Conference npss::gigaswitch

    Do I read 429.1   correctly that if I connect up a single node to a
    gigaswitch port it will try and run full duplex? The reason I ask is we
    are going to  be connecting 2 rawhide systems to the switch this
    weekend. We have fgl-2 cards. The rawhides have das boards which they
    will go to das ports. 
    
    	If we go with  a das rawhide system to a das fgl card on the switch
    then it should run full duplex with 1 link in the backup mode?
    
    	How can I tell if ports on the switch are running full or half??
    
    

    
    re:full duplex or not
    
***Extracted from a previos note****
    
        ...any SNMP manager should be able to obtain either eFDXState or
    eFDXOp for the GIGAswitch/FDDI port.  If you don't have a SNMP manager,
    you can get it from OBM thusly:
    
 Main Menu -
      1 Show/Set IP Addresses
      2 Show/Modify GIGAswitch Configuration
      3 Show/Set Privileged Ports
      4 Show/Set Bootserver Ports
      5 Set OBM password
      6 Dump Mib-2 counters
      7 Show forwarding-database entry
      8 Do Get/GetNext of MIB variables
      9 Read/Set System Time
      10 Show number of addresses in SCP bridge forwarding database
      11 Show number of addresses in SCP bridge forwarding database
         which could not be stored in some line card
      12 Set line card forwarding table size
      13 End this session
    Choice: 8


 Mib-Viewer Menu -
      1 GET
      2 GETNEXT
      3 Return to Main menu
   Choice: 1

 Object Identifier: eFDXOp.1.1                       !  1.1 = port 1
     Object ID: eFDXOp.1.1                           ! (indexed by SMT.MAC)
     Value: 2                                        !  2 = False
 Object Identifier:
    
    
     Mib-Viewer Menu -
          1 GET
          2 GETNEXT
          3 Return to Main menu
       Choice: 1
    
     Object Identifier: eFDXState.29.29              ! port 29
         Object ID: eFDXState.29.29
         Value: 1                                    ! state = idle
     Object Identifier:
    
    
    
    eFDXOp = 1 = True
    eFDXState = 4 = Operation
    
    

re .4:

The LANCP utility on OpenVMS will also reveal the state of the link.

Be warned; the FGL-2 card can only have 2 full duplex links going at the same
time.  Furthermore, the 2 links must not be together on either the top pair or
the bottom pair of ports.  There can be standby paths connected into the other
two ports but as soon as they become active it'll drop back to half duplex.

I recommend changing the FGL-2 from its default setting of A/B ports to M ports.
That way you can take advantage of dual homing and improve availability in the
face of a failed line card.

    +------------------ M
    |			M ----------------+
  +---+			M		+---+
  | A |			M		| B |
+------+				+------+
| node |				| node |
+------+				+------+
  | B |				M	| A |
  +---+				M	+---+
    |				M --------+
    +-------------------------- M

It is less good to leave the ports as A/B and make a dual ring to a single line
card.  Yes, it can still go into full duplex but the line card would be a single
point of failure.

Connect the second node the same way but don't put the B's together on either a
top pair or a bottom pair of the FGL-2 card.

Notes> show keyword ffdt/full


                                   GIGAswitch
Created: 29-JUL-1992 12:28         953 topics         Updated: 24-MAR-1997 10:17
          -< GIGAswitch/FDDI Jan 97 BL3.1 914.0 documentation 412.1 >-
 Keyword              Note
>FFDT                 429.3, 562.1, 562.2, 704.1, 704.3, 837.3, 938.2
 End of requested listing