This chapter provides a description of VNS Configuration Interface, which is used to view, configure, and provision the Voice Network Switching application through a series of inter-linked menus. This chapter concentrates on providing a description of these menus and their respective fields, including the parameters that are entered in them. Chapter 8 provides instructions for using the VNS Configuration Interface to configure a VNS and VNS network. Appendix J, VNS Configuration Sheets contains some blank configuration worksheets which can be copied and used to collect the information necessary for configuring your VNS network.
This chapter contains the following sections:
To access the VNS Configuration Interface, follow these steps:
Step 1 Log in to the VNS through either a telnet session or from a terminal directly connected to the VNS. (Chapter 6 provides instructions for connecting a terminal. You can also telnet from StrataView Plus Workstation.)
Step 2 Log in as root and enter the password (if applicable) that you normally use in your UNIX environment.
Step 3 Type vnscli (lower case) at the prompt and press Enter. The VNS Configuration Interface main menu, shown in the following example, appears:
VNS Configuration Interface Example Main Menu
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# #
# ciscoSystems/StrataCom V N S #
# Configuration Interface, Release 2.2.b #
# #
# 1. Add an entry #
# #
# 2. Delete an entry #
# #
# 3. Modify an entry #
# #
# 4. Browse Data Base #
# #
# 5. Debug Mode #
# #
# 6. Validate Data Base #
# #
# 7. Exit the program #
# #
# Enter your selection: #
# #
# #
# #
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As shown, the VNS Configuration Interface main menu presents 7 options. Each option is indexed by a number. You select one of the options by typing its number and pressing Enter. For instance, to Add an entry, you would type 1 and press Enter. (Throughout the rest of this book, the VNS Configuration Interface main menu will be referred to simply as the VNS main menu.)
The six options are:
- Add an entry
- Delete an entry
- Modify an entry
- Browse Data Base
- Debug Mode
- Validate Data Base
- Exit the program
Each option (except no. 7) leads to subsequent menus and screens. These screens normally have a name and a list of fields. Each field is followed by a pair of square brackets, [ ], separated by some blank space. The cursor is positioned between the square brackets which is active for entering information. Many fields accept an index number for the various parameters that can be configured. You move the cursor to the next field by pressing Return. The cursor will skip over read-only fields. The following information line appears at the bottom of most field lists:
Enter 'c' to commit changes or 'q' to quit [ ]
When using these screens to configure an option, type in the value and press Enter to move the cursor to the next field, the square brackets. When you reach the "Enter 'c' to commit...", square brackets, make sure you have entered the desired values in each field, then type c and press Enter to save your changes. When you save your changes, the completed menu becomes a record in the VNS data base. If you do not want to save the values you entered, type q and press Enter. You can re-access the configuration menu from the VNS main menu.
In the Browse Data Base mode, the line at the bottom will read:
Enter 's' to skip record or 'q' to quit [ ]
Entering 's' in the square brackets will bring up the next record of the same type.
Some configuration screens will have additional information fields (i.e., a help line at the bottom of the screen) describing a field's parameters. This information line will change as the cursor is moved from field to field.
To reach any of these screens or menus, follow these steps:
Step 1 From the VNS main menu, enter the index number of desired option.
Step 2 Press Enter, the desired screen or menu will appear.
The VNS Configuration Interface communicates with VNS processes using the Simple Network Management Protocol. The responses and error status conform to SNMP standards. The VNS Configuration Interface typically responds to your inputs in three ways:
- With an Operation Successful message when the operation is successfully executed.
- With a Request timed out message when a requested operation has not completed within 30 seconds. Timeout indicates that an SNMP request timed out. This could be because either a port is not responding to an SNMP request or an internal process on the VNS has not responded.
- With an Error Message, similar to the following:
- Response Error: ErrorCode (5), Error Index (1)
Nineteen possible ErrorCodes that could be returned are listed in Table 7-1:
Table 7-1: VNS Configuration Interface Error Codes
| Error Code
| Description
|
|---|
| 0
| No_Error
|
| 1
| Too Big
|
| 2
| No Such Value
|
| 3
| Bad Value
|
| 4
| Read Only
|
| 5
| General Error
|
| 6
| No Access
|
| 7
| Wrong Type
|
| 8
| Wrong Length
|
| 9
| Wrong Encoding
|
| 10
| Wrong Value
|
| 11
| No Creation
|
| 12
| Inconsistent Value
|
| 13
| Resource Unavailable
|
| 14
| Commit Failed
|
| 15
| Undo Failed
|
| 16
| Authorization Error
|
| 17
| Not Writable
|
| 18
| Inconsistent Name
|
When using the VNS Configuration Interface, the most common error response is:
- Response Error: ErrorCode (3), ErrorIndex (3)
This message typically indicates that you entered an unacceptable value in one of the fields of the menu. The ErrorIndex number points to the first field of the menu containing a bad value. For instance Error Index (1) is the first field on the menu.When you see this message, you should closely look over all the fields for which you entered values because there could be more than one mistake.
The other common error response is:
- Response Error: ErrorCode (5), ErrorIndex (1)
ErrorCode 5 (General Error) indicates there was a logical error while trying to execute the command. In general, it implies that the operation is not allowed to be performed. The ErrorIndex does not have any meaning in this case.
Options 1 through 4 of the VNS main menu will access the VNS Records menu. The VNS Records menu is accessed in four ways:
- Choose option 1, Add an entry, from the VNS main menu; the VNS Records menu will open blank menus which can be completed and saved. When you save a completed menu, it becomes a record in the VNS database. If a record already exists for a menu that can only have a single record, a message will inform you that you can not add another record.
- Choose option 2, Delete an entry, from the VNS main menu; the VNS Records menu will lead to the database of completed menus, that is the individual records. These records appear as completed menus and can be individually deleted.
- Choose option 3, Modify an entry, from the VNS main menu; the VNS Records menu will open the completed records in the data base. These menus (records) can be modified and resaved as records.
- Choose option 4, Browse Data Base, from the VNS main menu; the VNS Records menu will open the VNS record data base. You can step through these records, which are completed menus, without the danger of changing any fields or deleting any records. Note that when you browse the data base some additional fields appear on a couple records. These additional fields are typically status fields, which are not user-configurable; thus, they do not appear when you are Adding an entry, that is creating a record, in the database.
Note It is good practice to use Browse Data Base after you complete a VNS Configuration Interface menu to recall the record and see if it contains the entered parameters.
The VNS Records menu, shown in the following example, has 16 options. With the exception of option 16, each option leads to a menu or record.
VNS Records Menu
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# #
# ciscoSystems/StrataCom V N S #
# Configuration Interface, Release 2.1.c #
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# 1. VNS Information #
# 2. Local Adjacency Information #
# 3. Network Adjacency Information #
# 4. Interface Card Information #
# 5. Address Information #
# 6. Network Prefixes Information #
# 7. Address Screening Information #
# 8. Transformation Rules Information #
# 9. Nodes Information #
# 10. Cards Information #
# 11. Ports Information #
# 12. More VNS Info and Redundancy Information #
# 13. Multihome port configurations #
# 14. Multihome policy configurations #
# 15. Preferred Route configurations #
# 16. Return to Previous Menu #
# #
# Enter your selection: #
?##############################################################################
Options 1 through 15 of the VNS Records menu lead to the following menus or records:
- VNS Information menu provides configuration information about a specific VNS.
