User's Guide

Configuring your switch

After hardware installation, you must configure the IP information for your switch in order to manage the switch using in-band connection.

First, you need to decide how you will access your switch. See Accessing the switch for details about in-band and out-of-band connection. It is assumed that when you come to this chapter you will already have established physical connectivity.

Configuring IP information

IP information can be initially assigned through either:

• DHCP or BootP (the default), or
• Terminal interface through the EIA 232 serial port

Remote configuration using DHCP or BootP

You can configure your switch from remote locations using DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) or BootP. BootP (documented in RFC 951 and RFC 1542) is a bootstrap protocol used by a diskless workstation to learn its IP address, the location of its boot file, and the boot server name. The switch supports "reserved" or static DHCP, documented in RFC 1541. The DHCP or BootP server must be available through the Default VLAN (VLAN 1).

To configure the IP information remotely using DHCP or BootP:

1. Select Management Menu from the Main Menu on the terminal interface.
2. Select Network Connectivity Configuration Menu from the Management Menu, then specify BootP / Static DHCP for the Network Configuration Protocol Current parameter. If you are not using BootP or DHCP, set the Network Configuration Protocol Current parameter with a value of None to reduce network traffic. You must reset the switch to activate the change.

Manual configuration using the terminal interface

To manually configure the IP information:

1. Log onto the terminal interface using the read/write user ID and password.
2. Select the Management Menu from the Main Menu.
3. Select Network Connectivity Configuration Menu from the Management Menu, then specify IP address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway. Also, ensure that None is specified for Network Configuration Protocol Current.

Figure 12. Configuring BootP/static DHCP and network connection (IP information).

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IP Address

Unique IP address of your switch. Each IP parameter is made up of four decimal numbers. The numbers range from 0 to 255. The default for all IP parameters consists of "0"s (that is, 0.0.0.0).

Subnet Mask

The subnet mask for the LAN.

Default Gateway

Identifies the address of the default router if the switch is a node outside the IP range of the LAN.

Burned-in MAC Address

The default MAC address.

Locally Administered MAC Address

This is an additional parameter that you can configure. The following rules apply:

• Bit 6 of byte 0 (called the U/L bit) indicates whether the address is universally administered (B'0') or locally administered (B'1').
• Bit 7 of byte 0 (called the I/G bit) indicates whether the destination address is an individual address (B'0') or a group address (B'1').
• A locally administered address must have bit 6 On (B'1') and bit 7 Off (B'0').

MAC Address Type

Specifies if the burned-in MAC address or the locally-administered MAC address should be used. The burned-in MAC address is the default MAC address type.

Network Configuration Protocol Current

Specifies the network configuration protocol currently being used. Possible values are:

• BootP / Static DHCP: the switch periodically sends requests to a BootP or DHCP server until a response is received.
• None: the switch will be manually configured with IP information as specified on the Network Connectivity Configuration Menu.

Network Configuration Protocol on Next Reset

When you select BootP/Static DHCP (the default), the switch periodically sends requests to a BootP or DHCP server until a response is received. You must specify None, if you want to manually configure the switch with the appropriate IP information. When this value is modified, you need to issue a Save and then reset the switch in order for the new value to take effect.

Web mode

Used to enable or disable access to the switch through the Web interface. When enabled, you can login to the switch from the Web interface. When disable is selected, you cannot login to the switch's Web server. Specifying Disable provides for more secure access to the switch. The default is Enable.

Note:

Disabling the Web interface will not disable Web sessions that are in progress; no new Web sessions will be started.

Configuration Changes

This section describes how to make configuration changes, apply them, and retain the changes across a power cycle of the switch. It also provides you with specific information about making configuration changes using the terminal interface, Web interface, and SNMP interface.

You make configuration changes by entering data for one or more items. Configuration changes made by one user are also seen by other users who request the same data. Be aware that information displayed may be old data if you do not request the latest information before making any changes.

After you have make a configuration change and it is accepted:

• Selecting APPLY causes the change on the current panel to be applied but not retained across a reset or power cycle.
• Selecting SAVE causes the change on the current panel to be applied and all applied changes are retained across a reset or power cycle.

Making configuration changes using the terminal interface

This section provides information about making configuration changes, applying the changes, and retaining the changes across a power cycle when using the terminal interface.

Applying the configuration changes

On the terminal interface menus, field entries that can modified are enclosed in either square brackets ([ ]) or angle brackets (< >).

Square brackets identify an item that you can change by typing in text. As soon as you begin typing, the current value of the field is erased and is replaced by the new text. You cannot perform insert or overwrite in the field. You can use the following special keys while you are editing text fields:

• Arrow keys: These are ignored when you are editing a text field. On a field where you have made no modifications, use arrow keys to move the cursor to the appropriate field indicated by the direction of the arrow key.
• Backspace: Removes a character in front of the cursor.
• Delete: Gives the same result as the Back Space.
• Enter: The text is accepted and the cursor moves to the next field. On a text field where you have made no modifications, Enter moves the cursor to the next field.
• Esc: Stops editing the field and restores the original data.
• Space Bar: Is an allowable key to enter text.
• Tab: Performs the same function as the Enter key.
• F4: Save. Causes the configuration data to be saved and also applied if not already done.

