Two-Port Source Route Bridge
Novell LAN Network Manager (LNM) Agent is network management software that supports communication with the IBM LAN Network Manager (LNM) program. Concurrent communication with up to four IBM LNM programs is supported.
NOTE: The product IBM LAN Manager is an earlier version of IBM LAN Network Manager. Both versions of this product, although they have slightly different names, are abbreviated LNM .
You should use IBM LNM to monitor and control source route bridge functions. IBM LNM programs receive events and can set and read the values of the source route bridge operational parameters.
For more information about Novell LANNetwork Manager Agent, refer to:
Novell LNM Agent software is divided into five different functional areas, or management servers . These management servers collect data from the network, analyze it, and forward that information to one or more IBM LNMs (consoles). IBM LNM can then forward alerts to an IBM network host. The management server functions are as follows:
LAN Reporting Mechanism ( LRM) ---Distributes reports generated by other management servers to each interested LAN manager.
Ring Error Monitor (REM) ---Collects ring error data from ring stations, analyzes the data, and forwards the result of the analysis to a network manager through LRM.
Configuration Report Server (CRS) ---Collects ring configuration change data from ring stations and forwards this information to a LAN manager through LRM.
Ring Parameter Server (RPS) ---Sets and maintains a consistent set of operational parameters in ring stations on a particular ring.
LAN Bridge Server (LBS) ---Keeps statistical counters of frames forwarded between two rings through a bridge.
Figure 6 shows a two-port source route bridge configuration using IBM LNM and the Novell LNM Agent.
Figure 6
Two-Port Source Route Bridge
NOTE: In this example, IBM LNM monitors and controls source route bridge functions. IBM LNM can be anywhere on the network within the hop count limit.
IBM LNM assumes that the bridge supports exactly two physical interfaces, particularly token rings (although you can also use IBM LNM to manage the 8209 token ring/Ethernet bridge). The bridge implementation enables the Novell LNM Agent when two token ring interfaces are bound to the bridge with no virtual ring number assigned.
NOTE: The Novell LNM Agent does not SUPPORT either the virtual WAN ring or virtual internal ring implementations described earlier in this section.
After the Novell LNM Agent (BRGLANM.NLM) is loaded, it registers with the source route bridge NetWare Loadable ModuleTM (NLMTM) file. It communicates across the bound physical interfaces through the LLC8022 NLM, because communication between the Novell LNM Agent and IBM LNM occurs over the connection-oriented LLC type 2 across the source route bridged network. For the Novell LNM Agent to work, ROUTE.NLM must be loaded for the two token ring interfaces. The token ring MAC control frames must also be accessible to the Novell LNM Agent, which is supported by LLC8022 NLM.
IBM LNM and LNM protocols also provide the ability to communicate between a Novell LNM Agent and an IBM NetView host, using the SNA communication services provided by OS/2* Extended Services/Extended Edition. With this type of communication, the management servers send NetView alerts from the Novell LNM Agent to IBM LNM, which, in turn, forwards the alerts to the IBM NetView host. Conversely, support configuration information from the IBM NetView host is communicated through IBM LNM to the Novell LNM Agent.
The Novell LNM Agent is configurable through the NIASCFG source route bridge configuration screens.
The Novell LNM Agent function is implemented as a single NLM, although it requires support from many other parts of the system (notably BRIDGE.NLM, which requires support from SNMP and NIASCFG and their required supporting modules).
The Configure LAN Network Management Agent parameters can be used to support the Novell LNM Agent. For more information about these parameters, refer to "Setting Up" in the routing documentation for Source Route Bridge.
The Link Password parameters are used to establish an LLC Type 2 connection between the Novell LNM Agent and IBM LNM. Up to four IBM LNMs can establish a communication link to the Novell LNM Agent concurrently.
There can be only one controlling IBM LNM linked to the bridge at any given time. Three observing LNMs can be linked to the bridge. A controlling LNM can issue any LNM command for the local segment, including commands that change the way LAN components operate and commands that change the topology of the segment. Only the controlling IBM LNMs log and transport alerts from application programs, using the IBM Alert Transport facility. An observing LNM is restricted to query and status commands and, therefore, cannot reconfigure bridges.
Any configuration changes through SNMP or through IBM LNM take effect immediately.
The Novell LNM Agent is activated as soon as the source route bridge software recognizes two token ring interfaces and is deactivated when the source route bridge software detects that it no longer has exactly two active ports (it has just one active port or more than two active ports).