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Digi PortServer CM User Manual

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PortServer CM
User Manual
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Summary of Contents for Digi PortServer CM

  • Page 1 PortServer CM User Manual 90000252_B...

  • Page 2: Fcc Warning Statement

    FCC Warning Statement: The PortServer CM has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class A digital devices, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful inter- ference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment.
  • Page 3 Canadian DOC Notice: The PortServer CM does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications. Le PortServer CM n’émete pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites applicables aux appareils numériques de la classe A prescrites dans le règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique edicté...

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    Contents Chapter 1 Introduction How To Use This Manual....................1-2 Safety Instructions ......................1-2 Working Inside the PortServer CM ................. 1-3 What Is In the Box ......................1-4 LED Information......................1-5 Summary of the Configuration Process ................1-6 Chapter 2 Configuring the PortServer CM Discover Utility........................
  • Page 5 Clustering PortServer CM Devices................2-18 Modifying Master/Slave Configuration Files ..............2-19 Setting Serial Port Buffer Size..................2-24 Chapter 3 Menus and Keyword Monitoring Filters Using digi_menu to simplify port connections..............3-2 About Menus........................3-4 Constructing Menus ......................3-7 Sample Menus........................ 3-12 Keyword Monitoring and Notification System .............
  • Page 6 The Process Table ......................4-11 NTP Client Functionality....................4-11 The Crond Utility......................4-12 The DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) Client .......... 4-13 Packet Filtering using ipchains ..................4-14 Chapter 5 Hardware Specifications Introduction........................5-2 The RS-232 Standard....................... 5-2 Cable Length........................5-3 Connectors ........................
  • Page 7 Changing the Password....................7-4 Web Configuration Menus....................7-6 Troubleshooting the Web Management Interface............7-9 Chapter 8 Upgrading and Troubleshooting Upgrading the Linux Kernel .................... 8-2 Troubleshooting the PortServer CM................8-3 Hardware Test........................8-5 Port Conversation ......................8-6 Test Signals Manually ..................... 8-7...

  • Page 8: Chapter 1 Introduction

    Introduction Chapter 1 How To Use This Manual ....................1-2 Safety Instructions ......................1-2 Working Inside the PortServer CM ................1-3 What Is In the Box ......................1-4 LED Information ......................1-5 Summary of the Configuration Process ................1-6 Introduction...

  • Page 9: How To Use This Manual

    C), and then updating the versions of the files in the PortServer CM. The files can be edited in the PortServer CM using the vi editor provided, or in another computer with the environment and text editor of your choice. UNIX user or not, we strongly recommend that you follow the steps in this installation manual before jumping in.

  • Page 10: Working Inside The Portserver Cm

    Do not spill food or liquids on your PortServer CM. If it gets wet, contact Digi Technical Support. • Do not push any objects into the openings of your PortServer CM. Doing so can cause fire or electric shock by shorting out interior components.

  • Page 11: What Is In The Box

    What Is In the Box The following figure shows the main unit, accessories included in the package and how cables should be connected. The loop-back connector is provided for convenience in case hardware tests are necessary. The RJ-45M - DB-9 F Crossover cable and the RJ-45M - RJ-45 Sun Netra Crossover cable (not shown in the figures) are also included.

  • Page 12: Led Information

    LED Information The Digi PortServer CM has a frontal array of multiple LEDs. Below is a brief explanation of what each LED represents. Note: All 32 serial port Ready LEDs will flash when the Discover utility Locate box is selected.

  • Page 13: Summary Of The Configuration Process

    Summary of the Configuration Process The PortServer CM operating system is embedded Linux. Even if you are a UNIX user and find the tools and files familiar, do not configure this product as you would configure a regular Linux server. You do not need to be a UNIX expert to configure the PortServer CM.

  • Page 14: Chapter 2 Configuring The Portserver Cm

    Modifying Pslave.conf Global Parameters ..............2-7 Modifying Port Parameter Files..................2-9 Testing the Configuration ....................2-16 Updating the System Files ..................... 2-17 Clustering PortServer CM Devices................2-18 Modifying Master/Slave Configuration Files ..............2-19 Setting Serial Port Buffer Size..................2-24 Configuring the PortServer CM...

  • Page 15: Discover Utility

    MAC addresses. If IP, netmask and gateway addresses have been previously defined, these addresses will also be displayed. 4. Locate the MAC address of the PortServer CM you want to configure. The MAC address is listed on a white sticker on the underside of the PortServer CM.

  • Page 16: Disabling The Discover Utility

    # ::once:/bin/xcelld and choose Submit. The # (number symbol) comments the line out. 6. From the navigation bar, choose Administration > Load/Save Configuration > Save to Flash. 7. Reboot the system and the Discover utility will no longer be available. Configuring the PortServer CM...