Angle brackets identify an item that can be changed by selecting the desired option. The following special keys are used while selecting a configuration option:

• Arrow keys: The text is accepted and the cursor moves to the appropriate field indicated by the direction of the arrow key pressed. On a field where you have made no modifications, arrow keys move the cursor to the appropriate field.
• Enter: The text is accepted and the cursor moves to the next field. On a field where you have made no modifications, Enter moves the cursor to the next field.
• Esc: Stops modifying the field and restores the original data.
• Space Bar: Displays the next possible value for this field. Use it to cycle through the available options to select the desired value.
• Tab: Performs the same function as the Enter key.
• F4: Save. Causes the configuration data to be saved and also applied if not already done.

When processing data entered in a text field, all leading and trailing white-space characters are ignored (such as, space, Tab, Esc).

Once a configuration change is made and is accepted (the cursor is no longer on the field that was modified), the change is not put into effect until you select APPLY.

Saving the configuration changes

When you select APPLY, the following actions occur:

1. All configuration changes that you made are checked for correct syntax.
2. If you entered invalid configuration data (for example, data value that is out of the supported range), an error message is displayed identifying the field that contained the error. Errors are reported one field at a time. All data must be valid before it can be applied.
3. When the data has been checked and you have corrected any errors, UNSAVED DATA is displayed in the upper right corner of the panel.

If you make configuration changes and then exit a panel without applying the changes, your changes may be lost. For example, the following results in losing any changes made on the panel:

• You make configuration changes on the current panel and you select any of the following commands:
  • MAIN MENU
  • PREV MENU

Saving the configuration changes across a reset or power cycle

To save configuration changes across a reset or power cycle, perform one of the following actions:

• Select F4 (Save).
• Select Save Applied Changes on the System Utilities Menu.

If you select SAVE without previously having selected APPLY for recently made configuration changes, the changes are automatically applied.

If you request a switch reset without saving your configuration changes, you are prompted to save them. Reply yes to save the changes or no if you do not want to save them.

You are next prompted if you want to reset the switch. If you reply yes, the switch is reset regardless of whether you saved the changes or not.

Making configuration changes using the Web interface

This section provides information on making configuration changes, getting the changes put into effect, and retaining the changes across a power cycle when using the Web Interface.

On the Web pages, field entries that can be modified are displayed in a box with a white background. Depending on the field being modified, you can modify the text by either:

• Typing in the appropriate text over existing text (overwriting). If the data typed in is incorrect, the data entered is rejected and the original data is displayed.
• Selecting an option from one of the items displayed when the pull-down menu is selected. All items in a pull-down menu are correct.

Until you select APPLY or SAVE, you can restore any modified values to their original values by selecting the Undo.

Applying Configuration Changes

After you have modified the fields, select the APPLY or SAVE to process the changes. Selecting APPLY makes the changes take effect but the changes are not automatically retained across a reset or power cycle. Selecting SAVE makes the changes take effect and also results in the changes being retained across a reset or power cycle.

Before the Web Browser sends the request to the switch, the data for the fields changed are verified. If any field is invalid, an error message is displayed identifying the field that contains the error. Invalid data errors are reported one field at a time. All configuration changes must be valid before any of the changes are sent.

If you make configuration changes and then change the page without applying or saving the changes, the changes are not processed.

Saving configuration changes across a reset or power cycle

To save configuration changes to be retained across a reset or power cycle, select SAVE. Configuration changes can be permanently saved by either of these actions:

• Selecting SAVE.
• Going to the System Utilities Menu and selecting Save All Applied Changes.

Making configuration changes using SNMP

This section provides information on making configuration changes, getting the changes put into effect, and retaining the changes across a power cycle when using the SNMP interface.

You make configuration changes using SNMP by issuing SNMP Set commands to MIB objects that the switch supports as read/write.

Applying configuration changes

When the SNMP Set is received, the switch checks the data to ensure that it is valid. If it is invalid, the SNMP error code BADVALUE is returned in the SNMP Set Response. Otherwise, the configuration change is applied.

Saving configuration changes across a reset or power cycle

Configuration changes made using SNMP Set commands are not automatically retained across a reset or power cycle. To get these changes retained across a reset or power cycle, issue an SNMP Set to the swDevCtrlSaveConfiguration object supported by the switch private MIB.

Managing the configuration file

Your switch's configuration is written to a configuration file. Having this file available at a remote location would allow you to restore a corrupted switch configuration. System utilities allow you to upload files from the switch and download files to the switch.

From the System Utilities panel, you can select to Upload File From Switch or Download File to Switch to process a configuration file; just specify Config File as the file type on either panel. The switch must have a path available through Default VLAN (VLAN 1).