Administration
performed from either PMinstall or the install window of PMconsole. This is the preferred service because it makes the port operate like the serial ports physically installed in tile 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 a[ternate TCP port ii 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 (menu field)
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 the port operate like the serial ports physically installed in the
workstation, When selected, the port is accessed through a /der/try device on the host workstation.
Rlogin - This service is general 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. 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 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 the socket connection and immediately begin reading and writing data to the PortMaster. No special option negotiation or protocol is required. Tile 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
(keyboard entry field)
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 be the word "login:". If the string "$hostname' is included in the login prompt, the active Sun hostname is substituted for the string.
Autolog Name
(keyboard entry field)
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 the Autolog Name in response to the login prompt.
Host Overrides (menu field)
The PortMaster allows host overrides to be selected for Baud Rate, Parity, Databits, and Flow Control, This feature allows the Sun host to alter tile active parameters via Software control (i,e. system ioctl calls). Parameters which have a check mark in the box opposite them can be overridden. The default is that the 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:
L Select F2 (or Control-E) to view the Commands Menu. Select APPLY from this menu.
2. Select REMOTE RESET from the Commands Menu.
The new port configuration will now be in effect, until the PortMaster is rebooted, the power is removed from the PortMaster or the parameters are changed again and applied.
If you want to save the new configuration in the permanent PortMaster configuration, select SAVE from the Commands Menu.
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 heading "Host Device". In "Extended Mode" a specific Sun host (other than the default) may he entered for the port.
From the PortMaster Console screen, select the VIEW command. A screen similar to Figure 3-20 will be displayed,
Figure 3-20. View screen
This screen allows you to view the configuration and Status of each port. These values are refreshed each time you press the <RETURN> key.
Two sets of data can be displayed in the view screen. These are the "Active Configuration" and the "1/O Statistics". Both modes display the port, the port type, and the current status of the port.
When "Active Configuration" is selected (using F3 or F4 function keys), the screen displays data communications parameters such as baud rate, databits and parity.
When "IlO Statistics" is selected the screen displays input and output information. There are three columns labeled: Input, Output. and Pending. These relate to the number of bytes transferred in or out the port and the number of bytes in the 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 the 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 the same capability by maintaining a local hosts table.
Tile PortMaster hosts table should be used when any of the purls 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 the hosts table, then tile PortMaster will attempt to match the hostname using the Network Information Service (N1S), 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" command from the main
console menu.
The hosts table stored on the PortMaster disk will be automatically retrieved into a working file on the Sun
Workstation, PMconsole will then start an editor running to allow modifications to this file. As a default, PMconsole will run the "vi" editor. To choose an alternate editor, set the environment variable PM_EDITOR to the editor name,
Once edits or viewing have been completed, save the file and exit the editor. PMconsole will automatically download the file to the local hosts file in the PortMaster.
ASCII Terminal Command Interface
An) of the previously described administration activities of the PortMaster can be performed using an ASCII terminal connected to a PortMaster serial port. Simply connect an ASCII terminal to a PortMaster serial port. Set the ASCII terminal to the communication parameters which have been previously set for that port or the default parameters if no settings have been made (Default: 9,600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit. and no parity).
The ASCII Terminal Interface Commands
The following commands are available:
SET Command - set the various parameters to a particular state, baud rate, data bits, parity), device name, etc.
SHOW Command - shows the status of each port or all ports and global data,
REBOOT Command - reboot tile PortMaster to the currently saved configuration.
RESET Command - reset a port to tile currently stored configuration.
\ ERSION Command - displays the version number of the PortMaster software.
QUIT. DONE, EXIT Commands - leave the Command mode.
SAVE Command - save the current configuration to the PortMaster disk.
HELP Command - provides a very brief example of the command syntax.
ADD Command - adds entries to the local PortMaster hosts table.
DELETE Command - deletes entries from the local PortMaster hosts table.
To use the ASCII Command Interface, you must login to the PortMaster using a special administrators user name and password, At the login prompt enter:
login: !root
The PortMaster will request that you enter a password. This is the PortMaster administration password. After initial installation, there is no password. Upon entering the correct password, the program will display the prompt:
Command>
It is at this point that you can begin to use the PortMaster commands. Each command responds to the minimum number of characters, at least two, that are unique to that command~ Command entry is not case sensitive,
The SET command is used to set each of the configuration parameters, including global parameters, and port parameters.
The syntax for setting global parameters is:
SET parameter ~value
Where parameter is one of:
ADDRESS - The PortMaster network internet address. HOST - Tile Sun Workstation host internet address. GATE\\'WAY - The default gateway internet address. NETMASK - The subnetting internet address mask. YP SERVER - The YP server internet address.
and value is a valid host internet address in tile form:
XXX. XXX. XXX. XXX
where the XXX is a decimal number between 0 and 255. If the HOST parameter is specified, an optional value may be inserted before the internet address to specify alternate hosts. This extra value is a number between I and 4, "1" is the primary or default host and "2" through "4" are the alternate hosts,
- OR -
Where parameter? is:
DOMAIN - The YP domain to use on the YP server.
and value is the domain name.
- OR -
~,Where pararlTetel is:
PASSWORD - The PortMaster administration password,
and value is a string of characters to be used for the administration password.
The syntax for setting port types is:
SET port type [device]
Where port is one of: SO - S9 or PO
Type is one of:
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 tile host Sun Workstation.
DEVICE - the port will operate as a host controlled device on the Sun Workstation, The Host Device field described below must be entered.
TWOWAY - (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 the Sun Workstation. The Host Device field described be[ow must be entered.
DISABLED - can be used for port PO to disable tbe /dev entry. When reset, the PO port will go to an idle (unused) slate.
device is of the form;
/dev/<tty device>
This 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 /dev. 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-try devices that are in /der, sorted in numerical order. It is a quick way to check