IBM 8270 AND 8272 LAN SWITCH RELEASE NOTES - VERSION 5.2.2 Edited 06-APR-2000 This set of release notes provides specific information for software release 5.2.2 for the IBM 8270 and 8272 LAN Switch Products. It documents important operating environment considerations. Release 5.2.2A supports the following products: * IBM 8272 LAN Switch Module: FC 5208, 6208, 5308, and 6308 * IBM 8272 Nways Token Ring LAN Switch Models 108 and 216 Release 5.2.2B supports * IBM 8270 Nways Token Ring LAN Switch Models 600 and 800 Detailed instructions are contained in the Planning and Installation Guide shipped with the product. These guides are titled: IBM 8272 LAN Switch Module Planning and Installation Guide (GA27-4163-02) IBM 8272 Nways Token-Ring LAN Switch Model 108 and Model 216 Planning and Installation Guide (GA27-4982-02) 8270 Publications CD-ROM (SK2T-0434-00) 8270 Publications are also available online at the following World Wide Web URL: http://www.networking.ibm.com/support/8270 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table of Contents Latest Release Level of Software New Features of The IBM 8270 and 8272 LAN Switch Software Release 5.2.2A and 5.2.2B Release 5.2A and 5.2B Release 5.1.1A and 5.1.1B Release 5.1A and 5.1B Release 5.0.1A and 5.0.1B Release 4.0A and 4.0B ATM UFC Software Corequisites Problems Fixed in The 8270 and 8272 LAN Switch Software Release 5.2.2A and 5.2.2B Release 5.2.1A and 5.2.1B Release 5.2A and 5.2B Release 5.1.1A and 5.1.1B Release 5.1A and 5.1B Release 5.0.1A and 5.0.1B Release 4.0.3A and 4.0.3B Release 4.0.2A and 4.0.2B Release 4.0A and 4.0B ATM Related Issues Console related issues Other Issues Release 3.6.1A and 3.6.1B Switch Reset Issue(s) ATM Related Issues Console Related Issues Other Issues Release 3.2.3A and 3.2.3B Switch Resets Other Issues Release 3.2.2A and 3.2.2B Port Resets Switch Resets Other Issues Known Problems / Anomalies / Design Points 8260/8265 Specific Information 2-Port Token Ring Fiber UFC-Specific Information Files on the Diskettes and Software Download Procedures IBM 8272 Microcode and SNMP MIB Diskette - Release 5.2.2A IBM 8270 Microcode and SNMP MIB Diskette - Release 5.2.2B Loading the Latest Software Loading Previous Versions of Software Other Download Considerations Internal Port Mapping LATEST RELEASE LEVEL OF SOFTWARE If the publications package that came with the product contains a set of release notes and diskette inside the shrink-wrapped package, they may be down-level and should be discarded. This set of release notes and diskette are the latest level as of the manufacturing date of your switch. Any updates to the release notes and switch software will be posted on the Internet and can be obtained using the World Wide Web URL: http://www.networking.ibm.com/support It is important to check the Web site to ensure that you are using the latest level of software. NEW FEATURES OF THE IBM 8270 AND 8272 LAN SWITCH SOFTWARE Release 5.2.2A and 5.2.2B 1. The maximum number of RMON alarms that can be set at one time has been increased from 24 to 96. 2. When a token-ring port first comes up, the switch will now learn the domain's ring ID from a Ring Parameter Server, if one is active on the ring, and the ring ID is not already known or configured. 3. The switch's CPU utilization is now measurable through SNMP. Two variables have been added to the private MIB: ibm8272TsSysPeakUtil and ibm8272TsSysAvgUtil. These variables report the peak and average CPU utilization (in percentage form) over the last 15 minutes. Release 5.2A and 5.2B 1. Single Load Image (5.2A and 5.2B) The Main Image (previously the .GZ file) and the Token-ring Port Microcode (previously the .SOL file) are now contained in one single load image to simplify code updates. This image is the TR_A52.GZ file or the TR_B52.GZ file. 2. Dual Image Support (5.2B Only) The 8270 has the ability to store two copies of the main code and configuration. One copy of the main code is referred to as the Primary Image. The second copy of the code, if it exists, is referred to as the Alternate Image. The Primary Image will load by default. Both main images must be Release 5.2 or later. If an earlier release is loaded all dual image support will be wiped out. The Manage Primary/Alternate Images menu provides you with choices for controlling your main code images. If both images exist, you can choose to swap images thus making the image which was previously the Primary Image now the Alternate Image and vice-versa. When the main images are swapped the associated configuration data is also swapped. Swapping the images has no effect on the currently executing image. You can delete the Alternate Image if it exists and if it is not the active (currently executing) image. The Primary Image can not be deleted. The Alternate Image can be loaded by choosing the Alternate Image when prompted from the Reset Switch/Diagnostics menu. If the target main image fails to load the boot code will automatically look to see if another image exists, and load that image if possible. Clearing Non-Volatile RAM will clear NVRAM for the active (currently executing) image. Clearing NVRAM from the boot menu will clear NVRAM for the target image to be loaded. The NVRAM for the other image is preserved. 3. Switch Configuration Save/Restore (5.2A and 5.2B) You can save the configuration data to an external file of your choice by choosing Upload from Switch from the Main Menu and filling in the required fields. If there are any ATM UFCs installed the configuration data for these UFCs is included in the switch configuration data. This configuration file can be loaded into a switch that has an identical hardware configuration. Failure to abide by this rule will result in loss of configuration data. The downloaded configuration data replaces the stored configuration data associated with the active code image. Note that a successful switch configuration download will cause an immediate reset of the switch. The currently executing image will be reloaded regardless. Note that switch configurations can not be serially downloaded. They must be downloaded via tftp. You should not download switch configuration data which was created with a release newer than the currently executing image. You should not edit the uploaded configuration files. 