LAN Network Manager enables you to manage the physical aspects of the stations in your network. You can define a variety of devices as stations. This chapter describes how to define and manage stations. It contains the following topics:
The OS/2 agent discovers the stations in your network even if they have not been defined. However, by defining a station you can:
In addition, by defining the stations in your network you can use the access control function of LAN Network Manager to detect and remove unauthorized adapters from the network. The authorization of stations that insert in the network is based on whether the adapter address is in the OS/2 agent database. One way to enter the adapter address into the database is by defining the station, as described in Adding a Station Definition.
The adapters for a variety of devices can be defined as stations, including:
You can define stations as critical resources to be monitored by LAN Network Manager, and as authorized trace-adapter addresses.
You can identify adapters for monitoring by the LAN Network Manager program. Monitor the adapters of devices for which you want to be notified if the adapter is not present or is not responding to the test frame. When determining whether to monitor a station, be aware that each station you monitor increases the network traffic that is processed by both the OS/2 agent and LAN Network Manager. You can monitor any adapter within the managed domain that responds to test frames sent to the logical link control (LLC) null service access point (SAP). However, if a device is likely to be congested or busy, you might receive an unexpected alert if the adapter cannot respond to the test frame.
The default setting for the Monitor field on the Add Station Definition window is No. If you want to identify an adapter for monitoring, ensure that you have assigned a name to the adapter and set the Monitor field to Yes.
To activate adapter monitoring for the adapters you have identified to be monitored, set the Monitor Adapters field on the Adapter Monitoring Parameters window to Active. To open the Adapter Monitoring Parameters window, select Adapter Monitoring from the LNM OS/2 Agent Configuration window.
Devices such as file servers and print servers are good candidates for adapter monitoring.
It is usually not necessary to monitor bridge adapters, because the bridge reports to LAN Network Manager if it becomes unlinked. If you do monitor bridges, always monitor the bridge adapter that is closest to LAN Network Manager. The other bridge adapter might not be visible to the monitoring process.
When defining an adapter, you can specify whether the adapter can enter the network as a trace adapter. LAN Network Manager supports the following trace programs:
Adapters authorized as trace adapters function only as trace adapters if the trace program is operating on the station that contains the adapter. If the trace program is not operating on the station, the trace adapter functions as a regular token-ring network adapter.
Only a controlling LAN Network Manager program can control adapter tracing for the entire network. You have the following tracing options:
Every 8 seconds, a frame-tracing tool notifies the OS/2 agent that it has begun or ended tracing activity or that tracing activity is in progress. The OS/2 agent program takes action according to the notification it receives. If an unauthorized adapter tries to enter a segment as a trace adapter, the OS/2 agent program issues a Remove command to the trace adapter and does so each time the adapter tries to trace. The OS/2 agent program generates an alert to indicate that an unauthorized trace was attempted on the LAN.
If the OS/2 agent program is an observing OS/2 agent, all adapters are allowed to trace. A trap is sent when an adapter traces or ends tracing.
To add a station definition that will be passed on to the OS/2 agent and stored in the OS/2 agent database, use the Add Station Definition window. In this window you can assign a name to the station and specify whether the adapter is monitored by LAN Network Manager. You can also authorize the adapter as a trace adapter and indicate access control parameters for the station, such as when the adapter is allowed on the segment.
To add a station definition, follow these steps:
The Add Station Definition window is displayed.
To view a list of stations on the segments in your network, use the List of Stations window. This window displays a list of segments that the OS/2 agent is aware of and the stations on the segments.
You can select a segment from the list of segments to which the OS/2 agent has been linked since it was started or restarted. Selecting the Display push button generates a list of the adapters that are connected to the selected segment. The adapters are listed in NAUN order, and the following information for each adapter is displayed:
To display a list of the stations on a segment, follow these steps:
You can delete a station definition using the List of Stations window. To delete a station definition, select the station whose definition you want to delete and then select the Delete push button.
You can also remove an adapter using the List of Stations window. To remove an adapter, select the adapter you want to remove and then select the Remove adapter push button. See Removing an Adapter for more information about removing an adapter.
The Station Profile window displays information about the current operation of the selected station. In addition to identifying the adapter in the station, the window provides general information about the station, such as its LAN segment and neighboring adapters. Asset information displays details specific to the station's hardware and physical location.
If the station you selected is inactive or an error occurs, the NAUN address and name field is blank, and the agent program retrieves the other data from its database.
To display a station profile, select the station, then select Profile from either the LAN pull-down menu or the context menu. The following conditions can exist:
The following list shows the possible values for the Functional addresses field in the Station Profile window, follow these steps:
To navigate directly to Station Configuration window, select Configuration from the Navigation pull-down menu on the Station Profile window.
The Station Configuration window allows you to change the configuration of a particular station. You can indicate whether the station is authorized to enter the network as a trace adapter, and the days and times that the station is allowed to access the segment.
To display the Station Configuration window, select the station, then select Configuration from either the LAN pull-down menu or the context menu.
To display information about how a station is physically attached to the network, select the Attachment Data push button. For more information about the Attachment Data window, read Accessing Attachment Data.
You can remove an adapter by selecting the Remove adapter menu choice from the Actions pull-down menu on the Station Configuration window. See Removing an Adapter for more information.
To navigate directly to the Station Profile window, select Profile from the Navigation pull-down menu.
If the adapter is attached to the network through a Multi-Access Unit (MAU) or a Controlled Access Unit (concentrator), the Attachment Data window displays specific information about the adapter's connection. The window provides identifying information such as the wall faceplate label and the port receptacle number to which the adapter is attached.
If the adapter is attached through a concentrator, this window also displays the concentrator's identifier, the number of the module with which the adapter is associated, and the current registration status of the concentrator.
Additional workstation information, such as the serial number and location, can be displayed if the LAN Station Manager program is installed on the workstation in which the adapter is installed.
To display information about how a station is physically attached to the network, access the Station Configuration window by selecting the station and then selecting Configuration from either the LAN pull-down menu or the context menu.
The Station Configuration window is displayed. Select the Attachment data push button from the Station Configuration window. The Attachment Data window is displayed.
You can display attachment data only if the station is running the LAN Station Manager program or is attached to a concentrator.
The data displayed on this window comes from the LAN Station Manager MIB if the LAN Station Manager program is installed. If the LAN Station Manager is not installed, the data displayed in this window is incomplete.
You can change information in the window and select OK to update the LAN Station Manager MIB.
Attention: Use caution when removing an adapter from the network. Removing a bridge adapter can have an adverse effect on the network. Review the functional address of the adapter to determine if it is a bridge.
You might want to remove an adapter because it is causing excessive errors or because you suspect that the adapter is the cause of slow performance. If the OS/2 agent is a controlling OS/2 agent, you can remove the adapter.
To remove an adapter from the network, follow these steps:
A dialog box is displayed to warn you that you are about to remove the adapter.
Notes: