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AIX Versions 3.2 and 4 Asynchronous Communications Guide

Network Terminal Accelerator Installation and Configuration

The following information helps system administrators and Network Terminal Accelerator software application writers understand the installation and configuration support requirements for the adapter program. If you want to install and configure your adapter, refer to the following procedures.

The Network Terminal Accelerator adapter software for AIX Version 4.1.5 and later is included in the Base Operating System (BOS) installation media. If you install AIX Version 4.1.5 or later on a system that has the adapter hardware already installed, the adapter software will be automatically installed during the AIX installation. In this case, you can proceed to the section on "Configuring the Network Terminal Accelerator" .

Note: If the adapter software is installed during an AIX migration install, the host system must be restarted after completing migration to reset the adapters with the saved configuration data.

If you want to install the Network Terminal Accelerator hardware in a system that is already running AIX Version 4.1.5 or later, use the procedure that follows. Before you install the adapter hardware, you should first install the adapter software.

Installing the Network Terminal Accelerator Adapter Software

The following information explains how to install the adapter software. After installing the adapter software, you will need to restart your system.

Prerequisites

  1. You must have root user authority.
  2. AIX must be installed and running.
  3. In AIX Versions 3.2 through 4.2, man pages for the adapter commands are included in the InfoExplorer package, bos.info.
  4. Message catalogs for the Network Terminal Accelerator utility programs and diagnostics are included in the Device Messages package, devices.msg, available on AIX Version 4.2 and later.

Installation Using SMIT

  1. Use the smit devinst fast path to access the Install Additional Device Software menu.
  2. At the INPUT device / directory for software field, select the device that has the software.
  3. Select the software to install:
  4. Select Do to start loading the software.
  5. When the software is finished loading, exit the SMIT interface.
  6. Shut down the host machine from the command line using shutdown -F.
  7. Install the adapter. Refer to Adapters, Devices, and Cable Information for more information.
  8. Restart the host machine.

Installation from the Command Line

  1. Make a new directory or change to an appropriate existing directory where you can copy the installp images of the Network Terminal Accelerator software.
  2. Copy the installp images to the directory.
  3. Run the installp -acgqXd Dir File 2>&1 command. Dir specifies the directory containing the image. File specifies one of the following files: The installp command proceeds to install the software.
  4. Shut down the host machine with the following command: 
    shutdown -F
  5. Install the adapter. Refer to Adapters, Devices, and Cable Information, for more information.
  6. Restart the host machine.

Configuring the Network Terminal Accelerator

The following information explains the steps, using the System Management Interface Tool (SMIT), to configure the adapter.

Prerequisites

  1. You must have root user authority.
  2. AIX must be installed and running.
  3. The Network Terminal Accelerator adapter card must be in the host machine.
  4. The Network Terminal Accelerator adapter software must be installed.

Procedure

  1. Use the smit ntxConfig_menu fast path to access the Network Terminal Accelerator Configuration menu.
  2. Select Global Modes.
  3. Select a device. The default is the rhp0 device.
  4. Enter Yes for the Commit the Changes field if any of the default values are overridden.
  5. Enter a value in the Number of Channels to Configure field for this device. The default value is 64.
  6. Select Do.
  7. Return to the Network Terminal Accelerator Configuration menu using the Cancel option.
  8. Select Network Configuration.
  9. Select a device. The default is the rhp0 device.
  10. Enter the Internet Address for the adapter hty interface.
  11. Select Do.
  12. Exit SMIT.

If a host name is required for the hty interface, edit the /etc/hosts file to add a host name for the specified IP address. If you have additional adapters, configure them now. Use the ntx_ifcfg command to verify that the network configuration completed.

Configuring hty Devices

The following information explains the steps, using SMIT, to add hty devices to the adapter.

Notes:
  1. The installation default sizes of the / (root) and the /var file systems are too small for large increases in the number of /dev/htyXX entries.

    If the / (root) and the /var file systems are too large, the machine crashes after reboot (usually with an 0c9 code).

  2. Increasing the number of htys substantially increases the paging space requirements. Paging space problems may cause your system to crash during reboot just after the system console is available.

Prerequisites

  1. You must have root user authority.
  2. AIX must be installed and running.
  3. The Network Terminal Accelerator adapter must be in the host machine.
  4. The Network Terminal Accelerator adapter software must be installed.

Procedure

  1. Use the smit htyDevice_menu fast path to access the Hty Devices menu.
  2. Select Add HTY Devices.
  3. At the Network Terminal Accelerator Adapter field, use the List option to display a list of adapters. Select the adapter to which the hty device will be added.
  4. Specify a single channel number (for example, 5), a range of channel numbers (for example, 0-15), or the word all in the Channels to Configure field. An hty device will be created and made available on each specified channel.
  5. Select Do.
  6. Exit SMIT.

