Cabletron Systems Switch TRFMIM 28 User Manual

SmartSwitch 9000

9H423-28

User’s Guide

9032061-01

Notice

Cabletron Systems reserves the right to make changes in speciﬁcations and other information

contained in this document without prior notice. The reader should in all cases consult Cabletron

Systems to determine whether any such changes have been made.

The hardware, ﬁrmware, or software described in this manual is subject to change without notice.

IN NO EVENT SHALL CABLETRON SYSTEMS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT,

SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED

TO LOST PROFITS) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS MANUAL OR THE INFORMATION

CONTAINED IN IT, EVEN IF CABLETRON SYSTEMS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF, KNOWN, OR

SHOULD HAVE KNOWN, THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Cabletron Systems, Inc.

35 Industrial Way

Rochester, NH 03867-5005

Printed in the United States of America

Order Number: 9032061-01

LANVIEW is a registered trademark, and SmartSwitch is a trademark of Cabletron Systems, Inc.

CompuServe is a registered trademark of CompuServe, Inc.

i960 microprocessor is a registered trademark of Intel Corp.

Ethernet is a trademark of Xerox Corporation.

Notice

FCC Notice

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two

conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any

interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital

device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable

protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment.

This equipment uses, generates, and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed in

accordance with the operator’s manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.

Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause interference in which case the user

will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

WARNING: Changes or modiﬁcations made to this device which are not expressly approved by the

party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

VCCI Notice

This is a Class A product based on the standard of the Voluntary Control Council for Interference by

Information Technology Equipment (VCCI). If this equipment is used in a domestic environment,

radio disturbance may arise. When such trouble occurs, the user may be required to take corrective

actions.

DOC Notice

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions from digital

apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of

Communications.

Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites applicables

aux appareils numériques de la class A prescrites dans le Règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique

édicté par le ministère des Communications du Canada.

Notice

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

ADDENDUM

Application of Council Directive(s):

89/336/EEC

73/23/EEC

Manufacturer’s Name:

Manufacturer’s Address:

Cabletron Systems, Inc.

35 Industrial Way

PO Box 5005

Rochester, NH 03867

European Representative Name:

European Representative Address:

Mr. J. Solari

Cabletron Systems Limited

Nexus House, Newbury Business Park

London Road, Newbury

Berkshire RG13 2PZ, England

Conformance to Directive(s)/Product Standards:

Equipment Type/Environment:

EC Directive 89/336/EEC

EC Directive 73/23/EEC

EN 55022

EN 50082-1

EN 60950

Networking Equipment, for use in a

Commercial or Light

Industrial Environment.

We the undersigned, hereby declare, under our sole responsibility, that the equipment packaged with

this notice conforms to the above directives.

Manufacturer

Legal Representative in Europe

Mr. Ronald Fotino

____________________________________________________

Mr. J. Solari

______________________________________________________

Full Name

Principal Compliance Engineer

____________________________________________________

Managing Director - E.M.E.A.

______________________________________________________

Title

Rochester, NH, USA

____________________________________________________

Newbury, Berkshire, England

______________________________________________________

Location

iii

Notice

Safety Information

CLASS 1 LASER TRANSCEIVERS

The FPIM-05 and FPIM-07 are Class 1 Laser Products

CLASS 1

LASER PRODUCT

The FPIM-05 and FPIM-07 use Class 1 Laser transceivers. Read the

following safety information before installing or operating these

adapters.

The Class 1 laser transceivers use an optical feedback loop to maintain Class 1 operation

limits. This control loop eliminates the need for maintenance checks or adjustments. The

output is factory set, and does not allow any user adjustment. Class 1 Laser transceivers

comply with the following safety standards:

•

21 CFR 1040.10 and 1040.11 U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services (FDA).

•

IEC Publication 825 (International Electrotechnical Commission).

CENELEC EN 60825 (European Committee for Electrotechnical

Standardization).