  • Page 17: Configuration Options

    After assigning an IP address with the Discover utility, users can configure their PortServer CM in two ways. The simplest way to configure most of the PortServer CM settings is to use a browser based utility called the Web Management Interface. Chapter 7 contains information on how to access and use the Web Management Interface.

  • Page 18: Configuring System Files

    The operating system provides a scaled-down version of the vi editor. A description of its features is available in the chapter on Linux. The first file is: /etc/hostname. The only entry should be the hostname of the PortServer CM. An example is: DigiPSCM The second file is: /etc/hosts.

  • Page 19: Configuration File Parameters

    200.200.200.5 Configuration File Parameters The file /etc/portslave/pslave.conf is specific to the PortServer CM and a sample file with comments is supplied in the Linux file system. It is called /etc/portslave/pslave.conf. A listing of the pslave.conf file with all possible parameters is provided in the chapter titled Sample Pslave.conf files.There are three basic types of parameters: •...

  • Page 20: Modifying Pslave.conf Global Parameters

    This value (0-7) is sent to the syslog server (the CM is a syslog client) to indicate in which file the syslog messages sent by the data buffering feature should be stored. See description for conf.facility. An example for this value is: 0 Configuring the PortServer CM...
  • Page 21 The lock directory , which is /var/lock for the PortServer CM. It should not be changed unless the user decides to customize the operating system.

  • Page 22: Modifying Port Parameter Files

    An example for this value is: 9600 all.datasize The data size for all ports. An example for this value is: 8 all.stopbits The number of stop bits for all ports is 1. all.parity The parity for all ports is none. Configuring the PortServer CM...
  • Page 23 Parameter Value for this Example all.authtype There are several authentication options: • local (authentication is performed using the /etc/passwd file) • radius (authentication is performed using a RADIUS authentication server) • none • local/radius (authentication is performed locally first, switching to RADIUS if unsuccessful) •...
  • Page 24 The default, if not configured, is 5. An example for this value is: 5 all.secret This is the shared secret necessary for communication between thePortServer CM and the RADIUS servers. An example for this value is: digi Configuring the PortServer CM 2-11...
  • Page 25 Value for this Example all.ipno This is the default IP address of the PortServer CM's serial ports. The "+" indicates that the first port should be addressed as 192.168.1.101 and the following ports should have consecutive values. Any host can access a port using its IP address as long as a path to thte address exists in the host's routing table.
  • Page 26 A non-zero value activates data buffering. A file (/var/run/ttyS#.data) is created on the PortServer CM and all data received from the port is captured. The file contains a maximum size equal to this parameter, which is overwritten each time the maximum is reached. This file can be viewed using the normal UNIX tools (cat, vi, more, etc.).
  • Page 27 Parameter Value for this Example all.dont_show_DB When zero, shows a menu with data buffering options when a non-empty data menu buffering file is found. An example for this value is: 1 all.users Restricts access to ports by user name (only the users listed can access the port or all but the users listed can access the port (with !).) A single comma and spaces/tabs may be used between names.
  • Page 28 An example for this value is: ttyS2 s8.tty See the s1.tty entry in this table. An example for this value is: ttyS8 Execute the command signal_ras hup to activate the changes. Now the configuration should be tested. Configuring the PortServer CM 2-15...

  • Page 29: Testing The Configuration

    (not the modem cable provided with the product) should be used. Refer to the hardware specifications for pin-out diagrams. 4. Verify that the PortServer CM has been set for communication at 9600 bps, 8N1. The device must also be configured to communicate on the serial console port with the same parameters.

  • Page 30: Updating The System Files

    1. Confirm that all files that should be saved to the flash memory are contained in the /etc/config_files folder. See the chapter Upgrading and Troubleshooting PortServer CM for a complete list of these files and what programs use which files.
  • Page 31 Clustering allows the stringing of PortServer CMs so that one master PortServer CM can be used to access all PortServer CMs on a LAN. The master PortServer CM can manage up to 512 serial ports or 15 slave PortServer CMs.

  • Page 32: Modifying Master/Slave Configuration Files

    Modifying Master/Slave Configuration Files The Master PortServer CM must contain references to the Slave ports. The configuration described earlier should be followed with the following exceptions for the Master and Slaves: Parameter Value for this Example conf.eth_ip Ethernet Interface IP address.

