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AIXLink/X.25 1.1 for AIX: Guide and Reference

x25mon Command

Purpose

Traces the packet and frame traffic of an X.25 port.

Syntax

x25mon -n   Port [ -f [ -i Bytes ] ] [ -p [ -d   Bytes  ] ]  [-c]

Description

The frame or packet activity on the X.25 port is traced, and the report is sent to stdout. If using a COMIO emulation port, or a TCP/IP network interface, the x25 port being used for that interface can be found using the lsx25 command.

Use the -p and -f flags to turn on packet and frame layer tracing, respectively. It is possible to turn on either or both. If you don't specify either flag, the x25mon command defaults to the -p flag.

Use the -d and -i flags to vary the length of the DATA packet and INFO frame traces, for the packet and frame layer respectively. The ability to manage the number of bytes traced is important because turning on tracing, by invoking the x25mon command, impacts memory resources in addition to performance. Because adapters have limited memory resources, it is important to minimize the length of the frame layer INFO frame when using adapters that run the frame layer on the adapter (for example, apm, ampx, and ricio adapter types).

Use the -c flag to enable control tracing. The use of this flag can provide additional information for problem determination. Some physical and frame layer status will be included in the trace output and the contents of invalid frames and packets received can be displayed. There are 16 types of control frames and 10 types of control packets. The identifiers for these are displayed in the field for the packet or frame type in the trace output (see "Trace components" below). The possible control frames are:

BAD ADDR TOO LONG T3 TIMER INV CR
NO CTRL BAD NS N2 RETRAN NOT RDY
UNKNOWN BAD NR L1 UP L1 DOWN
INV SIZE INV STATE L2 UP L2 DOWN

The possible control packets are:

TOO SHORT INV LCN INV STATE
TOO LONG BAD PS UNKNOWN
BAD LCN INV PS
BAD GFI INV PR
Note: You must have root authority to issue the x25mon command.

Flags

-c Enable control tracing.
-d Bytes Specifies the number of bytes to trace for packet layer Data packets [0..4096]. If you do not specify this flag, the trace defaults to 40 bytes.
-f Trace the frame layer activity
-i Bytes Specifies the number of bytes to trace for frame layer Info frames [0..5003]. If you do not specify this flag, the trace defaults to 40 bytes.
Note: Keep in mind that running with large traces may result in adapter memory resource constraints.
-n Port Specifies the X.25 port where the traffic should be monitored. For example, sx25a0.
-p Trace the packet layer activity

Examples

  1. To run a packet layer trace on X.25 port sx25a2, enter: 
    x25mon -p -n sx25a2
    The following output would be a typical sample. 
             port    type   LCN     packet type  flags/lengths    data
 
14:59:03 sx25a2   PR   0x0020   CALL     d:N  la:4 lf:0 ld:0 441965196400CD
14:59:03 sx25a2   PS   0x0020   CF CALL       d:N
14:59:03 sx25a2   PR   0x0020   DATA     pr:0 ps:0 dN   mN  qN  l:16  3F2A01
34256A8492AABC63E5F21D1C2C
14:59:03 sx25a2   PS   0x0020   DATA     pr:2 ps:0 dN   mN  qN  l:2   C301
  2. To run a packet layer trace on X.25 port sx25a2 limiting the DATA packet trace, enter: 
    x25mon -p -d 4 -n sx25a2
    The following output would be a typical sample. 
               port  type LCN       packet  type/flags/lengths        data
 
16:58:34   sx25a0 PS   0x002a   CALL    dN la:4 lf:0 ld:1         441964196500FD
16:58:36   sx25a0 PR   0x002a   CF CALL dN
16:57:12   sx25a0 PR   0x002a   DATA    pr:0 ps:0 dN mN qN l:64   68656C6C..
16:57:15   sx25a0 pS   0x002a   RR      pr:1
16:57:40   sx25a0 PR   0x002a   DATA    pr:0 ps:1 dN mN qN l:64   68656C6C..
16:57:43   sx25a0 PS   0x002a   RR      pr:2
  3. To run a frame layer trace on the same port, limiting the INFO frame trace to 8 bytes, enter: 
    x25mon -f -i 8 -n sx25a2
    from which the following out would be a typical sample. 
               X.25  type physical frame  type/flags/lengths     data
           port       port
  
17:15:02   sx25a0 FS  0x0000   INFO  a:3 p:0 ns:5 nr:3 l:10  102A0B441964196500FD
17:15:03   sx25a0 FR  0x0000   RR    a:3 p:0 nr:6 
17:15:05   sx25a0 FR  0x0000   INFO  a:1 p:0 ns:3 nr:6 l:3   102A0F
17:15:32   sx25a0 FS  0x0000   INFO  a:3 p:0 ns:6 nr:4 l:16  102A0068656C6C6F..
17:15:33   sx25a0 FR  0x0000   RR    a:3 p:0 nr:7 
17:15:35   sx25a0 FR  0x0000   INFO  a:1 p:0 ns:4 nr:7 l:3   102A21

Trace components

port Specifies the X.25 Port being traced.
type Specifies the type of data. The first character is P for packets and F for frames. The second character is S for data sent and R for data received.
LCN Specifies the logical channel number for the packet. (Only valid for packet tracing.)
Physical Port Specifies the physical port on the adapter associated with this X.25 port.
packet type Specifies the type of X.25 packet or the type of control packet. For example, DATA, CALL, CF CONFIRM, or BAD LCN, INV PS, INV PR .
frame type Specifies the type of LAP-B frame, or the type of contrl frame. For example, SABM, UA, INFO, or L2 DOWN, BAD ADDR, T3 TIMER.
flags Specifies the different flags. For packets d, q, m represent the D, Q, M bits and are set to Y if the flag is set, and to N if it is not.
For frames:
a Gives the frame address DCE (3) or DTE (1)
p Gives the setting of the poll/final bit
n Gives the settings of the send and receive counters.
lengths Specifies the lengths are given in the number of bytes they take up.
la Total length of NUAs.
lf Length of the facilities.
ld Length of the call user data.
l Length of data in data packets.
data Shows the initial part of the data portion of the packet is shown.
Note: Data is displayed in hexadecimal. Lengths and so forth are displayed in decimal.
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