30 January 2006

CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research

Annex Terminal Servers

System Administrator & User Notes

Bob Beattie CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research Hobart, TAS, Australia email: bob.beattie@csiro.au Version: 30 January 2006

1995-2006, CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research

This document can be viewed on-line on Southern Surveyors internal web site
or at http://www.marine.csiro.au/~dpg/sysManDocs/annex_man.pdf
Source document: /opt/fdcs/doc/annex_man.fm prepared using FrameMaker 7.0 ( Adobe Systems Inc.)

A guide to the conguration and use of the Xylogics MicroAnnex XL and Remote Annex 2000 terminal servers used in Southern Surveyors data collection system. If you need more detailed information, please refer to the Annex Communications Server, Network Administrators Guide, Hardware Installation and Users guides.

Annex Terminal Servers

Introduction

1.0 Introduction
The Franklin Data Collection System (FDCS) uses Xylogics Micro Annex XL and Remote Annex 2000 terminal servers to provide the interface between the RS232 outputs from various instruments and the data acquisition computers. The R2000s have the advantage of being self-booting, which means that they can be used without having to power-up one of the Suns. This manual documents the aspects of terminal server installation and management that apply to the Southern Surveyor installation. It is not intended as a How to do it manual. For that you should go to the appropriate, manufacturer-supplied documentation. The first three sections of this manual describe how to configure and monitor Annex ports. All Southern Surveyor computing and electronics personnel should familiarise themselves with these procedures. The later sections provide background & reference information about installing Annexes, setting up printer queues on Annex ports, cabling details etc. Browse through these sections, so that you know what they contain, but only study them in detail when you have to. 1.1 Related documentation

For the Micro Annex XLs, refer to the hardcopy manuals Annex Communications Server, Network Administrators Guide Micro Annex Hardware Installation Guide The reference section of the former gives a very thorough treatment of the configuration commands and options.

The equivalent documentation for the R2000 is on CD. To access it.

a) b) c)

Load the CD in the ss-user drive. cd to /cdrom/cdrom0 Run Acrobat Reader: /opt/Acrobat3/bin/acroread Open welcome.pdf, You can access the documents via the table of contents or use Acrobats search facility.

d)

Annex Terminal Servers

Introduction

Annex Terminal Servers

Data acquisition from Annex ports

2.0 Data acquisition from Annex ports

Two steps are required to make an Annex port (or service) accessible to the data acquisition programs:

The Annex and the port to be used must have been correctly set up. This is described in the next section. If you are adding a new service, or an existing service is being moved to a new port, it will probably be necessary to edit the service data base. This database provides the link between the logical name the software uses to describe a port (eg ctd_input) and the annex and port to which this refers.

2.1

Editing the service database The service database is maintained in the file /opt/fdcs/etc/mdb/service.rel. Always make the changes to the copy on ss-user and propogate the new version to the other hosts. It is best to use a console as the Xterminal keyboards work a little differently.
1.

Make sure you are logged into ss-user & type service_edit

Just type <Return> in reponse to the request for the Encryption Password (there isnt one) 2. Use the A command to add a new entry. 3. To modify an existing entry Locate it with the G command, or by typing F followed by a series of Ns to step through to the correct location.

4.

Type U to modify the entry.

When modifying or adding an entry, use the <page-down> & <pageup> keys to step through the fields. <return> terminates the entry. 5. Things to note when making or modifying entries: The database is case sensitive

Make sure there are no leading or trailing blanks in the service name field.

