BIND


Why Use BIND?

Use BIND to link LAN drivers to a communication protocol and to a specific network board in the file server. Unless you link a communication protocol to the board, the board cannot process packets.

NOTE:  You may not need to use the BIND command. The "Product Options" feature of INSTALL may automatically insert a BIND command in an .NCF file. Consult the documentation for the network products that you use with your file server.

Before you can bind the LAN driver, you must first install the network board and load the LAN driver. See LOAD LAN driver.


Command Format

BIND protocol [TO] LAN_driver | board_name [driver_parameter...] [protocol_parameter...]


Command Parameters

Replace protocol with IPXTM or some other protocol. Consult NetWireŽ, your Novell Authorized ResellerCLM, or third-party dealers for other available options. If the communication protocol will not bind to the driver, see PROTOCOL.

Replace LAN_driver with either the name of the driver you loaded for the network board or the board_name you assigned when you loaded the driver.


Driver Parameters

Include a driver_parameter when you have more than one network board of the same type in your file server. (You do not need driver parameters if you bind a protocol to a board name rather than to a LAN driver.)

Replace driver_parameter with one or more of the following parameters.

DMA= number
FRAME= name
INT= number
MEM= number
PORT= number
SLOT= number

Include those that make the network board unique from all other network boards of its type. If you include the driver parameter with the command, you must enclose it in square brackets.


DMA=number

Identifies the DMA channel the driver is using for the network board. Bind the protocol with the same DMA channel that you used when you loaded the driver for the board.


FRAME=name

Identifies the frame type the driver is using for the network board. Bind the protocol with the same frame type that you used when you loaded the driver for the board.


INT=number

Identifies the interrupt the driver is using for the network board. Bind the protocol with the same interrupt that you used when you loaded the driver for the board.


MEM=number

Identifies the memory address the driver is using for the network board. Bind the protocol with the same memory address that you used when you loaded the driver for the board.


PORT=number

Identifies the I/O port the driver is using for the network board. Bind the protocol with the same I/O port that you used when you loaded the driver for the board.


SLOT=number

Identifies the network board by the slot that the network board was installed in. This parameter is used with microchannel and EISA computers. Bind the protocol with the same slot number that you used when you loaded the driver for the board.


Protocol Parameters

Use protocol_parameter for the parameters unique to the communication protocol. IPX has one parameter: NET. (See the documentation that comes with other protocols for their specific protocol parameters.)


NET=number

Identifies a unique network number for the cabling system attached to the board.

You must specify this parameter when you bind IPX. If you do not enter this parameter at the command line, the operating system prompts you for a network number.


Bind a Protocol to a Driver

The steps for binding a protocol to a driver vary with how the driver has been loaded. Select the procedure that fits your situation.


Driver Loaded Only Once

To bind a driver when the file server has only one network board of a particular type (such as an RX-Net board), complete the following steps.


Procedure
  1. Type

    BIND IPX TO TRXNET <Enter>

  2. Enter the network number for the cabling scheme.

    NOTE:  To bind the driver automatically when the file server is booted, add the following line to the AUTOEXEC.NCF file. In this example, the network number is 26. The line should follow the LOAD command for the driver.

    BIND IPX TO TRXNET NET=26

  3. Repeat the process for each driver in the file server.


Driver Loaded More than Once for Additional Network Boards

For file servers with multiple network boards of the same type, direct the operating system to bind a specific board by completing the following steps.


Procedure
  1. Complete one of the following. (Both of the examples below explain how to bind the NE2000 driver to IPX.)

    • Type the command, including the driver and protocol parameters. Type

      BIND IPX TO NE2000 [INT=4] NET=26 <Enter>

    • Type the command and answer the prompts. Type

      BIND IPX TO NE2000 <Enter>

      The operating system lists the network boards installed in your file server and prompts you to enter the board number and the network number of the cabling system.

      NOTE:  To bind the driver automatically when the file server is booted, add the following line to the AUTOEXEC.NCF file. You must include complete configuration information in the file. In this example, network number = 26, port = 340, interrupt = 4, and frame type = Ethernet_802.3 (default). Enter the network number after NET=. The line should follow the command that loads the driver.

      BIND IPX TO NE2000 PORT=340 INT=4 FRAME=ETHERNET_802.3 NET=26

  2. Repeat the process for the other boards in the server.


Driver Loaded with a Name for the Board

When a board has been given a name, as documented in LOAD LAN driver, the operating system associates the driver parameters and the frame type with the board name. To bind the protocol to the board name, complete the following steps.


Procedure
  1. To bind IPX to a board named BACKBONE, type

    BIND IPX BACKBONE <Enter>

  2. Enter the network number for the cabling scheme.

    NOTE:  To bind the driver automatically when the file server is booted, add the following line to the AUTOEXEC.NCF file. In this example, the network number is 26 and the board name is BACKBONE. The line should follow the load command for the driver.

    BIND IPX TO BACKBONE NET=26


Driver Loaded More than Once for Additional Frame Types

To bind a protocol to a driver that is loaded with two or more frame types for the same network board, complete the following.


Procedure
  1. To bind IPX to an NE2000 driver, type

    BIND IPX TO NE2000 <Enter>

    A list of configurations for the driver appears.

  2. Enter the number of the configuration that you want to bind.

  3. Enter the network number for the cabling scheme.

    Each frame type must use its own unique network address for the cabling scheme. For additional information see "Network numbering" in Concepts.

    NOTE:  To bind the driver automatically when the file server boots, add the following line to the AUTOEXEC.NCF file. You must include complete configuration information. The line should follow the load command for the driver.

    BIND IPX TO NE2000 [PORT=300 INT=3 FRAME=ETHERNET_SNAP] NET=26

  4. Repeat the process for each frame type.