These are the parameters that can be selected from this window:
Port Type
User Login - (default) the specified port will display a login prompt to the user. After successful baud rate matching and receiving a login name, the user will be transferred directly to a login session on the host Sun Workstation,
Host Device - the port will operate as a host controlled device on tile Sun Workstation. The Host Device field described below must be entered.
Two-Way - (or bidirectional) the port will operate in User Login mode if carrier is detected on pin 8 of the RS-232-C connector. Otherwise it can be accessed as a host controlled device on tile Sun Workstation. The Host Device field described below must be entered.
Host Device
This is field will be displayed (and is required) in either the Host Device or Two-Way modes. The Host Device name is the name of a pseudo try device in the workstation directory /der. Standard device entries are:
/dev/ttyp0 - /dev/ttypf /dev/ttyq0 - /dev/ttyqf /dev/ttyr0 - /dev/ttyrf /dev/ttys0 - /dev/ttysf
There is a utility included with the PortMaster software called Istty. This program lists only the pseudo-tty devices that are in /der, sorted in numerical order. It is a quick way to check on what pseudo-try devices you have in your /dev directory. This program resides in the /usr/portmaster directory. Simply Use tile command:
Istty
See Appendix A for discussion of device drivers. Terminal Type
This optional field will be displayed in either the User Login or Two-Way modes. When a new session is established on the host Sun Workstation, this terminal type will automatically
be set in the user's environment. A valid entry from the Sun's /etc/term cap file should be entered. If this field is left blank, the host Sun Workstation will assume a "dumb" terminal.
Baud Rates
Three different baud rates may be specified. These baud rates are used for speed matching with the device being attached to the PortMaster. Speeds are sequentially matched from the first baud rate (left side) through the third baud rate (right side). In Host Device mode, only the first baud rate is used.
First baud - the first baud rate that PortMaster uses to synchronize with the attached device, (default = 9600 baud)
Second baud - the second baud rate that PortMaster uses to synchronize with the attached device. (default = 2400 baud)
Third baud - the third baud rate that PortMaster uses to synchronize with the attached device, (default = 1200 baud)
Modem Control
On or off may be selected. The default is "off". If "on" is selected the PortMaster uses the modem carrier detect line. The device will be idle until the carrier detect line becomes true.
Parity
Even, odd, or none may be selected. The default is "none". This value should be set to match the device being attached to the PortMaster. When even or odd is selected, 7 databits and I stopbit are assumed. When none is selected, 8 databits and 1 stopbit are assumed. See the "Extended Mode Parameters" section if another combination is required.
Login Message
Tile message to be displayed to the user prior to the login prompt. Up to 255 characters can be in the message.
In addition the the parameters described above in "Standard Mode Parameters", the following parameters may be set when Extended Mode is selected.
Data bits
5, 6, 7, or 8 databits may be selected. The default is 8. This value should be set to match the device being attached to the PortMaster.
Stop bits
I or 2 stop bits may be selected. Tile default is 1. This value should be set to match the device being attached to the PortMaster.
Flow Control
PortMaster supports two types of flow control:
Xon/Xof[ - This is a software flow control which is supported by most devices. By using ASCll control characters DC1 and DC3 tile PortMaster communicates with the attached device to start and stop the flow of data.
RTS/CTS - This is for devices where hardware flow control is required. When the PortMaster is able to receive data from the attached device, it raises Request to Send (RTS) on pin 4 of the RS-232 connector. Output from the PortMaster will only~ occur if the Clear to Send (CTS) modem line on pin 5 of the RS-232 connector is raised by the attached device.
Host
The port can be configured to support three different ways of determining the Sun Host to establish a session on:
Default - In this mode, the host entries entered in the global (network) edit screen are used for this port.
Prompt - In this mode, the user is given a host prompt (before the standard login prompt). The user then is required to enter a valid host name or internet address for a Sun host on the network.
Specified - In this mode a primary host and up to three alternate hosts may be entered for this specific port. In this way each port can be independently assigned to a specific Sun Workstation. When this option is selected, the additional fields will appear on the display for the entry of the host names.
Login Service
The port can be configured to use one of four different network services for establishing login sessions.
PortMaster - This is the default service and can be used with any host workstation which has had a "Host Installation" performed from either PMinstall or the install window of PMconsole. This is the preferred service because it makes tile port operate like the serial ports physically installed in the workstation. In addition it is the most efficient and highest performance service available.
Rlogin - This service is generally supported by a large number of mixed UNIX based computers. Therefore, where it is impractical to utilize the PortMaster service, Rlogin should be selected.
Telnet - This service is generally supported by a most TCP/IP computers. Therefore, in a network where mixed hardware and operating systems will be used by this port, Telnet should be selected. The default TCP port number for telnet is 23, however an additional data entry field is provided to enter an alternate TCP port if required.
Netdata - This service can be used to create a virtual connection between this port and another serial port on a different PortMaster. The default TCP port number for netdata is 6000, however an additional data entry field is provided to enter an alternate TCP port if required. The serial port on the remote PortMaster must be configured as a Host Device Port using the same service and TCP port number.
Device Service
The port can be configured to use one of four different network device services.
PortMaster - This is the default service and can be used with any host workstation which has had a "Host Installation" performed from either PMinstall or the install window of PMconsole. This is the preferred service because it makes tile port operate like the serial ports physically installed in the workstation. When selected, the port is accessed through a /dev/tty device on the host workstation.