- Local Adjacency Information menu provides information about VNSs that are connected by a frame relay signaling PVC.
- Network Adjacency Information menu provides information about the link (frame relay PVC signaling connection) between two VNS's in the network when there is more than one path between them. (This menu is not used in VNS Release 2.1.)
- Interface Card Information. (Not supported in this release.)
Note The
Interface Card Information menu is not supported in this software release. When you select this option, you will see an OPTION NOT SUPPORTED, ENTER ANY KEY TO CONTINUE message. Press any key to return to the VNS Records menu.
- Address Information menu describes the addresses, the telephone number in E.164 format, assigned to a UNI port in a VNS's area.
- Network Prefixes Information menu is used assign addresses to VNS areas in the network. These VNS prefixes (or addresses) help to organize the numbering plan for the VNS network.
- Address Screening Information menu specifies the type of source and destination screening applied to each UNI port. Address Screening lists destination addresses that are allowed or not allowed for a specific port.
- Transformation Rules Information menu specifies a list of transformation rules to be applied to a particular UNI port. Each rule consists of a control string that will specify the way in which digits in a telephone number are to be manipulated.
- Nodes Information menu contains information about a node, an IPX or IGX, in a VNS's area.
- Cards Information menu contains information about a specific voice card (e.g., a CDP in an IPX, or an CVM in an IGX) in the VNS's area.
- Ports Information submenu leads to other menus that provide information about the voice ports in a VNS's area. These other menus provide Port Information about a specific UNI port in a VNS's area, and Screening Type Information for that port.
- More VNS Info and Redundancy Information menu contains information about the VNS and its redundant peer.
- Multihome port configurations menu is used to multihome a pair of E1 UNI ports and select the policy the VNS will use for choosing between those ports.
- Multihome policy configurations menu is used to provide a weight for the Select policy when more than one Select Policy is specified for a multihomed port pair.
- Preferred Route Configurations menu leads to the menus for configuring Preferred Routes for Local Adjacency and UNI Port D-channel connections.
- Return to Previous Menu.
VNS menus are not completed in the numerical sequence (that is their option number) in which they appear on the VNS Records menu. During an initial installation of a Voice Network Switching system, the menus must be completed in a logical sequence. This logical sequence groups the menus into four sequential operations:
- Configuring the Domain
- Configuring the UNI or PBX Addressing
- Configuring Multiple Domains
- Configuring Preferred Routes
Each of the four operations has its own group of menus that must be configured in a particular order. Certain fields of one menu must be completed before subsequent menus can be completed. These fields are linked between menus. Where it is applicable, this chapter will point out the links between the menus. The following sections describe each of the menus in these three logical groups. For each menu, all the fields are listed along with the parameters or options that the field contains. Where a parameter is listed with an index number, such as, 1 = DPNSS, the default, you only need to enter the index number in that field when completing a menu before moving on to the next field. Other fields will accept text or numerical data from the keyboard; for those fields, we list the range of acceptable values or the length of the character string to be entered. Where applicable the default value of the field is also listed.
In the following sections, the illustration of VNS Configuration Interface menus are taken from both VNS Records Add an entry and Browse Data Base options. Add an entry leads to menus with blank fields that a user must complete. Browse Data Base leads to completed records, and are identified by the Enter 's' to skip record... line at the bottom. The Browse Data Base records have been used to indicate typical values that are entered in some fields. Although the Browse Data Base records and Add an entry menus are nearly identical, a couple Browse Data Base records have an extra field for status. These status fields are typically not user-configurable and thus do not appear on Add an entry menus. The descriptions of the menus in the following pages will point out the differences between Add an entry menus and Browse Data Base records.
The domain configuration menus must be completed in the following order:
- Nodes Information (option 9 on the VNS Records menu)
- Cards Information (option 10 on the VNS Records menu)
- VNS Information (option 1 on the VNS Records menu)
- More VNS Information (option 12 on the VNS Records menu)
The Nodes Information menu, shown in the following example, creates records of the node's (IGX or IPX) in a VNS's area. It includes the node's IP address through which the VNS will communicate with the node. For the node which is directly attached to the VNS, this IP address is the LAN address of the IGX or IPX. For nodes which are not directly attached to the VNS, however, this IP address is typically the Network IP (NWIP) address of remote IGX or IPX.
You must create separate Nodes Information records for each node in the VNS's area or domain. (The example menu is actually a Browse Data Base record; the Add an entry Nodes Information Menu will not have the State of Node field shown here.) This menu must be completed first because the Node Name field is linked to other menus.
Nodes Information Menu
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# #
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# Node Name [ ganges ] #
# IP Address [ 192.168.200.200 ] State of Node [ 2 ] #
# #
# Enter 's' to skip record or 'q' to quit [ ] #
# #
# #
# #
# #
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?##############################################################################
The Nodes Information menu contains the following fields:
- Node Name--The unique 10-character IGX/IPX's node name. This must be the configured name of the node as it appears on the node's command line interface.
- State of Node--The current state of the node. The possible values are:
- 0 = unknown
- 1 = inService indicates that the node is fully operational
- 2 = outOfService indicates that the node is not operational
- 3 = NodeReset indicates that the node has reset
Note The
State of Node field is a read-only field that only shows up when you
Browse Data Base and are viewing a completed Nodes Information record.
- IP Address--The nodes's IP address in dotted decimal notation. This is typically the LAN address of the node to which the VNS is directly attached and the NWIP address of remote nodes. (Chapter 6 contains information about configuring Network IPs for remote nodes in the section, Adding Network IP Routes.)
The Cards Information menu, shown in the following example, contains information about a specific voice card (e.g., a CVM in an IGX, or a CDP in an IPX) in the VNS's area. The Nodes Information menu must have been completed before you can complete this menu. You will not be able to delete a Cards Information record if it is being used for redundancy. Also there can not be any ports configured on that card (see Ports Information Submenu) if you want to delete a Cards Information record.
Cards Information Example Menu
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# Card Descriptor [ ganges.8 ] #
# Card State [ 1 ] Card Type [ 1 ] #
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# Enter 's' to skip record or 'q' to quit [ ] #
# #
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The Cards Information menu contains the following fields:
- Card Descriptor--The node.slot. notation that identifies the CDP or CVM in the node.
- Card State--The read-only current state of the card. Since this is not a user-configurable field, the cursor will skip over this field. The possible values that will appear in a Cards Information record are:
- 0 = unknown
- 1 = outOfService indicates that the card is not operational
- 2 = inService indicates the card is fully operational and can be used by the VNS
- Card Type--Specifies the type of card. It can be:
- 0 = unknown
- 1 = CDP or CVM
The VNS Information menu, shown in the following example, provides configuration information about a specific VNS. There will be a separate VNS Information screen for each VNS in the VNS network. When completing this menu, press Return for fields that do not have to be changed. The Nodes Information and Cards Information menus must have been completed before you complete this menu.