When operating within their performance limitations, laser transceiver output meets the

Class 1 accessible emission limit of all three standards. Class 1 levels of laser radiation are not

considered hazardous.

Notice

Safety Information

CLASS 1 LASER TRANSCEIVERS

Laser Radiation and Connectors

When the connector is in place, all laser radiation remains within the ﬁber. The maximum

amount of radiant power exiting the ﬁber (under normal conditions) is -12.6 dBm or 55 x 10

watts.

-6

Removing the optical connector from the transceiver allows laser radiation to emit directly

from the optical port. The maximum radiance from the optical port (under worst case

-2

conditions) is 0.8 W cm or 8 x 10 W m sr-1.

Do not use optical instruments to view the laser output. The use of optical instruments to

view laser output increases eye hazard. When viewing the output optical port, power must

be removed from the network adapter.

Notice

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Introduction

Features........................................................................................................................... 1-2

Getting Help .................................................................................................................. 1-6

Installing the 9H423-28 Module

Unpacking the Module................................................................................................. 2-1

Installing an FEPIM ...................................................................................................... 2-1

User Accessible Components ...................................................................................... 2-2

Setting the Module DIP Switch ................................................................................... 2-3

Installing the Module in the SmartSwitch 9000 Chassis ......................................... 2-5

The Reset Switch ........................................................................................................... 2-7

Chapter 3

Operation

E N I B/ FE N I B.................................................................................................................. 3-2

S m art S w i tch ASIC......................................................................................................... 3-3

T r aditional Switch .................................................................................................. 3-3

VLAN .............................................................................................................................. 3-3

VLAN Domains...................................................................................................... 3-4

F u lly-Meshed VLAN Domain s ............................................................................ 3-5

Sec u reFast VLAN Switches ......................................................................................... 3-5

i960 Cor e ......................................................................................................................... 3-6

I N B N I B .......................................................................................................................... 3-6

System Management B u ses ......................................................................................... 3-6

SMB-1 B u s ............................................................................................................... 3-6

SMB-10 B u s ............................................................................................................. 3-7

System Diagnostic Controller...................................................................................... 3-7

DC/ DC Converter ........................................................................................................ 3-7

I N B I nterfac e .................................................................................................................. 3-7

ITDM Arbitration Levels ...................................................................................... 3-8

Monarch/ Slave SmartSwitch 9000 Modules ..................................................... 3-9

Chapter 4

LANVIEW LEDs

vii

Contents

Chapter 5

Speciﬁcations

T e chnical Speciﬁcation s ................................................................................................5 -1

CPU ..........................................................................................................................5 -1

Memory ...................................................................................................................5 -1

Standards:................................................................................................................5 -1

Network Interfaces ................................................................................................5 -1

Safet y ...............................................................................................................................5 -2

Service .............................................................................................................................5 -2

Physical...........................................................................................................................5 -2

Dimensions .............................................................................................................5 -2

Weight ......................................................................................................................5 -2

Environment ...........................................................................................................5 -3

FE-100TX........................................................................................................................A-1

FE-100FX........................................................................................................................A-1

viii

Chapter 1

Introduction

The 9H423-28 (Figure 1-1) is a s w i tching module with twenty-four 10 Mbps

Ethernet ports and four 100 Mbs Fast Ethernet ports. The module is conﬁgured

with two RJ21 connectors, two RJ45 connectors, two ST ﬁber connectors and a slot

for an FEPIM. The two RJ21 connectors provide twenty-four 10 Mbps Ethernet

ports. The RJ45 connectors, ST connectors and FEPIM (the module supports either

the FE-100TX or the FE-100FX) provide the four 100 Mbps Ethernet ports. The two

ST connectors represent a single port, as one connector is for transmit and one is

for receive. Each module also provides an additional port that connects directly to

the Internal Network Bus (INB) backplane interface. This module uses a

SmartSwitch ASIC design and an advanced Intel i960 microprocessor. This

microprocessor provides a platform for all management functions within a

scalable RISC-Based Architecture.