Rlogin - This service is generally supported by a large number of mixed UNIX based computers. Therefore, this service can be utilized to allow UNIX based workstations on the network to initiate an Rlogin session to the PortMaster. Once the session is successfully established, the host application will be able to directly read and write data to the serial port. If multiple ports on the PortMaster are configured to use this service, it will automatically create a "pool" of ports which can
be accessed by other hosts. When all ports are in use, new users will be given a "Connection Refused" indication.
Telnet - This service is generally supported by a most TCP/IP computers. Therefore, this service can be utilized to allow many different types of computers on the network to initiate a telnet session to the PortMaster. Once the session is successfully established, the host application will be able to directly read and write data to the serial port. If multiple ports on the PortMaster are configured to use this service, it will automatically create a "pool" of ports which can be accessed by other hosts. When all ports are in use, new users will be given a "Connection Refused" indication. Tile default TCP port number for telnet is 23, however an additional data entry field is provided to enter an alternate TCP port if required.
Netdata - This service can be used for customized application programs that need a TCP connection directly to a serial port on the PortMaster. Programs which use the "socket" interface (or a similar TCP interface) are provided with a direct data link to the PortMaster serial port. Port operating parameters are set with PMconsole. The application can then open tile socket connection and immediately begin reading and writing data to the PortMaster. No special option negotiation or protocol is required. The default TCP port number for netdata is 6000, however an additional data entry field is provided to enter an alternate TCP port if required. If multiple ports on the PortMaster are configured to use this service with the same TCP port number, it will automatically create a "pool" of ports which can be accessed by other hosts.
Login Prompt
This field allows the administrator to customize the login prompt the user will see. Any valid ASCII characters may be
entered. The default is to display the Sun Host Name followed he the word 'login:'. If the string "$hostname' is included in the login prompt, the active Sun hostname is substituted for the string.
Autolog Name
If this field is filled in, the user will not receive the standard login prompt. Instead, the PortMaster will automatically initiate a session on the Sun Workstation as if the user had typed tile Autolog Name in response to the login prompt.
Host Overrides
Tile PortMaster allows host overrides to be selected for Baud Rate, Parity, Databits, and Flow Control. This feature allows tile Sun host to alter the active parameters via software control (system ioctl calls). Parameters which have a check mark in the box opposite them can be overridden. The default is that tile Sun Host can only turn Xon/Xoff flow control on and off. This is useful for many UNIX utilities like uucp and tip. If the parameter is not checked it cannot be overridden. In this case system requests to change these parameters will be ignored.
Enabling Serial Port Parameters
If you would like to try a new port configuration, without saving to tile PortMaster disk:
1. Select APPLY
2. Select REMOTE RESET
The new port configuration will now be in effect, until power is removed from the PortMaster or changed again.
If you want to save the new configuration in the permanent PortMaster configuration, select SAVE.
Setting the Parallel Port Configuration
This device type is always Host Device. For the parallel port to become active, assign a Host Device name (/dev/<device>) as described above under the beading "Host Device". In "Extended Mode" a specific Sun host (other than the default) may be entered for the port.
From the PortMaster Console window, select the VIEW button. A window similar to Figure 3-6 will be displayed,
This window allows you to view the configuration and Status of each port. These values are refreshed at a specific rate as defined by the "Refresh Rate" values. Use the cycling-arrow icon or the slide bar to set the Refresh Rate. The Refresh Rate
slide bar can be set to correspond to either seconds, minutes or hours by, selection with the mouse.
Two sets of data can be displayed in the view window. These are tire "Active Configuration" and the "1/0 Statistics", Both modes display the port, its active host, the port type, and the current status of the port.
When "Active Configuration" is selected, the window displays data communications parameters such as baud rate, databits and parity.
When "I/O Statistics" is selected the window displays input and output information, There are three columns labeled: Input, Output, and Pending, These relate to the number of bytes transferred m our out the port and the number of bytes in tile PortMaster output buffer which are pending to be output. There are also three error counts displayed: Overrun, Parity and Framing errors,
Each device attached to tile Ethernet (with uses TCP/IP) is assigned a unique internet address. Internet addresses are four byte numerical values. To make it easier to remember these values, most systems on the network support a way of aliasing the internet address to some unique and easy to remember name. This is done on the Sun Workstation (and other UNIX systems) in the /etc/hosts file, The PortMaster also supports tile same capability by maintaining a local hosts table.
The PortMaster hosts table should be used when any of the ports are set to prompt the user for a host name on the network. This table is then consulted to determine the correct internet address of the host.
If the hostname specified by the user is not found in tile hosts table, then the PortMaster will attempt to match the hostname using the Network Information Service (NIS), also known as "YP". See the section "Global Configuration" for more information on setting the YP server and YP domain.
To view or edit the PortMaster hosts table, log in to the PortMaster and select the "Hosts" button from the main
Console.
The following window will be displayed:
The mouse buttons across the top of the Hosts window are use to access the available functions, The buttons are:
Open - Retrieves the current hosts table from the PortMaster and displays it in the scrollable text window.
Save - Saves the hosts entries shown in the text window as the new hosts table for the PortMaster.
Done - removes the Hosts Window from view.