4. File ID Checking Starting with Release 5.2, the code images have headers with File IDs. The code will now validate the File ID of the download image before saving it on the switch. Note that previous versions of boot code are not compatible with version 5.2 of the Main Image. You must download version 5.2 of the boot code. See Loading the Latest Software for download procedures. Release 5.2A has limited File ID checking: + Files without headers (files from releases prior to 5.2) will be downloaded. + Files with the wrong File ID will not be downloaded. An example would be if the user incorrectly specified the 5.2B main image when the intent was to load the 5.2A image. + Care should be used to ensure the correct file is specified for download. Release 5.2B has improved File ID checking: + Files without headers (files from releases prior to 5.2) will not be downloaded. + Files with corrupt headers will not be downloaded. + Files with the wrong File ID will not be downloaded. An example would be if the user incorrectly specified the 5.2A main image when the intent was to load the 5.2B image. + The only way code images earlier than Release 5.2 can be loaded is to DISABLE File ID Checking in the Download to Switch menu. The back-level code can then be downloaded. The recommended procedure for loading back-level code is: 1. DISABLE File ID Checking if necessary 2. Download the Main Image 3. Download the Boot Image 4. Clear NVRAM and reset the switch 5. Download the corresponding Token-ring port microcode (pre 5.2 Releases) Release 5.1.1A and 5.1.1B 1. Invalid Frame Control(FC) Field Filter This function was added to prevent the spread of invalid frames in the network, and to help identify the source of invalid frames. An FC field is considered invalid if the frame type is neither LLC nor MAC, or if the frame type is LLC and the reserved bits (b3-b5) are non-zero. When a frame with an invalid FC field is first seen by the switch, it creates a filter for both the source and destination address contained within that frame such that any subsequent frames addressed to either address are discarded. The initial frame will still be sent out all ports of the switch. At the time the filter is created, an error message is added to the switch message log containing the addresses to be filtered, and the incoming port. These "learned" filters will age normally, based on the port's aging parameters. Release 5.1A and 5.1B 1. Internal IP over SRB This function allows the switch to be managed from a single IP address within the set of domains enabled for Source-Route Bridging. Prior to this release, frames arriving from one domain (segment) could not access the IP address of a different domain (segment), even though the domains were bridged together. For some network configurations this limitation required you to administer several IP addresses (one for each bridged domain) to ensure manager access from any port on any domain. Also, as a result of this limitation, management stations in different places in the network may have needed to use different IP addresses for the same switch. The addition of this function removes those limitations. 2. Read Only Password Support The Read Only Password function provides users a way to monitor the status of 8270/8272 lines and LECs, including traffic counters, while preventing Read Only users from making any changes in the switch. Due to security considerations, much of the 8270/8272 configuration information is hidden from Read Only users. 3. Manual Spanning Tree Manual Spanning Tree provides a mechanism to place individual ports directly into forwarding state. Such ports will not participate in the 802.1d spanning tree algorithm. This feature is particularly useful when servers are directly attached to a switch port. Such servers will often fail to connect during the time it takes for a port to reach forwarding state under the normal spanning tree process. Note: Ports should only be configured to be manually forwarding when there is no possibility of creating a loop in the network from such a configuration. Otherwise the port should be configured as automatic. 4. 802.5j Compatibility Mode Support has been added for 802.5j mode for the 2-port Fiber UFC. Release 5.0.1A and 5.0.1B 1. Support for the 8270 Nways LAN Switch Model 600 2. Ability to set number of Telnet Sessions to ZERO 3. Note that although the 8270 Publications CD-ROM describes the features listed below, they are unsupported in Release 5.0.1. They will be supported in the next release, 5.1. + Internal IP over SRB + Read Only Password Support + Manual Spanning Tree + 802.5j Compatibility Mode Release 4.0A and 4.0B Software Release 4.0 provides support for: * The MSS Client MMF UFC * The MSS Client SMF UFC * The MSS Domain Client UFC ATM UFC SOFTWARE COREQUISITES The ATM UFC Code Release listed is compatible with the Switch Code Release(s) listed below: ATM UFC Release 8270/8272 Release 1.15.5 5.2 - 5.2.2 1.15.4 5.2, 5.2.1 1.15.3 5.2 1.15.3 5.1.1 1.15.1 5.1.1 1.15.0 5.1 1.14.2 5.01 1.14.2 4.03 1.12.3 3.6.1 1.11.0 3.2.3 1.10.0 3.2.2 IMPORTANT: Software for the 8270/8272 and ATM UFC must always be upgraded simultaneously. For example, a user currently running code versions 3.6.1 for the base switch and 1.12.3 for the ATM UFC should upgrade to 4.03 and 1.14.2. A mixture of code levels (3.2.3 and 1.14.2 for instance) is not supported. PROBLEMS FIXED IN THE 8270 AND 8272 LAN SWITCH SOFTWARE Release 5.2.2A and 5.2.2B 1. With code 5.2.1, the "system has been started" event log message would show version x.xx. It now correctly shows 5.2.2A or 5.2.2B as appropriate. 2. The SNMP RMON statistic variables in the tokenRingMLStatsTable always returned 0 for ports that were not base ports (including all 8270 ports). Also, setting alarms on these variables could cause a switch reset. These problems have been fixed. 3. If a port in a TokenPipe experienced Configuration Loss, the other ports in the pipe were not disabled. This has been fixed; also, re-enabling one TokenPipe port will re-enable all ports in the pipe. 4. Spanning tree could not detect a TokenPipe whose wires were crossed. This would lead to a loop in the network that would go unblocked. Now, if this condition is detected, all ports of the TokenPipe will be declared Configuration Loss and disabled. A warning message is logged and the Configuration Loss SNMP trap is sent. 802.1d spanning tree must be running somewhere in the network (it need not be running on the two switches involved in the TokenPipe) for this condition to be detected. Release 5.2.1A and 5.2.1B 1. If a LEC was configured to join or joined an ELAN with a name exactly 16 or 32 characters long, querying the lecConfigLanName or lecActualLanName MIB variables caused a memory leak ("free(): invalid pointer" error log message) and could eventually lead to a switch reset. 2. In a combination transparent/source route bridged environment, the switch would not learn route descriptor destinations of the form xxx:b:yyy, where b is the bridge number of the 8270 SRB, xxx is any internally bridged segment, and yyy is any value. Now, the switch will (correctly) only refuse to learn these if yyy is also an internally bridged segment. This could cause loss of order-sensitive frames on a LEC. 3. If a switch port reset while a beaconing condition existed, the LNM Agent in MSS Client was never informed that the beaconing condition had cleared; therefore, LNM reported the ring as beaconing until the next beaconing state change, or until the user issued a segment test. Release 5.2A and 5.2B 1. A switch containing an MSS Client could occasionally reset, accompanied by message log entries indicating "free(): invalid pointer". 