Copyright: Help version 5.0
Citation: Copyright IBM Corporation


Advanced Networking

IBM provides several features that enhance your networking performance flexibility and reliability. These advanced networking technologies will enable you get the maximum use from the IBM adapter you've purchased:

Priority Packet— a traffic prioritization utility that enables you to set up filters to process high priority traffic before normal traffic.

Adapter Teaming—a suite of adapter teaming options that includes Adapter Fault Tolerance, Adaptive Load Balancing, and Fast EtherChannel*.

Virtual LANs (VLANs) — a logical grouping of network devices that lets a user see and access only specified network segments.

Wired for Management, DMI, and SNMP— Wired for Management is a specification that allows systems to be centrally managed over networks. DMI is an established computer industry standard for managing components installed in your computer. The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) makes it possible to manage all SNMP enabled devices in the Network.

Tivoli Management Agent—installs the agent for existing Tivoli customers.

* Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


Priority Packet

Priority Packet is a traffic prioritization utility that enables you to set up filters to process high priority traffic before normal traffic. Using Priority Packet, you can set up priority filters to give priority to critical applications or users.

This document provides information on:

•   Prioritizing network traffic

•   Different methods of tagging packets with priority levels

•   Downloading the Priority Packet software from the web

Prioritizing Network Traffic

Priority Packet lets you set up priority filters to send information from critical nodes or applications with an indicated priority. By prioritizing traffic at the hosts or entry point of the network, network devices can base forwarding decisions on priority information defined in the packet.

Priority Packet prioritizes traffic based on priority filters—parameters you assign to be applied to outgoing (transmit) packets. Using the Priority Packet Filter Wizard, you can set up pre-defined or custom priority filters based on a node (MAC) address, Ethernet type, or by various properties of the protocol and port. Priority Packet provides two different methods for prioritizing traffic: IEEE 802.1p tagging and High Priority Queue.

IEEE 802.1p Tagging

IEEE 802.1p is a new IEEE standard for tagging packets which gives different priority levels to packets by adding an additional 4 bytes of information in the Ethernet header.  This increases the packet size from 1564 to 1568.  To use IEEE 802.1p tagging, your network infrastructure must support 802.1p standards (which gives it the ability to handle these larger packets).  Priority Packet tagging (known as Traffic Class Expediting) assigns specific priority levels from 0 (low) to 7 (high) and delivers the highest coded packets before the lower coded packets.

NOTE:  IEEE 802.1p tagging increases the size of the packets it tags. Some hubs and switches won’t recognize the larger packets and will drop them. Check your hub or switch documentation to see if they support 802.1p. (You can configure the switch to strip the tags from the packets and send it on to the next destination as normal traffic.) If these devices don’t support 802.1p or you’re not sure, use High Priority Queue to prioritize network traffic.

Requirements for effectively using IEEE 802.1p tagging:

•  The other devices receiving and routing 802.1p tagged packets must support 802.1p.

•  The adapters on these devices must support 802.1p (adapters using the 82558 or later Ethernet controller). All 10/100 Ethernet and 10/100 Ethernet Security adapters support 802.1p.

•  The adapter(s) cannot be assigned to an adapter team.

•  If you’re setting up VLANs and packet tagging on the same adapter, the ‘802.1p/802.1Q Tagging’ must be ‘Enabled’ on the IBMSet Advanced Settings tab.

High Priority Queue

If your network infrastructure devices don’t support IEEE 802.1p or you’re not sure, you can still define priority filters and send packets as high priority. While High Priority Queue (HPQ) doesn’t provide the precise priority levels of 802.1p tagging, it does assign traffic as either high or low priority, and sends high priority packets first. Therefore, if there are multiple applications on a system sending packets, the packets from the application with a priority filter are sent out first. HPQ doesn't change network routing, nor does it add any information to the packets.

To assign HPQ, you can specify it using Priority Packet when you create or assign a priority filter. HPQ doesn't require any additional configuration in IBMSet.

To effectively use HPQ tagging, the adapter(s) cannot be assigned to an adapter team.

Additional Information on Priority Packet

Priority Packet is available on the IBM adapter CD in the \PRTPKT directory.

* Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


Tagging

Adding additional bytes of information to a packet. In the case of Priority Packet using IEEE 802.1p tagging, this means adding 4 additional bytes of information indicating the packet’s priority.


Priority filter

In Priority Packet, this is a parameter that is applied to an outgoing (transmit) packet to determine if it should be tagged with IEEE 802.1p or put in the High Priority Queue.. Priority Packet supports three types of filters: Node address/Ethertype, TCP/IP, and IPX.

When a network packet reaches the device with filters, the packet is compared to each filter. If the packet matches a filter, it receives the priority associated with that filter.


