Troubleshooting 7318 TTYs in a Stopped/Defined State


Contents

About this document
Prerequisite information
Terminal Server port configuration in the S20 configuration file
Syntax errors in the configuration file
Check the TTY state
Check the terminal server daemons
Use the mkdev command to make the TTYs active
Check the IPX communication channel
IPX network configuration
7318 SMIT configuration
Checking for unique IPX internal network numbers
Reset the SPX/IPX link
Setting up error logging
PTF level

About this document

This document is designed to assist a system administrator with troubleshooting TTYs in a defined and/or stopped state on a 7318 Terminal Server (P10, or P10 Style Ports on a 7318 model S20). The system administrator must possess a knowledge of AIX administration and the 7318. Using this document, troubleshooting a TTYs defined/stopped state takes approximately 20 minutes.

Terminal Server TTY operation requires an active IPX communication channel between the Terminal Server and the host and active daemons on the host. If the IPX communication channel is down, it is possible that either the daemons are not active or the Terminal Server configuration is incorrect. When this occurs, the TTYs on the Terminal Server will appear in a defined or stopped state.

This document is comprised of modules that contain specific troubleshooting steps. The modules have been arranged from general to specific troubleshooting issues. It may not be necessary to complete all the modules to correct the problem. If the problem is not resolved using this document, please contact an IBM AIX Technical Specialist.

This document applies to AIX Versions 3.2 through 4.x.

Remote configuration

If the 7318 is on a remote network, TTY ports can still be configured for the 7318 on the host. An IPX communication channel must be configured and active between the host and the 7318. The steps for troubleshooting the Terminal Server TTYs (P10 Style Port configuration) are the same for a local or remote network configuration.


Prerequisite information

Assumptions

Before using this document, the following is assumed:

Terms used in this document

Requirements

To use this document effectively, it is necessary to:

Terminal Server port configuration in the S20 configuration file

NOTE: If you are using a P10, skip to the next section, "Syntax errors in the configuration file".

Incorrect Terminal Server port configuration in the S20 configuration file is a common cause of TTYs being in a defined state. Each port configured as a Terminal Server port (TTY) must have the application parameter set to reserved in every session.

  1. Open the S20 configuration file with your favorite editor.

    The default S20 configuration is /usr/lib/cns/s20.cfg. Do not make modifications to this file. Each 7318 should have its own, unique configuration file, usually named 00406eXXXXXX.cfg where XXXXXX are the last six digits of the 7318's Ethernet address.

  2. Search for PortNN (where NN is the port number) on which the TTY device is configured.
     
  3. Each port has four session stanzas by default. Each port can have up to seven session stanzas.

    Verify that the application= line in each session stanza is set to reserved.

    Sample configuration for Port00 looks like the following:

        [Session0] 
        port=0 
        session=0 
        application=reserved 
        device=LDTCOM 
        [Session1] 
        port=0 
        session=1 
        application=reserved 
        device=LDTCOM 
        [Session2] 
        port=0 
        session=2 
        application=reserved 
        device=LDTCOM 
        [Session3:] 
        port=0 
        session=3 
        application=reserved 
        device=LDTCOM 
    
  4. Repeat step 3 for each port which is configured for a TTY.
     
  5. Once all the port stanzas have been checked, exit and save any changes made to this file.

    If any changes were made, reboot the 7318 so that it downloads its modified configuration file. If the Terminal Server Port configuration is correct in the S20 configuration file, continue with the next section.


Syntax errors in the configuration file

To ensure that there are no errors in the downloaded configuration file, check the 7318's internal log. There are two ways to display this log.

  1. On the host, enter:
        cnsview -c "show log" /dev/cnsXX 
    

    XX is the number of the cns device having problems.

  2. From a terminal attached to an S20 style port on a 7318 S20 (that is, a non-tty port), execute the following command sequence:
        admin 
        show log 
    

    In the right column of the 7318's log the displayed text describes the error. If the error is related to the configuration file, it will indicate the section or session number with the problem. If this is the case, double-check the syntax in the particular section listed.


Check the TTY state

The 7318 and associated TTYs will be in one of these states:
  • defined
  • stopped
  • available

    State definitions

    "Defined" or "stopped" means the TTY has been defined on the host, but the IPX communication channel (SPX link) between the 7318 and the host is not active. There may also be an incorrect configuration for the Terminal Server in the S20 configuration file, or the daemons that monitor the Terminal Server operation are not active (npsd, sapd, cnsview).

    "Available" means the IPX communication channel is active and the ports are ready for use.

