9033024-01
DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethernet Switch
924TXG Release Notes
Version 1.1.1
April 2000
As warranted, we change the firmware of this device to make functional enhancements or to correct reported
problems. These Release Notes identify enhancements and changes to the firmware that impact
end-user operations. They also contain firmware and software requirements, and list updates in this release
as well as known conditions and restrictions that apply to the operation of the DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast
Ethernet Switch 924TXG.
The following example describes the firmware version number:
Version 1.1.1
Engineering update
Functional enhancement or problem corrected
Major functional enhancement
Contents
Firmware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Management Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
clearVISN Patch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Known Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Restrictions and Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
MIB and RFC Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Firmware Upgrades. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Accessing Online Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
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Known Conditions
This section describes conditions and restrictions related to the DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethernet Switch
924TXG Version 1.1.1 firmware.
DIGITAL MultiSwitch 900 Resets may adversely affect MultiSwitch 924TXG LAN
Interconnect configurations
The DIGITAL MultiSwitch 900 maintains and controls LAN Interconnect configuration tables for modules
that are connected to backplane LANs. This information is shared with clearVISN in establishing backplane
connections and is displayed within clearVISN’s LAN Interconnect window.
The following may arise when a reset occurs on the MultiSwitch 900 and there is no reset (at that same time)
on the MultiSwitch 924TXG:
•
The MultiSwitch 900 loses the current LAN Interconnection information for the MultiSwitch
924TXG and clears the database of any connections the module may still have. (This is a
MultiSwitch 900 limitation and will be fixed in a later release.)
•
clearVISN and the MultiSwitch 924TXG module retain the backplane configuration data they
had before the MultiSwitch 900’s reset. clearVISN continues to display the connections in the
LAN Interconnect window and the module’s LEDs continue to blink. However, since this
information is no longer in synchronization with the MultiSwitch 900’s control database, it is
considered “stale” and not valid.
•
Any subsequent attempts to remove or establish backplane connections to the MultiSwitch
924TXG using clearVISN will fail.
To regain synchronization between the MultiSwitch 900, clearVISN and the MultiSwitch 924TXG and to
recover LAN Interconnect capabilities on the MultiSwitch 924TXG, do the following:
•
•
Reset all MultiSwitch 924TXGs that are in the hub.
Click on the “Refresh” button in clearVISN’s LAN Interconnect window to update clearVISN
to the MultiSwitch 900’s configuration tables.
For notification of MultiSwitch 900 resets, an SNMP trap address may be set up to monitor and record the
MultiSwitch 900 events.
Walking SNMP v2 Objects through the 900 Hub
MIB objects of type COUNTER64 (SNMP v2) cannot be walked through the MultiSwitch 900 hub. The
MultiSwitch 924TXG has several objects with this data type. In order to walk these objects you must walk
the MultiSwitch 924TXG through a front-panel port using its own IP address and community string.
TFTP Filename Length
The length of TFTP filenames is restricted to 37 characters or less. Any attempt to set a filename exceeding
37 characters will cause the switch to reset.
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SNMP Downloads
Downloads using SNMP sets to the pcomLoad group are not supported in this release. Use the Download
Software Menu within the console interface to upgrade the module.
OBM and Console Ports Not Supported
The OBM and console ports on the back panel of the DEChub ONE and DEChub ONE-MX are not
supported. Use the front console port on the DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethernet Switch 924TXG module
to configure the module.
Activity LED Response on Ports Remapped to the Hub Backplane
On ports remapped to the HUB backplane, the activity LED should flicker orange when there is receive or
transmit activity between the switch and the backplane. However, if a cable with network traffic is plugged
into the front-panel port, the activity LED will turn green according to the cable traffic. The green LED
indication overrides the orange indication from the backplane traffic. Although the cable is isolated from
the switch and the backplane (i.e., the port has been remapped to the backplane), the LED indication still
reflects cable traffic when a cable is connected. The fix for this is to remove the cable from the front-panel
port (for those ports that have been remapped to the backplane).