VNS Information Example Menu
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# #
# #
# #
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# VNS Name [ vnslab8 ] #
# Node Name [ dasipx1 ] #
# Node IP Address [ 192.168.200.111 ] #
# Shut Down Timer [ 3 ] Statistics [ 2 ] #
# CDR File Count [ 10 ] CDR File Interval [ 1 ] #
# SPNNI Type [ 1 ] Compression Type [ 6 ] #
# Read Comm String [ public ] #
# Write Comm String [ private ] #
# Keep Alive Timer [ 2 ] State Change Timer[ 30 ] #
# RRP_UDP Port [ 5134 ] RRP Retry Count [ 10 ] #
# Config Redundancy?[ 1 ] Enable MultiDomain[ 2 ] #
# Operational Status[ 2 ] Operational Role [ 1 ] #
# VNS IP Address [ 192.168.4.68 ] CVM Redundancy [ 2 ] #
# Enter 's' to skip record or 'q' to quit [ ] #
# #
# #
?##############################################################################
The VNS Information menu contains the following fields:
- VNS Name--A unique 8-character name for this VNS.
- Node Name--The name, up to 10 characters, of the IGX/IPX node to which this VNS is directly attached.
- Node IP Address--The dotted decimal IP address of the IGX/IPX's LAN port.
- Shut Down Timer--Specifies the grace period in seconds allowed for calls to terminate when the VNS is being shut down. The range is 0 to 65535, with a default of 0. Set this to 0 to cause an immediate shutdown.
- Statistics--Turns on or off the generation of statistics files for all ports in an VNS domain or area:
- 2 = Statistics generation is on, the default.
- 3 = Statistics generation if off.
Note The only statistics generated in this release are Call Detail Records (CDRs).
- CDR File Count--Specifies the number of CDR files that the VNS will generate before starting to reuse files, over-writing their content. The range is 1 to 65535, with no default.
- CDR File Interval--Specifies the interval in minutes for which a CDR file will be generated. After this interval expires, the VNS will close the currently open file and start writing to the next one. The range is 1 to 65535, with no default.
- SPNNI Type--Identifies whether either DPNSS, QSIG, or ETSI signaling variant is being used. This field is informational only; you fill it in only to help identify your network:
- 1 = DPNSS
- 2 = QSIG
- 3 = JISDN (Q931A)
- 4 = CORNETNX
- 5 = EISDN (European ISDN, also referred to as ETSI)
Note If you are using the QSIG protocol package, you must make sure that the SPNNI Type is set to QSIG and that the
Port Information submenu's
Stack Type Field is also set to QSIG.
- Compression Type--Specifies the type of voice connection. One type of compression is selected for the entire VNS network. Compression will not be used during data calls. The options are:
- 1 = a32 for ADPCM with 32 kbps compression.
- 2 = a24 for ADPCM with 24 kbps compression.
- 3 = a16 for ADPCM with 16 kbps compression.
- Compressed code avoids all zeros and can be used on lines with no other zero code suppression techniques. Modified 16 kbps technique.
- 4 = a16z for standard 16 kbps ADPCM only. This compressed code can have strings of zeros and must be used only on lines that do not use ZCS (for example, that use B8ZS).
- 5 = a32d used for Enhanced Instafax, which supports high speed circuits but stays at 32 kbps when a high-speed modem is detected. This permits ADPCM compression that would otherwise be unavailable for a modem/FAX circuit.
- 6 = c32 for both ADPCM and Voice Activity Detection (VAD) with 32 kbps compression.
- 7 = c24 for both ADPCM and Voice Activity Detection (VAD) with 24 kbps compression.
- 8 = c16 for both ADPCM and Voice Activity Detection (VAD) with 16 kbps compression.
- Compressed codes avoid all zeros and can be used on lines with no other zero code suppression techniques. 16 kbps compression is non-standard.
- 9 = c16z for standard ADPCM 16 kbps compression and Voice Activity Detection (VAD). This compression can have long strings of zeros and should be used only on trunks that do not use ZCS (for example, that use B8ZS).
- 10 = c32d used for Enhanced Instafax, which supports high speed circuits but stays at 32 kbps when a high-speed modem is detected. This permits ADPCM compression with VAD that would otherwise be unavailable for a modem/FAX circuit.
- 11 = p for a 64 kbps connection with no compression and supports A-law or mu-law encoding and conversion, level adjustment (gain/loss).
- 12 = t for a clean 64 kbps connection with no compression, i.e., clear channel data traffic. Transparent connections treat all bits, including signaling bits, as data bits and disables any gain adjustment conversion that may be specified.
- 13 = v for PCM with VAD but no other compression.
Note Voice connection parameters are described in greater detail in the
Cisco-StrataCom System Overview, in the Voice Connections chapter of the
Cisco StrataCom Command Reference, and in the reference document for the Cisco-StrataCom node. For instance, the
Cisco StrataCom IPX Reference describes voice connection parameters within the description of the Channelized Data Pad (CDP) card.
- Read Comm String--Specifies the Read Community String that has to be used by an SNMP manager sending GET or GETNEXT requests to the VNS. The range is 1 to 32 characters.
- Write Comm String--Specifies the Write Community String that has to be used by an SNMP manager sending SET requests to the VNS. The range is 1 to 32 characters.
- Keep Alive Timer--Specifies the frequency in seconds that the Role Resolution protocol messages are exchanged between the pair of redundant VNSs. It has a range of 1 to 60, with a default of 5.
- State Change Timer--Specifies the period in seconds used by the Role Resolution protocol to change states. It has a range of 10 to 120, with a default of 30. This field is typically not changed from its default.
- RRP_UDP Port--Specifies the UDP port number for the Role Resolution protocol to run between the two VNSs. It has a range of 3000 to 65535, with a default UDP port of 5134.
Note When completing the VNS Information menu, typically you do not change the RRP_UDP Port field from its default (5134). Simply press Return when the cursor reaches that field.
- RRP Retry Count--Specifies the number of retries before the Role Resolution protocol declares the peer VNS as unreachable. It has a range of 10 to a 100, with a default of 10. Typically the RRP Retry Count should be set to 10 or greater.
- Config Redundancy?--Configures redundancy for this VNS, by starting the Role Resolution protocol:
- 0 = No, the default.
- 1 = Yes.
This field is typically not changed from its default.
- Enable MultiDomain--Displays the status of multi-domain service. Multidomain service is typically enabled when local adjacency is established between two VNS areas, which is described in the section, Configuring Multiple Domains. Muli-domain service must be enabled to make VNS calls between domains in a multi-area VNS networks.
- This field can also be used to re-enable multidomain service, when there are two pairs of redundant VNS's controlling different VNS areas, and multidomain service becomes disabled. Multi-domain service could have become disabled when one of the VNS's in a redundant pair went Out of Service and there was a problem bringing the VNS's Frame Relay Port back In Service.
- This Enable MultiDomain field can be:
- 1 = Disabled (This is a read-only value and can not be entered by a user.)
- 2 = Enable (This is the only index value a user can enter.)
- CVM Redundancy--Specifies whether or not CVM Redundancy is activated.