Annex Terminal Servers

Data acquisition from Annex ports

Annex Terminal Servers

Conguring Annexes & Annex ports

3.0 Configuring Annexes & Annex ports

The annexes and their ports need to be correctly configured before they can be used for data acquisition. The main purpose of this section is to describe the Annex settings that you may need to change. It also includes a brief how to guide to assist you when examining and changing these settings. If you require more information, you should refer to Xylogics Annex Network Administrators Guide. The Annex configurations are examined or changed using the Sun-based na and gui_am commands or by running the server-resident admin utility from a cli or virtual cli session on the Annex. Anyone can examine the configuration using na, but changes can only be made as root. admin is the easiest utility to use if you are just setting port and annex parameters. You will have to use na if you want to copy configurations from one port or annex to another, or to dump an annexs configuration to script file for later reading into another unit. gui_am is a GUI-based Annex discovery and management tool. I havent played with it much but it shows a lot of promise. Be aware the the na and admin show annex command works differently on R10 than on R7. With R7, all annex parameters are listed. For the R10, it only lists the generic annex parameter group. Use show annex all to list all parameters, or show annex group-name to list a parameter group (e.g. nameserver) 3.1 How to use admin, na & gui_am
3.1.1 Using the admin command

The admin command can be used from any CLI or virtual CLI port on the server.

To use a virtual CLI session, telnet to tcp port 5000 of the annex, either from one of the Suns or from a terminal connected to any annex: telnet annexn 5000

To use a local CLI session, connect a terminal or laptop to a server CLI port. This will typically be port #1, but any port configured as CLI will do. (Just type <Return>. A CLI port will respond with an Annex:, or similar, prompt.)

Become superuser: annex prompt> su password: annex annex prompt# admin If the annex wont accept annex as the password, try using the units IP number, eg 140.79.18.13)
Annex Terminal Servers

Conguring Annexes & Annex ports

To exit from admin, type: admin: quit annex prompt# <CTRL]> telnet> quit
3.1.2 Using na

Activate na by typing /opt/annex/na /opt/annex/ra_R5.4/bin/na (Micro Annex) (R2000)

on any X-terminal or Sun console. Commands to na can be entered directly, redirected to na from a script file, or read from a script file using the na read command. eg, if you have already activated na, you can type:: Annex network administrator R7.0..... command: annex annex1 command: show annex or: command: read command.script

or you can pass the contents of the script when you activate na: na < command.script where command.script is a file containing the lines: annex annex1 show annex
3.1.3 Using gui_am

If you have loaded the annex module, you should just have to type gui_am otherwise you will have to set environment variable GUI_AM_DIR and specify the full path for gui_am: setenv GUI_AM_DIR /opt/annex/gui_am_r2.3/GUI_AM_R2.3 $GUI_AM_DIR/bin/gui_am Only nominated users can use gui_am. To add or remove users, edit $GUI_AM_DIR/bin/users.list
3.1.4 admin & na command formats

These are described in great detail in the Annex Network Administrators Guide. You will have to select the annex (na only) and port(s) before you can examine or change the configuration. e.g.: annex annnex6 port 8 port 2-4 port 1,6 (port 8) (ports 2 to 4) (ports 1 & 6)

Annex Terminal Servers

Conguring Annexes & Annex ports

Commands typically take the form: set annex parameter value set port parameter value e.g.: set annex name_server1 dns set port speed 19200 The new settings dont take effect until the annex is rebooted or the port(s) are reset. (general parameters) (port parameters)

To reset a port or port set, just type reset n reset n,m reset n-m from withing admin or na to reset port n, port n and m or ports n to m resp.

Reboot using the boot command. This can be typed from within na but if you are using admin, you will first need to quit back to the annex prompt: admin: quit annex_prompt# boot Just type <Return> in response to the several prompts from the boot process.