  • Page 33: Modifying Master/Slave Configuration Files

    Parameter Value for this Example all.authtype Depends on the application. An example for this value is: RADIUS or local or none s33.tty This parameter must be created in the master CM file for every slave port. Its format is IP_of_Slave[:slave_socket_port] for non-master ports. In this case, the slave_socket_port value is not necessary because s33.socket_port is automatically set to 7033 by all.socket_port above.
  • Page 34 The value 7301 was chosen arbitrarily for this example. An example for this value is: 20.20.20.3:7301 S65.serverfarm An alias for this port. An example for this value is: Server_on_slave2_serial_s1 S65.ipno See s33.ipno. An example for this value is: 0.0.0.0 Configuring the PortServer CM 2-21...
  • Page 35 The Slave PortServer CMs do not need to be configured to be accessed through the Master PortServer CM. Their port numbers, however, must agree with those assigned by the Master.
  • Page 36 To access ports from the remote management workstation, use telnet with the secondary IP address as shown below. To access the first port of the Master PortServer CM , enter the following: telnet 209.81.55.110 7001 To access the first port of Slave 1, enter: telnet 209.81.55.110 7033...

  • Page 37: Setting Serial Port Buffer Size

    Use the following procedure to set the desired buffer sizes. After you do the following procedure, go to page 6-14 pslave.conf to enable buffering. 1. Open the PortServer CM Web Management Interface and log in as the root web user. For information on using the Web Management Interface, see The Web Management Interface on page 7-1.
  • Page 38 8. From the Administration section of the navigation bar on the left edge of your browser window, choose Load/Save Configuration. 9. Choose Save to Flash. 10. Reboot the PortServer CM either by power-cycling the device or by choosing Reboot from the Adminis- tration section of the main menu or navigation bar. Configuring the PortServer CM...

  • Page 39: Chapter 3 Menus And Keyword Monitoring Filters

    Menus and Keyword Monitoring Filters Chapter 3 Using digi_menu to simplify port connections ............... 3-2 About Menus ........................3-4 Constructing Menus ......................3-7 Sample Menus ....................... 3-12 Keyword Monitoring and Notification System ............3-16 XML Basics ........................3-24 Menus and Keyword Monitoring Filters...

  • Page 40: Using Digi_Menu To Simplify Port Connections

    It presents a short menu with the names of the servers connected to the serial ports of the PortServer CM. The server is selected by its corresponding number. For more advanced menuing options, see "About Menus" on page 3-4.
  • Page 41 Use the following procedure to name ports. Open a web browser and access the Web Management Interface by entering the name or IP address of the PortServer CM in the address bar. 1. Log in as root.

  • Page 42: About Menus

    The use of multi-level menus makes the connections to peripheral devices on the network or serial ports much easier for PortServer CM users. This feature enables a system administrator to define menus containing a list of actions a user or group of users can perform. The menu capability is available from the command line interface in text format.

  • Page 43: Menu Hierarchy

    The default menu, defaultmenu.xml, is a generalized, basic menu that can be used to provide quick telnet access to all of the ports on the PortServer CM. The default template provided with the product is ready to use after minimal editing.

  • Page 44: Adding Users

    Invoking Menus Shell Users From the command shell, simply enter menu. If the global menu, menu.xml, specifies a menu for the user, that menu will be automatically invoked. If no menu is specified, the default menu will be invoked. Menu Users When a user is assigned to the menu interface (see "Adding Users"...

  • Page 45: Constructing Menus

    5. To make the change permanent, choose Load/Save Configuration from the Administration section of the navigation bar, then choose Save to Flash. Constructing Menus There are three major categories of tags in the PortServer CM menu hierarchy: • Menu tags, which define characteristics of an entire menu •...
  • Page 46 Menu Tags Description <startPage> id of first page to be displayed <display> defines the number of columns to use when displaying menus. Legal values are: Auto - the number of columns is determined automatically to best fit the screen 1, 2, 3, ... - an integer value defining the desired number of columns <pagelist>...
  • Page 47 Menu Tags Description <label> displayed label of item <key> the key to press <command> the full connection command to execute, as if it were typed on the command line (may not be used if <page></page> is used in the same item) <page>...

  • Page 48: Basic Menu Structure

    The entire menu construct must be wrapped in <root> tags and preceded by an XML version tag (this is the only tag that doesn’t have a corresponding closing tag). The example below shows the skeleton of a menu. <?xml version=”1.0”?> <root xmlns=”cm.digi.com”> <menu> <define> <pagelist>...
  • Page 49 <id>page id</id> <itemlist> <item> <id>item id</id> <label>label to display</label> <command>command to execute</command> <key>key to press</key> </item> <item> <id>item id</id> <label>label to display</label> <command>command to execute</command> <key>key to press</key> </item> </itemlist> </page> </pagelist> </define> </menu> </root> In this example, item id is a unique name for each menu item, label to display is what appears on the screen, command to execute is a complete command line to be executed when this menu item is selected, id of submenu to display points to another menu page, identified by its <id>...