- Operational Status--A read-only indicator of the current Operational Status of this VNS. The options are:
- 0 = Unknown, the default.
- 1= outOfService indicates that the VNS is not operational either due to an error condition or that the VNS had previously been taken out of service
- 2 = In service indicates that the VNS is operation but not necessarily processing calls. It could be in standby mode.
- Operational Role--A read-only indication of the current Operational Role of the VNS. The values can be:
- 0 = unknown, the default.
- 1 = active indicates that this VNS is the active VNS of a redundant pair. The active VNS performs all the call processing and configuration updates.
- 2 = standby indicates that this VNS is the standby VNS of a redundant pair. The standby VNS waits for the active VNS to fail and will then take over the call processing once the previously active VNS assumes the standby role.
- VNS IP Address -A read-only field indicates the IP address in dotted decimal format of this VNS.
The More VNS Info and Redundancy Information menu, shown in the following example, provides information for the VNS and its redundant peer. (The Nodes Information and Cards Information must be completed before you complete this menu.) This menu has to be completed for both VNSs in a redundant pair. Make sure the redundant VNS is turned off while configuring the active VNS. When completing the More VNS Info and Redundancy Information menu, make sure to enter the Peer IP Address correctly. Also make sure to set the Admin Role to 1 (active). Save the record.
Open and complete another More VNS Info and Redundancy Information record that corresponds to the peer VNS. Enter the Peer IP Address so that it points back to the Active VNS. Set the Admin Role to 2 (standby). Save the record.
When these records have been completed, you can turn on the redundant (peer) VNS.
An active redundancy record for the active VNS must exist, you can not delete it. Also you cannot delete a standby redundancy record when the standby VNS is In Service.
More VNS Information and Redundancy Information Example Menu
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# #
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# VNS Name [ vnslab8 ] #
# Voice Port#1 [ dasipx1.4.1 ] #
# Voice Port#2 [ ] #
# Frame Relay Port [ dasipx1.5.1 ] #
# Operational Status[ 2 ] Operational Role [ 1 ] #
# Admin Status [ 1 ] Admin Role [ 1 ] #
# Peer IP Address [ 0.0.0.0 ] #
# VNS FR-IP Address [ 0.0.0.0 ] #
# Peer FR-IP Address[ 0.0.0.0 ] #
# #
# Enter 's' to skip record or 'q' to quit [ ] #
# #
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?##############################################################################
The More VNS Info and Redundancy Information menu contains the following fields:
- VNS Name--A unique 8-character name for this VNS.
- Voice Port #1--The ID (node.slot.port) of the voice card (e.g., CVM on an IGX or CDP on an IPX) which is directly attached to the E1 NIC card. This field is linked to the Nodes Information and the Cards Information menus.
- Voice Port #2--The ID (node.slot.port) of the voice card (e.g., CVM on IGX or CDP on the IPX) which is directly attached to a second E1 NIC card in this VNS.
- Frame Relay Port--The ID (node.slot.port) of the Frame Relay Port (e.g., FRP card on the IPX) to which the Frame Relay (RS422 to V.35) card is directly attached.
- Operational Status--A read-only indicator of the current Operational Status of this VNS. Since this is not a user-configurable field, the cursor will skip over it. The possible values in a More VNS Info and Redundancy Information record are:
- 0 = unknown.
- 1= outOfService indicates that the VNS is not operational either due to an error condition or that the VNS had previously been taken out of service.
- 2 = In service indicates that the VNS is in operation but not necessarily processing calls. It could be in standby mode.
- Operational Role--A read-only indication of the current Operational Role of the VNS. Since this is not a user-configurable field, the cursor will skip over it. The possible values in a More VNS Info and Redundancy Information record are:
- 0 = unknown.
- 1 = active indicates that this VNS is the active VNS of a redundant pair. The active VNS performs all the call processing and configuration updates.
- 2 = standby indicates that this Voice is the standby VNS of a redundant pair. The standby VNS waits for the active VNS to fail and will take over the call processing once the previously active VNS assumes the standby role.
- Admin Status--Used to change the Operational Status of the VNS. The options are:
- 1 = outOfService brings the VNS to an off-line state where the configuration can be updated.
- 2 = inService indicates that the VNS is to be brought into an operational state. Its role being indicated by Operational Role.
- 3 = resetConfig will cause the VNS to read a new configuration from disk.
- 4 = shutdown shut downs the VNS after the grace period indicated by Shut Down Timer.
- Admin Role--Used to change the Operational Role of a VNS in a redundant pair. The options are:
- 1 = active to cause a change from standby to active which causes the standby VNS to take over all call processing once the previously active VNS assumes the standby role.
- 2 = standby to cause a change from active to standby which causes all the calls on the active VNS to become terminated and the standby VNS to become active.
- Peer IP Address--Specifies the IP address in dotted decimal format of the other (the peer) VNS in a redundant pair.
- VNS FR-IP Address--This field is not used. Skip over this field. It has an address of 0.0.0.0 in the VNS records.
- Peer FR-IP Address--This field is not used. Skip over this field. It has an address of 0.0.0.0 in the VNS records.
The UNI (User Network Interface) or PBX addressing configuration menus must be completed in the following order:
- Ports Information (option 11 on VNS Records menu)
- Address Information (option 5 on the VNS Records menu)
- Address Screening Rules (option 7 on the VNS Records menu)
- Transformation Rules (option 8 on the VNS Records menu)
- Multihome Port Configurations (option 13 on the VNS Records menu)
- Multihome Policy Configurations (option 14 on the VNS Records menu)
The Ports Information submenu, shown in the following example, leads to other menus that provide information about the UNI ports in a VNS's area.
Ports Information Menu
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# ciscoSystems/StrataCom V N S #
# Configuration Interface, Release 2.1.c #
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# 1. Port Information #
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# 2. Screening Type Information #
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# 3. Return to Main Menu #
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# Enter your selection: #
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The Ports Information menu contains the following options:
- Port Information
- Screening Type Information
- Return to Previous menu
To access one of the options, enter the selection index number and press Enter.
The Port Information menu, shown in the following example, creates a record information about a UNI port in a VNS's area. You must create one of these records for each UNI port in the VNS's service area. The Nodes Information and Cards Information menus must have already been completed before you can complete this menu.
Port Information Example Menu
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# Port Descriptor [ dasigx1.7.1 ] #
# Port Type [ 1 ] Port State [ 2 ] #
# UNI Channel [ 16 ] VNS Channel [ 10 ] #
# First Channel [ 1 ] Last Channel [ 23 ] #
# Channel Alloc Role[ 2 ] Channel Allocation[ 2 ] #
# Interface ID [ 1 ] #
# Statistics [ 2 ] Stats Interval [ 1 ] #
# Stack Type [ 1 ] #
# #
# Enter 's' to skip record or 'q' to quit [ ] #
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The Port Information menu contains the following fields:
- Port Descriptor--The node.slot.port notation that identifies the specific UNI port.
- Port Type--The type of UNI port. The options are:
- 0 = unknown
- 1 = UNI (User Network Interface)
- Port State--The read-only current state of the port. The values can be:
- 0 = unknown.