This module can operate in two modes: either as a 28-port Ethernet traditional

switch (using 802.1d standards) with a high speed backbone connection, or as a

Secure Fast Switch (SFS) with 28 Ethernet connections. Each port can be

conﬁgured to operate in the Full Duplex mode. This conﬁguration allows each

10BASE-T port to provide a full 20 Mbps of bandwidth and the 100BASE-T ports

to provide 200 Mbps of bandwidth. The ﬁber ports on this module operate only in

Full Duplex mode.

Network management information is available through a variety of methods. All

information based on Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is

accessible either via an in-band (Front Panel port), Side Band (SMB-10), or via the

Environmental Module’s COM ports. Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) or

Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) is supported by the Environmental Module’s COM

ports. For more information on the SMB-10, SLIP, or PPP, refer to the SmartSwitch

9000 Local Management User’s Guide.

The 9H423-28 also features front panel LANVIEW™ Diagnostic LED’s to offer at-

a-glance status information about each front panel port, as well as the operation

of the overall module.

1-1

Introduction

Features

Processor

The 9H423-28 module is equipped with an advanced Intel i960 microprocessor.

This microprocessor provides a platform for all management functions, such as

Spanning Tree, RMON, and MIB support, within a scalable RISC-Based

architecture.

Fast Packet Switching

The 9H423-28 module incorporates a hardware-based switch design referred to as

the SmartSwitch ASIC, a collection of custom ASICs designed speciﬁcally for

high-speed switching. Because all frame translation, address lookups, and

forwarding decisions are performed in hardware, these modules can obtain a

throughput performance of greater than 750K pps.

Management

The 9H423-28 features SNMP for local and remote management. Local

management is provided through the RS-232 COM ports on the SmartSwitch 9000

Environmental Module, using a standard VT-220 ^TMterminal or emulator. Remote

management is possible through Cabletron’s SPECTRUM or any SNMP-

compliant management tool. Included as management features are the IETF

Standard Management Information Base (MIBs) RMON (RFC1271), IETF MIB II

(RFC-1213), IETF Bridge MIB (RFC-1493), and a host of other Cabletron enterprise

MIBs. These modules also offer a wide variety of statistical network management

information to enhance network planning and troubleshooting. The 9H423-28

provides information for each front panel Ethernet port, including packet counts

along with errored frame information, such as collisions, CRCs, and Giants, via a

variety of industry standard and private MIBS. Industry-standard IEEE 802.1d

bridging, including Spanning Tree Algorithm, is supported.

Connectivity

The 9H423-28 module has one interface to the INB and 28 front port connections.

The INB interface is a ﬁxed connection to INB-B that allows the module to

communicate with other SmartSwitch 9000 modules supporting various LAN

technologies including: Token Ring, FDDI, Ethernet, WAN, Fast Ethernet and

ATM. The module is conﬁgured with two RJ21 connectors, two RJ45 connectors,

two ST ﬁber connectors and a slot for an FEPIM. The two RJ21 connectors provide

twenty-four 10 Mbps Ethernet ports, and the RJ45 connectors, ST connectors and

FEPIM (the module supports either the FE-100TX or the FE-100FX) provide four

100 Mbps Ethernet ports. The multimode ST connectors provide a 100BASE-FL

connection, with links up to 2000 meters in length.

Auto-negotiation

The auto-negotiation feature (available only with the 100BASE-T RJ45 ports )

allows the module to automatically use the fastest rate supported by the device at

the other end (either 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps at either half or full duplex). To

1-2

Introduction

negotiate duplex, both the 9H423-28 and the attached device must be conﬁgured

for auto-negotiation. If only the 9H423-28 is conﬁgured for auto-negotiation, the

module will set the connection to half duplex at either the 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps

rate. This technology is similar to how modems negotiate transmission speed,

ﬁnding the highest transmission rate possible. Similarly, auto-negotiation

determines the highest common speed between two devices and communicates at

that speed. If no common speed is detected, the device will be partitioned.

