3. The server broadcasts ZIP GetNetInfo packets and sets the network information flag (bit 6).
4. If the port is a non-seed port and seed routers respond to the broadcast, the server accepts the range and the default zone, and turns the network information flag off.
A non-seed port cannot initialize until a seed router responds to the GetNetInfo broadcast. If no response is received after three tries, the status of the port is set to NEEDINFO and the server continues to send GetNetInfo packets on the cable.
If the port is a seed port and seed routers respond to the broadcast, the server compares the cable range and the default zone in the response to the cable range and the default zone configured for the port. If the routers respond with different ranges and default zones, the server sets the status of the port to CONFLICT, and sets the shut down flag (bit 8), which indicates that the port is shut down. Otherwise, the server accepts the range and the zone, and turns the network information flag off.
If there is no response after three tries, the server assumes that it is the only seed router on the cable.
5. The server sets the re-probing flag (bit 5) and probes again to see if the address it selected is already in use within the network number range for the cable. (The purpose of the preceding probe was to see if the address selected was unique within the startup range). If the results of the probe indicate that the combination is unique, the server turns the re-probe flag off and accepts the address.
If the port is a seed port and the server is the only seed router on the cable, the server sets status to ALONE. The port is now initialized.
6. This step applies to non-seed ports and seed ports that are connected to cables on which other seed routers reside.
The server next broadcasts ZIP query packets and sets the zone information flag (bit 7).
If the port is a non-seed port and seed routers respond to the broadcast, the server accepts the zone lists, turns the zone information bit off, and changes status to CONFIRMED. The port is now initialized.
If the port is a seed port and seed routers respond, the server compares the zone list it has configured for the port with the zone lists that it receives from the other seed routers. If there is no match, the status of the port is set to CONFLICT and the shut down flag is set. This means that the port cannot initialize. Otherwise, the server turns the zone information bit off and sets the status of the port to CONFIRMED. The port is now initialized.
The possible values of the status field are as follows:
1 - CONFIRMED status. This status applies to non-seed ports and seed ports that are connected to the seed ports of other AppleTalk routers. This status indicates that the port is fully initialized and operational.
2 - INITIALIZING status. This status indicates that the port is in the process of verifying configuration information and performing other functions that determine whether it becomes operational.
3 - ALONE status. This status indicates that the server is the only seed router on the cable.
4 - NEEDINFO status. This status indicates that the server is waiting to discover its AppleTalk internet address and its zone information. The port is not operational while this status appears. If this status continues to appear, it indicates that the port is a non-seed port and the seed routers on the cable are not functioning. The port could be configured as a seed port in order to make it operational.
5 - CONFLICT status. This status applies to seed ports only. It indicates that the configuration of other ports on the cable conflicts with this port's configuration. For example, the ports may not be configured with the same network range, or their default zones may not be the same. The port is not operational.
6 - USERDISABLED status. This status indicates that the port was disabled through the AppleTalk configuration program, which is run from the server console. The disabling of the port appears in the server operating system log.
7 - SHUTDOWN status. This status indicates that the port cannot operate due to insufficient communication buffers or other problems. Consider increasing communication buffers. See Chapter 15 for more information on increasing communication buffers.
The Flags field indicates which flags are set for the port entry. These flags provide internal AppleTalk software with descriptive information about the entry, such as whether the entry is a seed interface, the state of the entry, and so on.
Each port entry has a 16-bit field that is used for setting flags. For example, if bits 0, 1, and 5 are set:
15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1
the value that VNSM displays is 23 (in hexadecimal).
The individual bit flags and their meanings are as follows:
Bit 0 (0x1) - The port was enabled manually through the AppleTalk configuration program.
Bit 1 (0x2) - The port is a seed port.
Bit 2 (0x4) - The port no longer has to wait for its configuration information, such as zone names and network numbers, to be verified. The bit is set when the port is fully operational.
Bit 3 (0x8) - The port is waiting for the results of an AppleTalk ARP probe broadcast. This broadcast determines whether the AppleTalk internet address that the AppleTalk software dynamically selected for the port is in use by another AppleTalk node on the attached LAN segment.
Bit 4 (0x10) - For AppleTalk Phase 2 ports, the server sets this flag when the initial probe was successful and the server found an unused node ID within the startup range for the port. The address is considered preliminary. The address does not become final until the re-probe succeeds.
For AppleTalk Phase 1 ports, the server sets this flag when the server successfully chooses an unused AppleTalk node ID.
Bit 5 (0x5) - This flag applies to AppleTalk Phase 2 ports only. The flag indicates that the AppleTalk ARP re-probe is in progress. The re-probe occurs after the first probe succeeds and the network range for the port is verified or discovered. The purpose of the re-probe is to determine whether the dynamically selected node ID is unique within the network range for the cable.