- 1 = outOfService indicates that the port is not operational, which is the default.
- 2 = inService indicates that the port is fully operational and can be used by the VNS.
- UNI Channel--The logical channel (1 -31) of the signaling channel on the UNI. This logical channel corresponds to the E1 timeslot (TS), typically TS16, carrying signaling information between the PBX and the VNS network. (For CAS to QSIG conversion, the UNI Channel is 25 as described in Appendix I, Channel Associated Signaling Voice Switching.)
- VNS Channel--The logical channel (1-31) on the E1 NIC in the VNS carrying the signaling information from the node to the VNS. Since all 30 of the E1 NIC's logical channels (timeslots) are used to carry signaling information from a UNI port (i.e., a PBX) to the VNS, any of these logical channels can be assigned. (The user should keep track of which signaling channel is assigned to which voice port.)
- First Channel--The first channel in the range of channels on this voice port available for user data. This is similar to the first channel in a hunt group. The range is 1 to 31.
- Last Channel--The last channel in the range of channels on this voice port available for user signaling. This is similar to the last channel in a hunt group. The range is 1 to 31.
- Channel Alloc Role--This field is incorrectly named. It should be renamed LAP role A/B. For all protocols, a side A can only be established with a side B. The options are:
- 1 = unknown
- 2 = side B (slave or user)
- 3 = side A (master or network)
Note DPNSS X - Y is not configurable. Side A is always side x and side B is always side y.
- Channel Allocation--This field is incorrectly named. It should be thought of as channel assignment. It specifies the direction (from low-to-high or from high-to-low) which the VNS will assign channels for calls from a PBX. Low end specifies that channels are assigned from the First Channel to the Last Channel; high end specifies that channels are assigned from the Last Channel to the First Channel. (First and Last Channels were specified in previous fields of this menu.) The options are:
- 1 = unknown
- 2 = low end (from low to high channels, such as from 1 to 31, or from whatever channel was specified as First Channel to the Last Channel)
- 3 = high end (from high to low channels, such as from 31 to 1, or from whatever channel was specified as Last Channel to the First Channel)
Note For ISDN preferred/exclusive is not configurable. For incoming requests both preferred and exclusive will be processed. All outgoing calls are exclusive.
- Interface ID--The ID of the E1 NIC voice port connected to this UNI port.
- 1 = Voice Port 1 (E1 NIC 1, whose location is shown in Figure 6-2)
- 2 = Voice Port 2 (E1 NIC 2, whose location is shown in Figure 6-2)
- Statistics--Allows you to turn on or off the generation of statistics files for the protocol stack. The options are:
- Statistics Interval--Specifies the interval, in minutes, at which statistics for this port are written to file, when statistics generation is turned on. The range is 1 to 65535.
- Stack Type--This field specifies the signaling stack (i.e., protocol variant) that this UNI port will use. By allowing you to specify a particular protocol stack for a port, VNS Release 2.1 supports the Break-Out/Break-In feature. The options are:
- 1 = DPNSS
- 2 = QSIG
- 3 = JISDN (Q931A)
- 4 = CORNETNX
- 5 = EISDN (European ISDN, also referred to as ETSI)
Screening allows you to screen addresses, that is, filter calling party and called party numbers. In other words, you can create lists of numbers from which or to which you will allow calls, or lists of numbers from which or to which you will not allow calls. Using the Screening Type Information menu, shown in the example, you can select the type of screening you are going to do for calling parties (that is, source) or the called parties (that is, destination) for a UNI port. (The Address Screening Information menu is used to specify the actual addresses that are going to be screened.) Typically, you use this menu to select the type of screening which will allow you to create the shorter screening list. For example, if you have a small number of addresses (called party numbers) to which you do not want to allow calls, you would select Destination Screen Type disallowed; then use the Address Screening Information menu to specify these addresses.
Screening Type Information Example Menu
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# Port Descriptor [dasigx1.7.1 ] #
# Source Screen Type [2 ] Destination Screen [2 ]#
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The Screening Type Information menu contains the following fields:
- Port Descriptor--The UNI port ID (node.slot.port) of the port for which you are going to screen addresses (that is, calling and called party numbers).
- Source Screen Type--The type of source (calling party) screening configured. Screening types, which are configured with the Address Screening Information menu, can be either:
- 1 = allowed to indicate that the screening identifies addresses, which will be specified with the Address Screening Information menu, that are permitted from this port.
- 2 = disallowed indicates that the screening identifies addresses, which will be specified with the Address Screening Information menu, that are not permitted from this port.
- Destination Screen--The type of destination (called party) screening configured for this port. The screening types are:
- 1 = allowed to indicate that the screening identifies addresses, which will be specified with the Address Screening Information menu, that are not permitted to this port.
- 2 = disallowed to indicate that the screening identifies addresses, which will be specified with the Address Screening Information menu, that are permitted to this port.
The Address Information menu, shown in the following example, describes the addresses, the telephone number in E.164 format, assigned to a UNI port in a VNS's area. When you browse the Address Information records, they will be displayed in a sorted, descending order. For example, Address 8000 will be displayed before Address 7999, which will be displayed before Address 900, and so on.
The Nodes Information, Cards Information, and Ports Information menus must be completed before you can complete this menu.
Address Information Example Menu
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# Address [069****** ] #
# Port Descriptor [dasigx1.7.1 ] #
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# KEY: The address configured on the local VNS. #
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The Address Information menu contains the following fields:
- Address--An address, i.e., E.164 telephone number, for a UNI port in this VNS's area. An address can be a string of 1 to 40 digits or characters.
- To avoid having to enter very complex numbering plans and to speed up the call routing process, the VNS allows the use of wildcards (that is, the * symbol) in an address. For instance, you could enter Address 069***** to route all calls beginning with 069 to the PBX attached to UNI port dasigx1.7.1.
- For exceptions you add another Address Information record, specifying the complete address and port. For instance, you could add Address 069-123456 and Port Descriptor dasigx1.6.1 and Address 069124*** and Port Descriptor dasigx1.5.1 to route those calls to different PBX's.
- When using wildcards, you must observe the following rules:
- All addresses must start with a digit.
- The exception digits cannot exceed the length of the default string. That is, if the default entry is 069*** (7 digits), any specific entries have to be 7 digits or less. If the specific entry is less than 7 digits, use the wildcard symbol (*) to fill out the string, such as 069124***. In other words, the default string must be as long or longer than the largest exception.
- One wildcard symbol needs to be entered for every digit that needs to be processed. For example, **** indicates four digits.
- The wildcard symbols must be entered as consecutive digits. Thus, 069****** is allowed, but 069**5*** is not allowed.
- Port Descriptor--The port ID (node.slot.port) on the node (IGX/IPX) of the UNI port for which the specified address/telephone number is configured.
The Address Screening Information menu, shown in the following example, is used together with the Screening Type Information menu to create the lists of called party (that is, source) and calling party (that is, destination) addresses that you are going to filter (allow or disallow) for the specified UNI port. The Screening Type Information must have been completed before you can complete this menu. This menu specifies the address (that is, the called or calling party number) that is allowed or not allowed for a specific port, while the Screening Type Information menu specifies the type of screening that will be performed. This menu creates one record for your screening list. You must complete one record for each number you want to screen.