  • Page 50: Sample Menus

    Sample Menus Global Menu (menu.xml) Here is the sample global menu that is provided with the PortServer CM. This menu may be found in the / etc/menu directory. In this example, one user, root, and one group, nobody, are listed. Other users and groups can easily be added by creating another set of user or group tags and substituting the name and the menu that they have access to.
  • Page 51 <userList> <user> <!--define user specific menus--> <name>root</name> <menu>defaultmenu</menu> </user> </userList> <groupList> <group> <!--define group specific menus--> <name>nobody</name> <menu>defaultMenu</menu> </group> </groupList> </menu> </root> Menus and Keyword Monitoring Filters 3-13...
  • Page 52 Default Menu (defaultmenu.xml) Here is the sample default menu that is provided with the PortServer CM. This menu may be found in the / etc/menu directory. It is a fully functioning menu file and will work on any PortServer CM terminal server, you need only substitute a valid IP address.
  • Page 53 <command>telnet 127.0.0.1 7001</command> <!--system command to execute--> <key>1</key> <!--the key to access menu entry, one char only--> </item> <item> <!--define a menu entry--> <id>Port_2</id> <!--unique id--> <label>Port 2</label> <!--displayed text for menu entry--> <command>telnet 127.0.0.1 7002</command> <!--system command to execute--> <key>2</key>...

  • Page 54: Keyword Monitoring And Notification System

    SNMP. Filters created by the system administrator allow the PortServer CM to monitor for specific keywords or phrases in a serial port’s data stream. When a keyword or phrase, such as “Disk Full” or “Reboot” are detected, the PortServer CM will send an immediate alert to 3-16...
  • Page 55 SMTP server and the addresses to put in the From and ReplyTo fields. The PortServer CM includes samples of these files to be used as templates for creating custom monitoring and notification systems. The samples are located in the /etc/filter directory. The filenames are filter.xml (sample filter definition file), link.xml (sample link file) and notification.xml (sample global notification...
  • Page 56 The Filter Definition Files A filter definition file contains the definitions for each filter. A filter definition is bounded by the <filter><define></define></filter> tag pairs, and must include the following parameters: Filter Name Filter Description <name> name of filter <enable> boolean, “yes” to make filter active <comment>...
  • Page 57 “panic” If the word is discovered by the system, a message titled “Server panic” containing the text message “Digi’s PortServer wanted to let you know that one of your systems has issued a panic message” will be sent using the information in the Link and Notification files.
  • Page 58 The Link File The filter link file, link.xml, defines what ports to monitor, what filters to use, and whom to notify if a filter detects a keyword. There can be only one link file, but it may contain many different links. You may have several filter files, but only one link.xml file.
  • Page 59 The sample link.xml file provided with the PortServer CM contains two links, designated by the <link></ link> tags. The first link, identified in the comment field as “for my Sun boxes,” monitors port 15 for four different keywords: reboot, panic, surootfail and linkdown.
  • Page 60 <?xml version="1.0"?> <root xmlns="cm.digi.com"> <filter> <link> <!-- for my sun boxes --> <port>15</port> <filter>reboot</filter> <filter>panic</filter> <filter>surootfail</filter> <filter>linkdown</filter> <emailTo>nobody@abc.com</emailTo> </link> <link> <!-- for my Cisco routers --> <port>1</port> <port>2</port> <port>3</port> <port>4</port> <port>5</port> <port>6</port> <port>7</port> <filter>reboot</filter> <emailTo>nobody@abc.com</emailTo> </link> </filter> </root> 3-22 Keyword Monitoring and Notification System...
  • Page 61 <smtpServer> the SMTP server that will handle email notifications The sample global notification file provided with the PortServer CM defines smtp.mail.yahoo.com as the mail server, and sets cm32.abc.com as the sender (the From field of the email message). No <emailReplyTo> field is provided, so replies will be sent by default to cm32.abc.com.

  • Page 62: Xml Basics

    XML Basics Within a menu file are definitions of all menu info, all submenus, all connecting items and all relationships between them. Likewise, a keyword filter file contains all of the information necessary to perform keyword monitoring and notification. This information is coded in XML (eXtensible Markup Language). Menu and filter elements are wrapped with XML tags which identify the meaning and function of the element.

  • Page 63: Chapter 4 Linux Basics

    Linux Basics Chapter 4 Introduction ........................4-2 Changing the root Password ................... 4-2 Users and Passwords ....................... 4-4 Linux File Structure ......................4-5 Basic File Manipulation Commands ................4-5 The vi Editor ........................4-7 The Routing Table ......................4-8 ssh - The Secure Shell Session ..................4-9 The Process Table ......................

  • Page 64: Introduction

    After an upgrade or downgrade which leaves the PortServer CM unstable • After a configuration change which leaves the PortServer CM inoperative or unstable Type the word “ single” (with a blank space before the word) during boot using a console connection. This cannot be done using a telnet or other remote connection.
  • Page 65 0030B270 00E18000 Linux/PPC load: root=/dev/ram After displaying “Linux/PPC load: root=/dev/ram”, the PortServer CM waits approximately 10 seconds for user input. This is where the user should type “single”. When the boot process is complete, the Linux prompt will appear on the console:...