2. In earlier 5.x code, the sysUpTime variable would report system up time in units of 1/128 second instead of the standard 1/100 second. This could cause some SNMP management tools to crash ("TREND" was found to be susceptible). 3. An 8270 switch could be reset if ASCII 90 ('Z') or 152 was sent at 9600 baud while autobaud detection was taking place. The reset would be logged as "fatal fault, type=3, subtype=2". 8272's were not susceptible to this problem. 4. Two race conditions that could result in switch resets have been fixed. One involved a ring beaconing for an amount of time equal to 7 seconds. The other involved the "SOLO RAM / regs dumped" from an adapter check happening at inopportune times. Having a busy CPU (evidenced by slow console response and/or "CPU congestion" messages) would make these problems more likely to cause resets. Both only happened in situations where a large number of token-ring soft or hard errors were present. 5. When a burst of frames with invalid FC fields was received, all of the frames would be learned for filtering. (See the 5.1.1 new features for a description of this filter). An entry in the message log would be created for each frame. A single burst of these frames could fill the message log. These frames are now logged only once per unique address/port combination. The length of the frame (including CRC) is now also included in the message. 6. Using TokenProbe on a switch with earlier 5.x code in a network with a large amount of traffic to the filtered null MAC addresses could cause a switch reset. 7. The telnet timeout value is now configurable from 1 to 120 minutes. This time was fixed at 5 minutes in previous versions of software. 8. A route descriptor for an internally bridged ring could be deleted from the ATM UFC legacy table. The route would no longer be correctly registered, and this could lead to connectivity problems. This problem only existed in configurations where a domain contained an ATM port and at least one token-ring port. 9. Token-ring segments experienced excessive ring purges sent from the active monitor station on the ring. The frequency of the ring purges is extremely high and they occur at regular time intervals. Along with ring purges, the active monitor will send soft error report MAC frames to the Ring Error Monitor functional address indicating token errors. This version of software contains a fix for the 8270/8272 ports. Further problem details and microcode updates for other affected workstation adapters are currently available from IBM. Release 5.1.1A and 5.1.1B 1. The permanent filter to discard frames addressed to MAC address 40:00:00:00:00:00 that had been added in release 5.1 was removed, since that address is used by some customers. Permanent filters to discard frames addressed to 00:00:00:00:00:00, 80:00:00:00:00:00, and C0:00:00:00:00:00 are still included. 2. A connectivity problem with the "Internal IP over SRB" feature occurred when a port was reset or became active WHILE the switch was experiencing severe congestion. The connectivity problem would persist even after congestion abated. 3. A problem with accessing the "Port Parameters" menu for 802.1d spanning tree was fixed. For certain settings of Switch Priority, accessing this menu would cause a switch reset. 4. A change was made to reduce the chances of dropping IP and IPX packets that are switched from Token-Ring ports to ATM. 5. The source address of the 802.1d spanning tree BPDUs was sent in canonical format. This is corrected so that the address is now in non-canonical format. 6. An 802.1d spanning tree problem occured when the lowest numbered active port was in manual mode and the switch was reset. This has been corrected. Release 5.1A and 5.1B 1. There was the potential for a spanning tree loop, for a brief period, when the forwarding delay was set to 4 or 5. 2. Frames with a null mac address were forwarded throughout the network by the switch. This could seriously impair network operation. 3. 0.0.0.0 was displayed for the IP Address and Subnet Mask of the Integrated Blade when 'show module verbose' was issued from a DMM (Distributed Management Module) in an 8260. 4. When a LEC was reset, a LINK DOWN trap was not generated and sent to the management station. 5. If a "reset statistics" was issued from the PSM or Netview for a disabled port, the switch displayed and logged an "invalid port access" message and reset itself. 6. Console screen was blocked from other console sessions if the network connection, for a telnet session, was lost while waiting for user input. 7. The switch reset itself when changing the ATM UFC C20 parameter through a telnet session if there was no cable attached to EIA 232 port on the switch. Release 5.0.1A and 5.0.1B 1. If an SNMP manager was using a particular LEC to access the 827x, it was not able to reset that LEC. 2. On switches running 802.1d spanning tree, there was the potential for the switch to reset if there was a loop somewhere else in the network. This could happen if there were redundant links between other switches that were not running the 802.1d spanning tree. 3. If a domain was enabled for source-route bridging AFTER the ATM LEC was enabled in that domain, the source-route bridge automatic spanning tree did not work correctly. 4. If the switch and the MSS (Domain) Client were both configured to perform SR bridging and the MSS (Domain) Client was reset with the "Disable unattended restart" set to YES (causing the MSS (Domain) Client to be not active), the internal SRB function did not resume forwarding of explorer traffic. 5. Changing the baud rate of the local console to 2400 could lead to a switch reset if the serial cable was loose or became disconnected. 6. When a Fan Failure occurs during a power on reset, the fan failure is not logged to the message log. There is a fan failure message written to the screen, but it gets written as part of the power-on sequence of messages and gets lost. It is not obvious at this point that a fan failure has occurred, unless you are at the physical location of the switch, and can view the status LED. 7. Resetting the Statistics on the Port N Statistics screen for a disabled port would reset the switch. 8. When an ATM Feature Card was inserted in a slot that had contained a a different type of card, the Master Address Aging value displayed 50% rather than the default 90%. Release 4.0.3A and 4.0.3B 1. This level fixes a problem introduced in 4.0 with the handling of a specific invalid MAC frame. Such a frame is invalid and should never appear in a network, however if it does, network operation could be seriously impaired. The fix prevents this type of frame from being propagated by the switch. Release 4.0.2A and 4.0.2B 1. Multiple active telnet sessions, or a single telnet session in combination with one or more of the following types of switch activity (SNMP, TFTP, ATM UFC, MSS UFC) could lead to a switch reset. This problem existed in all previous levels of 8270 and 8272 LAN switch software. 