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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
cnsview -c "show log" /dev/cnsXX
XX is the number of the cns device having problems.
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.
"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:
lsdev -C | grep NW | pg
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.
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
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
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.
/usr/lpp/netware/bin/startnps
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.
cnsview -c "reboot" /dev/cnsXXcnsXX is the 7318 cns number.
Continue to the next section.
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.
To verify IPX communication between the 7318 and the host machine, send a broadcast IPX ping to every 7318 on the network.
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:
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".
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.
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).
/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.
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.
smitty ts7318_cs_mnu
A sample stanza output of a 7318 configuration follows:
[Entry Fields] ComNetServer Number 01 ComNetServer Network Address [00000002] ComNetServer Ethernet Address [00406ee00155] ComNetServer Bootfile
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.
This number is the 7318's hardware address and is listed on the back of the 7318.
Since we are not booting the 7318 (using an IPX broadcast load), the bootfile does not need to be specified.
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.
cnsview -c "reboot" /dev/cnsXX
cnsXX is the 7318 cns number.
If the 7318 and associated TTYs remain in a defined state, continue with the next section.
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.
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.
Below is a sample internal network number from the /etc/netware/NPSConfig file.
internal_network = "00000001"
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.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"
Terminal Server TTYs stay in a defined state if the SPX/IPX link is unstable or down.
/usr/lpp/netware/bin/rrouter
This command should return immediately with no output. Many times, this resets the SPX/IPX link.
If the 7318 and associated TTYs are still in a defined state, continue with the next section.
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).
config svclts 2sess periodic method vpd boot stats
# 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.
cnsview -c "reboot" /dev/cnsXX
cnsXX is the 7318 cns number.
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
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
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.
lslpp -h *cns* | pg
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. 23, 2001]