MultiSwitch 900 v5.5 Backplane Connection Restrictions
The increased number of 924TXG backplane connection subtypes available (i.e., 100Mb Half-Duplex,
100Mb Full-Duplex, etc.) creates a restriction within the MultiSwitch 900 (versions v5.5 and earlier). This
restriction limits the number of modules that can be used for backplane interconnect. This limitation will be
fixed in a later release of the MultiSwitch 900.
In V5.5 and earlier versions, the MultiSwitch 900 maintains a LAN Interconnect configuration table of up
to 256 subtypes. Each module supports a defined number of subtypes (see table below for the number of
subtypes on specific products). When a module is powered on within the MultiSwitch 900, the module’s
total number of subtypes is added to the MultiSwitch 900’s configuration table. Once the configuration table
is filled to capacity or when the number of entries available in the table does not accommodate the number
of subtypes on a newly inserted module, all subtypes on that module will be ignored and none of its ports
will be usable on the backplane.
An indication that this limitation has been exceeded (or that the number of subtypes of a module could not
fit within the MultiSwitch 900’s LAN Interconnect table) can be observed in the clearVISN LAN
Interconnect screen. Attempts to expand a view of the module will fail such that no backplane capable ports
will be displayed.
NOTE
This limitation only affects backplane connectivity. All other
features of the module are unaffected.
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The number of backplane connection subtypes per module are listed in the following table:
Module
Number of
Backplane
Connection
Subtypes
MultiSwitch 924TXG
DECswitch 900EF
PORTswitch 900TP/12
PORTswitch 900TPJ
DECrepeater 900TM
MultiSwitch Hub 924TXG
VNswitch 900EF
60
15
25
7
2
2
22
17
1
VNswitch 900FF
VNswitch 900CC
VNswitch 900LL
14
14
VNswitch 900EE
This limitation becomes a consideration in configurations that include modules with many subtype
capabilities (i.e., greater subtype values).
To determine whether a configuration will allow backplane connectivity on all of the modules’backplane
capable ports, calculate the total number of subtypes per module within the hub and compare this number
to the 256 limitation. If the number is greater than 256, loss of backplane connectivity on some modules will
occur.
See the following examples of sample configurations that stay within or exceed the 256-subtype limitation.
•
Examples of configurations that stay within the 256 subtype limitation:
Three MultiSwitch 924TXGs (3 @ 60 subtypes) and three PORTswitch 900TP/12s (3 @ 25
subtypes) for a total number of 255 subtypes.
Two MultiSwitch 924TXGs (2 @ 60 subtypes), two VNswitch 900EFs (2 @ 22 subtypes) and
two PORTswitch 900TP/12s (2 @ 25 subtypes) for a total number of 214 subtypes.
•
Example of a configuration that exceeds the 256 subtype limitation:
Four MultiSwitch 924TXGs (4 @ 60 subtypes) and two PORTswitch 900TP/12s (2 @ 25) for
a total number of 290 subtypes.
NOTE
In general, most combinations of two MultiSwitch 924TXGs plus six of any other modules fall
within the 256-subtype limitation of the hub. (An exception to this is the inclusion of the
PORTswitch 900TP/12, where it is recommended the above calculations be followed.)
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Connecting Two MultiSwitch 924TXGs in 2-Wire Mode
There are two port-ranges relevant when connecting two MultiSwitch 924TXGs on the backplane using the
2-wire mode subtype. The two ranges are: Ports 7-9, 19-21; and Ports 10-12, 22-24.
NOTE
A port on one MultiSwitch 924TXG may only be connected to a port within the same
range on the other MultiSwitch 924TXG. For example, port 7 on one module may be
connected to any port 7-9, 19-21 on the other module. Port 10 on one module may be
connected to any port 10-12, 22-24 on the other module.