2. Displaying the 8270/8272 port address tables from the Nways Campus Manager PSM caused a fatal fault on the PSM. Release 4.0A and 4.0B ATM Related Issues 1. Extraneous 'Invalid Port Entry Found' messages may occur on an ATM port when the ATM connection is broken. 2. Token-ring ports could hang or reset on switches with an ATM UFC installed. 3. The 8270/8272 may not learn the LAN segment number from the LAN Emulation Configuration Server (LECS). 4. Links may not be correctly displayed by an ATM Campus Manager application. NOTE: Additional ATM information can be found in the current ATM UFC release notes. Console related issues 1. Using from the Port n Address Table causes the port number to change to Port 1. 2. The X's are not displayed properly when viewing logical ports in the Master Route Descriptor Table or Domain Route Descriptor Table. 3. The arrow keys do not work correctly on the Spanning Tree Configuration Menu. 4. In the Port N Route Descriptor Table, the Destination Packets count field will run into the Source Packets count field when the packet count exceeds 9 digits. 5. A deleted MAC address filter reappears when pressing Escape while adding a new filter. Other Issues 1. A beacon trap delay has been incorporated into the reporting of beacon conditions. When a token-ring port enters a beacon state, the trap will not be generated unless the beacon condition persists for longer than the trap delay. This new parameter is changed through the SNMP Configuration menu. The default is zero, but it can be increased to 300 msec. 2. A token-ring port processor hang condition left the port inoperative and unable to properly open or close. External symptoms of this problem could include the Connect LED permanently on or off until the port is reset. 3. A change to the bridge number of an Internal Source-Route while the bridge was enabled could cause problems. The bridge must now be disabled before the bridge number can be changed. 4. Under certain circumstances, after a cable was moved from one port to another, BPDUs would not be transmitted out of the port unless the switch was reset. This could lead to spanning tree loops in the network. 5. Previously, the contents of the ibm8272TsPortSwitchModeChangeTrap did not match the MIB definition. 6. Disconnecting the transmit fiber of a fiber token-ring port connection to an 8230 disables the 8270/8272 port. The port would not reconnect until the switch port was reset. 7. The first frames sent by a directly attached device immediately after inserting into the switch may be dropped. This could result in a delayed connection depending on the application. This only affected token-ring ports in domains that are not running 802.1d spanning tree. Release 3.6.1A and 3.6.1B Switch Reset Issue(s) Excessive MIB queries to the ATM UFC while the UFC is being reset could result in a "Fatal Fault Detected" message on the console and the switch resetting. ATM Related Issues 1. A situation could occur where a LEC is marked "up" in the ATM console and marked as having its "link down" in the spanning tree console. No traffic would flow across this ATM LEC until the LEC was reset. 2. A problem affecting Spanning Tree may exist where the switch could incorrectly respond to frames received on blocked LECs. 3. If multiple domains are configured with active LECs in each and the ATM port is reset, existing unknown (unresolved) destination entries may be altered such that frames sent to these destinations no longer are transmitted out the ATM port. 4. The first frame related to a session starting may get discarded, resulting in potential start up delays. 5. Moving a station from across an ATM network to a base port on the switch could result in noticeable delay before traffic is resumed correctly to the station. NOTE: Additional ATM information can be found in the current ATM UFC release notes. Console Related Issues 1. The search option on the Message Log Information screen would not work for message numbers over 1000. 2. After using or from a serial port console session, "Non-Token-Ring Ports Menu..." option could not be accessed from a telnet session. 3. Accessing the "Source Route Configuration..." option on an 8270 switch which had no Token-Ring UFCs installed would hang the console. 4. "Domain Route Descriptor Table..." option would in certain situations say the table is empty, when in fact entries did exist. 5. Entries may get displayed in the "Logical Ports" screen for the "Master Address Table" even if there are no logical ports active for the selected physical port. Other Issues 1. A full-duplex fiber switch-to-switch connection may not reconnect when one of the switches is reset with diagnostics. A reset of the adapter end of the fiber was required to connect successfully. 2. If the switch was configured to have a secure source for a port and then allowed one source address to filter to all ports, that source could not communicate with the switch. 3. ARE frames were not forwarded through the internal SRB when an internally bridged domain was not physically connected to its T/R segment in a network with redundant source-route paths. 4. If a port in a bridged domain was used as a probe port and then the probe port was removed (deconfigured), normal traffic would not be bridged to that port until the port or the switch was reset. 5. Some minor issues with port security and filtering have been resolved. 6. The problem with migrating from release 3.11 to a newer release has been resolved. 7. In certain conditions with Spanning Tree Protocol 802.1d configured, a port could forward frames inappropriately, resulting in a potential loop in the network. 8. Previously, the following counters in the Token Ring RMON MIB (RFC1513) were always zero: * tokenRingMLStatsRingPurgeEvents * tokenRingMLStatsRingPurgePkts * tokenRingMLStatsBeaconPkts * tokenRingMLStatsClaimTokenEvents * tokenRingMLStatsClaimTokenPkts * tokenRingMLStatsRingPollEvents * tokenRingMLHistoryRingPurgeEvents * tokenRingMLHistoryRingPurgePkts * tokenRingMLHistoryBeaconPkts * tokenRingMLHistoryClaimTokenEvents * tokenRingMLHistoryClaimTokenPkts * tokenRingMLHistoryRingPollEvents 9. On an 8270, an incorrect index could be returned for an SMNP "next ibm8272TsPipeNumber" command. 10. The message "OK" is now correctly presented on the four character alphanumeric display of an 8270 Switch. 11. 8272 Switch Modules responded incorrectly to the "show verbose ports" command issued from the 8260 console. Only a maximum of 23 ports would be displayed. Release 3.2.3A and 3.2.3B Switch Resets The following problems could lead to a switch reset, and they have been fixed in this release: 1. Some telnet sessions were not terminated correctly, which could have led to a switch reset at a later time. 2. A problem with token-ring port initialization could lead to a box reset or box hang (all port leds turned off for example). 