Bit 6 (0x40) - For AppleTalk Phase 2 ports, this flag indicates that a GetNetInfo broadcast is being sent on the cable, and the server is waiting for a response. The purpose of this broadcast is to obtain or verify a network number or range of network numbers for the port.
For AppleTalk Phase 1 ports, the server sets this flag when RTMP request packets are broadcast on the cable to discover or verify the network number.
Bit 7 (0x80) - This flag indicates that a zip query is being sent on the port to obtain or verify a zone name or list of zone names for the cable. The flag is turned off when replies to the broadcast are received and successfully processed.
Bit 8 (0x100) - This flag indicates that the port is not operational. This can be caused by any number of problems, ranging from no available AppleTalk internet addresses on the cable to insufficient communication buffers. When no AppleTalk internet addresses are available, they are all in use by other nodes on the cable.
See Chapter 15 for information on increasing communication buffers.
Bit 9 (0x200) - This flag indicates that the server is the only router on the cable associated with the port.
Bit 10 (0x400) - This flag indicates that the port is for tunnelling AppleTalk traffic through VINES. The port is not associated with a LAN card.
NZones
This field displays the number of zones on the cable connected to the port.
If you choose APPLETALK Port Zones from the Protocol Information menu, the screen that appears displays the AppleTalk port zone table.
On servers that have AppleTalk configured, this table has an entry for each AppleTalk zone that is associated with a port on the server. The table shows the mapping between zones and ports.
The screen displays a set of fields for each entry in the table. The fields on the screen are described in the remainder of this section.
Port
This field displays the slot number associated with the port. For LAN card ports, this field displays the slot number in which the LAN card is installed. For the port for VINES, this field displays 0. The server uses the port for VINES to tunnel AppleTalk traffic to other VINES servers.
ZonTyp
This field displays the type of zone that is associated with the port. The field displays the following values:
1 - The zone is the default zone for the port.
2 - The zone is not the default zone.
ZonNam
This field displays the name of the zone.
If you choose APPLETALK Names from the Protocol Information menu, the screen that appears displays the AppleTalk name table.
On servers that have AppleTalk configured, this table has an entry for each AppleTalk name that is registered on the server. The table contains an entry for each AppleTalk name that is registered on this server knows about. AppleTalk names identify network resources, such as AppleTalk file volumes and AppleTalk print spoolers.
The screen displays a set of fields for each table entry. These fields are described in the remainder of this section.
Net
This field displays the number of the network in which the named resource is registered.
Node
This field displays the node ID with which the named resource is registered. The combination of the network number and the node ID indicate the AppleTalk port with which the name is registered.
DDPS
This field displays the socket number that the Datagram Delivery Protocol (DDP) assigns to the network resource. Socket numbers identify sockets, which network resources use to send and receive packets. Each network resource on an AppleTalk node has a unique socket number.
Several entries in the name table may have the same socket number. These entries identify the same resource. Keep in mind that a network resource can have more than one name. For example, a network printer can be identified by more than one name in the network. Multiple entries for the same resource will have the same socket number.
Enum
This field displays the enumerator value for the entry. When a network resource has more than one AppleTalk name, the enumerator value uniquely identifies each name. For example, suppose that a network printer has three names. The enumerator value for one name could be 1, the value for the second could be 2, and the value for the third could be 3.
If a network resource has just one name, this field displays 1 for that name.
Name
This field displays the AppleTalk name of the network resource.
If you choose APPLETALK Zones from the Protocol Information menu, the screen that appears displays the AppleTalk Zone Information Table.
On servers that have AppleTalk configured and the option installed, the table contains one or more entries for each AppleTalk zone that the server knows about. In addition, the table contains the numbers of all the networks in which the zone resides.
The screen displays a set of fields for each entry in the table. These fields are described in the remainder of this section.
EthMulticast and TrnMulticast
These fields apply to AppleTalk Phase 2 zones only. The fields display the Ethernet and Token-Ring multicast addresses of the zone.
Each zone in the network has a unique Ethernet and Token-Ring multicast address. When an AppleTalk node broadcasts a request, such as a Name Binding Protocol (NBP) lookup, to nodes in a specific zone on an Ethernet or a Token-Ring cable, the node uses the multicast address to address the packets. Keep in mind that multiple zones can encompass the same cable. The multicast address insures that only the nodes in the specified zone receive the broadcast packets.
For AppleTalk Phase 1, nodes use the AppleTalk broadcast address as the multicast address.
ZonNam
This field displays the name of the zone.
Netwks
This field displays the numbers of the networks that the zone spans. Keep in mind that a zone can span multiple networks. Each network number is separated by a space, such as the following numbers:
20 42 43 44 45 41
If you choose APPLETALK routes from the Protocol Information menu, the screen that appears displays the AppleTalk routing table. This screen is identical, for all practical purposes, to the AppleTalk Routes screen. For more information on the AppleTalk routing table, see Chapter 13.