3.2

Saving configurations in script files A server configuration can be written to a script file by means of the na write command, eg: command: write annex5 /opt/annex/etc/annex5_yymmdd.cfg Where yymmdd is the year, month and day on which the file was created. Configuration script files for all the annexes are kept in /opt/annex/etc on all the Suns. The scripts are stored as gzipped (ie compressed) .gz files, and must be gunzipped before they can be used. eg the following could be done when logged in as root to load the saved configuration for annex4 into annex5: # cd /opt/annex/etc # gunzip annex4_yymmdd.cfg # ../bin/na command: annex annex5 command: read annex4_yymmdd.cfg command: quit # If you make permanent changes to a server configuration, you should write a copy to /opt/annex/etc on ss-user. eg:

Annex Terminal Servers

Conguring Annexes & Annex ports

# /opt/annex/bin/na command: annex annexn command: write /opt/annex/etc/annexn_yymmdd.cfg command: quit # gzip /opt/annex/etc/annexn_yymmdd.cfg Make a note in /opt/annex/etc/diary.txt each time you write a new configuration file. 3.3 Copying configurations The na copy command is used to copy a servers configuration or the configuration of 1 or more ports eg the commands: copy annex annex3 annex6 copy port 1@annex2 5-10@annex4 respectively copy the configuration of annex3 to annex6 and the configuration of port 1 on annex2 to ports 5-10 on annex4. If you wish to duplicate the complete configuration of one annex into another, the configurations of the 16 ports must be copied individually. This can be done with the script /opt/config/scripts/copy_annex_cfg. eg to copy the configuration of annex6 to annex1, type: /opt/config/scripts/copy_annex_cfg annex1 annex6

Refer to the Annex Network Administrators Guide for details of how to use the na and admin commands. 3.4 General Annex parameter settings NOTE: If possible, avoid using port #1, as this may be required as a console port for configuring or diagnosing the unit. The following are typical configuration settings for our annexes. The annex parameters affect the behaviour of the server, whilst the port parameters apply to individual ports. The annex parameters are set with the set annex xxxxxx zzz style commands and the port parameters with the set port xxxxx zzz commands, where xxxxxx is the parameter and zzz its value. Parameters not shown in the following lists can be left at the factory default settings.
3.4.1 annex parameters

name_server_broadcast name_server_1 name_server_2 pref_name1_addr pref_name2_addr rwhod time_broadcast timezone_minuteswest

Y dns dns 140.79.18.9 140.79.18.7 N Y request time from network 0 ( UTC )

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Annex Terminal Servers

Conguring Annexes & Annex ports

daylight_savings cli_prompt syslog_host syslog_mask syslog_port password

none %a%s%r%s%p%cannexn port nn: 0.0.0.0 all 0 <set> (=annex)su admin password <unset> use IP No.

3.4.2

Port parameters (data logging ports)

mode input_flow_control output_flow_control allow_broadcast echo speed data bits

slave none none N N desired value (typically 9600) desired value (typically 8)

If the instrument output uses parity, the port should typically be set to 7 data bits, the desired parity and imask_7bits Y(to mask out the parity bit). This is because Unix expects 7-bit ascii data, and characters with 8 significant bits will give unexpected results in character compares!! It may be necessary to Reset the port after it has been configured. To do this, type reset nn from the admin prompt or na utility. nn is the port number. 3.5 Modem connections Annexs 1 & 3-8 have full modem control on all ports and annex2 and the older Surveyor Annexes have it only on ports 7, 8, 15 & 16. (The modem ports are enclosed by a thick, black line labelled Full modem control.) Some additional setups, in addtion to the general settings are required if you wish to use dial-in modems. If you require additonal information, please refer to the Annex Network Administrators Guide.
3.5.1 Annex security setup parameters for use with modems

Security must be enabled on any Annexes being used for dial-up connections on the Hobart end, as unprotected dial-in lines present a security risk. We havent worried about security on the ship, as the phone numbers are less accessible. Host-based security is used for the main line of defence, with annex-based security taking over, in the event that no security server is available When security is enabled, you will be prompted for a username and password when you dial-in to the port or telnet to it in preparation for dialling out..