Adapter Teaming

Teaming Overview

IBM’s line of server adapters provides several options for increasing throughput and fault tolerance when running Windows* 2000, Windows NT 4.0 or NetWare 4.1x or higher.

NOTE:	Use of the advanced teaming features software requires IBM Server Adapters.

IBM’s advanced server adapter features include:

Adapter Fault Tolerance (AFT) – Provides the safety of an additional backup link between the server and a hub or switch. In the case of failure in a hub or switch port, cable, or adapter, you can maintain uninterrupted network performance by having a secondary adapter take over.

Adaptive Load Balancing (ALB) – Provides scalable server bandwidth in 100Mbps increments up to 400Mbps, by balancing outgoing traffic among multiple adapters.  Adapter teams configured for ALB also provide the benefits of AFT.

Fast EtherChannel* (FEC) – Delivers scalable bandwidth in 200Mbps increments, up to 800Mbps full duplex.  Unlike ALB, you can configure FEC to increase both transmission and reception channels between your server and switch.  Adapter teams configured for FEC also provide the benefits of AFT.

For more information on each of these features, refer to the white paper titled "Optimizing Server Throughput and Availability" in Acrobat Reader PDF file format (1860.pdf), located in the \info\general directory.

  Open the white paper Acrobat Reader file

Windows NT 4.0 Adapter Teaming Installation Notes

See the Microsoft Teaming readme file for an overview of teaming along with setup instructions.

  MSTEAM.TXT

NetWare 4.1x and 5.0 Adapter Teaming Installation Notes

See the NetWare Teaming readme file for an overview of teaming along with descriptions of load and bind commands.

  NWTEAM.TXT


Virtual LANs (VLANs)

A VLAN is a logical grouping of network devices put together as a LAN regardless of their physical grouping or collision domains. VLANs let a user see and access only specified network segments. This optimizes network efficiency and maintains security access restrictions. VLANs require special switches that are capable of supporting VLANs. All 10/100 Ethernet and 10/100 Ethernet Security adapters currently support VLANs when attached to a VLAN enabled switch.

A VLAN offers you the ability to group users and client PCs together into logical workgroups, a critical consideration when connecting clients to servers that are geographically dispersed across the building, campus, or enterprise network.

Typically, VLANs consist of a common set of coworkers within the same department but in different locations, a cross-functional team working on a joint project, or a diverse set of users sharing the same network application. Joining workers across the network forms logical working groups.

By using VLANs on your network, you can:

•  Improve network performance

•  Limit broadcast storms

•  Improve adds, moves, and changes

•  Minimize security problems

•  Ease your management task


Wired for Management
Wired for Management, DMI, and SNMP

Wired for Management Overview

The Wired for Management (WfM) Specification incorporates advanced technologies to a new generation of desktops, servers, and laptops.  This specification allows systems to be centrally managed over networks. Systems and software based on the Wired for Management Specification are available today from leading vendors. These WfM-based solutions enable management capabilities such as:

•  Asset management

•  New system setup and remote control

•  Off-hours maintenance

•  Power management

Desktop Management Interface (DMI) Overview

The Desktop Management Interface (DMI) is an established computer industry standard for managing components installed in your computer, such as your IBM network adapter. DMI works by communicating among a set of defined software modules that provide a consistent framework for management applications to monitor selected components installed in your computer.

There are four major software components that make up DMI.

•  	Management Application such as Intel LANDesk® Manager.

•  	Service Provider. The service provider is a special purpose database engine that is installed on each computer you want to manage. It collects information from the DMI compliant components in your PC and presents that data to your management application. The service provider is normally installed with the management application.

•  	Client Instrumentation (CI). Client instrumentation is a program that translates queries from the DMI Service Provider into calls that can be sent and received from the component installed in your computer (such as the network adapter).

•  	Management Information Format (MIF) file. Each managed component includes a MIF database file that identifies the types of information that can be passed from the component to the Service Provider. The MIF is read by the DMI Service Provider.

Any desktop component designed to be DMI-compliant (such as your hard disk, operating system, software application, or add-in adapter) can dynamically communicate with DMI enabled management applications.

How DMI works

At a fundamental level, DMI performs two functions: it stores information about components, and it provides the ability to query and change that information. The Service Layer is a mini-database engine that sits between the management application and the components you want to monitor and control. The Service Layer can be part of the computer's operating system or it can be an add-on. For DOS, the Service Layer is an add-on loaded by a command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, just like network adapter drivers or disk-caching software.