Hot-Swapping Modules
Hot-swapping is the insertion or removal of a module residing in a DIGITAL MultiSwitch 900 chassis or
in a DIGITAL MultiSwitch 900-4 chassis without disrupting power to the chassis.
CAUTION
Do not hot-swap more than one module into or out of a DIGITAL MultiSwitch 900
at a time. Simultaneously inserting or removing more than one module can cause
problems with the operation of other installed modules.
Hot-Swapping GBICs
CAUTION
Do not install or remove a Gigabit (GBIC) card while the 924TXG module is
powered on. GBICs must not be hot-swapped; they must only be inserted in
or removed from a module that is powered off.
Refer to the detailed instructions supplied with the GBIC card for installation/removal procedures.
Diagnostics
If the diagnostic test fails, the module will not complete the power-up cycle. Access may still be gained
through the 924TXG console.
Features Not Supported in This Release
The following features are not supported in this release:
•
•
•
•
IP Services
clearVISN Flash Loader
Trunking on the Backplane
VLAN on the Backplane
Xmodem Upgrades
Do not attempt an Xmodem upgrade unless everything is in place to follow through. Not doing so may force
you to power down the module to restart it.
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Restrictions and Limitations
1. Certain traffic patterns may occasionally place addresses into the forwarding table that have not been
actually seen by the switch. The Source MAC address of error frames (64 bytes or greater in length) is
improperly learned by the switch.
2. Error and dropped packet statistics reported on the “Switch Summary and Individual Port Statistics”
screen may not synchronize properly with each other; dependent on the traffic flow through the switch.
3. Broadcast frames increment the SNMP “ifOutOctets” counter for ports that have no link.
4. When new entries are made to the SNMP RMON log table, they are not done so sequentially.
5. VLAN must be enabled to use Class of Service (priority queuing).
6. The maximum number of 924TXG port based VLANs that can be configured on switches manufactured
in week 9908 and later (and running this version of firmware) is 128. Any VLAN ID within the range
of 0-4095 is valid, but only 128 VLANs can be created on the switch at one time.
7. The broadcast performance on one group of 8 ports (1-8, 9-16, or 17-24) is less than that of the ports on
the switch; dependent on which switch cluster broadcasts are being passed to the CPU.
8. When VLAN operation on the switch is enabled, the overall throughput performance of the switch drops
due to the fact that internally, each packet passing through the switch is appended with a four-byte IEEE
802.1Q VLAN tag.
9. When using the port mirroring feature, the mirroring and mirrored (source and destination) ports must
be in the same switch cluster (i.e., Group of 8 ports).
10. When using port mirroring, traffic rates on the mirroring port may be less than those on the mirrored
port; dependent on the traffic flow through the switch.
11. Discard address filtering rules can be overwritten. If a packet is received by the switch with a source
MAC address that is the same as a static address set to be discarded, the discard rule will be overwritten,
allowing packets with the source address to be forwarded through the switch.
12. When transmitting packets out of a port, the packet size statistics counters on the Port Statistics screen
do not increment properly. The counters do properly increment for packets received on the port.
13. The switch will execute a software reset after performing a TFTP download. The reset will occur
whether the download was successful or failed.
14. If Hewlett-Packard GBIC (Gigabit Ethernet Interface Converter) modules are inserted/removed on the
924TXG while power is applied to the switch, they may become damaged. The damage results in the
presence and type identity of the GBIC not being recognized by software. Data will still be switched
successfully through the port.
CAUTION
Do not hot-swap any GBIC.
15. The following issues are present when using the Port Trunking feature in this release of firmware:
•
•
•
When configuring Port Trunking, the Spanning Tree path costs on ports can become misconfigured.
Ports in different VLANs can be placed into the same trunk, which should not be allowed.
Trying to add a port to a trunk that has been created in a different switch cluster (group of 8 ports) causes
the ports in the trunk to be erroneously deleted.
•
When a trunk group is configured, and the first port of that trunk group becomes disabled, local
management reports that the entire trunk status is disabled; this is a false signal. The status can be
corrected by disabling and re-enabling that port.