Address Screening Information Example Menu
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# Address Screening Rule #
# [5551234 ] #
# Port Descriptor [dasigx1.7.1 ] #
# Screening Type [2 ] #
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# Enter 'c' to commit changes or 'q' to quit [ ] #
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# KEY: The address screening rule. #
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The Address Screening Information menu contains the following fields:
- Address Screening Rule--The full 20-byte address, a prefix, or a partial address that will be screened (that is, filtered) at the specified UNI port. The rule is entered as a string of 1 to 30 digits or characters.
- Port Descriptor--The UNI port ID (node.slot.port) notation on the node (IGX/IPX) to which the screening rule will be applied.
- Screening Type--Specifies the type of address screening implemented for this port. Screening can be applied as a source (calling party) screen, a destination (called party) screen, or both a source and destination screen. The indexed options are:
- 0 = unknown
- 1 = source screening (calling party filtering)
- 2 = destination screening (called party filtering)
- 3 = both source and destination screening (both calling party and called party filtering)
The VNS provides address (that is, number) translation to route public network telephone numbers over a VNS private networks. This translation feature can be used to translate a public number to a private number for Break-In and a private number to a public number for Break-Out. (The Break-In/Break-Out feature is described in Chapter 1 in the section, Break-Out/Break-In Feature.)
The Transformation Rules Information menu, shown in the following example menu, specifies the way a number is transformed, that is converted from one number to another. Transformation rules applied to a particular UNI port and can be applied to calling party or called party numbers. The Nodes Information, Cards Information, and Ports Information menus must be completed before you can complete this menu.
Transformation rules can not be applied between VNS domains.
Transformation Rules Information Example Menu
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# Port Descriptor [dasigx1.7.1 ] #
# Priority [1 ] #
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# Pattern to Locate #
# [^123 ] #
# Pattern to be Replaced #
# [$0 ] #
# Replacement Digits #
# [1234 ] #
# Direction [4 ] Application [3 ]#
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# Enter 'c' to commit changes or 'q' to quit [ ] #
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# KEY: The port descriptor to which transformation rule is to be applied #
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The Transformation Rules Information menu contains the following fields:
- Port Descriptor--The UNI port ID (node.slot.port) of the port to which the transformation is to be applied.
- Priority--A unique number that identifies this transformation rule record. There can be multiple Transformation Rules associated with a single UNI port. You must assign a unique Priority number for each record that you complete for a specified port. (This field does not determine the priority with rules are applied.) The range is 1 to 65535.
- Pattern to Locate--The pattern of digits that are to be located in an address before the Transformation Rule can be applied. It also specifies where in the Address these strings can be located. For instance, the character "^" included in the pattern indicates that the remaining digits are to be located at the start of the address. The character "$" indicates that the remaining digits are to be located at the end of the address. For example, if you wanted to transform numbers beginning with the digits "123", you would enter "^123" in this field. The range is 0 to 30 digits or characters.
- Pattern to be Replaced--The pattern of digits that are to be replaced in an address and the location of these digits in the address. For instance, the character "^" in the pattern indicates that the remaining digits are to be located at the start of the address. The character "$" indicates that the remaining digits are to be located at the end of the address. For example, if you wanted to replace the digit "0" at the end of a string, you would enter "$0" in this field. The range is 0 to 30 digits or characters.
- Replacement Digits--Specifies the digits that are to replace the digits listed in the Pattern to be Replaced field. For instance, if you want to replace the "0" in the Pattern to be Replaced field with the digits "1234", you would enter "1234" in this field. The range is 0 to 30 digits.
- Direction--Species the direction of the calls to which the Transformation Rules are to be applied. The options are:
- 2 = inComing specifies calls that originate on the specified UNI port.
- 3 = outGoing specifies calls that terminate on the specified UNI port.
- 4 = both directions.
- Application--Specifies the different addresses in a call request that the transformation Rule is to be applied to. It is a bit mask with each bit indicating the following:
- bit 0--called party number (the decimal equivalent is 1; thus enter 1 for called party).
- bit 1--calling party number (the decimal equivalent is 2; thus enter 2 for calling party).
- bit 2--redirection number (the decimal equivalent is 4; thus enter 4 for redirection).
- bit 3--redirected number (the decimal equivalent is 8; thus enter 8 for redirected).
- bit 4--connected number (the decimal equivalent is 16; thus enter16 for connect).
- If any bit is set then the Transformation Rule will be applied to that number. Although the Application field is implemented as a bit mask, it is entered as a decimal number, with a range of 0 to 65535. Therefore to select "called party number," you would enter 1, and to select "calling party number," you would enter 2. To select both "calling party number" and "called party number", you would enter 3, the sum of the decimal equivalent of the two set bits. And so on.
The Multihome Port Configurations menu, option 13 on the VNS Records menu, shown in the following example, is used when configuring Multihomed E1 UNI port pairs. Multihoming E1 Ports is described in Chapter 1 in section Multihomed E1 Links. Multihomed ports typically have the same address configured for them and are used to increase the hit ration of successful calls to a specific address, load-sharing, or backup for a particular link.
You must create one of these records for each of ports in a multihomed pair. For instance, to multihome dasigx2.7 to dasigx2.8, after committing the record shown below, you would create a record for dasigx2.8 with dasigx2.7 as the multihomed port, also with a select policy of 8. If you were going to multihome 3 UNI ports, A, B, and C, you would complete 6 Multihome Port Configuration records. Two for A & B, two for B & C, and two for A & C.
The Nodes Information, Cards Information, and Ports Information menus must already have been configured before you can complete this menu.
Multihome Port Configurations Example Menu
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# CPE Port #
# [dasigx2.7 ] #
# Multihomed Port [dasigx2.81 ] #
# Select Policy [8 ] #
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This menu includes the following fields:
- CPE Port specifies in StrataCom Node.Slot.Port notation the first port in the multihomed pair. This port is considered the primary port of multihomed pair.
- Multihomed Port specifies in StrataCom Node.Slot.Port notation the port being multihomed to the primary port.
- Select Policy specifies the type of selection criteria the VNS will use to determine which of these ports to route a specific call to. The Select Policy is entered as an index number indicating:
- 1= A round-robin alternation between each port
- 2 = Port with most bandwidth available
- 4= Port with the least amount of transients (that is the fewest amount of calls to it)
- 8= Or port with least errors
The Multihome Policy Configurations menu, option 14 on the VNS Records menu, shown in the following example, is used to provide a weight for a Select Policy when more than one Select Policy is specified for a multihomed port pair. Multihoming E1 Ports is described in Chapter 1 in section Multihomed E1 Links.
The Nodes Information, Cards Information, and Ports Information menus must already have been configured before you can complete this menu.
Multihome Policy Configurations Example Menu
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# Port Description #
# [dasigx1.7.1 ] #
# Policy [8 ] #
# Weightage [100 ] #
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# Enter 'c' to commit changes or 'q' to quit [ ] #
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# KEY: The port descriptor where the policy is linked. #
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This menu includes the following fields:
- Port Description specifies which port in StrataCom Node.Slot.Port notation to which you want to weight a specific Selection Policy for the VNS's port selection process.