    To check the state of the 7318 and associated TTY devices, follow these steps:

    1. Enter:
          lsdev -C | grep NW | pg 
      
    2. Verify the device state. If the 7318 (cns device) or associated TTYs are in a stopped or a defined state, verify all the configuration steps listed above and continue with the next section. If the 7318 (cns device) or associated TTYs are in an available state but you are still unable to communicate with the TTY devices, please contact an AIX Technical Specialist.

    Check the terminal server daemons

    The Terminal Server depends on many daemons for operation. The sapd and npsd daemons (Novell Protocol Suite) manage the IPX channel for communication and the cnsview daemon manages all Terminal Server devices and processes on the host. All three daemons must be active for Terminal Server configuration.

    1. Check if the IPX npsd daemon is active. Enter:
          ps -ef | grep npsd 
      

      Sample output when the daemon is active follows:

          root  5150    1   0 06:45:54     -  0:00 ./npsd 
          root 16170 15336  2 15:47:33 pts/1  0:00 grep npsd 
      
    2. Check if the IPX sapd daemon is active. Enter:
          ps -ef | grep sapd 
      

      Sample output when the daemon is active follows:

          root  5404     1   0 06:45:52      -  0:09 ./sapd 
          root 16178 15336   5 15:47:39 pts/1  0:00 grep sapd 
      
    3. Check if the cnsview daemon is active. Enter:
          ps -ef | grep cnsview 
      

      Sample output when the daemon is active follows:

      root  3370   1   0 06:46:03    -  0:03 /usr/bin/cnsview -c daemon start 
      root 18978 15336   6 15:47:25  pts/1  0:00 grep cnsview 
      

      If two lines were shown for every command (the active process and grep), please continue to the next section. Use the mkdev command to make the TTYs active.

      If the cnsview daemon is active but the sapd and/or npsd daemons are not active, stop the cnsview daemon and restart all three daemons using the sequence in step 4 below. To stop the cnsview daemon, enter:

          cnsview -c "daemon stop" 
      

      If two lines were not shown for every command (the active process and grep), start these daemons as described in the next step.

    4. To start the sapd and npsd daemons, enter:
          /usr/lpp/netware/bin/startnps 
      
    5. To start the cnsview daemon, execute:
          cnsview -c "daemon start" 
      

      NOTE: The cnsview daemon cannot be active until both the sapd and npsd daemons are active. If you are stopping daemons and yet they are still listed as an active system process, execute a kill -1 on the process id and restart all three daemons using the sequence in the preceding step 4. If this is not successful, please contact an IBM AIX Technical Specialist.

    6. Once these daemons are active, reboot the 7318. This can be done in two ways.

      1. Issue the command:
          cnsview -c "reboot" /dev/cnsXX
        
        cnsXX is the 7318 cns number.
         
      2. Recycle the 7318's power by unplugging and re-plugging the power cord.

      Continue to the next section.


    Use the mkdev command to make the TTYs active

    If the 7318 and associated TTYs are in a defined state and the daemons are active, it is possible to force the host to re-load the device configuration (make the TTY device) which sometimes brings the device available. To make a TTY device, enter:

        mkdev -l cnsNN 
        mkdev -l ttyNN 
    

    NN is the number of the appropriate 7318 or TTY device.

    If the device does not come available, continue with the next step.


    Check the IPX communication channel

    To verify IPX communication between the 7318 and the host machine, send a broadcast IPX ping to every 7318 on the network.

    1. To send a broadcast IPX ping, enter:
          cnsview -c "ipxping -b" 
      

      To IPX ping a specific 7318, enter:

      cnsview -c "ipxping external_ipx_network_number:7318's_ethernet_address" 
      

      For example:

          cnsview -c "ipxping 00000002:00406ee00155" 
      

      Sample output follows:

      [root@ivorye] / 
      cnsview -c "ipxping -b"00000002:00406ee00175 is responding but not online 
      00000002:00406ee00155 is responding but not online 
      00000002:00406ef000f0 is responding and online 
      

      NOTE:

      • The success of an IPX ping implies the 7318 is powered on, there is an IPX path to the 7318, and routers, if any, are routing the packets correctly.
      • The success of an IPX ping does not imply that the 7318 has booted or that the SPX link is present.

    2. Check if the 7318 is listed in the output.

      If the 7318 is listed, continue with IPX network configuration. If the 7318 is not listed and is remote from the host, then the router is most likely not forwarding IPX packets. Check with your network administrator to verify that the router is passing IPX packets. If the 7318 is not listed and is local to the host (on the same LAN, including hubs) check if the IPX network, on which the 7318 resides is listed in the host's IPX routing tables. See the next section "IPX network configuration".


    IPX network configuration

    The host's IPX routing table can be viewed by executing the program, /usr/lpp/netware/bin/drouter. If the IPX network is configured properly, it will be listed in the IPX routing table.