All RJ45 connections are capable of auto-negotiation, and can operate at 10 Mbps

or 100 Mbps, full or half duplex. Fiber connections can only operate at the 100

Mbps rate, full or half duplex.

NOTE

Standard Ethernet/Full Duplex Operation

The 9H423-28 module supports both 100BASE and 10BASE technology. This

allows each port on the module to be conﬁgured, through local and or remote

management (SNMP), to operate in standard Ethernet mode (simplex) or full

duplex mode. Operating in standard Ethernet mode limits bandwidth to 10

Mbps/ 100Mbps per port, while operating in duplex mode doubles bandwidth

from 10 Mbps/ 100Mbps to 20 Mbps/ 200 Mbps per port.

Management Information Base (MIB) Support

The 9H423-28 module provides MIB support including:

•

RMON (RFC-1271)

IETF MIB II (RFC-1213)

IETF Bridge MIB (RFC-1493)

and a host of other Cabletron Enterprise MIBs.

For a complete list of supported MIBs, refer to the release notes provided with the

9H423-28.

NOTE

INB

The 9H423-28 module attaches to INB-B of the SmartSwitch 9000 Backplane. The

INB Backplane is designed to transport ﬁxed length data blocks between modules

in the SmartSwitch 9000 using an INB Time Division Multiplexing (ITDM) design.

The SmartSwitch 9000 INB bus delivers 2.5 Gbps of true data bandwidth with all

control and management communication being serviced on the 8-bit out-of-band

bus. The time slices of the INB manager operates in all three modes at once,

without user intervention.

1-3

Introduction

Arbitration for the backplane is accomplished in the INB Time Division

Multiplexing (ITDM) logic. The arbitration is a three-level scheme that ensures

that no one can get the backplane for more than one time slice at a time.

The ITDM RAM contains 256 4-bit locations. This RAM is used to hold slot

numbers of modules participating in INB backplane arbitration. The arbitration

engine accesses this RAM once every time slice to get a slot number. That slot

number will be granted access on the next time slice if it is requesting. The

arbitration engine is always one time slice ahead, meaning that the value read

from the RAM is for the next time slice, not the current time slice.

LANVIEW LEDs

The 9H423-28 module uses LANVIEW – the Cabletron Systems built-in visual

diagnostic and status monitoring system. With LANVIEW LEDs, you can quickly

identify, at a glance, system status as well as the device, port, and physical layer

status. Two LEDs indicate the transmission and reception of data from the INB

SmartSwitch 9000 backplane connection. Each of the 12 Ethernet front panel ports

features two LEDs per port to indicate the port’s Administrative status (enabled/

disabled), LINK status (Link/ Nolink), and Data Activity (receiving and

transmitting data).

1-4

Introduction

FAST ENET

9H423-28

SMB

INB

CPU

FAST ENET

26X

25X

ETHERNET

Figure 1-1. The 9H423-28 Module

1-5

Introduction

Related Manuals

The manuals listed below should be used to supplement the procedures and

technical data contained in this manual.

SmartSwitch 9000 Installation Guide

SmartSwitch 9000 9C300-1 Environmental Module User’s Guide

SmartSwitch 9000 9C214-1 AC Power Supply User’s Guide

SmartSwitch 9000 Local Management User’s Guide

INB Terminator Modules Installation Guide

Getting Help

For additional support related to this device or document, contact the Cabletron Systems Global Call

Center:

Phone

(603) 332-9400

Internet mail

[email protected]

FTP

ctron.com (134.141.197.25)

anonymous

Password

your email address

BBS

(603) 335-3358

Modem setting

8N1: 8 data bits, No parity, 1 stop bit

For additional information about Cabletron Systems or its products, visit the

World Wide Web site: http://www.cabletron.com/

For technical support, select Service and Support.

