I'm Confused

[dcseain]

I've been reading a lot of docs here at the new job, trying to figure out which end is up. The instructions in one has left me confused.


To install the BTI Appliance:

1. Install the appliance and install it in the rack.
   
   
2. Plug the network cable into the appropriate monitoring port on the desired switch.
   
   • Use the monitoring port configured to carry network traffic of the servers that Formula is to manage.
     
   • Up to three monitoring ports can be connected to a single appliance.
     
   • Port 80 (default), 8080, or 443.
   
   
3. Then, plug the network cable in to the appliance listening port.
   
   • On the back of the appliance there are 4 ports. eth0, eth1, eth2, and eth3.
     
   • Use eth1 for the management port, the 3 remaining may be used for listening ports. eth1 is the port in the center of the machine, labeled 1.
     
   • A standard network connection needs to be connected to eth0 for appliance management (BTI Adapter connectivity).
   
   
4. Plug the appliance power cord into a power outlet.
   
   
5. Turn the BTI appliance on.
   
   
6. Log on to the appliance as root (the default is username = root, password = ChangeMe). Usernames and passwords are case sensitive.

I'm especially confused because the ports on the back are labelled, from left to right: 1, 2, 1, 0, where 1&2 or built-in and 1&0 are on a PCI NIC. What i think it's saying as that 1, 2, 1, 0 = 0, 1, 2, 3. I theorize it may be a PCI NIC issue, as the OS (Linux) cannot initialize eth4. The servers are IBM eServers, xSeries 306.

Comments

[ksatyr.livejournal.com]

Only suggestion I can make is to type "ifconfig" on the linux box and see what ports linux thinks it has (and incidentally, what IP addresses are already assigned.)

[dcseain.livejournal.com]

I know from bootup sequence that linux thinks it has eth1-4, and that 4 has issues. Not having done hardware and/or networking in nearly a decade, i forget what mechanism one uses to determine which port is which.

[ksatyr.livejournal.com]

Odd. Linux should give you eth0-3, but I guess it would be possible to skip one, or perhaps there's another on the motherboard that gets eth0.

If you do the ifconfig (which may be /sbin/ifconfig or /usr/sbin/ifconfig) to get IP addresses, you could ping something on the same subnet and then look see if anything lights up on the port in time with the ping. If there are no lights on the port, perhaps plug each in turn into a small switch that's not connected to anything else?

Very odd documentation though.

[dcseain.livejournal.com]

Very odd documentation though.

I'm so glad to hear you say that. I thought it was just me. I'm free to rewrite it, so if you've suggestions for clarification, i'm all for it.

And i guess it will require going into the /usr/sbin/ifconfig/ and testing my day away tomorrow. WEEE! I'll have to find another network cable, which shouldn't be too bad.

[ksatyr.livejournal.com]

Oh, and now I think about it, if ifconfig returns nothing, or even if it returns something, you can always use the same tool to remove all the ip addresses from all the ports and then just set one up at a time. That way life will be a lot easier.

ifconfig del ip-address ethN for N=0-4 to remove.
ifconfig add 192.168.1.1 eth0 to add.

Then just ping 192.168.1.255 (the broadcast address for this subnet) and see which port lights up and that's your eth0. Delete it and change to eth1, etc.

I was so boggled by the documentation as reported that I'd not have a clue how to make it mean anything. Once you know which port is which, though, it may become apparent.

[dcseain.livejournal.com]

Once you know which port is which, though, it may become apparent.

Thus i am hoping. I'm supposed to be primary support for the appliance.

I can send you the full doc if your curiosity stretches that far. I've made it to p14 of 44 according to Acroread7. Page 13 is the one the excerpt comes from. It's been hard to get back into reading it with that confusion hanging over it. and it'll be tomorrow before i can get a box to play with. Alas.

[ksatyr.livejournal.com]

Yes, happy to read. Assuming company rules won't be broken and jobs put at risk.

[dcseain.livejournal.com]

I done sent it to you, as i'm guessing you may alread be aware.

[ksatyr.livejournal.com]

Got!