Annex Terminal Servers

11

Conguring Annexes & Annex ports

The following settings apply: enable_security y

If the Annex is on the Hobart network: security_broadcast pref_secure1_host y 0

If we decide to implement security on Southern Surveyor: security_broadcast pref_secure1_host pref_secure2_host y 140.79.18.9 (ss-users ip No.) 140.79.18.7 (ss1)

as all 3 Suns are security servers, in which case you need to have a preferred security server You also need to set up the security files on the security server(s). The Annex erpcd daemon expects these files to be in the same directory as the erpcd executable (/opt/annex/bin (hobart), /opt/annex (ship)), but it makes more sense to put them in /opt/annex/etc, with soft links pointing to them from /opt/annex[/bin]. Do the following: Uncomment the acp record in /opt/annex/eservices. You may wish to move this file to /opt/annex/etc, with a soft link in the bin subdirectory. 2. Create the file acp_passwd This file should contain a password entry for each user that is entitled to use the port(s). It is a series of records with identical format to those in /etc/shadow or produced by the ypmatch (Hobart) or nismatch (Southern Surveyor) commands. eg, to add 2 new users to the file, type: ypmatch user1 user2 >> acp_passwd (Hobart) nismatch user1 user2 >> acp_passwd (Southern Surveyor)
1.

This file will need to be updated every time a users password is changed 3. Create a log file.This will contain a log of all connection requests on ports for which security is enabled. Hobart: Create the directory /opt/annex/log and touch acp_logfile in this directory. Create /opt/annex/bin/acp_logfile as a soft link to /opt/annex/log/acp_logfile. Southern Surveyor: touch /var/adm/acp_logfile. Create /opt/annex/bin/acp_logfile as a soft link to /var/adm/acp_logfile. 4. If the modem port(s) are to be used for dial-in SLIP or PPP links, (eg as on the Hobart Annex), additional setup parameters and configuration files will be required. Please refer to the Network Administrators Guide for details.,

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Annex Terminal Servers

Conguring Annexes & Annex ports

3.5.2

port parameter settings required for modems

mode type speed speed control_lines input_flow_control output_flow_control bidirectional_modem

adaptive dial_in 38400 (Hobart) 9600 (MobileSat port) both eia eia y

The following are set on the Hobart Annex modems. We may ultimately activate security on Southern Surveyor. cli_security port_server_security y y

When security is enabled, all users, either incoming or outgoing, require an entry in the password le acp_passwd. The next section describes how this is done.

If the server is connected to the Hobart network, you should possibly possibly also enable connect _security and enter a port_password. connect_security port_password y <set>

This password will be prompted for in the event that the security server host is down.

The MobileSat modem does not drop DSR when the connection is broken. This means that its annex port can be left in an indeterminate state if the connection was not shut down cleanly. eg it may be left logged onto a Sun. To reduce the effects of this, its port should be set to: cli_inactivity inactivity_timer 5 5

which will normally cause the connection to be hung-up after 5 minutes inactivity. (This is not foolproof, and on some occasions, you may have to reset the port manually by doing a reset nn from one of the Annex admin tools.)
3.5.3 Modifying the Annex password le

A password file, acp_passwd, is required if security is enabled on any of the annex ports. The Annex software expects it to be in the same directory as the executables (ie /opt/annex/bin). We put it in /opt/annex/etc, with a soft link to it from the bin directory. The entries in acp_passwd are essentially copies of the system-wide password entries, and will need to be updated whenever you change your normal password. If they are not, the two sets of passwords will become out of synch, a potential source of grief and frustration! Entries are added or modified with the set_annex_pw command. Normal users can only add or modify their own entry. User root can add or modify anyones entry.

Annex Terminal Servers

13

Conguring Annexes & Annex ports

Make sure that you have loaded the annex module before you issue the command. eg. module load annex then, as root: set_annex_pw user1 [user2] [..] [..] or to add or modify your own entry: set_annex_pw

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Annex Terminal Servers

Trouble shooting

4.0 Trouble shooting

4.1 Unable to connect to a port Connection requests generate Connection refused messages. This can be due to a number of causes:

An existing active network connection tothe port. (See below) Attempting a raw (7000-style) connection to a CLI port. (The port should be set to Slave.) Activity from a device connected to the port. e.g., when trying to make a 5000-style network connection to an Adaptive port with an active device connected to it.