Information about how each desktop component can be managed is stored in a Management Information Format (MIF) file. Each DMI-compliant component has its own MIF file that includes information like location of the component, vendor name, and installation date. When you install the DMI support software, it installs a detailed MIF file and a low-level driver (the CI) that allows the Service Layer to communicate with the adapter. DMI-compliant management applications use the Service Layer to interact with a desktop component by querying for information ("What's the name of the component manufacturer?"), requesting a change ("Change your I/O address to 310") or accepting a message ("I'm out of paper").

What DMI needs

To use DMI, you need three things:

•	DMI Service Layer (usually installed by the OS or a management application).

•	DMI-compliant components and support software for each device you want to manage (such as your IBM PCI network adapter). The support software is included with each DMI-compliant adapter or component. IBM provides this software on this CD-ROM. See the Installation and Setup Information section below.

•	DMI-compliant management application.

DMI Service Layer

The DMI Service Layer can be part of your operating system or an add-on. Currently, service layers that work with NetWare, and Windows 3.1, 95, 98 and Windows NT have been developed by the Desktop Management Task Force (DMTF).

DMI-compliant components

Your IBM network adapter is a DMI-compliant component. Once you install your adapter, you still need to install the DMI support files, as described elsewhere. See the Installation section below.

DMI-compliant management applications

Management applications are available from a variety of sources. For example, Intel's LANDesk Manager 2.0 is a DMI-compliant management application.

Additional Information

For additional DMI information, visit the Desktop Management Task Force, Inc. web site:

http://www.dmtf.org/index.html

  Go to the web site

SNMP Overview

The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is the Internet Standard Network  Management framework defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). The SNMP protocol makes it possible to manage all SNMP enabled devices in the Network.

How SNMP works

SNMP uses a request-response model between the Management Station (Manager) and the Managed device (Agent). SNMP gives the manager the ability to query piece of equipment for parameters related to that device. The Agent serves as a mechanism to provide and transport management Information between network components. The Manager can also change a parameter on the agent. In addition to the response to the manager, SNMP gives the agent the ability to notify the manager when asynchronous events (TRAPS) happen.

The Management Information transferred via the SNMP protocol is gathered in the Management Information Base (MIB) and is defined by the structure of management information (SMI). The MIBs required to manage a device are loaded to the Management station ( eg. Intel DeviceView, HP-OpenView)

What SNMP needs

The SNMP implementation is based on the DMI to SNMP Mapper. Following are the needed components:

•	MS-SNMP Agent

•	DMI to SNMP Mapper

•	SNMP compliant Network Management applications

MS-SNMP Agent

On computers running Microsoft Windows NT the SNMP agent is implemented by the SNMP service. The MS-SNMP service receives the request sent by the Management station and verifies the authentication information and the source IP address. The SNMP service then passes the request to the DMI to SNMP Mapper and sends the response from the Mapper to the Management station.

DMI to SNMP Mapper

The DMI to SNMP Mapper translates the DMI information into SNMP information and provides SNMP access to any component MIF installed on a DMI Instrumented system. When the SNMP Manager ( e.g. HP OpenView ) makes the request to the MS-SNMP Agent, the Agent forwards the request to the SNMP Agent Extension (dmi2snmp.dll) provided by the DMI to SNMP Mapper. The mapper converts standard SNMP requests into DMI commands for a DMI service provider and the DMI responses into SNMP responses.

SNMP-compliant Network Management applications

There are several Network Management Platforms that support SNMP based network management. For example, Intel's DeviceView® Manager 2.0 is a Web based Network management application. For more information about DeviceView, visit our corporate home page on the World Wide Web. From the home page, click on SEARCH and specify DeviceView to get the latest information.

Installation and Setup Information:

For DMI Installation and Setup information, refer to the following specific files on the IBM CD-ROM:

For NetWare users:	\dmi-snmp\nwserver\dminet.txt

  DMINET.TXT

For Windows users:	\dmi-snmp\win32\dmiwin.txt

  DMIWIN.TXT

*  Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


Tivoli Management Agent

The installation of the Tivoli Management Agent (TMA) extends the server/client hierarchy and enhances the scalability of a Tivoli Management Environment.  Tivoli is a systems management tool for enterprise-wide, heterogeneous networks.  The TMA increases the number of resources that can be managed and, at the same time, enables those resources to be used more efficiently. Besides providing full functionality down to the endpoints, the TMA reduces the footprint and physical requirements to manage a system.

To install the correct software, go to the \Tivoli directory on the IBM CD. Find the installation executable for your particular operating system in the corresponding subdirectory. Run the executable to install the agent.

For more information on TMA installation, go to the following web pages:

\tivoli\tmainst.htm

  Go to the General Installation Information page

\tivoli\tmatrob.htm

  Go to the General Installation Information page