IBM Token-Ring Adapter Features

LAN Adapter Management Agent

This chapter describes the features of the IBM 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 later, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, or Windows 2000 be installed on the system. The Agent implements Desktop Management Interface (DMI) Version 2.0 on Windows NT, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows 2000. Windows environments support SNMP Version 1.

For OS/2 environments, the Agent requires that OS/2 Version 3.0 or later 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 DMI.

SNMP is the most common management-oriented protocol. The IBM LAN Adapter Management Agent can be coupled with IBM Nways^(R) 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, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000, 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:

• General: product name, bus information, functional state
• Resources: memory areas, I/O ports, interrupt levels
• Counters: packets and bytes transmitted/received, ring utilization
• Drivers: name, version, specification level
• Addresses: universally administered, locally administered, multicast/functional
• Capabilities: Wake on LAN, auto-sense, full-duplex
• Power management information: wake-up information, power states
• Class of Service: TCP and UDP port range information, priority transmit counters
• Route switching: current route switching mode, switched packet counter
• Redundant NIC information: status, failover notification, failover trigger

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, Windows Me, and Windows 2000 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, Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows 2000.

OS/2 software requirements

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

IBM Nways Management Applications

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

• Nways Workgroup Manager for Windows NT, Version 1.1 or later
• Nways Manager for AIX^(R), Version 1.2 or later
• Nways Manager for HP-UX, Version 1.2 or later

Installation and configuration

Windows NT, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows 2000

To install the IBM LAN Adapter Management Agent, run the SETUP.EXE program from a diskette, or execute the appropriate self-extracting installation package. The following major components are installed:

• DMI service provider
• DMI instrumentation for IBM LAN adapters
• SNMP extension agent
• DMI browser application

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, Windows 98, and Windows Me, 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 the Intel 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, run the INSTALL.EXE program from the installation media. The following components are installed:

• DMI service provider
• DMI instrumentation for IBM LAN adapters
• DMI-to-SNMP mapper
• SNMP daemon
• DMI browser application

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^(R) 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:
   1. Click Start > Settings > Control Panel.
   2. From the Control Panel, select Network.
   3. Select RPC Configuration and select Properties.

      The Properties are:

      • Name Service Provider: Select DCE Cell Directory Service.
      • Network Address: Provide the host name or IP address of the remote PC system to be managed.
      • Security Service Provider: This can remain Windows NT Security Service.
   4. Select OK and then close the Network Panel.
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 "dce|tcpip|hostname"
      

      Some specific examples are:

       idmiex /path "dce|tcpip|9.37.233.1"
       idmiex /path "dce|tcpip|server99"
      

   Note:

   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 <install dir>\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^(R) 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