The problem can often be cleared by resetting the port. (See next item) 4.2 Disconnecting an active port This may be necessary if a port is not disconnected when the process that made the connection exits or the connecting host crashes. Telnet to port 5000 on the annex & become su. Use netstat to verify that the port has an active connection. eg if there is a raw connection on port 2, then netstat will show a connection to port 7002. Type admin & then reset nn, where nn is the port number, eg 2. 4.3 Monitoring input to a port You will typically want to do this to see if an instrument is generating output or if it cabling and port have been configured correctly. If the port has been configured as mode slave, you can telnet to it directly, eg: telnet annex6 7005<cr> makes a direct connection to port 5 on annex6. All input from the device will appear on your screen and most things you type, with the exception of some non-printing characters, are sent to the device. To escape from the session, type <ctrl]>, followed by q: <ctrl]> telnet> q<cr> The annex tap facility can also be used to tap into or snoop on a session, but is not all that useful, as

It can essentially only be done as su from a terminal connected directly to the annex. Only active connections can be tapped on mode slave ports.

Annex Terminal Servers

15

Trouble shooting

The output produced is somewhat verbose.

The tap command is described in the Annex Network Administrators Guide. 4.4 Intercepting Annex Errors The simplest way to track errors is to connect a terminal to a free port, set parameter syslog_port to be that port and set syslog_mask all.
4.4.1 Annex error logging to BSD Unix Hosts

This section does not apply to Solaris or, if it does, I dont know how to get it to work. It is much simpler to log messages to a terminal connected to the annex. This is described in the previous section. Messages from annexes can be logged to a file on a selected remote BSD Unix host. This can be done, by adding the lines #annex logging local7.debug /var/spool/log/annex to /etc/syslog.conf on the selected host. The messages will be sent to /usr/spool/log/annex. Use na or admin to set the syslog_host parameter to the IP number of the host, or leave at 0.0.0.0 so that the annex will broadcast for a logging host. Leave the syslog_facility set to the default log_local7 (to match the local7 value in syslog.conf). Messages can be sent to a terminal server port as well as to a logfile by setting syslog_port to the desired port. The type of messages output depend on the value of the annexs syslog_mask parameter, eg: debug : only time setting messages seem to be generated. info: generates informative messages such as opening & closing connections. error warning I havent yet discovered how to log errors such as connection rejections.

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Annex Terminal Servers

Hardware Installation & network integration

5.0 Hardware Installation & network integration

We are using a mixture of 16-line MicroAnnex XL and Remote Annex 2000 terminal servers. There are 4 variants. Remote Annex 2000 (annex 8) Self booting. All ports have full modem control 2. 2Mb, self-booting Micro Annex XL (annex 6) 3. 2Mb, net-booting Micro Annex XL (annexes 1, 3-5 & 7) These support the RARP protocol (a means of determining their Internet addresses) and have full modem control on all ports. 4. 1 Mb, net-booting Micro Annex XL (annex2, + 2 retd. SS units) These have 1Mb RAM, cannot use RARP & have only 4 ports (7, 8, 15 & 16) with full modem control. They cannot be used with R10 of the annex software (On Franklin, we used R7.)
1.