- Policy indicates the index number (1, 2, 4, or 8 as described in the previous section Multihome Port Configurations) selected for the specified port.
- Weightage indicates the amount of weight (between 0 and 100) that the VNS should apply to the specific Select Policy. 0 (zero) indicates no weight and will never be taken into account; 100 is full weight and will always be the first consideration.
- On a specific port, each of the Select Policies could be assigned a different weight. When there are more than one pair of multihomed ports configured for the same primary port, the VNS will consider all the selection policies and all of their weights before routing a call to a specific port.
The multiple domain configuration menus must be completed in the following order:
- Local Adjacency Information (Option 2)
- Network Prefix Information (Option 6)
- Network Adjacency Information (Option 3) (not used in VNS Release 2.1)
Naturally if there were only a single VNS domain in your VNS network, these menus would not have to be completed.
The Local Adjacency Information menu, shown in the following example, provides information about locally adjacent VNS's, that is VNS's controlling separate VNS domains and connected to one another through a Frame Relay PVC (that is, a SPNNI connection). After committing this record, the VNS instructs the node (IGX or IPX) to build the Frame Relay connection to the remote VNS. (The example is actually a Local Adjacency Information record; the VNS State field will not appear on the Local Adjacency Information menu.) Local Adjacency menus have to completed at both ends of the SPNNI connection. (Chapter 8 contains an example of counterpart Local Adjacency records in the section Local Adjacency Example.)
Note In this release, the VNS signaling is done over a full-mesh network. Every VNS has a frame relay PVC to every other VNS controlling a separate domain in the network. Thus every VNS is considered "locally adjacent" to every other VNS.
Local Adjacency Information Example Menu
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# VNS Name [ boysen ] Standby VNS Name [ ] #
# Local Port Type [ 3 ] Local DLCI [ 100 ] #
# Remote Port Desc [ dasigx1.4.1 ] Remote DLCI [ 200 ] #
# Link Weight [ 1 ] VNS State [ 0 ] #
# Rmt Stby Port Desc[ ] #
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This menu contains the following fields:
- VNS Name--The unique 8-character name of the adjacent VNS.
- Standby VNS Name--The unique 8-character name of the adjacent VNS's peer unit. This field has to be completed when the adjacent VNS is part of a redundant pair.
- Local Port Type--The type of frame relay port. It can be configured as either network or user Cisco-StrataCom Proprietary Network-to-Network Interface (SPNNI, N-SPNNI or U-SPNNI). The two ends of a frame relay signaling PVC must be configured differently for a connection to be established, i.e., one end must be u-spnni and the other must be n-spnni. To select the Local Port type, enter one of the following index numbers:
- 2 = U-SPNNI.
- 3 = N-SPNNI.
- Local DLCI--The DLCI at the local VNS of the frame relay PVC to the locally adjacent VNS. The factory default range of DLCIs reserved for the Local DLCI is 101 to 113. If you need to use a DLCI which is not in this default range, you will have to add the DLCI to the fr_conv file as is described in Chapter 6 in the section, Modifying the Default Range of VNS DLCIs.
- Remote Port Desc--Port ID (node.slot.port) on the node, e.g., IGX/IPX, connected to the remote VNS used to establish the frame relay PVC with the local VNS. In other words, this is the remote Node's port ID which is connected to the remote VNS's Frame Relay Card.
- Remote DLCI--The DLCI at the remote VNS of the frame relay PVC between locally adjacent VNS's. The factory default range of DLCIs reserved for the Local DLCI is 101 to 113. If you need to use a DLCI which is not in this default range, you will have to add the DLCI to the fr_conv file in the remote VNS as is described in Chapter 6 in the section, Modifying the Default Range of VNS DLCIs.
- VNS State--The read-only Operational Status of the adjacent VNS. This status field appears on Local Adjacency Information record, but does not appear on the Local Adjacency Information menu. This field can be:
- 0 = unknown, the default.
- 1 = outOfService indicates that the VNS has lost connection to the adjacent VNS. This may or may not be because the VNS has gone out of service.
- 2 = inService indicates that the VNS is fully operational.
- Link Weight--This field is reserved for future use and has no effect. The range is 1 to 65535, with a default of 1. It will accept any value, but should be left at its default.
- Rmt Stby Port Desc--Port ID (node.slot.port) on the node, e.g., IGX/IPX, connected to the remote VNS's peer unit's Frame Relay Port. In other words, this is the remote nodes Port ID which is connected to the remote VNS's peer's Frame Relay Port. This field has to be completed only when the adjacent VNS is part of a redundant pair.
Note Since the VNS frame relay signaling network is full mesh, every link (i.e., frame relay PVC between VNSs) will have the same weight or preference.
The Network Prefixes menu, shown in the following example, is used to organize addresses in VNS areas in the network. These VNS prefixes (or addresses) help to organize the numbering plan for the VNS network. Unique prefixes are typically assigned to each VNS area, much like an area code in plain old telephone service (POTS).
Network Prefixes Information Example Menu
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# Network Address [ 30 ] #
# VNS Name [ boysen ] #
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The Network Prefixes Information menu contains the following fields:
- Network Address--The address prefix for a specific VNS area. A prefix can be a string of 1 to 30 characters or digits.
- VNS Name--The unique 8-character name of the VNS area to which the address prefix is assigned.
This menu is reserved for use when the VNS supports alternate signaling links between VNS areas. It can not be used in VNS Release 2.1.
The Network Adjacency Information menu, shown in the following example, provides information about the link (frame relay PVC signaling connection) between two VNSs in the network.
Note In this release, where a full-mesh signaling network is required, this menu has no use. Do not complete it.
Network Adjacency Information Example Menu
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# First VNS Name [dasigx1 ] Second VNS Name [dasigx2 ]#
# Link Weight [1 ] #
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# Enter 'c' to commit changes or 'q' to quit [ ] #
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# KEY: Unique name of the first VNS, up to 8 chars long #
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This menu contains the following fields:
- First VNS Name--The unique 8-character name of the first VNS of an adjacent pair.
- Second VNS Name---The unique 8-character name of the remote VNS of an adjacent pair.
- Link Weight--The weight/preference assigned to the link (i.e., frame relay PVC) between the adjacent VNSs. The range is 1 to 65535, with a default of 1. (This field is not used in this release.)
The Preferred Route Configurations menu leads to menus that let you specify a preferred route for the signaling channel between a UNI port and the VNS, or between two locally adjacent VNS's. The VNS system adds these preferred routes as signaling PVCs in the network. Preferred routing of these signaling channels provides the flexibility needed to avoid network congestion, and to provide load balancing and resiliency across network trunks.
Note Preferred routes will fail if a trunk they are traversing fails, such as when the trunk is deleted or upped but not added.