3. Displaying a message block to the console while on an 'auto-refresh' screen could lead to a box reset. Other Issues 1. If the IP address on the switch is changed, it did not register the new address via ILMI until a reset of the switch or ATM UFC. 2. Invalid MAC addresses could appear in a display of an ATM port address table. 3. In some networks, a route descriptor problem resulted in ATM packets using the BUS instead of Data Direct paths. This led to slow ATM performance. 4. A reset of the ATM UFC in a switch with multiple domains could result in a legacy address table problem that would prevent traffic from going through the ATM port. 5. Formatting changes have been made to the confirmation message when resetting an ATM port. 6. An address table problem could cause slow performance on some workstations (not always the same one) across ATM. This was determined to be caused by the address for the workstation NOT being in the ATM legacy table. 7. An address table problem caused non-source-routed stations sending to the all FF's broadcast address to NOT be forwarded across ATM. The problem only occurred on domains with IP disabled. 8. In some cases, a token-ring port reset and initialization would not complete. The LEDs for that port would be out, and it would not connect. 9. A token-ring port initialization problem could lead to a port reset with the message MPC Initialization failed. 10. A problem with phantom voltage detection could lead to a port reset for a token-ring port that is running in PORT mode. 11. Serial port code download via the system request button could fail intermittently. This problem only occurred when the system request button was pressed during a switch boot. 12. Following the serial download of an ATM UFC code image, there was a message that incorrectly indicated that the download had failed. 13. A continuous ping of the switch could stop after a domain change. 14. Changes were made to make NVRAM management more efficient in order to minimize the risk of running out of space. This problem could have led to an inability to change the switch configuration. 15. When the message log wraps, messages that were written to the log could be displayed with a third line of information from an old message. Release 3.2.2A and 3.2.2B Port Resets These problems are exasperated by token ring errors on the segments connected to the switch. The port handling code has had a number of improvements in this release. 1. HI Q not empty message - This condition has been corrected so that it will no longer result in a port reset. 2. LAP Access Violation - This problem was an incorrect handling of the communication between the port code and the I960 processor code. This would result in an Adapter check and a port reset. This fix corrects some conditions that where still remaining after the previous maintenance level. Switch Resets There have been a number of different problems that have been fixed in this release that could lead to a switch reset. Some of these switch reset problems are listed below: 1. Invalid Memory Access condition leading to a box reset. This problem was caused by an uninitialized variable. 2. An Invalid Port Access condition can lead to a box reset. Some invalid port access conditions have been resolved. There are still some other Invalid Port Access conditions under investigation. 3. If a port connection was established during Congestion control on a switch then the switch could reset. 4. A timing window existed such that the program stack (memory) could get corrupted leading to a box reset. Changes have been made to eliminate this timing window. 5. A problem that resulted in a "Transmit Buffer Corruption" message during boot initialization has been corrected. Other Issues 1. The problems leading to the limitations on the number of ATM addresses documented in the 3.2.1A and 3.2.1B maintenance level have been resolved. 2. A problem with TokenPipes existed such that traffic may only flow in one direction across the TokenPipe for a specific address. The result of this problem would be a station on one side of the TokenPipe would not be able to communicate across the TokenPipe. The symptom a customer might see is that clients could contact a sever across a TokenPipe but, the server could not respond to the clients. This problem was with a specific address however, if that address was a Route Descriptor then the impact would be for all addresses that have that route. 3. A problem that could result in the ATM legacy table on multiple switches containing addresses that should only be on one switch has been fixed. The symptom of this problem would be that connections across the ATM network to those addresses may fail to be established. 4. A timing window existed such that the switch could have problems handling a spanning tree topology change. This problem would result in the switch constantly removing all of the known addresses from the port address table and communications through that port would be inconsistent. 5. A timing window existed such that the when a port is reset it could enter the Spanning Tree Listening state (LSN) and not transition to the Spanning Tree Forwarding state (FWD). This would result in no traffic flowing through that port. 6. There was a problem that lead to excessive communications from the base box to the ATM UFC that could resulted in "Echo Response failures" and a ATM UFC reset. 7. Receive hangs - This problem is where a port will stop receiving frames from the locally attached segment. A fix has been made to the transmit hang correction code that lead to this receive hang condition. 8. A function to search the message by message number has been added. If a message number higher than any existing number in the log is entered the latest message will be shown. If a message number of 0 is entered then the top of the message log will be shown. 9. The Type field on the message log screen should now correctly show an "F" for fatal fault error messages. 10. The edit checking for the Switch Maximum Message Age field on the Transparent Spanning Tree Configuration screen has been changed to take into account the condition if there is only one valid value instead of a range of valid values. 11. The Source Route Configuration screen has been changed to support domain names of the length that can be entered on the Domain Configuration screen. 12. An informational message has been added to the message log when a switch is reset to indicate when the event happened and the main code level at the time of the reset. 13. The use of ellipsis (...) after selections has been added to a number of screens to make its use consistent. 14. Some alignment problems on the Master Route Descriptor Table screen as well as some inconsistent column headings have been fixed. 