    Remote configurations:

    All remote IPX networks will appear in the host's IPX routing table if there is an active IPX communication channel between the two IPX networks (that is, the router or gateway is configured correctly and passes IPX packets).

    1. To view the host's IPX routing table, enter:
          /usr/lpp/netware/bin/drouter 
      

      Sample output follows:

      NETWORK   HOPS    TIME    NODE         NETWORK  HOPS  TIME   NODE 
      --------  -----   ------- -------      -------- ----  ------ -------- 
      00000001  0000    0001    000000000001 00000002 0000  0001   02608C2F7119 
      00000003  0000    0001    02608C2F1591 00000004 0001  0002   00406E0002F5 
      00000005   0001      0002    00406E0002DB 
      END OF TABLE      5 known networks 
      [root@levesconte] /#> 
      

      NETWORK is the network number, internal or external. There should be one entry in this table for each network segment in the overall network.

      HOPS is the number of routers which must be passed through to get to this network.

      NODE is the ethernet address of the station used to get to the network.

    2. Verify that the IPX network on which the 7318 resides is shown in the listing. If an IPX network is listed (not necessarily the IPX network on which the 7318 resides), check the 7318 device configuration to make sure that it has been assigned the correct IPX network number. Continue to the next section, "7318 SMIT Configuration". If the 7318's network is not listed and the Terminal Server is remote from the host (on the other side of a gateway or router), verify that the router or gateway is configured to pass IPX packets (see your network administrator). If an IPX network is not listed, refer to the documentation concerning IPX network configuration.

    7318 SMIT configuration

    The S20 can function as either a Communications Server (TCP/IP) or a Terminal Server (IPX). When the S20 is configured as a Terminal Server (TTYs), the 7318 and each TTY configured for the Terminal Server ports must be added as a device on the host. If the 7318's device definitions are incorrect, the host will not be able to open an active IPX communication channel to the Terminal Server. This section verifies the 7318 device configuration on the host.

    1. Start SMIT and use the fast path below:
          smitty ts7318_cs_mnu 
      
    2. Choose Show/Change Configured ComNetServers.
       
    3. Select the appropriate 7318.

      A sample stanza output of a 7318 configuration follows:

      [Entry Fields]
      ComNetServer Number      01
      ComNetServer Network Address         [00000002]
      ComNetServer Ethernet Address        [00406ee00155]
      ComNetServer Bootfile 
      
    4. Check if the ComNetServer Network Address is correct.

      It should match an IPX network address listed in the host's IPX routing table. Verify IPX network configuration, using /usr/lpp/netware/bin/drouter. Change the network address if it is incorrect. If the network address is not listed in the host's IPX routing table, either change the 7318's network address in the ComNetServer configuration stanza or check with your network administrator to verify the correct IPX network configuration.

    5. Check if the ComNetServer Ethernet Address is correct.

      This number is the 7318's hardware address and is listed on the back of the 7318.

    6. For all other boot configurations EXCEPT IPX broadcast load configuration, make sure the ComNetServer Bootfile is not specified (blank entry).

      Since we are not booting the 7318 (using an IPX broadcast load), the bootfile does not need to be specified.

    7. If any modifications were made, press Enter to implement the changes.

      Otherwise, continue to step 8 of this section.

      NOTE: SMIT automatically refreshes the cnsview daemons. Reboot the 7318. This can be done in two ways.

      1. Issue the following command:
            cnsview -c "reboot" /dev/cnsXX 
        

        cnsXX is the 7318 cns number.
         

      2. Or, recycle the 7318's power by unplugging and re-plugging the power cord.
    8. Check the device and TTY state (see the section "Check the TTY state" of this document).

      If the 7318 and associated TTYs remain in a defined state, continue with the next section.

    9. If the 7318's SMIT configuration is correct, delete the 7318 device configuration and re-add the 7318 once more.

      It is possible that the device data in the ODM is corrupt and a complete reconfiguration solves the problem. If it is still unsuccessful, continue with the next section.


    Checking for unique IPX internal network numbers

    If any two IPX hosts on the same inter-network have the same internal network number, the SPX link between the 7318 and the host will be unstable and the 7318 may not boot. Therefore, no two hosts can have the same IPX internal network number.

    NOTE: The default internal network number is 00000001 but it can be any eight digit hexadecimal number (it is usually the last eight digits of the host's mac address). The internal network number must also be different from the LAN network numbers in the environment.

    1. Open the /etc/netware/NPSConfig file with your favorite editor.
    2. Search on "internal_network".

      Below is a sample internal network number from the /etc/netware/NPSConfig file.

      internal_network = "00000001" 
      
    3. Check the internal_network number in the /etc/netware/NPSConfig file on every other IPX host on the network (repeat steps 1 and 2).

