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This section describes how to use the Novell® Internet Access Server Configuration utility (NIASCFG) to configure a backup call for a WAN connection.
A backup call enhances the reliability of your WAN. It ensures that permanent connections are maintained even if your primary WAN call destination goes down. As a result, you avoid unnecessary delays and maintain high reliability over your WAN connection.
Backup calls are also useful for ensuring filtering reliability. By default, all filters that currently affect a primary call will affect a configured backup call. If a primary call should go down, the configured backup call will maintain your filtering configurations.
You can configure additional filtering for the backup link to meet the specific needs of your site (refer to Setting Up in the Filters documentation ). If you configure additional filtering, that filtering will be maintained on the backup link in addition to the automatically mapped filtering.
Optionally, the automatic mapping of filtering can be disabled with the LOAD FILTSRV NOBACKUP command. With automatic mapping of filtering disabled, you can configure a selective filtering scheme that is specific to the needs of the backup link (refer to Setting Up in the Filters documentation ).
Backup calls must be PPP-based and the circuit information must be correctly specified. When you configure a backup call, you specify a backup WAN call destination to be used in the event that the primary WAN call destination becomes unavailable. The Novell Internet Access Server 4.1 routing software switches automatically to the backup WAN call destination if the primary WAN call destination goes down. When the primary connection is restored, the routing software switches to the primary WAN call destination and terminates the backup.
You specify a backup WAN call destination by configuring two existing WAN call destinations to have an association by which the routing software recognizes one as the primary destination and the other as its backup.
Primary connections can be over fixed or switched circuits. Backups are always over switched circuits.
This section describes the configuration of backup calls through the use of WAN call associations. It contains the following topics:
This section provides instructions for configuring backup calls.
For more information about the NetWare® Link/PPPTM software, refer to Understanding.
NOTE: A backup call destination can be configured for the same interface as the primary call destination if there is only one physical interface available. Note, however, that in such a configuration, when the backup call is connected, the primary call destination will not be able to reconnect because the interface will be in use.
NOTE: If a primary and backup call are to the same host and that remote host is running the NetWare MultiProtocol RouterTM 2.11 or 3.0 software, you must configure different local system IDs in the primary and backup WAN call destination records.
Before you begin, you must complete the following tasks:
To configure a backup call association, complete the following steps:
Load NIASCFG, then select the following parameter path:
Select Configure NIAS > Protocols and Routing > Backup Call Associations
The Backup Call Associations screen lists all currently configured backup call associations with the following information:
This screen has no entries if no backup call associations are configured.
Press Ins to create a new backup call association.
The Backup Association Configuration menu is displayed. The Primary Call Destination field is highlighted.
Press Enter to display a list of configured WAN call destinations that are available to be primary call destinations.
A list of WAN call destinations is displayed. These are the configured WAN call destinations that are available to define as primary call destinations. Destinations that have already been configured to be primary or backup call destinations are not listed here. Only WAN call destinations with a call type of permanent are listed here.
Select a primary call destination.
The Backup Association Configuration menu is displayed again. The Primary Call Destination field is filled in, and the Backup Call Destination field is highlighted.
Press Enter to display a list of configured WAN call destinations that are available to be backup call destinations.
The list of WAN call destinations is displayed again. The destination you selected as a primary call destination is no longer contained in this list.
NOTE: Only permanent PPP connections can be used as backup call destinations.
Select a backup call destination.
The Backup Association Configuration menu is displayed with the Backup Call Destination field filled in.
Ensure that Association Status is set to Enabled .
To change the displayed status, select Status , select the desired status from the pop-up display, then press Enter .
Optionally, do the following to modify the connect and disconnect timer values:
Enter a new value, in seconds, in the Connect Delay Timer field, then press Enter .
When the primary call destination fails, this value is the number of seconds to delay before attempting to connect to the backup call destination.
Enter a new value, in seconds, in the Disconnect Delay Timer field, then press Enter .
When the backup call destination is up and the primary call destination reconnects, this value is the number of seconds to delay before disconnecting the backup call.
Press Esc to return to the Internetworking Configuration menu; save your changes when prompted.
The backup call association you configured is listed in the Configured Backup Call Associations menu.
To configure another interface, repeat Step 2 through Step 9 .
NOTE: When binding to a backup call destination, select WAN Call Destinations and set Type to Manual to keep the backup call from coming up when the router is restarted. This setting does not keep the backup call from coming up automatically when the primary call goes down.
If you want these changes to take effect immediately, select Reinitialize System .
If you want to configure other parameters, do so now, then reinitialize the system when you are finished.
If you want to further customize and optimize your connection, refer to the appropriate topics in this section for detailed information about the following parameters:
Before your WAN connection works, you must also complete the following tasks:
For information about these tasks, refer to "Setting Up" in the appropriate protocol documentation.
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