15. The Port Address table for the ATM UFC card might have shown some addresses that did not exist in the network. This display only problem has been fixed. KNOWN PROBLEMS / ANOMALIES / DESIGN POINTS 1. The recommended procedure for terminating telnet sessions is the key sequence. 2. On some emulators, console sessions through the serial port may drop after an extended period of time, if hardware flow control has been enabled on the switch. The connection is usually re-established by disconnecting and reconnecting the s/p cable. To avoid this problem, be sure the hardware flow control is disabled in the switch's Serial Link Configuration and that your emulator configuration conforms to the set up suggestions that are documented in the Planning and Installation Guide. 3. The ATM feature card should only be installed in slot 1 of an 8272 LAN Switch Module FC 5208 or FC 6208, and only in slot 1 or 3 of a FC 5308 or FC 6308. 4. After making configuration changes in a switch with two ATM LECs attached to the same ELAN, the switch should be reset to ensure network stability. 5. If you are migrating from a Release 2.x level of code to a Release 3.x of code or higher, you MUST serially download the code the first time. After the switch has been rebooted with the new code then you can use the TFTP download for future code updates. 6. If you attempt to migrate to a previous level of code (from 4.x to 3.x for example) you must do the following: * Make sure you have the configuration of the switch on hard copy, because a later step will clear the configuration. * Load all three code images (microcode, main, and boot). * After all of the code is loaded and you have reset the switch, then go the Reset/Diagnostic screen and Clear Non-Volatile RAM. This will reset the configuration files to the correct defaults for the previous level. If you do not clear NVRAM then the configuration files will still be for current release, and your results will be unpredictable. 7. The maximum size frame supported by the switch is 4540 bytes. Frames larger than this will be aborted. This might require special setup by your network administrator. 8. The introduction of transparent switching into a token ring environment can reveal latent conditions that are masked when only source route bridges are used to interconnect rings. The token ring frame format includes status information bits that have been used improperly by some network adapters or protocols. The usage of these bits has varied within the token ring industry during the past few years. The following problems have been attributed to the improper use of these bits: 1. Some Level 2 protocol drivers or applications are known to improperly rely upon the frame status information as verification that the frame has been received by another station. IBM has supplied new protocol drivers to replace IBM-developed token ring drivers that have this defect. However, some users may not wish to upgrade their drivers at this time or may have non-IBM drivers with this mode of operation. 2. Some stations report or log a soft error each time a frame is received based on an address match and the status information. The condition that is being reported is no longer a true indication of an error condition and should be ignored. The IBM 8272 port logic copies all frames on a ring in making the decision to forward or not forward a frame. The default settings will cause the IBM 8272 to SET the frame status bits on all data frames that it copies. This will avoid the need to update the protocol drivers that are expecting these bits to be set. However, this default may cause some devices to report and/or log excessive soft errors. If your network management applications indicate an increase in soft error reports when the 8272 switch is installed, please contact an IBM service representative at 1-800-426-7299, call path 4, 6, 3 (In Canada, call 1-800-565-3344.) The problem can be resolved through configuration options. 9. The token adapter for the IBM 9221 (ES/9000) Processor will not open when directly attached to an 8272 port. You must use an MSAU such as the IBM 8228 Token Ring Network Multi-station Access Unit or the IBM 8230 Token Ring Network Controlled Access Unit. 10. You must manually configure the 8272 switch port if you connect to other manufacturers' switch ports that are configured for fixed, full-duplex-only operation, and that conform to the Dedicated Token Ring Draft Standard, Version 3. If your installation has such a configuration, refer to Chapter 4, "Configuration," in the section titled "Configuring Ports," in the Planning and Installation Guide. 11. If you experience difficulty opening Telnet sessions with the switch, or get error messages concerning terminal types, check the options for your Telnet client. Make sure that the terminal type is set to vt100, vt102, or vt220. If you are running Telnet from a command line, there is usually an option that allows you to choose what terminal type to use. 12. Console arrow keys are unreliable when using a slow communication device (< 9600 baud). In this case, use the key to select the console options. 13. The 8272 provides an SNMP agent for management from an SNMP manager. The 8272 will allow LAN Network Manager LLC frames to flow through the switch so that communication to existing 8230s and source route bridges will be maintained. Some error reporting functions and ring map functions might be lost for the rings attached to the switch. 14. When defining a Token Pipe Configuration, ensure that both ports of each interconnected pair have compatible configurations. The suggested configuration is "Auto-Confg" for Config Type and "FIX-16" for Speed. 15. When a switch port configured in Auto-Detect with Ring Speed Adjust enabled (RSA16 or RSA4) discovers a connection to shared media, it will open and insert into the ring. If the open returns with an indication that the port is the first station to enter the ring, it will close. This is also true for ports configured in Fixed-Adapter mode with RSA enabled. This algorithm is analogous to that of IBM's auto-sensing adapters; it dictates that an adapter that is capable of speed adjustment must have some other station on the ring (typically a server) from which it can sense the speed. If you want to have switch ports that are attached to shared media set the ring speed, you must change the default configuration of Auto-RSA16 to either Auto-Fix16, Auto-Fix4, or force the configuration to Adapter mode with Fix16 or Fix4 speed. If you use the 8272's Ring Speed Adjust feature you will need to set the ring speed for segmented rings. 