The 1Mb units should not be on the ship, but we may need them for onshore testing. 5.1 Installing the Annex: There will different procedures, depending on whether it is to be an additional server or whether it is replacing an existing server, and on whether it is an older or newer Micro Annex or a Remote Annex 2000. This section should be read in conjunction with the appropriate hardware installation guide. If the server is to operate correctly, at the very least, it needs to know its IP number. To provide full functionality, it should also know the IP number of at least one name server, so that it can determine its name and the names of other hosts on the network. A newer Micro Annex can determine its IP number, provided it has been indexed against the servers ethernet address on the network nameserver (ss-user). For older Micro Annexes and for Remote Annex 2000s, the IP number has to be set, in the manner described below. All changes to the nameserver databases must be made as root. All changes should be made to the NIS+ databases on ss-user. These are periodically propogated to the /etc files on all machines.
5.1.1 Installing an additional Annex

Add the new annex to the NIS+ hosts database :

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Run /opt/SUNWseam/3_0/bin/admapp as su or one of the system admin users (an any Sun). Select the surveyor.marine.csiro.au. domain & login as root or as yourself. Select Computers/Networks and double-click on the Computers icon. Select Add_computer from the Action menu.. Enter the servers host name, IP number and Ethernet address.

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Hardware Installation & network integration

Connect the annex to the network & power it up. It may take several minutes to complete its initial boot. (When booting is complete, the power, unit and net indicators will be permanently on and the activity and one or more of the status indicators may be flickering intermittently.) Verify that the annex has the correct name and IP number. Refer to the section on Configuring Annexes and Annex Ports and use admin or na to configure the server to your requirements. Once you are satisfied with the configuration, use na to write a configuration script file for the server to ss-user. See the description of na in this manual for details of how to do this. This file is a security backup, in case the server fails & has to be replaced with another unit.
5.1.2 Setting the IP number on older Annexes.

The older Annexes (annex1 & annex2) are unable to use RARP to determine their IP numbers from the network nameserver. The following procedure will also have to be used to change the number of a later Micro Annex, as these only request their IP number when they are first intialized. To set the IP number, follow the instructions in Chapters 2 & 3 of the Hardware Installation Guide. Connect a terminal to port #1. 2. The Annex must be powered up in test mode. (Push the test button within 5 secs of powering up, but after the test indicator has gone out). 3. Use the addr command to enter the settings: monitor:: addr Enter Internet Address:: 140.79.18.nnn Internet address: 140.79.18.nnn Enter Subnet mask [255.255.248.0]:: <Ret> Enter preferred load host Internet address:: <Ret> Enter broadcast address [0.0.0.0]:: <Ret> Select type of IP encapsulation [ethernet]:: <Ret>
1.

No preferred load host address is entered so that the operational code can be loaded from any available host. The Annex can then be re-booted by typing the ROM monitor boot command or by switching it off & powering it up again.
5.1.3 Setting the IP number etc on new R2000s

This procedure will only have to be followed for newly-installed units. Once they have been initialized, the IP number etc can be changed using admin or na. Use the procedures in the Remote Access Concentrator (RAC) Quick Start Guide as a general reference only.
1.

Connect a terminal to port #1

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Annex Terminal Servers

Hardware Installation & network integration

Power up the server. All the LED indicators will initially be illuminated. Push the Test button when at least one of these indicators has gone OFF. It should enter Monitor mode. 3. Use the addr command to enter the IP number, subnet mask and broadcast address. Do not enter a Load Address or Dump Host. Load Broadcast? should be Y. 4. Use the seq command to set the boot sequence to self,net. (net,self would probably work equally well, but would take longerif none of the Suns were up.)
2.

Re-boot the server by typing boot in the Monitor session or by turning it off and on.
5.1.4 Replacing an existing annex

i.e., you want the replacement Annex to take on the IP number, name and configuration of the old one. If the replacement server is not a new unit, you will have to change its IP number to the correct value in the manner described for older annexes. You will also need to use admapp to change the ethernet address in the hosts database You will also need to use the Annex na utility read the old server configuration into the new unit. Refer to the section on configuring annexes for details on how to do this.
5.1.5 Conguring the host computers

