IBM Token-Ring Adapter


Chapter 4. LAN Adapter Management Agent


Supported Environments

LAN Adapters

The IBM LAN Adapter Management Agent supports any IBM LAN adapter with a device driver for the Operating Systems listed in the following section. The latest LAN adapter drivers provide the most manageability of the LAN adapter.

Operating Systems

For Windows environments, the Agent requires that Windows NT Workstation or Windows NT Server Version 3.51 or higher, Windows 95 or Windows 98 be installed on the system. The Agent implements DMI version 2.0 on Windows NT, Windows 95 and Windows 98. Windows environments support SNMP Version 1.

For OS/2 environments, the Agent requires that OS/2 Version 3.0 or higher be installed on the system. The Agent implements DMI version 1.0 on OS/2. OS/2 environments support SNMP Version 2.


Overview

The IBM LAN Adapter Management Agent makes IBM LAN adapters visible to management applications using industry-standard management techniques. The Agent provides manageability using either the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) or the Desktop Management Interface (DMI).

SNMP is the most common management-oriented protocol. The IBM LAN Adapter Management Agent can be coupled with IBM Nways Management Applications to remotely manage IBM LAN adapters resident in the Agent's workstation. The Agent can generally be managed by any SNMP-compliant management application.

DMI is a programming interface developed by members of the PC industry to bring management and control to PC systems. DMI browsers, which are supplied in the Agent package, can also manage other systems using standard communications protocols. DMI is also used by many workgroup management applications.

The Agent runs on Microsoft Windows NT, Windows 95, and Windows 98, and IBM OS/2 workstations and provides an easy-to-use installation process for each environment. Management using SNMP and DMI is available for each operating environment. Some of the attributes provided by the Agent are:


Benefits

The IBM LAN Adapter Management Agent allows you to manage the LAN adapters in PC Systems.


System Requirements

Windows NT, Windows 95, Windows 98 Software Requirements

Before you can install the SNMP function of the IBM LAN Adapter Management Agent on Windows platforms, the SNMP Service must already be installed at the Agent's station. This is because the Agent needs to add entries to the SNMP Service registry parameters. The SNMP Service enables a Windows end station to be administered remotely with an SNMP management tool. The DMI function of the Agent has no installation prerequisites for Windows NT, Windows 95, and Windows 98.

OS/2 Software Requirements

The Agent requires that TCP/IP for OS/2 Version 3.0 or higher be installed on the OS/2 system.

IBM Nways Management Applications

Web-based device management using Java technology is provided by coupling the Agent and IBM Nways Management Applications. A LAN Adapter management application is provided by:


Installation and Configuration

Windows NT, Windows 95, and Windows 98

To install the IBM LAN Adapter Management Agent, you run the SETUP.EXE program from diskette, or by executing the appropriate self-extracting installation package. It installs the following major components:

The DMI service provider and the DMI instrumentation are installed as Windows Services. On Windows NT, they are originally given a Startup Type of Automatic. On Windows 95 and Windows 98, they are started in the RunServices registry key. The DMI service provider has the service name "Win32sl". The SNMP extension agent is used in conjunction with Microsoft's SNMP extensible agent service to provide a mapping between SNMP and DMI. The DMI Browser application provided is Intel's DMI Explorer. The DMI browser application, this document, and a deinstall icon are contained in the IBM LAN Adapter Management Agent folder.

OS/2

To install the Agent, you run the INSTALL.EXE program from the installation media. It installs the following major components:

For OS/2 Version 3.0, the DMI service provider and the DMI instrumentation are started automatically by commands in CONFIG.SYS. The DMI-to-SNMP mapper (DMISA.EXE) and SNMP daemon (SNMPD.EXE) start automatically from the system's Startup folder. To start the DMI browser, double-click the icon in the IBM LAN Adapter Management Agent for OS/2 folder.

If you have previously installed the SystemView Agent for OS/2 on your OS/2 Version 3.0 workstation, some of the SNMP and DMI management components will already exist. The DMI service provider is started automatically in CONFIG.SYS. The DMI-to-SNMP mapper (DMISA.EXE) and SNMP daemon (SNMPD.EXE) start automatically from the System Startup folder. To start the DMI browser, double-click the icon in the SystemView Agent for OS/2 folder. The DMI instrumentation for IBM LAN adapters is provided by the INSTALL program and configured to start automatically from CONFIG.SYS.

For OS/2 Version 4.0, some of the SNMP and DMI management components are already provided by the base operating system. The DMI service provider is always running. The DMI-to-SNMP mapper, SNMP daemon, and DMI browser are part of the System Management Agent folder, in the Utility program folder. The System Management Agent folder provides separate icons for startup and configuration of the System Management Agent. The DMI instrumentation for IBM LAN adapters is provided by the INSTALL program and is configured to start automatically from CONFIG.SYS.

The IBM LAN Adapter Management Agent for OS/2 folder will always include this document and a deinstall icon.

If you alter the adapter configuration in your OS/2 system, you can use the MPTS Configuration program to bind the IBM LAN Adapter Management Agent for OS/2 to the LAN adapters of your choice. Go into the Adapter and Protocol Configuration menu and add the IBM LAN Adapter Management Agent for OS/2 for the adapters that you want to manage.


Example Scenarios

Remote DMI

Remote DMI allows the DMI Browser to manage IBM LAN adapters in other PC systems. Remote DMI exists only with DMI Version 2.0. The DMI Browser must be started with command line parameters for Remote DMI. The underlying distribution mechanism for Remote DMI is the Remote Procedure Call Network Service. The functionality of Remote DMI is contained in the DMI Browser (iDmieX.exe) and the DMI Service Provider (Win32sl.exe). To use Remote DMI, configure the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Network Service and then start the DMI Browser with the appropriate command line parameters.

  1. Configure RPC Network Services

  2. Start the DMI Browser and direct it to manage a remote PC system:

    1. From a command prompt change to the Agent installation directory.

    2. Change to the \bin subdirectory within the Agent install directory.

    3. Start a DMI Browser instance. The general syntax of the command is:
         idmiex /path "dce³tcpip³hostname"
      
      Some specific examples are:
         idmiex /path "dce³tcpip³9.37.233.1"
         idmiex /path "dce³tcpip³server99"
      

      Note that the DMI Browser in the Agent pulldown menu will manage the local system.

MIB Browsing

When you use an SNMP-based manager and its MIB browser, the general steps are:

  1. Copy the MACDMI.MIB file from the \SNMPMGRS path, to the appropriate directory on the manager station. The destination directory is most likely the same location where all the other *.MIB files are located. For example, when you use NetView for AIX, this is the /usr/OV/snmp_mibs directory.

  2. Load/Install the MACDMI.MIB file into the manager's MIB database. If you are using NetView for AIX, start NetView for AIX, select OPTIONS and then the LOAD/UNLOAD option.

  3. View the information provided by the IBM LAN Adapter Management Agent by traversing the MIB tree and browsing to:
       iso.org.dod.internet.private.enterprises.ibm.ibmArchitecture.ibmDmi.
         mibsFromMifs.ibmLanAdapter.dmtfGroups
    
       or
    
       1.3.6.1.4.1.2.5.11.1.8.1
    


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