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16. When a BootP server and DHCP server are both present in the network, in some cases only the IP
address will be acquired; the firmware image will not be received. Both protocols work properly when
only one server type is present. This condition also existed in earlier versions of firmware. Cabletron’s
recommendation is to remove the DHCP server and reboot the switch; this will cause the switch to send
BootP requests and receive an image from the BootP server.
17. When Microsoft Internet Explorer is used to access Cabletron WebView management, the initial start-
up time is excessive (approximately 20 minutes), after which it performs normally. To avoid this delay,
the switch's IP address should be added to Internet Explorer's Proxies “Ignore” area.
18. When configuring 802.1Q trunks, the VLAN that includes the ports configured as trunks must not have
those ports on the egress list for that VLAN. This results in a misconfiguration.
19. When configuring Port Trunks as 802.1Q trunks, you must add the port trunks to the egress list as a pair.
Adding them separately results in an error reporting add VLAN Violation.
20. Spanning Tree Fast Step Feature change - On the Spanning Tree configuration screen, there is an extra
selection called “stpstandby enable”:
•
•
If defaulted to yes, there is a 30-second forwarding delay.
If defaulted to no, ports will go to forwarding within one second.
21. Management Disabling a port, through the console or otherwise, is not supported in this release. If you
Management Disable a port, the 924TXG will eventually stop responding to queries or to pass traffic.
This will be fixed in the next firmware release.
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MIB and RFC Information
The following MIBs are supported:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bridge-mib
ctron-smarttrunk-mib
ianaifType-mib
if-mib
igmp-mib
multiswitch-common-mib
netvantage-mib
p-bridge-mib
q-bridge-mib
rfc1155
rfc1213
rfc1398
snmpv2-mib
MIB and RFC information can be found online. Refer to the section entitled Accessing Online Information
in these release notes for information about retrieving MIBs and RFCs.
Documentation
The following documentation supports the DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethernet Switch 924TXG Version
1.0 firmware release:
•
•
•
•
DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethernet Switch 916TXG and 924TXG Installation and Configuration
DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethernet Switch 916TXG and 924TXG Quick Start Card
DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethernet Switch 916TXG and 924TXG Read Me First
DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast Ethernet Switch 916TXG and 924TXG Web Management Guide
These documents exist in Adobe Acrobat online readable and Printable Document Format (PDF) on the
Web Site (see Accessing Online Information).
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Firmware Upgrades
This section describes the process for performing firmware upgrades for the DIGITAL MultiSwitch Fast
Ethernet Switch 924TXG. To perform a firmware upgrade, complete the following instructions:
If the module is in a Digital MultiSwitch 900, select Start Redirect Modefrom the DIGITAL
MultiSwitch 900 INSTALLATION MENU. Enter the slot number of the module to get the module’s
Installation Menu.
Main Menu
From the module’s installation menu, type f to view the Main Menu selections as described below.
************************************************************
DIGITAL MultiSwitch FE Switch 924TXG
Access Privileges
(i.e. Read/Write or
Menu Name
MAIN MENU
Access Control: READ/WRITE
Write Only)
a. System Configuration Menu
b. Switch Configuration Menu
c. Port Menu
d. Switch Statistics Screen
e. General Information Screen
f. Download Software Menu
g. Save Current Configuration
Selectable
Items
h. Return to Default Configuration
i. Logout
j. Reset
x. Previous Menu
z. Top-Level Menu
Screen prompt &
Message area
Enter Selection:
Selection
Description
System Configuration
Menu
Contains commands and parameters that reflect the global configuration
of the switch related to management.
Switch Configuration
Menu
Provides access to information and parameters affecting the function of
the switch, for instance, the movement of packets through the switch.
For example, you can configure Forwarding Table, Spanning Tree, and
virtual LANs (VLANs).
Port Menu
Shows the configuration of the individual ports on the switch and allows
you to modify switch port operation.