16. To ensure a directly connected FDX station always connects at 16 Mbps, you should manually set the station's adapter to a Fixed-16 mode of operation. Otherwise, there is a small possibility that a directly attached station that implements IBM's auto-speed algorithm, when connected to an 8272 port that is configured in Auto-Detect mode, will make its connection at 4 Mbps. 17. MIB Browser display errors of OCTET STRING objects. Under certain conditions, some MIB Browsers including the IBM NetView/6000 MIB Browser will incorrectly interpret the value of an OCTET STRING. The OCTET STRING may be printable ASCII characters. For example, the hexadecimal value of "41" is displayed as an "A". This can affect the following objects: 8272 Private MIB OCTET STRINGs * ibm8272TsTrapRcvrDmns * ibm8272TsPortStnAddress * ibm8272TsOptPortStaVal * ibm8272TsDmnPorts * ibm8272TsDmnBaseBridgeAddr * ibm8272TsDmnStationAddress * ibm8272TsDmnStationTraffic * ibm8272TsOptDmnStaVal * ibm8272TsPipePorts * ibm8272TsFilterStationAddress * ibm8272TsFilterPorts * ibm8272TsFilterMask * ibm8272TsUFCType DTRC MIB OCTET STRINGs: * dtrConcentratorAddress * dtrCRFPortMask * dtrCRFMacAddress * dtrCRFSpTreeDesignatedRoot * dtrCRFPortSpTreeDesignatedPort * dtrCRFPortSpTreeDesignatedRoot * dtrCRFPortSpTreeDesignatedBridge * dtrCRFPortSpTreeDesignatedPort * dtrFdbDynamicAddrStnAddress * dtrFdbDynamicRDRouteDesc * dtrExSrbStpAddress * dtrExSrbStpDesignatedRoot * dtrExSrbPortStpDesignatedRoot * dtrExSrbPortStpDesignatedBridge RFC1213 OCTET STRINGs * atPhysAddress * ipNetToMediaPhysAddress RFC1231 OCTET STRINGs * dot5UpStream * dot5Functional RFC1493 OCTET STRINGs * dot1dStpPortDesignatedPort * dot1dBaseBridgeAddress * dot1dTpFdbAddress * dot1dStpDesignatedRoot * dot1dStpPortDesignatedRoot * dot1dStpPortDesignatedBrid RFC1573 OCTET STRINGs * ifPhysAddress RFC1695 OCTET STRINGs * atmInterfaceAdminAddress LEC MIB OCTET STRINGs * lecMacAddress * leArpMacAddress * lecConfigLesAtmAddress * lecPrimaryAtmAddress * ecConfigServerAtmAddress * lecActualLesAtmAddress * lecAtmAddress * lecMacAddressAtmBinding * lecRouteDescrAtmBinding * leArpAtmAddress * leRDArpAtmAddress DISCOVERY MIB OCTET STRINGs * announceAddress * mapAddress 18. Most SNMP MIB Browers cannot create a new MIB table entry. This can affect the following tables: 8272 Private MIB * ibm8272TsFilterTable MAC filter entries can be created by a native SNMP SET request, network management application such as the IBM Nways Manager, a console session or a Telnet session. 19. The following two notes should be added to the symptoms and procedures table of the Installation and Service Guide for the 8270: 1. If all LEDs are on, the +5V-A fuses are open. See "Obtaining Service" on page 7-1. 2. If the I (green) LED on the Token Ring Processor card is on and the console displays the message, "Invalid port access," the +5V-B or +5V-C fuses are open. See "Obtaining Service on page 7-1. 20. When IEEE 802.1d spanning tree is active, a port within that domain will require several seconds to make the transition from the blocking state to the forwarding state when the port is initially activated (e.g., joins an existing ring or activates a dedicated link). Some client or server applications may attempt to establish session activity during this time, resulting in error messages indicating a connection failure. These applications should be configured to wait at least 30 seconds after the LAN link is active before attempting to establish session activity. This delay can be reduced by modifying the 802.1d spanning tree default parameters. Alternatively, Manual Spanning Tree can be used to force the port to remain in a forwarding state. 21. The dtrc.mib DESCRIPTION for the dtrCRFPortEnable object should be changed to: The enable/disable status of the CRF Port. This control can be used to disable a port. When you WRITE, the configuration is changed. When you READ, the data returned is the current operational state of the CRF Port, not the configuration. 22. When the ATM UFC is to be used in a network with source-routed frames it is recommended that the LAN ID be configured in the switch, using the Source Route Configuration panel. If the LAN ID is not configured, and the switch learns the LAN ID (from explorer traffic on the network) the ATM LEC resets, disrupting any existing traffic. 23. The following objects defined by RFC1757 and RFC1513 always return a value of zero and cannot be used as an Alarm Variable: * tokenRingMLStatsMacOctets * tokenRingMLStatsMacPkts * tokenRingPStatsDataPkts*to*Octets * tokenRingMLHistoryMacOctets * tokenRingMLHistoryStatsMacPkts * tokenRingPHistoryDataPkts*to*Octets 24. If a domain is defined with two ports, and one of the ports has been administratively disabled, the active port in the domain may stop receiving frames. To avoid the problem, either enable the unused port or remove it from the domain configuration. 25. The DTRC MIB file fails to compile using OPENVIEW release D.02.00. The workaround is to : 1. Comment out the lines that say "Counter32 ::= Counter" 2. Comment out all lines that say "Integer32 ::= INTEGER" 3. Replace all instances of "Counter32" with "Counter" 4. Replace all instances of "Integer32" with "INTEGER" 8260/8265 SPECIFIC INFORMATION 1. For installations of the 8272 LAN Switch Modules FC 5208 and FC 5308, the recommended software level for the 8260 ATM Control Point and Switch Module (CPSW) is v.3.1.8 or higher. 2. For installations of the 8272 LAN Switch Modules FC 5208 and FC 5308, the recommended software level for the 8265 ATM Control Point and Switch Module (CPSW) is v.3.3.2 or higher. 3. The 8272 LAN Switch Module derives its power and cooling from the 8260 Hub. 4. To install a Universal Feature Card (UFC) AFTER the LAN Switch Module has already been installed in an 8260 Hub, remove the Switch Module from the Hub in order to power OFF the module prior to installing the UFC. Then, beginning with step 2, follow the instructions contained in the Planning and Installation Guide, shipped with the specific UFC, in the section "Installing a Universal Feature Card." 5. In configurations where FC 5208 or FC 6208 is inserted in positions 16 and 17 of an 8260 or where FC 5308 or FC 6308 is inserted in positions 15, 16 and 17 of an 8260, potential mechanical interference can occur when certain Universal Feature Cards (UFCs) are inserted in position 17. It is best to avoid position 17 when installing the 8272 LAN Switch Modules. If this can not be avoided, the UFC can be inserted with care. 2-PORT TOKEN RING FIBER UFC-SPECIFIC INFORMATION 1. The 2-Port Fiber Token Ring UFC requires Release 2.0 or higher of the switch microcode. 2. The 2-Port Fiber Token Ring UFC supports two pairs of multimode fiber connections via ST-type Optical Transmitter and Receiver ports. 3. The two ST connectors marked TX of the 2-Port Fiber Token Ring UFC send 850 nM infrared light to an attached device. 4. The two ST connectors marked RX of the 2-Port Fiber Token Ring UFC detect 850 nM infrared light from an attached device. 5. Both ports of the 2-Port Fiber Token Ring UFC are compatible with either the RI or the RO ports of an IBM 8230 Token Ring Concentrator. 6. If both the RI and RO of an attached device (such as an 8228, 8230, 8260) or a series of devices are connected to a single 8272 switch, spanning tree must be enabled. (Multiple connections to a single ring cannot be supported without the use of spanning tree). 