To send comments or suggestions concerning this document, contact the

Cabletron Systems Technical Writing Department via the following

email address: [email protected]

Make sure to include the document Part Number in the email message.

Before calling the Cabletron Systems Global Call Center, have the following information ready:

•

Your Cabletron Systems service contract number

A description of the failure

A description of any action(s) already taken to resolve the problem (e.g., changing mode switches,

rebooting the unit, etc.)

•

The serial and revision numbers of all involved Cabletron Systems products in the network

A description of your network environment (layout, cable type, etc.)

Network load and frame size at the time of trouble (if known)

The device history (i.e., have you returned the device before, is this a recurring problem, etc.)

Any previous Return Material Authorization (RMA) numbers

1-6

Chapter 2

Installing the 9H423-28 Module

The 9H423-28 module occupies a single slot in the SmartSwitch 9000 chassis.

The INB Terminator Modules must be installed on the rear of the chassis before

powering up this module. Refer to the INB Terminator Modules Installation

Guide for information and installation procedure.

NOTE

Install the modules by following the steps starting below.

Unpacking the Module

1. Carefully remove the module from the shipping box. (Save the box and

packing materials in the event the module must be reshipped.)

2. Remove the module from the plastic bag. Observe all precautions to prevent

damage from Electrostatic Discharge (ESD).

3. Carefully examine the module, checking for damage. If any damage exists,

DO NOT install the module. Contact Cabletron Systems Technical Support

immediately.

Installing an FEPIM

The 9H423-28 provides a slot for a Cabletron FEPIM (Fast Ethernet Port Interface

Module). The 9H423-28 SmartSwitch module is shipped without FEPIMs. To

install an FEPIM, follow the procedure below:

1. Remove the module if it is installed in the SmartSwitch 9000 chassis.

2. Remove the two screws securing the plate on the side of the FEPIM slot.

2-1

Installing the 9H423-28 Module

3. Install the FEPIM as shown in Figure 2-1. Ensure that the rear connector is

seated ﬁrmly before tightening the three mounting screws.

4. Replace the plate and two screws on the side of the FEPIM slot.

Figure 2-1. Installing an FEPIM

User Accessible Components

Figure 2-2 shows the various components that can be accessed by users. These

consist of an eight-position dip switch (explained in the next section), replaceable

PROMs, and sockets for memory and ﬂash upgrades. These will be used for

future upgrades. Instructions for installing the components will be supplied with

the upgrade kit.

2-2

Installing the 9H423-28 Module

SMB1 Prom

Boot Prom

Dip

Switches

Flash

DRAM

CNXSTATS

Connector

Figure 2-2. User Accessible Components

Setting the Module DIP Switch

The DIP switch on the 9H423-289 module (Figure 2-2 ), is an eight-switch DIP

located near the right and center of the module. Each switch is set according to the

functions described in Table 2-1. If s w i tch settings are changed, the processor on

the module must be reset, using the reset switch or repowering the module, for

changes to take effect.

2-3

Installing the 9H423-28 Module

See the Cautions at the end of this table.

Table 2-1. Function of DIP Switch

Switch

Function

Description

This module stores user entered passwords in

NVRAM (Nonvolatile random access memory). To

clear these passwords, toggle this switch and then

reset the module’s processor. Once the module resets,

factory default passwords are placed in NVRAM. You

can use these default passwords or, if desired, enter

new passwords. To enter new passwords, refer to the

Module Local Management User’s Guide.

Clear

Password

-1

This module stores user entered parameters such as IP

addresses, subnet masks, default gateway, default

interface, SNMP traps, bridge conﬁgurations and

module speciﬁc conﬁgurations in NVRAM. To clear

these parameters toggle this switch and then reset the

module’s processor. Once the module resets, factory

default parameters are placed in NVRAM. You can

use the default parameters or, if desired, enter new

parameters. To enter new parameters, refer to the

Module Local Management User’s Guide.