      If all the internal_network numbers are unique, continue to the next section.

      If any internal network numbers are the same, make each host's internal network number unique and continue with step 4.

    4. After making any modifications to the /etc/netware/NPSConfig file, save the changes and exit the file.
       
    5. Execute the command sequence below on each modified host to recycle the IPX daemons.

      WARNING: Recycling these daemons will disconnect any device communicating with the host via IPX including P10 Style Ports.

      cnsview -c "daemon stop" 
      /usr/lpp/netware/bin/stopnps 
      /usr/lpp/netware/bin/startnps 
      cnsview -c "daemon start" 
      
    6. Continue with the next section.

    Reset the SPX/IPX link

    Terminal Server TTYs stay in a defined state if the SPX/IPX link is unstable or down.

    1. To reset the SPX/IPX router table, execute:
          /usr/lpp/netware/bin/rrouter 
      

      This command should return immediately with no output. Many times, this resets the SPX/IPX link.

    2. Check the TTY state once more (see the section "Check the TTY state" of this document).

      If the 7318 and associated TTYs are still in a defined state, continue with the next section.


    Setting up error logging

    Many times error reporting can show why the Terminal Server is not booting properly. When configured, these errors and their codes can be logged to a file. This section sets up error reporting for cns (software that manages the Terminal Server).

    1. To setup error reporting, open the /usr/lib/cns/cnsd.conf file with a text editor.
       
    2. Search for the entry log:
          config  svclts  2sess   periodic method vpd     boot    stats 
      
    3. If this line is commented out, remove the # sign at the beginning of the line.
       
    4. Save the modifications and exit the editor.
       
    5. Recycle the cnsview daemon to start error reporting, enter:
      # cnsview -c "daemon stop"
      # cnsview -c "daemon start" 
      

      WARNING: All other Terminal Server communication (IPX) will be stopped on the host when these daemons are recycled.

    6. Reboot the 7318. This can be done in two ways.
      1. Execute the following command:
            cnsview -c "reboot" /dev/cnsXX 
        

        cnsXX is the 7318 cns number.

      2. Or, recycle the 7318's power by unplugging and re-plugging the power cord.
         
      3. Both the device driver and the cnsview daemon will log errors to different files. These files are the /usr/lib/cns/cnsd.log file and the AIX error log.

        NOTE: The resource names used in the AIX error log are as follows:

        cnsdd - Events logged by the CNS device driver 
        cnsview - Events logged by the CNSVIEW daemon for the 7318 units 
        cnld - Events logged by the CNSVIEW daemon associated with downloading/ 
           booting 
        
      4. To review the driver-logged errors, enter:
        errpt -aNcnsdd | more 
        

        NOTE: Every 3-4 minutes, the cnsview daemon checks the status of the SPX links to those 7318 devices which were configured. When the SPX links are not present, an error log entry similar to the following is made:

        ERROR LABEL:            CNS_DISCONNECT 
        ERROR ID:               5EBD0D06 
        Date/Time:              Fri Jun  9 22:34:41 
        Sequence Number:        9987 
        Machine Id:             000001871800 
        Node Id:                        levesconte 
        Error Class:            S 
        Error Type:             PERM 
        Resource Name:  cnsdd 
        Error Description 
        Driver for ComServer 
        Probable Causes 
        REMOTE NODE 
        Failure Causes 
        COMMUNICATIONS/REMOTE NODE 
        SOFTWARE PROGRAM 
        Recommended Actions 
        RUN STANDALONE DIAGNOSTICS 
        Detail Data 
        ERROR CODE 
        0000 0000 
        Comm 
        Probable Cause 
        REMOTE NODE 
        Failure Causes 
        COMMUNICATIONS/REMOTE NODE 
        SOFTWARE PROGRAM 
        Recommended Actions 
        RUN STANDALONE DIAGNOSTICS 
        Detail Data 
        ERROR CODE 
        0000 0000 
        Communications Device Name: 
        00406e0002db 
        
      5. If the problem is undetermined, make copies of the error reports and send them to an IBM AIX Technical Specialist.

      PTF level

      If the 7318 still fails to boot, there may be a problem with the cns software. If you suspect a software bug, run the following command to determine the level of the cns software on the system.

      • For AIX 3.2, AIX 4.2 and AIX 4.3, enter:
        lslpp -h *cns* | pg 
        
      • For AIX 4.1, enter:
        lslpp -h *7318* |pg 
        

      Contact AIX Support Line or use the FixDist application for a listing of the latest PTFs for the 7318 software.




      [ Doc Ref: 90605224514674     Publish Date: Oct. 19, 2000     4FAX Ref: 7445 ]