Switch Statistics Screen
Presents switch-level and port-level statistics.
General Information
Screen
Displays the system software version, switch serial number, base MAC
address, system up time and power-up count.
Download Software
Menu
Contains parameters and commands for initiating a software download
to upgrade the switch operating software.
Save Current
Configuration
Saves current switch operating parameters to non-volatile memory.
Return to Default
Configuration
Restores switch operating parameters to factory defaults. You must re-
set the switch for activate default parameters.
Logout
Logs out of the Telnet interface. Once you logout, you must enter a
password before you can access the Telnet interface again. Note: this
menu item is only seen from within a Telnet session.
Reset
Performs a software reset of the switch by restarting the system soft-
ware and reloading all operating parameters.
Previous Menu
Top-Level Menu
Returns you to the previous menu.
Returns you to the top-level menu.
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Download Software Menu
The Download Software Menu allows you to set up and initiate a software download.
To set up and initiate a software download, do the following:
1. Select f from the Main Menu to view the Download Software Menu.
2. Observe the following message prompt display (menu selections are defined in the following table).
DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE
Access Control: READ/WRITE
a. TFTP Server IP Address 1.2.3.4
b. TFTP File Name
c. Start TFTP Download
d. Start XMODEM Download
x. Previous Menu
z. Top-Level Menu
Enter Selection:
Selection
Description
TFTP Server IP Address
TFTP File Name
The IP address of the TFTP server.
The file name to be downloaded from the TFTP server (maxi-
mum of 64 characters).
Start TFTP Download
Starts a TFTP download using TFTP Server IP Address and
TFTP File Name information.
Start XMODEM Download
Starts an XMODEM (serial) download.
NOTE
These load procedures are used for both the main image file (.bin) and the web image file (.web).
Please note that an in-band connection is required for TFTP to work.
Save Current Configuration
The Save Current Configuration screen ensures that all changes made to the module via the console menus are stored
in the event of power outages or power cycles.
To save your current configuration, do the following:
1. Select g from the Main Menu to view the Save Current Configuration screen. The following message prompt
displays:
The current settings will become permanent.
All the saved settings will be lost!
a. OK
x. Cancel and return to the Previous Menu
z. Cancel and return to the Top-Level Menu
Enter Selection:
2. Select a to confirm the process; select x or z to cancel the process.
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Return to Default Configuration
The Return to Default Configuration screen allows you to restore the original factory default switch settings before
changes were made via the user interface or SNMP.
To return to default configuration settings, do the following:
1. Select h from the Main Menu to view the Return to Default Configuration screen. The following message prompt
displays:
Switch will return to default settings.
All the current changes and settings will be lost!
a. OK
x. Cancel and return to the Previous Menu
z. Cancel and return to the Top-Level Menu
Enter Selection:
2. Select a to confirm the process; select x or z to cancel the process.
Logout
The Logout menu item allows you to log out of the Telnet interface and return to the Login screen. Select i from the
Main Menu to logout. After this command is entered, the system logout occurs automatically. Note: this menu item is
only seen from within a Telnet session.
Reset
The Reset screen allows you to perform a switch hardware reset. You are first prompted as to whether or not to save
the current switch configuration.
To reset the switch, do the following:
1. Select j from the Main Menu to view the Reset screen. The following message prompt displays:
Switch will go through a hardware reset.
All the current changes that have not been saved
will be lost!
a. Save changes and Reset
b. Don’t save changes and Reset
x. Cancel and return to the Previous Menu
z. Cancel and return to the Top-Level Menu
Enter Selection:
2. Select a or b to confirm the process; select x or z to cancel the process.
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Copyright 2000 by Cabletron Systems, Inc., 35 Industrial Way, Rochester, NH 03867
All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
DEChub, clearVISN and the clearVISN logo are trademarks of Cabletron Systems, Inc.
DEC, DIGITAL and the DIGITAL logo are trademarks of Compaq Computer Corporation.
All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
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