Clear

NVRAM

-2

This module uses BOOTP (Boot Strap Protocol) to

download new versions of the image ﬁle into Flash

Memory. This procedure forces image ﬁles to be

downloaded from the PC or Workstation, conﬁgured

to act as the BOOTP server, connected to the EPIM

port in the Environmental Module.

Force

BOOTP

Download

For Factory Use Only

Reserved

Caution: Do not toggle Switch 8 unless you intend to reset the user conﬁgured

passwords to the factory default settings.

CAUTION

Caution: Do not toggle Switch 7 unless you intend to reset the user entered

parameters to the factory default settings.

2-4

Installing the 9H423-28 Module

Installing the Module in the SmartSwitch 9000

Chassis

To install the 9H423-28 module in the SmartSwitch 9000 chassis, follow the steps

below:

1. Remove the blank panel covering the slot in which the module will be

mounted. All other slots must be covered to ensure proper air ﬂow and

cooling.

2. Attach one end of the ESD wrist strap (packaged with the SmartSwitch 9000

chassis) to your wrist. Plug the other end into the jack for the ESD Wrist Strap

in the lower right corner of the SmartSwitch 9000 chassis shown in Figure 2-3.

3. Install the module in the chassis by sliding it into slots and locking down both

the top and bottom plastic tabs, as shown in Figure 2-3. Take care that the

module is between the card guides as shown, it slides in straight, and engages

the backplane connectors properly.

2-5

Installing the 9H423-28 Module

Plastic Tab

Jack for ESD

Wrist Strap

Metal Back-Panel

Module

Module Guides

Warning:

Ensure that the circuit card is between the card guides.

Lock down the top and bottom plastic tabs

at the same time, applying even pressure.

Figure 2-3. Installing the Module

2-6

Installing the 9H423-28 Module

The Reset Switch

The Reset switch is located on the front panel, under the top plastic tab as shown

in Figure 2-4. It serves three functions: resetting the i960 processor, shutting down

the module, or restarting the module.

•

To reset the i960 processor, press the reset switch twice within three seconds.

To shut down the module, press and hold the reset switch down for three or

more seconds.

•

To restart the module after it has been shut down, press and release the Reset

Switch.

For security, SNMP management can be used to disable the functions of this

switch.

Reset Switch

SMB

CPU

Figure 2-4. The Reset Switch

2-7

Installing the 9H423-28 Module

2-8

Chapter 3

Operation

The 9H423-28 module is a twenty-nine port device. Two front panel RJ21

connectors support twenty-four 10BASE-T ports, along with two RJ45 connectors,

ST ﬁber connectors and a slot for an FEPIM that support four 100BASE-T ports.

Each of these twenty-eight ports is a separate collision domain, while the 29th

port connects to INB-B.

As shown in Figure 3-1, Ethernet Network Interface Blocks (ENIBs) and Fast

Ethernet Network Interface Blocks (FENIBs) convert data packets received from

any of the 10BASE-T/ 100BASE ports into a canonical frame format before

forwarding to the SmartSwitch ASIC, while the Internal Network Bus Network

Interface Block (INB NIB) converts data packets received from the INB into a

canonical format before forwarding to the SmartSwitch ASIC.

All data packets destined for a front panel port, the INB, or the i960 are converted

into the canonical format before forwarding to the SmartSwitch ASIC. Network

Interface Blocks (NIBs) check for valid data packets entering the system. If an

errored data packet is found, the SmartSwitch ASIC ﬂags the error and does not

forward the errored data packet to any outbound ports. Once in this common

format, the SmartSwitch ASIC decides from header information the port

destination of data packets. Data packets are then converted from the canonical

format to the proper format for the interface destination whether it is a front panel

port, or connection to the INB.