  • Page 66: Users And Passwords

    Users and Passwords A username and password are necessary to log in to the PortServer CM. The user “root” is predefined, without a password. A password should be configured as soon as possible to avoid unauthorized access.

  • Page 67: Linux File Structure

    passwd user_password To log out enter “logout” at the command prompt. Linux File Structure The Linux file system is organized hierarchically, with the base (or root) directory represented by the symbol “/”. All folders and files are nested within each other below this base directory. The directories located just below the base directory are: /home Contains the work directories of system users.
  • Page 68 Copy Command cp file_name destination cp text.txt /tmp cp /chap/robo.php ./excess.php Copies the file indicated by file_name to the path indicated by destination a) copies the file text.txt in the current directory to the tmp directory. B) copies the file robo.php in the chap directory to the current directory and renames the copy excess.php.

  • Page 69: The Vi Editor

    ful options are –l for more detailed output and -a which shows hidden system files. • cd directory_name changes the directory to the one specified • cat file_name displays the contents of file_name on the screen. The vi Editor To edit a file using the vi editor, enter at the command prompt: vi [file name] The vi utility is a three-state line editor: it has a command mode, a line mode and an editing mode.

  • Page 70: The Routing Table

    The file /etc/network/st_routes is the PortServer CM’s method for configuring static routes. See the table below. Routes should be added to the file (which is a script run when the PortServer CM is initialized) or at the prompt (for temporary routes) using the following syntax:...

  • Page 71: Ssh - The Secure Shell Session

    There are two versions of the protocol, ssh and ssh2. The PortServer CM offers both. The command to start an ssh client session from a Unix workstation is: ssh -t <user>@<hostname>...
  • Page 72 Note: “serverfarm” is a physical port alias. It can be configured in the file pslave.conf. An example: username: root PortServer CM IP address: 192.168.160.1 host name: cm 32 servername for port 1: file_server ttyS1 addressed by IP 10.0.0.1 or socket port 7001. The various ways to access the server connected to the...

  • Page 73: The Process Table

    Note: Never kill digi_ras with the signals -9 or SIGKILL. NTP Client Functionality In order for the PortServer CM to work as a NTP (Network Timer Protocol) client, the IP address and either hostname or domain name of the NTP server must be set in the file /bin/ex_ntpclient...

  • Page 74: The Crond Utility

    The Crond Utility To use crond, first create the following two files for every process that it will execute: • crontab - the file that specifies frequency of execution, name of shell script, etc. should be set using the traditional crontab file format. •...

  • Page 75: The Dhcp (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) Client

    Ethernet Interface (conf.eth_ip, etc.) should be commented. If the IP addresses of the PortServer CM or the default gateway are changed, the PortServer CM will adjust its routing table accordingly. You may use an alternative command, “netconfig”, to configure network parameters.

  • Page 76: Packet Filtering Using Ipchains

    The user should not modify the -c /sbin/handle_dhcp option. Packet Filtering using ipchains The PortServer CM uses the Linux utility ipchains to filter IP packets entering, leaving and passing through its interfaces. An ipchains tutorial is beyond the scope of this manual. For more information on ipchains, see the ipchains man page (not included with the PortServer CM) or the howto http://netfilter.filewatcher.org/...
  • Page 77 - filters outgoing packets • forward - filters packets which are not created by the PortServer CM and are not destined to the PortS- erver CM user_created_chain - a previously defined (or in the process of being defined) chain created using the N command described above.
  • Page 78 (the Ethernet interface is the only option on the PortServer CM) Lists do not need to be associated to an interface, so this option may be omitted. To save changes made using the ipchains command, execute fwset. This command will save the filter configuration in the file /etc/network/firewall and then save the file in flash memory.
  • Page 79 ipchains -P input ACCEPT ipchains -P output ACCEPT ipchains -P forward ACCEPT ipchains -A input -p tcp -s ! 200.200.200.4 -d 0.0.0.0/0 23 -j DENY ipchains -A input -p tcp -s ! 200.200.200.4 -d 200.200.200.1 7001:7032 -j DENY ipchains -A input -p tcp -s ! 200.200.200.4 -d 0.0.0.0/0 22 -j DENY Linux Basics 4-17...

  • Page 80: Chapter 5 Hardware Specifications

    Hardware Specifications Chapter 5 Introduction ........................5-2 The RS-232 Standard ...................... 5-2 Cable Length ........................5-3 Connectors ........................5-3 Straight-Through vs. Crossover Cables ................5-4 Which Cable Should be Used ..................5-5 Cable Diagrams ....................... 5-6 Hardware Specifications...

