TRBSHT.TXT These steps can also be viewed on the World Wide Web at http://occam.sjf.novell.com:8080/iamg.mpr31.english/mts_enu/1873 Examining Your IPX Network =============================== How to use the IPX network management console (IPXCON) to examine any NLSP system or NetWare LAN in your IPX network. IPXCON can help you identify problems with your routers and LANs. IPXCON uses SNMP to exchange management information and statistics with NLSP routers on the network. IPXCON operates over either IPX or Internet Protocol (IP) networks using the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) transport. Selecting a Server or Router ---------------------------- IPXCON gives you management access to any server or dedicated router that uses NLSP as its routing protocol. In this section, the term "Local System" refers to the server or router from which you load IPXCON; "Remote System" refers to any other server or router on the network. > If You Want to Access the Local System To gain management access to the local system, just type the following command at the prompt: LOAD IPXCON IPXCON accesses the local system by default. > If You Want to Access a Remote System Complete the following steps to gain management access to a remote server or router: PROCEDURE 1. Go to a local server or router and type the following command at the prompt: LOAD IPXCON The "Available Options" window appears. 2. SNMP Access Configuration is already highlighted; press . The "SNMP Access Configuration" window appears. 3. Select the "Transport Protocol" field. The "Transport Protocol" window appears. 4. Select TCP/IP or IPX. The "SNMP Access Configuration" window reappears. 5. The Host Address field is already highlighted; press to see a list of available hostnames and addresses. NOTE: If you already know the system's hostname or address, just type it in. 6. Scroll through the list to find the system; press to select it. IMPORTANT: IPXCON can only access systems that are running IPXRTRNM. If you do not see the system in this list, check whether IPXRTRNM is loaded on that system. 7. Press to return to the "Available Options" menu. In a few moments, IPXCON begins recording statistics for the system you selected. Determining Where NLSP is Running in Your Network -------------------------------------------------- After migrating your network, you can identify which LANs on your IPX network are using NLSP or RIP - or both - as the routing protocol. If you partitioned your IPX network into routing areas, note the following points: - The procedure in this section shows only the LANs and NLSP routers that are within the same routing area as the system you are currently monitoring. - RIP should be running only on the routers at area boundaries. For an explanation of routing areas, see the "IPX Upgrade for NetWare Servers 1.1 NLSP Migration Guide". found at http://occam.sjf.novell.com:8080/iamg.mpr31.english/nlsp_enu/ on the Internet. To find LANs on which NLSP or RIP is running, complete the following steps: PROCEDURE 1. Load IPXCON and select a system as described in "Selecting a Server or Router", above. 2. Select NLSP Information. The "NLSP Information" window appears. 3. Select LANs. The Known LANs window displays the following information about each NetWare LAN of which the local system is aware: Network Number External network number of the LAN. Throughput Number of Megabits Per Second (MbPS) reported by the LAN board. Delay Time, in microseconds, for packets to reach the LAN from the Designated Router. If NLSP is importing RIP routes to a LAN, the entry is labeled RIP Active. If the entry is labeled Unreachable, the LAN is no longer accessible from the local system. No label means that NLSP is the only routing protocol running on the LAN and that the LAN is reachable. 4. Select one of the LANs to see which NLSP routers are on it. Checking Your Network for Inactive Routers ------------------------------------------ You can use IPXCON to identify routers on your network that are inactive that is, not routing for some reason. This information can often help you locate a defective network interface. To check your network for inactive routers, complete the following steps: PROCEDURE 1. Load IPXCON and select a system as described in "Selecting a Server or Router", above. 2. Select NLSP Information. The "NLSP Information" window appears. 3. Select Routers. IPXCON lists the NLSP routers known to the system you are monitoring. 4. Scroll through the list. Any router labeled Unreachable is either down or has a defective network interface. Any router labeled Overloaded has run out of memory and can no longer process NLSP routing information. Routers not labeled Unreachable or Overloaded are operating properly. 5. Select one of the routers. A new window displays the following information: - Attachment NLSP routers or IPX networks connected to the router you selected. - Network If the attachment is an IPX network, the networks external network number; if the attachment is a router, the router s internal network number. - Media Type LAN or WAN medium, such as Ethernet 802.3 or X.25. - Throughput Number of Mbps reported by the routers interface board. NOTE: For WANs, the throughput value is an estimate. Because of rounding errors, this estimate is typically less than the actual speed of the WAN link. - Delay Estimated time, in microseconds, for packets to be forwarded to the attached medium. Checking Your Network for Duplicate Network Numbers --------------------------------------------------- Each external network number that identifies a LAN on your IPX network must be unique. Incorrect configurations and other problems can cause two LANs to have the same external network number. One way in which this can occur is when a bridge connecting two LAN segments fails, a condition known as a "split LAN". When the bridge fails, each segment becomes a separate LAN but retains the same external network number. As a result, routers forwarding packets to that network number see two destinations and simply choose the nearest one. To check your network for duplicate network numbers, complete the following steps: PROCEDURE 1. Load IPXCON and select a system as described in "Selecting a Server or Router", above. 2. Select "NLSP Information". The "NLSP Information" window appears. 3. Select LANs. The "Known LANs" window appears. The LANs are listed in numeric order by network number. 4. Scroll through the list of LANs; look for duplicate network numbers. Checking Your Network for Duplicate System IDs ----------------------------------------------- To check your network for duplicate System IDs, complete the following steps: PROCEDURE 1. Load IPXCON and select a system as described in Selecting a Server or Router, above. 2. Select NLSP Information. The "NLSP Information" window appears. 3. System Information is already highlighted; just press . 4. The field associated with Detailed NLSP System Information is already highlighted; just press . 5. Check the numbers associated with the Sequence Number Skips and Own LSP Purges fields. If either of these numbers is increasing, there are two or more NLSP routers on your network with the same System ID. Change the System ID on one of the routers. Finding NLSP Routers with Insufficient Memory --------------------------------------------- To check your network for routers that have run out of memory, complete the following steps: PROCEDURE 1. Load IPXCON and select a system as described in "Selecting a Server or Router", above. 2. Select NLSP Information. The "NLSP Information" window appears. 3. System Information is already highlighted; just press . The field associated with Level 1 Overloaded should read No. If it reads Yes, the router does not have enough memory to process routing information. 4. As a further check, select "Detailed NLSP System Information". The "Level 1 Database Overloads" field indicates how many times the router has run out of memory. Finding the Designated Router on a LAN -------------------------------------- The Designated Router is an NLSP router elected by its peers to represent and keep track of the connectivity of its LAN. The Designated Router handles exchanges of link state information on behalf of all other NLSP routers on the LAN. To find the Designated Router on a LAN, complete the following steps: PROCEDURE 1. Load IPXCON and select a system as described in "Selecting a Server or Router", above. 2. Select Circuits. The Circuits window displays the name, type, and state of each circuit. Only broadcast (LAN) circuits have Designated Routers. 3. Select a broadcast circuit. The Circuit Information window displays, among other information, the name of the Designated Router and the external network number of the LAN it represents. 4. To see more information about the Designated Router, complete the following steps: - 4a. Record the name of the Designated Router. - 4b. Press until you return to the "Available Options" menu. - 4c. Select SNMP Access Configuration. - 4d. Select IPX as the transport protocol. - 4e. Type the name of the Designated Router in the Host Address field, then press . - 4f. Press to return to the "Available Options" menu. In a few moments, IPXCON will begin recording statistics for the Designated Router.