3-1

Operation

FENIB

SMB 1

Diagnostic

Controller

i960

Processor

SMB 10

ENIB

DC/DC

Converter

INB

NIB

Smart

Switch

ASIC

Figure 3-1. Packet Flow for the 9H423-28

ENIB/FENIB

The Ethernet Network Interface Block (ENIB) and Fast Ethernet (FENIB) convert

Ethernet data packets received through front panel ports into a common

canonical format that allows the SmartSwitch ASIC Engine to determine the

proper destination port. The ENIB/ FENIB also convert data packets from the

common canonical format back to Ethernet data packets for transmission out

front panel ports.

3-2

Operation

SmartSwitch ASIC

The SmartSwitch ASIC is a hardware-based switch design that is the key building

block of the SmartSwitch 9000 hub. The SmartSwitch ASIC makes all ﬁltering/

forwarding decisions in custom hardware as opposed to software, as in

traditional bridges. This custom hardware enables the SmartSwitch ASIC to

process over 750K frames per second. The SmartSwitch ASIC is designed to

support up to 64 ports shared between the host processor, the INB backplane, and

LAN/ WAN interfaces on the front panel of SmartSwitch 9000 modules. The

SmartSwitch ASIC can operate in two modes: as a traditional switch or as a

SecureFast Switch (SFS).

Traditional Switch

When operating as a traditional switch, the SmartSwitch ASIC makes ﬁltering/

forwarding decisions based on Destination Address (DA), with standard IEEE

802.1d learning.

VLAN

Modules within a MMAC chassis utilize connection-oriented SecureFast Switches

(SFS) to create Virtual LANs, or VLANs.

A VLAN is a local area network of endpoints having full connectivity (sharing

broadcast, multicast, and unicast packets) independent of any particular physical

or geographical location. In other words, endpoints that share a virtual LAN

appear to be on a single LAN segment regardless of their actual location. Changes

to VLANs, (e.g., moving nodes) are accomplished via software, reducing network

management time and expense.

VLANs extend direct communication between users beyond the constraints of a

physical LAN segment by allowing the establishment of VLANs that encompass

users on multiple physical LAN segments. This permits endpoints to be

administratively grouped. For example, in Figure 3-2, the users on LANs A and B

belong to the Finance group, however, they are physically removed from each

other and as such cannot communicate directly. The VLAN solution places both

LAN segments on the same VLAN; all endpoints appear and act as if they are on

the same physical LAN.

Most VLAN implementations require a router for Inter-VLAN communication;

Cabletron’s SecureFast VLAN operational model does not. Inter-VLAN

communication is accomplished via multi-layer switches or optional traditional

router.

3-3

Operation

LAN A

SFS Network

LAN B

Endpoints on VLAN 2

Endpoints on VLAN 1

Figure 3-2. VLAN-based Network

VLAN Domains

VLAN domains consist of groups of interconnected VLAN switches separated by

routing devices. Figure 3-3 shows such an arrangement. Each group of switches

constitutes a VLAN domain.

Routing Device

VLAN Domain

SFS Network

VLAN Switch

Figure 3-3. VLAN Domains

3-4

Operation

Fully-Meshed VLAN Domains

The switches shown in ﬁgure 3-3 above are said to be fully meshed. The term

“fully meshed” is often used when describing the connections between switches

in a domain. Fully meshed implies that there are links between all switches to

every other switch. A fully-meshed topology provides high reliability and low

delays between endpoints. Figure 3-4 shows a VLAN domain consisting of four

fully-meshed VLAN switches.

SFS Network

VLAN Switch

Figure 3-4. Fully-Meshed VLAN Domain

SecureFast VLAN Switches

SecureFast VLAN (SFVLAN) switches are connection-oriented internetworking

devices. These devices use source address/ destination address (SA/ DA) pairs

along with embedded layer 3 virtual routing services to provide address

resolution and call processing. In a connection-oriented network, path

determination is accomplished through signaling performed at call setup time.

Once a call is programmed, no additional software intervention is required until

the call is completed. This type of call management operates much like a

telephone network. The circuit is set up, data is transferred, and the circuit is torn

down.