  • Page 81: Introduction

    This chapter has all the information you need to quickly and successfully purchase or build RS-232 cabling for use with PortServer CM. It focuses on information related to the PortServer CM, but most of the information applies to any RS-232 cabling.

  • Page 82: Cable Length

    bits of data per character, no parity bit included with the data, 1 stop-bit to indicate the end of a character). The baud rate in a RS-232 line translates directly into the data speed in bits per second (bps). Usual transmission speeds range between 9600 bps and 19200bps (used in most automation and console applications) to 115,200 bps (used by the fastest modems).

  • Page 83: Straight-Through Vs. Crossover Cables

    Most connectors have two versions. The ones with pins are “male” and the ones with holes are “female”. RS-232 Name/Function DB-25 pins DB-9 pins RJ-45 pins Signal (Input/Output) (Standard) (Standard) (PortServer CM) Chassis Safety Ground Shell Shell Transmit Data (O) Receive Data (I) Data Terminal Ready (O) Data Set Ready (I) Data Carrier Detect (I)

  • Page 84: Which Cable Should Be Used

    First, look up the proper cable for your application in the table below. Next, purchase standard off-the-shelf cables from a computer store or cable vendor. For custom cables, refer to the cable diagrams to build your own cables or order them from Digi or a cable vendor. To Connect To...

  • Page 85: Cable Diagrams

    Part Number DTE DB-9 Male (standard) Cable 3 – RJ-45 to DB-9 F crossover (custom). 76000637 This custom cable can be ordered from Digi or • Newer PC COM ports other cable vendors. A sample is included with the •...
  • Page 86 Cable #1: Digi CM RJ-45 to DB-25 Male, Straight Through Application: It connects Digi CM products (serial ports) to modems and other DCE RS-232 devices. Hardware Specifications...
  • Page 87 Cable #2: Digi CM RJ-45 to DB-25 Female, Crossover (P/N 76000638) Application: It connects the PortServer CM (serial ports) to console ports, terminals, printers, and other DTE RS-232 devices. Cable Diagrams...
  • Page 88 Cable #3: Digi CM RJ-45 to DB-9 Female, Crossover (P/N 76000637) Application: It connects Digi CM products (serial ports) to console ports, terminals, printers, and other DTE RS-232 devices. Hardware Specifications...
  • Page 89 Cable #4: Digi CM RJ-45 to Netra RJ-45, Crossover (P/N 76000636) Usually used in console management applications to connect Digi CM products to a Sun Netra server or to a Cisco product. 5-10 Cable Diagrams...

  • Page 90: Chapter 6 Sample Pslave.conf Files

    Sample pslave.conf files Chapter 6 Sample pslave.conf File ..................6-2 Customization ....................6-20 Sample pslave.conf files...

