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To run PPP over asynchronous ports, such as your PC's COM ports, you must use a board driver that is compliant with the AIO standard. An AIO-compliant driver is able to communicate with the AIO Manager (AIO.NLM), which then communicates with the WHSMAIO driver. The WHSMAIO driver converts the AIO character stream into the asynchronous HDLC framing service required by the NetWare Link/PPPTM software. WHSMAIO also converts PPP asynchronous HDLC frames into an AIO character stream. Finally, the WHSMAIO driver provides a WHSM interface with the PPP Data-Link layer (PPPTSM.NLM). The relationship of these modules is shown in Figure 3 .
Figure 3
Modules Required to Run PPP over Asynchronous Ports
Because the structure shown in Figure 3 contains two separate drivers, two boards must be configured, one for the AIO-compliant driver and one for the WHSMAIO driver. This section does not explain how to configure a board for the AIO-compliant driver because this board is configured just like any other physical WAN board. However, the WHSMAIO board is not a physical board. Instead, it is a software entity that is used to represent one or more AIO ports as one or more WHSM interfaces. The WHSMAIO driver can also be applied to many different physical AIO boards using different AIO-compliant drivers. With NIASCFG, you can configure several ports that have the same parameter settings using just one screen. However, each port's configuration is shown as a separate board under Network Interfaces .
The Novell Internet Access Server 4.1 routing software includes an AIO-compliant driver, AIOCOMX, that runs over your PC's COM ports.
Refer to the Novell Labs WWW location http://labs.novell.com/infosys/mastr_06.htm for more information about the following topics:
The Novell Internet Access Server 4.1 routing and remote access components can coexist on a single server and can share serial interfaces provided by AIO drivers. However, the following information should be taken into consideration.
The AIO ports for Novell Internet Access Server 4.1 routing software are configured under the Protocols and Routing option in NIASCFG, whereas the AIO ports for the remote access software are configured under the Remote Access option. Typically, AIO ports used by the WHSMAIO driver do not require configuration by the remote access software. However, when both products are enabled, you can reserve all AIO ports for the exclusive use of the remote access product. This causes the WHSMAIO driver to fail with the following error message:
Fatal Error: Unable to initialize the AIO board.
To correct this problem, use NIASCFG to enable the WHSMAIO driver access to the specified AIO ports.
To configure an AIO port for use by the WHSMAIO driver, complete the following steps:
If Novell Internet Access Server 4.1 remote access software is running, stop the remote access software by entering the following command at the NetWare console prompt:
NWCSTOP
Load NIASCFG, then select the following parameter path:
Select Configure NIAS > Remote Access > Set Up ... > Select Remote Access Ports
Select any listed remote access ports that you want to be dedicated to WHSMAIO and press Del .
Repeat this step on each port to be dedicated to WHSMAIO.
Start the remote access software by entering the following command at the NetWare console prompt:
NWCSTART
From this point, use only the path NIAS Options > Protocols and Routing to configure Novell Internet Access Server 4.1 routing ports. Use only the path NIAS Options > Remote Access to configure remote access ports.
The following NIASCFG remote access options should not be used for AIO ports that use the WHSMAIO driver:
If you use any of these options, the port becomes inoperative. If this occurs, unload the WHSMAIO driver and enter the REINITIALIZE SYSTEM command to restore normal operation.
Before you begin, you must configure a physical WAN board.
To configure a WHSMAIO board, complete the following steps:
Load NIASCFG, then select the following parameter path:
Select Configure NIAS > Protocols and Routing > Boards
Do one of the following:
If you are configuring a new WHSMAIO board:
The WHSMAIO Configuration menu appears.
If you are changing an existing WHSMAIO board configuration, select that board.
Select AIO Board Options .
If you are configuring a new AIO board, the following message appears:
Should NIASCFG automatically load the AIO driver?
If you are configuring an existing board, a message is displayed that explains that you can change only the configuration of the board that was previously configured with NIASCFG. You cannot select another AIO board unless you delete the existing WHSMAIO board and add a new one. To reconfigure the existing board, press Enter and proceed to Step 5 .
Select Yes or No .
NOTE: If possible, always select Yes to load the AIO driver using NIASCFG.
Select No if your system has an AIO board that has already been configured for another product using LOAD commands in the AUTOEXEC.NCF file. A screen containing information about all available AIO boards is displayed. Select the board you want to use.
This screen displays the following information for each AIO board: AIO board name, number of ports, port speed, manufacturer, and version. Select a board that is likely to have some ports available for use by PPP. This board does not necessarily have to be currently used by another product. If no drivers are displayed, you must load the board driver at the console or restart the router.
Select Yes if you are using a board that is being configured for the first time through NIASCFG. A list of AIO drivers is displayed. Select a driver from the list. A menu with driver-specific parameters is displayed. Enter the appropriate values for these parameters.
These parameters are vendor-specific and vary depending on which third-party AIO driver is being used. Parameters that are commonly displayed include Interrupt , I/O Base , and Memory Base . Refer to the documentation supplied with the third-party driver for more information about the displayed parameters.
Some AIO drivers have interface speed limits that prevent you from configuring the interface to a speed above the default limit. If a console error message indicates that the WHSMAIO port configured in Step 5 failed to load because the default speed limit has been exceeded, you might be able to increase the AIO driver speed limit. Refer to the documentation supplied with the third-party driver for more information about the parameter to configure to increase this speed limit.
Enter a value for the First AIO Port Number parameter.
Enter the number of the first port that is available for use by PPP. The reason is to distinguish the ports available for use by PPP from the other ports on this board that are being used by another product.
Enter a value for the Number of AIO Ports parameter.
This number is used in conjunction with the previous parameter to determine the total number of ports, starting with the first port, that are available for use by PPP.
Press Esc to return to the Internetworking Configuration menu; save your changes when prompted.
If you want these changes to take effect immediately, you must first configure a PPP network interface for this board as described in Setting Up in the NetWare Link/PPP documentation.
After configuring a network interface, you can make the changes take effect by restarting the router or selecting Reinitialize System . If you want to configure other parameters, do so now, then restart the router or reinitialize the system when you are finished.
The AIOCOMX.NLM and AIO.NLM files are used by many Novell products. If you install another product that uses the COM ports on the server running Novell Internet Access Server 4.1 routing software, check the versions of these files before and after the installation of the new product. If problems occur with the WHSMAIO ports after the installation of a new product that uses the AIOCOMX.NLM and AIO.NLM files, try using the versions of these files that are supplied with the Novell Internet Access Server 4.1 software.
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