The Annex package is stored in the /opt/annex ($ANNEX_HOME) directory tree, rather than /usr/annex. Executables are in $ANNEX_HOME/bin, and sources in $ANNEX_HOME/src etc. The Annexes are booted using the erpcd daemon. erpcd is started at boot time by means of the script file, /etc/rc2.d/S79annex, which contains the following: if [ -f /opt/annex/bin/erpcd ]; then /opt/annex/bin/erpcd && echo Starting terminal server daemon fi This will be executed by the /sbin/rc2 script when computer boots to run state 2. The boot images, oper52.enet for the Micro Annexes and oper56.enet for the R2000s, are in /opt/annex/bfs, instead of the specified /var/spool/erpcd/bfs directory. (We disguised this by setting up /var/spool/erpcd/bfs as a link to /opt/annex/bfs.) If you have a problem, eg a server wont boot, you can generate error messages by starting erpcd in debug mode. ie, kill the running daemon and start it again manually by typing: /opt/annex/bin/erpcd -D

Annex Terminal Servers

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Hardware Installation & network integration

5.1.6

Conguration notes & hints

If you change the nameserver host (currently ss-user) without changing an Annexs pref_name1_addr, you will be able to ping the Annex, but not telnet to it. If this happens, you will have to change the configuration using a CLI session from one of the serial ports. 2. Annex and port reconfiguration can be done via a telnet session run from one of the serial ports. Port 1 should be reserved for this purpose, but if it is unavailable, just try the other ports until you find one that works. Just become su and run the admin utlity, as you would from a virtual (telnet) CLI session.
1.

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Software Installation Notes

6.0 Software Installation Notes

The Micro Annexes and the R2000s use different releases of the operating software.

The 2Mb Micro Annexes, including the self booting annex8, are running R10.0. This is not compatible with the older 1Mb units, which should not be used on the ship. The R2000s are on release R14 (also known as RAC R5.) The older, 1Mb annexes require R7, which is only operational onshore. (The is code is also on the ship, in /opt/annex_orig.)

Both Release 10 & 14 are in the /opt/annex directory tree.

R10 is in /opt/annex. It only includes the pre-compiled binaries. The distribution is on the R10 CD. R14 is installed in the /opt/annex/ra_R5.4 subdirectory and only includes the pre-compiled executibles. The R2000 boot image, oper.56.enet, is in /opt/annex/bfs.

We run the R10 version of erpcd, but this should be able to up-load the R2000 boot image to the server if its internal copy of the software is lost or corrupted.

Annex Terminal Servers

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Software Installation Notes

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Annex Terminal Servers

RS232 wiring conventions:

7.0 RS232 wiring conventions:

The Annexes use 8-wire RJ style connectors. All 8 lines can be used on the modem ports (ports #7, 8, 15 & 16) and partial modem control is available on the remainder. (see table on p A-71 of the Administrators Guide). All wiring to the RS232 connector to be done assuming full modem control. Flat, 8-wire telephone cable (eg Aristas TEL 08) to be used at the Annex end. Cable to be doubly terminated with RJ-style connectors. Connectors to be installed with the same colour to pinout at both ends. eg blue to pin 1. Multiple flat cables can be joined using standard 8-wire RJ joiners. Conversion to DB style connectors to be done using the appropriate RJDB adaptor (eg George Harveys HS25A8M or F, HS9A8M or F). These are to wired as follows: 7.1 HS25A8M or F null modem Signal RJ pin No.ColourDB25 M or F RTS 1 blue NC ______ 4 |_____ 5 orange ____________ 6 |_____ 8 black _____________ 3 red _______________20 green _____________ 2 yellow _____________7 brown NC white NC

DTR TXD DCD RXD GND DSR CTS

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

This diagram applies to the RJ-DB adaptor connectors and to flat cables with an RJ connector on one end and a direct solder connection to a DB25. RJ pin #1 is on the top LH side of the socket when looking into the socket with the locking slot facing down: _________ |1 | | | ---| |----View looking into socket.