  • Page 91: Sample Pslave.conf File

    Sample pslave.conf File # pslave.conf Sample server configuration file. # The Terminal Server uses a virtual terminal concept. Virtual terminals are # named s1, s2, etc. Every virtual terminal should have a related # physical device tty (without the “/dev/”). The tty parameter # must be configured and must be unique for each virtual terminal.
  • Page 92 # for reference. # %l: login name # %L: stripped login name # %p: NAS port number # %P: protocol # %b: port speed # %i: local IP # %j: remote IP # %1: first byte (MSB) of remote IP # %2: second byte of remote IP # %3: third byte of remote IP # %4: fourth (LSB) byte of remote IP...
  • Page 93 # The digi_ras application OVERWRITES the ifcfg_eth0 file with the # values configured here. # The PortServer CM can request all of its ethernet parameters to a DHCP ser. # The administrator can activate the dhcp client with more options changing # the file /etc/network/dhcpcd_cmd.
  • Page 94 # s1.data_buffering, though the value cannot be zero since a zero value turns # off data buffering. #conf.nfs_data_buffering 192.168.160.11:/tmp/ts_data_buffer # Lock directory - The lock directory is /var/lock for the PortServer CM. # It should not be changed unless the user decides to customize the # operating system.
  • Page 95 conf.rlogin /usr/local/bin/rlogin-radius # Location of our patched pppd with Radius linked in. conf.pppd /usr/local/sbin/pppd # Location of the telnet utility. This can be the system telnet. (Optional) conf.telnet /bin/telnet # Location of ssh utility. This can be the system SSH. (Optional) conf.ssh /bin/ssh # This parameter is only necessary when authentication is being...
  • Page 96 # Syslog facility for portslave conf.facility 7 # Syslog facility for Data Buffering conf.DB_facility # User groups make the configuration of Port access restrictions # easier. The parameter s<nn>.users, that will be explained later, # can be configured using a combination of group names and user names. #conf.group mkt: paul, sam #conf.group adm: joe, mark #s1.users mkt, joe...
  • Page 97 # Media type - define media type and operation mode (half/full) duplex. # valid values: # rs232 - RS232 (default value). # rs485_half - RS485 half duplex without terminator # rs485_full - RS485 full duplex without terminator # rs485_half_terminator - RS485 half duplex with terminator # rs485_full_terminator - RS485 full duplex with terminator # rs422 - alike rs485_full...
  • Page 98 5 #all.authhost2 192.168.160.4 #all.accthost2 192.168.160.4 # The shared secret used by RADIUS. all.secret digi # Default protocol. # Valid values are # RAS profile: “slip”, “cslip”, “ppp”, “ppp_only” # TS profile: “login”, “rlogin”, “telnet”, # “ssh”, “ssh2”, “socket_client” # CAS profile: “socket_server”, “socket_ssh”, “raw_data”...
  • Page 99 # ppp_only ==> PPP over leased lines (only authentication PAP/CHAP) # ppp ==> PPP with terminal post dialing (Auto detect PPP) all.protocol socket_server # Default ip address of linux host to which the terminals will connect. # Used by the protocols rlogin, ssh, socket_client, etc. all.host 192.168.160.8 # IP Address assigned to the serial port.
  • Page 100 \r\n\ PortServer CM 32\n\r\n\ Welcome to %h port %p \n\r\n # Login prompt. all.prompt %h login: # Terminal type, for rlogin/telnet sessions. all.term vt100 # If you want the Terminal Server to update the # login records (written to the /var/run/utmp and/or /var/log/wtmp # files), set sysutmp/syswtmp to 1.
  • Page 101 TIMEOUT 10 \ ““ ATM0 \ OK\r\n ““ \ TIMEOUT 3600 \ RING ““ \ STATUS Incoming %p:I.HANDSHAKE \ ““ ATA \ TIMEOUT 60 \ CONNECT@ ““ \ STATUS Connected %p:I.HANDSHAKE # Serial port flow control: # hard - hardware, rts/cts # soft - software, CTRL-S / CTRL-Q # none.
  • Page 102 # Note that mru and mtu are both set to the MTU setting. # Callback server is enabled when cb-script parameter is set. #all.autoppp %i:%j novj \ proxyarp modem asyncmap 000A0000 \ noipx noccp login auth require-pap refuse-chap \ mtu %t mru %t \ ms-dns 192.168.160.5 ms-dns 0.0.0.0 \ cb-script /etc/portslave/cb_script \ plugin /usr/lib/libpsr.so...
  • Page 103 # A non-zero value activates data buffering. The number is equal to the # buffer size. A file /var/run/DB/{ttyS#.data | serverfarm} is created on # the PortServer CM and all data received from the port is captured. # The files for all buffered ports combined can contain up to the amount # of available memory in the ram disk.
  • Page 104 # by typing: “df<enter>”. # Each file is a revolving file which is overwritten as the limit of buffer # size is reached. These files can be viewed using the normal Unix tools # (cat, vi, more, etc.). # If there is not enough available ram disk, NFS_buffering can be used. There # is effectively no limit to NFS buffer size.
  • Page 105 #all.dont_show_DBmenu 1 # Send Break to the TTY when this string is received (ssh only). all.break_sequence ~break # Authentication of Radius users registered without passwords # When enabled (value 1) and a user registered in # the Radius database with a blank password tries to log in, the user # is authenticated.
  • Page 106 # In this example, ONLY the users joe and mark CAN access any serial port #all.users joe, mark # Serverfarm is an alias name for a server connected to the PortServer CM # through one of its serial ports (only useful if assigned to a specific port).
  • Page 107 # serial port (to create first session) but ONLY the user peter can # sniff or cancel another session. #all.users joe, mark #all.admin_users peter # Port-specific parameters s1.tty ttyS1 s2.tty ttyS2 s3.tty ttyS3 s4.tty ttyS4 s5.tty ttyS5 s6.tty ttyS6 s7.tty ttyS7 s8.tty ttyS8...
  • Page 108 s22.tty ttyS22 s23.tty ttyS23 s24.tty ttyS24 s25.tty ttyS25 s26.tty ttyS26 s27.tty ttyS27 s28.tty ttyS28 s29.tty ttyS29 s30.tty ttyS30 s31.tty ttyS31 s32.tty ttyS32 Sample pslave.conf files 6-19...

  • Page 109: Customization

    ::once:/sbin/ex_ntpclient ::wait:/sbin/fwset restore To customize the PortServer CM, change these lines or add others. If the /etc/inittab file is changed, edit the etc/config_files file and add a line containing only “/etc/inittab”. Save the file and exit the editor. Save the new configuration by executing saveconf.

  • Page 110: Chapter 7 The Web Management Interface

    The Web Management Interface Chapter 7 Introduction ........................7-2 Changing the Password ....................7-4 Web Configuration Menus ....................7-6 Troubleshooting the Web Management Interface ............7-9 The Web Management Interface...

