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Conference netcad::hub_mgnt

Title:DEChub/HUBwatch/PROBEwatch CONFERENCE
Notice:Firmware -2, Doc -3, Power -4, HW kits -5, firm load -6&7
Moderator:NETCAD::COLELLADT
Created:Wed Nov 13 1991
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:4455
Total number of notes:16761

2989.0. "900FP Thinwire assignment bug????" by NCMAIL::MCNALLT (Tom McNall - Rochester NY) Mon Nov 20 1995 19:23

    My customer recently lost his entire network as a result of having all
    his outside ethernet traffic (connected to the ports of a 900FP) being
    repeated on the thinwire segment. 
    
    This should have not occurred since the Thinwire "stub" was not
    connected from the 900FP to the thinwire segment of the backplane. For
    some reason (when in "check box" view) there is no option to connect
    none of the ports to the thinwire segment as with other repeaters.
    
    The customer selected ports 11-12 to be assigned to the thinwire. That
    took care of the problem, but we dont know why since this is a repeater
    with lots of traffic on the first few ports which would also be present
    on all the other ports. 
    
    There should be an option to connect none of the ports to thinwire and
    if the stub is not connected this shouldn't have occurred in the first
    place! What might we be missing?
    
     
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
2989.1Same Symptoms (on Thanksgiving day)MSDOA::REEDJohn Reed @CBO = Network ServicesFri Nov 24 1995 11:4242
    Hello.
    
    I just returned from installing a LAN mostly identical to the Base
    Note, and have the same problem.
    
    VERSIONS:  All modules are at revision 4.1.1 of firmware.  Mam=4.0.1,
    DECrepeater 900FP at 2.0.0, and DECswitch 900EF's are all at 1.5.2, and
    DECbrige 90FL are at 3.9.
    
    CONFIG:  I have three DECswitch 900EFs (slot 6&7&8) with all Six
    Ethernets of slot 6 set to IMB-1 through IMB-6, set to a Cost of 20
    under the bridge port priority window.  Slot 7 switch has a few front
    panel ports, the ThinWire bus on port 3, and ports 5,6,7 on IMB 1,2,3.
    Slot 8 Switch has a backup (higher cost) backplane ThinWire on Port 3
    and ports 5,6,7 on IMB-4,5,6.   The Portswitch port groupings are a
    diagonal line, from the top left.  The MAC is set to 1,2.  The THINWIRE
    stub (group 7) is disconnected, but it's "menu" option is on ports 1,2.
    
    PROBLEM: I have a blinking  left LED (bridge standby) on all ports of 
    the Slot 6 Switch, as I expected, cause the cost of those redundant 
    ports are high.  I have Solid LED's on all other bridge ports (as I 
    expected) except for slot 7 port 5.   I don't know why this would be
    the case.  
    
    VERIFICATION:  I went to the remote closet, and put IRIS on the remote
    fiber port.  I saw Bridge Hello messages coming one per second.  The
    Address of the Hellos were PORT 3 of Slot 8.  (The ThinWire Bus).
    
    I removed the Bridges from IMB-1, and MY TRAFFIC DID NOT STOP.  I 
    connected the ThinWire Stub of the Portswitch (group 7) to the 
    backplane Thinwire and saw the hellos as I expected.  I removed the
    ThinWire Stub from the backplane (and the little green THINBUS LED
    changed from Solid to blinking on the 900FP), but MY TRAFFIC DID NOT STOP.  
    
    Why has the Group 7 pull down been implemented if it does not do
    anything?  I wish to segment my traffic on group 1, into a different
    collision domain than my Thinwire bus, which has other uses.  Is there
    a patch kit or firmware upgrade to remedy this?
    
    JR
    
    
2989.2firmware v2.0.0 is problemNETRIX::"stout@cx3man.cxo.dec.com"Aaron StoutMon Nov 27 1995 16:365
I've seen the behaviour you both describe with version 2.0.0 of the 
DEFMM firmware. If you "downgrade to any prior version you should NOT 
see this behaviour. Hopefully the next version will have this fixed.
[Posted by WWW Notes gateway]
2989.3Being WorkedDELNI::BUZZELLThu Nov 30 1995 16:0521
    
    
         This problem has been reproduced in Littleton by Engineering.
    A fix is currently being worked on. Once it is completed it must go
    to system test before it can be released.
    
         In the interim the safest thing to do is NOT upgrade ANY 900FP
    that will have its ThinWire disconnected from the backplane. Running
    them at V1.2 with the upgraded MAM code should not create any problems.
    
    
         The fix when it is developed and released will probably be known
    as version 2.0.1. It should be available via WWW, anonymous FTP, or
    the bulletin board. It will NOT be part of the DCF kit until the next
    major release scheduled for the Q1 CY 96.
    
    
         The fix used in .0 is a band-aid at best and does not appear to
    survive a power failure or powering off of the hub.
    
    
2989.4Being fixed yet ?BSS::RIGGENMon Mar 18 1996 18:567
    I just was at the TPT110 course in Denver and this "feature" rose it's
    ugly head throughout the course. 
    
    The instructor was informed that this is not a problem with the previus
    versions ofg firmeware and should be told when a "fix" is available. 
    
    Jeff
2989.5STRWRS::KOCH_PIt never hurts to ask...Thu Aug 29 1996 18:4416
    Well,
    
    the last update to this problem was 5 months ago. 
    
    Is there a fix available for this yet?
    
    What I have seen is that once you move a set of ports from the default
    to another group, both group 1 & 2 are created also leaving group 7. 
    
    If you then connect group 1 & 2 to their own backplane LANs, this is
    OK. However, if you then connect a DECswitch 900EF stub to the
    thinwire, LAN 1 and LAN 2, you get a spanning tree shut off of LAN 1. 
    
    If according the portswitch screen, the thinwire is associated with
    group 1, why can't the group which has the thinwire as a member be
    connected to the thinwire LAN? 
2989.6availableNETCAD::MILLBRANDTanswer mamThu Aug 29 1996 22:119
The NPB hubs firmware web page shows that a V2.2.0 was released in March.
The release note indicates that this problem has been corrected.

The externally accessible page is at http://www.networks.digital.com.
I seem to have lost the internal page pointer.

	Dotsie

  
2989.7STRWRS::KOCH_PIt never hurts to ask...Fri Aug 30 1996 14:175
    
    Well....
    
    I upgraded my FP to the firmware which was shipped on the clearVISN
    CDROM. I'll have to check and see what version that is...