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Brisque TIC
F50 & 43P Network Configuration

Overview

This document provides information on network configuration for the new Brisque platforms; 43P (Tiger) and F50 (Wildcat).  The topics covered include:

AIX Network Interfaces

When configuring network services under AIX, each physical adapter will appear as two logical interfaces.  The protocol being configured determines which interface should be used. On the Brisque (E30) the physical device name (the adapter) is ent0.

When TCP/IP or AppleTalk are configured this will appear as two logical interfaces; en0 and et0.

F50 & 43P Physical Interfaces

Both the F50 and the 43P are shipped with two physical network interfaces. The built-in Ethernet port (on the system planar) only supports 10Mbps. The PCI card supports either 10Mbps or 100Mbps.

Interface Location Speed Media Types
ent0 System planar 10Mbps Any (UTP and AUI ports)
ent1 PCI slot 10 or 100Mbps UTP only

The default factory configuration uses ent1.  This should not be changed.  If you need to configure ent0 for a direct connection to the Lotem, DO NOT use "Minimum configuration and startup" in "smit tcpip". Use "Further configuration" instead.

IBM Fast Ethernet Problems

There are a few issues to be aware of regarding the IBM fast Ethernet adapter (these does not apply to the 3Com Fast Ethernet board).

multi k_update bad file number on et1

There are a number of problems that will cause this message to continuously scroll on the system console.  These faults can be categorized as hardware or software configuration:

If this message occurs on new machines, shut down the machine, remove the Fast Ethernet adapter and bend the mounting bracket a little so that it will sit correctly in the PCI slot.  Reinstall the card and power on the Brisque.

If you are certain the adapter is correctly installed and functional then check the EtherShare network configuration. The atalk.conf file should include the line:

atalkd: if=" et1"

If there is no entry after the "=" sign you will also get this message.

Blank Screen on 43P

There are a number of problems that can cause a blank screen (for 5mins+) during the boot process:

If this occurs, be patient, the Brisque will continue to boot eventually. The quickest check to see if it is a TCP/IP configuration problem is to try and ping yourself and other machines.  If these fail, check the AppleTalk connection from the Mac Chooser of by using the Helios "poll" command ("vpoll" in EtherShare v2.5).  If AppleTalk is working, fix the TCP/IP configuration.

Complete Halt Of The Boot Process On F50

If the boot process stops immediately after the message "replaying log for slv#.0".  There is a very good chance that the machine will never boot.  To date, this problem has been seen under the following circumstances:

To resolve the problem, fix the physical problems.

Switching Network Interfaces

The F50 and 43P should always be configured to use the adapter ent1.  If it is necessary to change the connection to from one adapter to another, there are a number of steps that must be followed.

Note:
 These instructions assume that the Brisque will be connected to the same physical network when the connection is changed.
Reconfiguring TCP/IP

When switching between network adapters, it is necessary to change the TCP/IP configuration using Smit.  For example, to switch from ent0 (built-in) to ent1 (PCI adapter) follow the procedure below:

  1. Quit the application and login as root at the console login prompt
  2. Type "smit tcpip"
  3. Select "Minimum Configuration & Startup"
  4. Select the interface where the cable will be connected (en1 in our example)
  5. Enter a valid IP address for the subnet and press Enter
Note:
 If you want to keep the same IP address (to avoid reconfiguring TCP/IP clients) you will need to change the IP address for the current interface so that the old IP address can be used on the new interface.
Example:

Current Interface: en0
Current IP Address for en0: 192.9.100.1
New Interface: en1
New IP address for en1: 192.9.100.1

In the above example, the Brisque is to retain the IP address 192.9.100.1 (on interface en1). However before this address can be set on interface en1 it must be removed from en0.   To do this, run "smit tcpip" and change the address on en0 first (to any valid IP address not already used).  Then follow the procedure above to set the address for interface en1.

Correct the /etc/hosts file

Whenever the TCP/IP address is changed using smit, there will be multiple entries for the same hostname in the /etc/hosts file. The incorrect entry will normally be the first in the list and will cause TCP/IP communication failure.  To resolve this problem, follow the steps below:

  1. Ensure that you know the current hostname and IP address
  2. Type "smit hosts"
  3. Select "Remove a Host" and press "F4" to list all the hosts
  4. Select the incorrect entry for the current hostname
  5. Press Enter to delete this
  6. Exit from Smit ("F10")
  7. Verify TCP/IP communications by pinging yourself (e.g. "ping brisque1")

The above procedure can also be carried out using an editor such as vi.

Reconfigure AppleTalk

Now that TCP/IP has been reconfigured AppleTalk must be reconfigured, otherwise the Brisque will not be visible in the Mac Chooser.

There are several ways to reconfigure AppleTalk:

The latter two methods are by far the quickest and are explained below:

  1. Open the "atalk.conf" file for editing:
        UNIX: "vi /usr/local/es/conf/atalk.conf"
        RiproAdmin: Login as root, hold down the Option (alt) key and select "System Messages" from the "Lists" menu.
  2. Find the line which starts with "atalkd: if="
  3. Change the interface name to the new interface (e.g. et0 to et1)
  4. Save the file
Note:
 These changes will not take effect until EtherShare is restarted or the Brisque is rebooted.
Reconfigure the hub and/or network adapter if desired/necessary

The Ethernet adapter in the Brisque is capable of auto-sensing the network speed.   However, the mechanism for doing this is not perfect on some vendors’ hubs.   It is therefore recommended to manually set the speed of the adapter to 100Mbps when connected to a Fast Ethernet hub.  The current adapter configuration can be determined by typing the following UNIX command:

"lsattr -E –l ent1"

The procedure for changing the adapter configuration differs depending on whether an IBM or a 3Com adapter is installed. Both procedures are described below.

Configuring the 10/100 Adapter for 100 Mbs

IBM Adapter Configuration
  1. From the UNIX prompt type "smit ethernet"
  2. Select "Adapter"
  3. Select "Change/Show Characteristics of an Ethernet Adapter"
  4. Select "ent1" from the list
  5. Move the cursor down to the "Media Speed" field
  6. Use the tab key to select the correct speed
  7. Move the cursor down to the last field
  8. Use the tab key to select "Make Changes to Database Only"
  9. Press Enter to carry out the changes.
Note:
 The last step is necessary is because the adapter cannot be reconfigured whilst TCP/IP is running.  Changes will only take effect on restart.
3Com Adapter Configuration
  1. From the UNIX prompt type the following command:

            "chdev –l ent1 –a media_type=100BaseTX -P"
  2. A message should be displayed saying "ent1 changed"
Note:
 The "–P" makes changes to the configuration database only.  Actual changes do not take effect until restart.  This is required because the adapter cannot be reconfigured while TCP/IP is running.  Other attributes (e.g. duplex settings, queue sizes) can also be changed with the chdev command.
Switch the Cable

After TCP/IP and AppleTalk configuration are completed shutdown the Brisque, move the cable to the new location and power on the Brisque.

Reboot the Brisque

Reboot the Brisque and verify that TCP/IP communications work (by using ping to another station).  Verify that the Macs can see the Brisque in the Chooser.

Changing the Station Name (hostname)

There is only one way to change the station name of the Brisque correctly – use:

SciSmit -> Configure Station -> Change Station Name.

The station name should never be changed in the TCP/IP configuration sections of Smit or SciSmit.  Using the correct procedure will change the following items:

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