  • Page 111: Introduction

    URL address section of your web browser. Note: You can find the IP address of the PortServer CM by running the Discover utility. See Discover Utility, on page 2-2.
  • Page 112 Below is the login page for the PortServer CM. The default login user is root and the password is dbps. The Web Management Interface...

  • Page 113: Changing The Password

    Changing the Password To change the password: 1. Under Web User Management choose Users. 2. Select the radio button for the user root, then select Change Password. 3. Enter the new password twice and choose Submit. 4. The next page will require a new login, enter root and the new password. 5.
  • Page 114 The General Configuration page of the Web Management Interface is shown below. The Web Management Interface...

  • Page 115: Web Configuration Menus

    Web Configuration Menus A navigation bar is provided along the left side of the page. A summary of what each link leads to is shown in the following figures. Configuration Section Link Name Description of Page Contents General Description, Ethernet, DNS, Syslog, Name Service Access, Data Buffering. Serial Ports Configuration for the Portslave package Host Table...
  • Page 116 Web User Management Section Link Name Description of Page Contents Users List of users allowed to access the web server. Groups List of possible access groups. Access Limits List of access limits for specific URL’s. Load/Save Load/Save web user configuration in /etc/websum.conf. Configuration Administrative Section Link Name...
  • Page 117 Load/Save Configuration Use flash memory or an FTP server to load or save the CM's configuration Set Date/Time Set the PortServer CM's date and time. Active Sessions Shows the active sessions and allows the administrator to kill them. Process Status Shows the running processes and allows the adminsitrator to kill them.

  • Page 118: Troubleshooting The Web Management Interface

    1. What to do when the initial web page does not appear. Try pinging, telnetting or tracerouting to the PortServer CM to make sure it is reachable. If not, the problem is probably in the network or network configuration. Are the interfaces up? Are the IP addresses correct? Are filters configured which block the packets? If the PortServer CM is reachable, see if the /bin/webs process is running by executing the command ps.
  • Page 119 2. How to restore the default configuration of the Web Management Interface This would be required only when the root password was lost or the configuration file /etc/websum.conf was damaged. From a console or telnet session, edit the file /etc/config_files. Find the reference to /etc/websum.conf and delete it.

  • Page 120: Chapter 8 Upgrading And Troubleshooting

    Upgrading and Troubleshooting Chapter 8 Upgrading the Linux Kernel ................... 8-2 Troubleshooting the PortServer CM ................8-3 Hardware Test ......................... 8-5 Port Conversation ......................8-6 Test Signals Manually ....................8-7 Upgrading and Troubleshooting...

  • Page 121: Upgrading The Linux Kernel

    • script - file where all PortServer CM configuration information is stored To upgrade the Linux kernel provided in the PortServer CM, ftp the new zImage file on top of the zImage file in the /proc/flash directory. [root@portserver_cm /root]# cd /proc/flash...

  • Page 122: Troubleshooting The Portserver Cm

    Troubleshooting the PortServer CM If the PortServer CM booted properly, the interfaces can be verified using ifconfig and ping. If ping does not work, check the routing table using the command route. Of course, all this should be tried after checking that the cables are connected correctly.
  • Page 123 /etc/ssh/ssh_host_key.pub sshd /etc/ssh/sshd_config sshd /etc/ssh/ssh_config ssh client /etc/ssh/ssh_host_key sshd (ssh1) /etc/ssh/ssh_host_key.pub sshd (ssh1) /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key sshd (ssh2) /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key.pub sshd (ssh2) /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf snmpd /etc/portslave/pslave.conf digi_ras, portslave, CM configuration information /etc/network/ifcfg_eth0 ifconfig eth0, digi_ras, rc.sysconf /etc/network/ifcfg* ifconfig, digi_ras, rc.sysinit Troubleshooting the PortServer CM...

  • Page 124: Hardware Test

    If any of the files listed in /etc/config_files is modified, the PortServer CM administrator must execute the command saveconf before rebooting the PortServer CM or the changes will be lost. If a file is created (or a file name altered), its name must be added to this file before executing saveconf and reboot.

  • Page 125: Port Conversation

    errors. The values in these columns should be zero. The figure below is an example of the output screen. Packets Errors From Sent Received Passes Data When this test is run with a cable or connector without the DSR signal (see the pinout diagram in Appendix B for the cable or connector being used), errors will appear in the DSR column.

  • Page 126: Test Signals Manually

    Test Signals Manually This test confirms that signals are being sent and received on the selected port. Neither the loop-back con- nector nor the cross cable are necessary. Enter the number of the port to be tested and begin the test. State First, type Ctrl-D to see the X in the DTR column move position, then type Ctrl-R to see the X in the RTS column change position.

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