From the Preferred Route Configurations menu, shown in the following example menu, you can select either:
- Local Adjacency Preferred Route Information
- Port Preferred Route Information
Preferred Route Configurations Example Menu
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# 1. Local Adjacency Preferred Route Information #
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# 2. Port Preferred Route Information #
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# 3. Return to Main Menu #
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The Local Adjacency Preferred Route option allows you to specify a preferred route for a SPNNI connection between two locally adjacent VNS's. Local Adjacency must be configured with the Local Adjacency Information menu before you can configure a preferred route. Figure 7-1 provides a simple example where the Local Adjacency Preferred Route option could be used. In this example, rather than use E1 Trunk 1, you want to route the SPNNI channel between vnslab1 and vnslab2 (that is, the locally adjacent VNS's) through vnsigx3. The numbers in the example indicate the IGX slot number of the NTMs, that is, the trunk cards. For instance, the 14 below vnsigx1 indicates that the NTM (that is, the trunk card is in slot 14.
Figure 7-1: Local Adjacency Preferred Route Example
You use the Local Adjacency Preferred Route Information menu, shown in the following example menu, to configure a preferred local adjacency route. The Local Adjacency Preferred Route record must be configured on both of the locally adjacent VNS's.
Local Adjacency Preferred Route Information Example Menu
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# Remote VNS Name [ vnslab2 ] #
# Local VNS Name [ vnslab1 ] #
# Local node [ vnsigx1.14 ] Remote node [ vnsigx2 ] #
# 1st Hop [ vnsigx3.12 ] 2nd Hop [ ] #
# 3rd Hop [ ] 4th Hop [ ] #
# 5th Hop [ ] 6th Hop [ ] #
# 7th Hop [ ] 8th Hop [ ] #
# 9th Hop [ ] #
# Enter 's' to skip record or 'q' to quit [ ] #
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The Local Adjacency Preferred Route Information menu contains the following fields:
- Remote VNS Name is the configured name of the remote VNS, such as, vnslab2 from the example.
- Local VNS Name is the configured name of this VNS, such as vnslab1 from the example.
- Local Node is the node (IGX or IPX) to which this VNS is connected. This is entered in node.slot notation, such as vnsigx1.14 from the example.
- Remote Node is the node (IGX or IPX) to which the remote VNS is connected, such as vnsigx2 from the example.
- 1st Hop through 9th Hop fields in node.slot notation, such as vnsigx3.12 in the 1st Hop field from the example. If the preferred route is routed through other intermediate routing nodes, you specify the node.slot of the trunk card on which the preferred route leaves the node, for the 2nd Hop, 3rd Hop, and so on.
The preferred route for the Local Adjacency PVC then becomes the concatenation of Local Node, all non-empty hop fields ( 1st Hop, etc.), and the Remote Node. When the Local Adjacency PVC is built either at boot time or at configuration time, the VNS will send the node (IGX or IPX) SNMP commands to build the connection over the preferred route. If the node fails to set up the preferred route signaling PVC, it will try to build a PVC through another route. Also if the preferred route fails after it has been built, the node will build another route.
The Port Preferred Route option allows you to specify a preferred route for the signaling channel from a port (that is, a UNI attached to a PBX) to a VNS. The port must be configured with the Ports Information Submenu before you can configure a preferred route for it. Figure 7-2 illustrates a simple example where Port Preferred Routing could be used. In this example, there are a couple ways that the signaling channel (that is, the D channel) could be routed from PBX 2 to vnslab6. Depending on your traffic loading and network requirements, you could specify either E1 Trunk 1 or E1 Trunk 2 to be the preferred route. In the example, the numbers at either end of the E1 trunk indicate the slot numbers of the NTM, that is, the trunk cards.
Figure 7-2: Port Preferred Route Example
In this case, you would use the Port Preferred Routing menu to specify the preferred route. The Port Preferred Route Information menu is shown in the following example menu.
Port Preferred Route Information Example Menu
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# Port descriptor [ vnsigx3.8.1 ] #
# Local VNS Name [ vnslab6 ] #
# Local node [ vnsigx2.14 ] Remote node [ vnsigx3 ] #
# 1st Hop [ ] 2nd Hop [ ] #
# 3rd Hop [ ] 4th Hop [ ] #
# 5th Hop [ ] 6th Hop [ ] #
# 7th Hop [ ] 8th Hop [ ] #
# 9th Hop [ ] #
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The Port Preferred Route Information menu has the following fields:
- Port Description is the port in node.slot.port notation of the UNI port for which you are configuring a preferred route, such as vnsigx3.8.1 in the example.
- Local VNS Name is the configured name of this VNS, such as vnslab6 in the example.
- Local Node is the node (IGX or IPX) to which this VNS is connected. This is entered in node.slot notation, such as vnsigx2.14 in the example.
- Remote Node is the node (IGX or IPX) which contains the remote port, such as vnsigx3 in the example.
- 1st Hop through 9th Hop fields in node.slot notation. If you are routing this signaling channel through intermediate routing nodes, this field contains the configured node name and the slot (.slot) of the trunk card on which the signaling channel leaves the node.
The preferred route for the UNI port PVC (that is, the D-channel from the UNI port to the VNS) then becomes the concatenation of Local Node, all non-empty Hop fields (1st Hop, etc.), and the Remote Node. When the port PVC is built either at boot time or at configuration time, the VNS will send the node (IGX or IPX) SNMP commands to build the connection over the preferred route. If the node fails to set up the preferred route signaling PVC, it will try to build a PVC through another route. Also if the preferred route fails after it has been built, the node will build another route.
The Delete an Entry option of the VNS main menu allows you to delete completed entries in the VNS database.
When you choose this option, you get the same list of menus that you get when you select Add and entry. However choosing an item, such as VNS Information, pulls up a completed menu. You can then delete that entry to remove it from the data base.
The Modify an Entry option of the VNS main menu allows you to modify completed entries in the VNS database.
When you choose this option, you get the same list of menus that you get when you select Add and entry. However choosing an item, such as VNS Information, pulls up a completed menu. You can then modify that entry and save the modifications in the data base.
The Browse the Data Base option of the VNS main menu allows you to view the entries in the VNS database.
When you choose this option, you get the same list of menus that you get when you select Add and entry. However choosing an item, such as VNS Information, pulls up a completed menu. You can then look at it without modifying the data base.
Note There are a couple of read-only status fields that appear on Browse Data Base menus that do not appear on Add an Entry menus.
The Validate Data Base option of the VNS main menu allows you check the integrity of the VNS database. This command will return either a DATA BASE IS VALID or DATA BASE IS INVALID, PLEASE RESTORE FROM BACKUP message. When the database is invalid, you will have to restore it from a backup or recreate it. The following example shows the DATA BASE IS VALID message.
Validate Data Base Response
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# DATABASE IS VALID...
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Note The Debug Mode menu is reserved for use by Support Personnel. Misuse of this menu could seriously degrade the performance of your VNS and network.
Debug Mode Example Menu
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# VNS Name [ vnslab8 ] #
# Debug Level [ 0 ] #
# Log Information [ 0 ] #
# Dump Sys Table [ 0 ] #
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# Type 'c' to commit,'s' to skip,'q' to quit [ ] #
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Select this option from the VNS main menu to close the VNS Configuration Interface and return to the VNS's UNIX prompt.