7. When connecting one switch to another using the 2-Port Fiber Token Ring UFC, one end of the fiber connection must be manually configured as an 'ADAPTER,' and the other end of the fiber connection must be manually configured as a 'PORT'. (Use the port configuration tables.) 8. When connecting a fiber switch port to a RI/RO port of the 8239 Token-Ring Stackable Hub, the switch port should be manually configured as a 'PORT'. FILES ON THE DISKETTES AND SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD PROCEDURES IBM 8272 MICROCODE AND SNMP MIB DISKETTE - RELEASE 5.2.2A File Name Contents Notes TR_A522.GZ Main image and Token Ring port microcode 1 TR_A522.BT Boot image 1 TR_A522.DEF MIB Compiler Object Definition 2 TR_A522.MIB MIB definitions for private MIB 2 TR_A522.TRP MIB definitions for traps 2 DTRCA522.MIB MIB definitions for source routing 2 README.TR 8270/8272 Release Notes, Version 5.2.2 READ_TR.HTM 8270/8272 Release Notes, Version 5.2.2, html format NOTES 1. These are software modules that reside in the switch. 2. These are network management files that should be given to your network administrator. IBM 8270 MICROCODE AND SNMP MIB DISKETTE - RELEASE 5.2.2B File Name Contents Notes TR_B522.GZ Main image and Token Ring port microcode 1 TR_B522.BT Boot image 1 TR_B522.DEF MIB Compiler Object Definition 2 TR_B522.MIB MIB definitions for private MIB 2 TR_B522.TRP MIB definitions for traps 2 DTRCB522.MIB MIB definitions for source routing 2 README.TR 8270/8272 Release Notes, Version 5.2.2 READ_TR.HTM 8270/8272 Release Notes, Version 5.2.2, html format NOTES 1. These are software modules that reside in the switch. 2. These are network management files that should be given to your network administrator. Loading the Latest Software IMPORTANT NOTICE CAUTION: YOU MUST ENSURE THAT YOU LOAD THE PROPER IMAGES ON THE 8270 AND 8272. LOADING THE 8270 FILES ON AN 8272, OR THE REVERSE, WILL DAMAGE YOUR SWITCH. IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO CONTACT YOUR SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TO HAVE THE SWITCH REPAIRED. IMPORTANT NOTICE CAUTION: IF YOU ARE UPGRADING FROM A VERSION 2.X LEVEL OF CODE TO A 3.X VERSION OR HIGHER, THEN YOU MUST SERIALLY DOWNLOAD THE CODE THE FIRST TIME. AFTER YOU RESET THE SWITCH WITH THE NEW CODE THEN YOU MAY USE TFTP FOR FUTURE CODE UPGRADES. ALSO IF YOU ARE UPGRADING TO A VERSION BETWEEN 3.2.0 AND 5.1.1, THE .SOL IMAGE MUST ALSO BE DOWNLOADED IN ADDITION TO THE .GZ FILE. FOR VERSIONS 5.2 AND LATER, THE .SOL IMAGE IS INCLUDED IN THE .GZ FILE. IMPORTANT NOTICE CAUTION: For switches running ATM UFC code version 1.10 or higher, there is no requirement to upgrade all 827x's attached to an ATM network at the same time. Those networks running versions of the ATM UFC code prior to 1.10 MUST upgrade all switches at the same time. To load the latest software, the following procedure is recommended: 1. Select Download from the main menu. 2. From the Download menu, select Serial or TFTP to be used for the download. 3. Select Boot Code. * TR_B522.BT for the 8270 * TR_A522.BT for the 8272 If you are unable to select the boot code, follow the procedure below to download using the System Request menu. 4. Initiate download. 5. From the Download menu, select Serial or TFTP to be used for the download. 6. Select Main Image. * TR_B522.GZ for the 8270 * TR_A522.GZ for the 8272 7. Initiate download. 8. The switch must be reset at this point. To load the latest software from the System Request Menu, follow the procedure below: Some older levels of code only support download of the .gz file from the main menu. In this case, the System Request (SR) Menu should be used to download the new code. Access the SR menu by pushing the recessed SR button, which is located next to the Reset button. NOTE: The SR button has no label. Also, be aware that the SR menu will not appear until you release the SR button. 1. Select Xmodem download of boot image * TR_B522.BT for the 8270 * TR_A522.BT for the 8272 2. Initiate the xmodem download. 3. Select Xmodem download of main image * TR_B522.GZ for the 8270 * TR_A522.GZ for the 8272 4. Initiate the xmodem download. 5. The switch must be reset at this point. Loading Previous Versions of Software IMPORTANT NOTICE CAUTION: After loading a previous level of code, if you do not clear NVRAM, the configuration files will still be for the current release and your results will be unpredictable. If you attempt to migrate to a previous level of code (from 4.x to 3.x for example) you must do the following: * Make sure you have the configuration of the switch on hard copy because a later step will clear the configuration. * Load all three code images (microcode, main, and boot) * After all of the code is loaded and you have reset the switch then go the Reset/Diagnostic screen and Clear Non-Volatile RAM. This will reset the configuration files to the correct defaults for the previous level. If you do not clear NVRAM, then the configuration files will still be for the current release, and your results will be unpredictable. If you attempt to migrate from version 5.2 or later to version 5.1.1 or earlier you will need to DISABLE File ID Checking in the Download menu first. Versions 5.2 or later will not allow code without headers to be downloaded. Versions 5.1.1 or earlier do not have headers and do not support File ID Checking. Other Download Considerations 1. If you are using OS/2 TCP/IP for TFTP download, you should upgrade to 3.0 or later and install the latest CSDs (Corrective Service Diskettes). Invoke the TFTP daemon using the following command: tftp -t 30 2. Users experiencing problems downloading using TFTP should stop traffic flow through the switch during the actual download. If the download appears to hang before completing, ensure that TFTP and protocol timeouts are not disabled. 3. Do not use AIX Ver. 3.25 telnet sessions to download the code for the ATM UFC. 4. Users experiencing IP problems with Merlin (OS/2 Release 4) are advised to clear the ARP cache in the Merlin workstation. Internal Port Mapping The tables below correlate internal port number to external port names. Internal 8272 LAN Port 8270-600 8270-800 8272-108 8272-216 Switch Modules 1 --- 1-1 1 1 1 2 --- 1-2 2 2 2 3 --- 2-1 3 3 3 4 --- 2-2 4 4 4 5 --- 2-3 5 5 5 6 --- 2-4 6 6 6 7 1-1 3-1 7 7 7 8 1-2 3-2 8 8 8 9 1-3 3-3 --- 9 --- 10 1-4 3-4 --- 10 --- 11 2-1 4-1 --- 11 --- 12 2-2 4-2 --- 12 --- 13 2-3 4-3 --- 13 1-1 14 2-4 4-4 --- 14 1-2 15 3-1 5-1 --- 15 1-3 16 3-2 5-2 --- 16 1-4 17 3-3 5-3 --- 1-1 2-1 18 3-4 5-4 --- 1-2 2-2 19 4-1 6-1 --- 1-3 2-3 20 4-2 6-2 --- 1-4 2-4 21 4-3 6-3 1-1 2-1 3-1 22 4-4 6-4 1-2 2-2 3-2 23 5-1 7-1 1-3 2-3 3-3 24 5-2 7-2 1-4 2-4 3-4 25 5-3 7-3 4-1 26 5-4 7-4 4-2 27 6-1 8-1 4-3 28 6-2 8-2 4-4 29 6-3 8-3 LATM 30 6-4 8-4 Internal Port LEC 32 X01 . . . . . . 63 X32 64 Y01 . . . . . . 95 Y32 Note: X is the slot number of the first ATM UFC and Y is the slot number of the second ATM UFC END OF RELEASE NOTES