Whenever a round cable is fastened to a ribbon cable or to an RJ connector, it should be connected so that the signals at the RJ match those shown above. If this is done, only 4 types of RJ/DB adaptors will be required, namely male & female modems & null modems. The type of adaptor on a piece of equipment should never have to be changed. Ribbon cables terminated with RJ connectors at both ends should always have the blue wire connected to pin #1. (Strictly speaking, it makes no dif23

Annex Terminal Servers

RS232 wiring conventions:

ference whether the blue or white wire goes to pin 1 in these cables, provided it is the same colour at both ends. However, adherence to this convention will eliminate any confusion.)

7.2

HS9A8M or F null modem This wiring arrangement is used to connect the DB9 pc serial ports to Annexes. The wiring convention is the same as for the preceding DB25 example. Signal RTS RJ pin No. 1 Colour blue DB9 M or F NC ______ 7 |_____ 8 orange __________ 6 |_____ 1 black ___________ 2 red ____________ 4 green ___________ 3 yellow __________5 brown N.C. white N.C.

DTR TXD DCD RXD GND DSR CTS

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

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Annex Terminal Servers

Printing to Annex devices

8.0 Printing to Annex devices

This includes the NEC PinWriter and the Zeta pen plotter. Printing can be done either spooled or directly with aprint or or spooled with rtelnet. The manual says rtelnet supports biderectional printer comms, eg for postscript printers, but I havent tried it. Any ports used for printing should be set up as follows: type hardwired mode slave allow_broadcast N Printing from System V hosts is described on pA64 - A68 of the Annex NetworkAdministrators Guide. 8.1 Direct printing using aprint You can send files directly to the printer, using commands of the form: /opt/annex/bin/aprint -Aannex1 -L6 xxxxx which prints file xxxxx on port #6 on annex1. This is fine, except that newlines are not converted to <cr><lf>s. 8.2 Spooling, using aprint and an interface program A much better way is to queue the file to the port using an interface program that does any necessary filtering before passing the data to aprint transmission to the device. The procedure is outlined on p64/65 of the NAG, but some of the steps shown are incorrect or misleading. I have used a modified versions of the interface script /opt/annex/src/examples/lprinterface. The Zeta version has no banner page, and it and the NEC version convert newlines to <cr><lf>. The working interface scripts are in /etc/lp/interfaces and backup copies are in /opt/config/install_info/etc/lp/interfaces. If you make any changes to these scripts, please ensure that:

The changes are made on ss-user. If the files are edited on other hosts, the changes will be lost when the housekeeper job runs. Make the changes to /opt/config... and copy the files to /etc/lp/interfaces. Make sure that the edited files have the same ownership & protection as the originals.

The printers (eg the NEC) were set up as follows:

1.

Stop the lp scheduler: # /usr/lib/lpshut Define the new printer: 25

2.

Annex Terminal Servers

Printing to Annex devices

lpadmin -pnec -v/dev/null -i/etc/lp/nec

except, dont use /dev/null, because this will tie up the null device driver & stop many other programs from running!!! -i specifies the nec version of the interface script. 3. Resart the scheduler: # /usr/lib/lpsched
4.

Enable the printer & allow it to accept jobs: # /usr/lib/enable nec # /usr/lib/accept nec If you wish, you can then use the admintool printer control window to add comments re the printer you have just defined.

5.

To send a file to the printer, type: lp -dnec file_name 8.3 Printing with rtelnet I have not bothered trying this option, as rtelnet establishes a permanent link with a designated annex port, which means that it cannot be shared with other hosts on the network.

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Annex specs

9.0 Annex specs

annex1 Serial Nos Memory EEPROM Rom rev Rom software rev 52/129660 1Mb 8192 Kb 2/0 509 annex2 52/151664 1Mb 8192Kb 4/0 511

Ethernet addresses See /etc/ethers.

Annex Terminal Servers

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