Enabling New hty Devices

After you have configured the Network Terminal Accelerator adapter, you must modify the /etc/inittab file to enable newly created hty devices. You can use your favorite editor to edit the /etc/inittab file, or you can use the penable command. The following steps will help you to enable newly created devices.

Prerequisites

  1. You must have root user authority.
  2. AIX must be installed and running.
  3. The Network Terminal Accelerator adapter must be in the host machine.
  4. The Network Terminal Accelerator adapter software must be installed and configured.

Using the penable Command

  1. Issue the penable command for each hty in the /etc/inittab file as follows: 
    penable hty0
    Alternatively, you can enable all the htys in the file using the following script: 
    for i in /dev/hty*
do
penable `basename $i`
echo "penable $i"
done
  2. Ensure that you have successfully enabled the htys by issuing the following command: 
    ps -ef | grep hty
    The system should return something similar to the following: 
    root 1666    1  0  17:08:01  ?    0:00  /usr/sbin/getty /dev/hty1
root 9999  5852 2  17:12:22 hft/0 0:00  grep hty
root 10372   1  0 17:08:04   ?    0:00  /usr/sbin/getty /dev/hty2
root 10624   1  0 17:07:56   ?    0:00  /usr/sbin/getty /dev/hty0
  3. Check the configuration by using the telnet or rlogin command to contact the host machine from a remote host. You should specify the Internet address for the adapter card, not the host machine. If you are successful, you should see a login window and, after supplying a login ID and password, you should see a command prompt.
  4. Run the tty command to confirm that you are running on an hty.

    The normal getty process does not check the $HOME/.rhosts or /etc/hosts.equiv file for the rlogin's automatic login feature. Run the /usr/sbin/getty_hty command to enable getty processes that check the $HOME/.rhosts file after receiving an rlogin request.

Using an Editor

  1. Open an editing session on the /etc/inittab with your favorite editor.
  2. Find the lines that define the htys.
  3. Change the word off to respawn for each line.
  4. Save and close the /etc/inittab file.
  5. Issue the following command to reinitialize the processes in the inittab file: 
    telinit q

Configuring the MAC Layer Interface (MLI)

The following explains how to use the System Management Interface Tool (SMIT) to configure the MLI side of the Network Terminal Accelerator adapter.

Prerequisites

  1. You must have root user authority.
  2. AIX must be installed and running.
  3. The Network Terminal Accelerator adapter card must be in the host machine.
  4. The Network Terminal Accelerator adapter software must be installed.
  5. The Network Terminal Accelerator adapter software must be configured for the hty interface.

Procedure

  1. Use the smit ntx_menu fast path.
  2. Select MAC Layer Interface (MLI) Configuration.
  3. Select the interface for the MAC layer.
  4. Enter the INTERNET ADDRESS for the adapter MAC Layer Interface. .
    Note: This IP address must be different from the IP address of the adapter hty interface.
  5. Specify up for the Current STATE field.
  6. Select Do.
  7. Exit SMIT.

If a host name is required for the MLI, enter smit tcpip to get to the standard TCP/IP SMIT menu. Select Minimum Configuration to specify the host name.

Note: If you use a name server, use different host names for hty and the MLIs.

Configuring Network Terminal Accelerator SNMP

The following explains how to use the System Management Interface Tool (SMIT) to configure SNMP on the adapter.

Prerequisites

  1. You must have root user authority.
  2. AIX must be installed and running.
  3. The Network Terminal Accelerator adapter card must be in the host machine.
  4. The Network Terminal Accelerator adapter software must be installed.

Procedure

  1. Use the smit ntxSnmp_menu fast path to access the SNMP Configuration menu.
  2. Select SNMP Status.
  3. Select the device. The default device is rhp0.
  4. Specify the desired SNMP Agent State.
  5. Select Do.
  6. Return to the SNMP Configuration menu using the Cancel option.
  7. If the SNMP Agent State field was set to on, use the remaining menus to complete the configuration of SNMP Communities, Network Management Station authentication, Traps, and Site Specific Variables.
  8. Exit SMIT.

Files

/usr/include/st.snmp.h Contains SNMP implementation information for users who need to know MIB information and data structures.

Removing the Network Terminal Accelerator Software

The following steps will help you remove the software for upgrades or remove the package from your system.

Prerequisites

  1. You must have root user authority.
  2. Close all adapter child device channels and wait until there is no outstanding I/O.
  3. Detach the network interface driver using the chdev -l enX -a state=detach command.
  4. Remove the adapter device using the rmdev -l rhpX -R -d command.
  5. Remove the network interface driver using the rmdev -l enX -d command.

Procedure

  1. On AIX Version 4.1.5 systems, use the smit install_remove fast path to access the Remove Software Products menu. On AIX Version 4.2 and later systems, use the smit remove fast path to access the Remove Installed Software menu.
  2. Enter the SOFTWARE name of the fileset to remove: Or select the List option for a list of possible software filesets to remove.
  3. Set PREVIEW only? to no.
  4. Select Do.
  5. Select Exit to exit the SMIT interface.
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