Switches switch packets at the MAC layer and allow connectivity of endpoints via

Access Ports based on VLAN mappings. The ﬁrst packet is routed, the remaining

packets are then switched along the same path. Each VLAN switch maintains a

Local Directory of endpoint MAC and network addresses found on each switch

port. The aggregation of each VLAN switch’s Local Directory form a complete

view of an entire VLAN domain. This information is used by the VLAN Manager

for assignment and veriﬁcation of VLANs.

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Operation

i960 Core

The i960 core provides the SNMP protocol stacks to support industry-standard

MIBs. Additionally, Cabletron enterprise extension MIBs are supported for each

media type. Advanced management services, such as the Distributed LAN

Monitor, telnet and network address to MAC address mapping, are also provided

by the i960 core.

The Host engine sends and receives packets via the CPU’s SmartSwitch ASIC

Interface. This allows the bridge to perform spanning tree protocol and other

bridging functions. The SMB Interfaces provide communication to the Host

Engine for management functions.

INB NIB

Each module that attaches to the Internal Network Bus (INB) has an INB Network

Interface Block (NIB). The INB NIB converts canonical frames to ﬁxed length data

blocks for transmission onto the INB. For data blocks received from the INB, the

INB NIB reassembles the data blocks received from the INB back into canonical

frames for transmission to the SmartSwitch ASIC then from the SmartSwitch

ASIC to the front panel ports.

System Management Buses

There are two management channels within the SmartSwitch 9000 system: the

SMB-1 and the SMB-10. These buses provide side-band management and inter-

module management communication.

SMB-1 Bus

The SMB-1 is a 1Mbs management bus located within the SmartSwitch 9000. This

bus is utilized by all diagnostic controllers in the system including connectivity

modules, power supply modules and the environmental module. The SMB-1

transports inter-chassis information between system components, such as power

and environmental information, as well as diagnostic messages. Periodic loop-

back tests are performed by all modules that share this bus to ensure the validity

of SMB-1. In the event a failure is detected on SMB-1, the SMB-10 may be used as

an alternate communication channel.

3-6

Operation

SMB-10 Bus

The SMB-10 is a 10Mbs management bus located within the SmartSwitch 9000.

This bus is used for inter-chassis communication of modules as well as serving as

an side-band management channel into the SmartSwitch 9000.

The SMB-10 is externalized from the chassis via an optional Ethernet Port

Interface Module (EPIM) located on the front of the Environmental Module.

Through an EPIM connection, full SNMP management of the SmartSwitch 9000 is

available side-band from user data. Modules that share the SMB-10 bus

periodically send out loop-back packets to ensure the validity of SMB-10. If a fault

is detected on the SMB-10, the SMB-1 can be used as an alternate communication

channel by the modules.

System Diagnostic Controller

This diagnostic controller is composed of a Z-80 microprocessor and its

supporting logic. The diagnostic controller is designed to control the power-up

sequencing of modules, monitor the 9H423-28 module input and output power

parameters, keep watch over the main host processor, monitor the temperature,

and control the SMB LANVIEW diagnostic LEDs. Although the system diagnostic

controller and the main host processor can operate independently of each other if

needed, they exchange information about each other’s status and overall module

condition. The information gathered by the diagnostic controller is available to

the network manager via local/ remote management and the LCD located on the

environment module. The 9H423-28 is designed to continue functioning in the

event of a diagnostic controller fault.

DC/DC Converter

The DC/ DC converter converts the 48 VDC on the system power bus to the

necessary operating voltages for its host network services module. The diagnostic

controller monitors and controls the operation of the DC/ DC converter.

INB Interface

The INB Backplane is designed to transport ﬁxed-length data blocks between

modules in the SmartSwitch 9000 using an INB Time Division Multiplexing

(ITDM) design. The SmartSwitch 9000 INB bus delivers 2.5 Gbps of true data

bandwidth with all control and management communication being serviced on

the 8 bit out-of-band bus. The time slices of the INB manager operates in all three

modes at once, without user intervention.

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