DECbrouter 90 Products Configuration and Reference Volume 1

This document, "DECbrouter 90 Products Configuration and Reference, Volume 1," published in May 1993 by Digital Equipment Corporation, serves as a comprehensive guide for system administrators to configure and maintain the DECbrouter 90.

The summary covers the following key areas:

1. Router Product Overview:

   • Capabilities: Highlights the DECbrouter 90's role in achieving interoperability and connectivity in complex internetworks, supporting multiprotocol, multimedia, and multivendor environments.
   • Supported Protocols: Details a wide array of network protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, DECnet Phase IV, XNS, Novell IPX, AppleTalk, ISO CLNS/CMNS, X.25, Frame Relay, SMDS, PPP) and routing protocols (IGRP, OSPF, RIP, EGP, BGP, IS-IS).
   • Supported Media: Specifies industry-standard media like Ethernet (IEEE 802.3, Type II) and various synchronous serial interfaces (e.g., V.28, V.35, RS-232, X.21).

2. First-Time Startup and Basic Configuration:

   • Setup Facility: Describes an interactive SETUP command facility for initial basic configuration (host names, passwords, SNMP, routing, bridging).
   • EXEC Command Interpreter: Explains the command-line interface, its syntax, command levels (user and privileged), and navigation.
   • Configuration Management: Details how to enter and save configuration commands (global, interface, line, router subcommands) to nonvolatile memory or a remote host using TFTP, and how to set up auto-loading.
   • Flash Memory: Covers using flash memory for storing and booting system software images, including security precautions and procedures for copying and booting images.

3. Using Terminals:

   • Focuses on managing physical and virtual terminal connections (Telnet, LAT).
   • Explains how to establish, manage multiple, list, resume, name, exit, and disconnect sessions.
   • Covers changing terminal parameters like screen width, length, escape characters, and displaying debug messages.
   • Introduces the Digital MOP (Maintenance Operation Protocol) server for remote console access and system ID messages.

4. Configuring the System:

   • Global Parameters: Setting host names, displaying banner messages (message-of-the-day, EXEC, incoming), and configuring international character set widths.
   • System Resources: Adjusting system buffers (various sizes, permanent, free limits) and configuring boot file specifications.
   • Security: Establishing system and line passwords, including encryption, and setting up Terminal Access Control (TACACS) with options for host names, login attempts, retries, timeouts, and accounting.
   • SNMP: Configuring the Simple Network Management Protocol server, including access lists, community strings, message queue lengths, and TRAP message management.
   • Network Services: Tailoring services like TFTP autoloading, Finger protocol, and TCP keepalives.
   • Error Logging: Redirecting system error messages to various destinations like internal buffers, console, monitors, or UNIX syslog servers, with adjustable severity levels.
   • Console and Virtual Terminal Lines: Configuring specific line parameters, connection restrictions, and banner display.

5. Managing and Monitoring the System:

   • System Monitoring: Uses EXEC SHOW commands to display buffer pool statistics, memory utilization, active processes, stack utilization, system configuration, error logging conditions, and configured protocols.
   • Troubleshooting: Introduces DEBUG commands for real-time debugging (including time-stamping) and diagnostic tools like PING (for connectivity) and TRACE (for route discovery).
   • Configuration Management: Provides commands to erase, copy, and display system configuration information.

6. Configuring the Interfaces:

   • General Interface Setup: Details how to specify, describe, enable/disable, clear counters, and display status for interfaces.
   • Serial Interface Support: Covers encapsulation methods (HDLC, PPP, Frame Relay, SMDS, X.25) and their maintenance, monitoring, and debugging.
   • Ethernet Interface Support: Explains encapsulation methods (ARPA, IEEE 802.3, SNAP) and their management.
   • Dial Backup Service: Configures a secondary serial line for backup based on primary line failure or traffic load.
   • Dial-on-Demand Routing (DDR): Extensively covers DDR implementation, dialer types, idle/enable/carrier wait times, single and multiple destination dialing, dialer rotary groups, and access list integration for call initiation. Includes monitoring and debugging DDR.
   • Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP): Configures PPP encapsulation and Challenge Handshake Access Protocol (CHAP) for authentication.
   • Null Interface: Describes a pseudo-interface for filtering traffic.

7. Adjusting Interface Characteristics:

   • Performance Tuning: Adjusts serial interface characteristics like transmit delay and DTR pulsing.
   • Traffic Management: Configures switching and scheduling priorities, including priority output queuing (high, medium, normal, low queues) by protocol type, interface type, or serial link address.
   • Resource Control: Sets interface hold queue limits, bandwidth, delay values, and Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) sizes.
   • Diagnostics: Explains enabling loopback tests on serial interfaces.

8. Configuring Packet-Switched Software:

   • LAPB (X.25 Level 2): Covers configuration, single/multiple network protocols, parameter settings (retransmission timer, frame parameters), monitoring, and troubleshooting.
   • X.25: Provides in-depth coverage of Digital's X.25 support, including encapsulation methods (DTE/DCE), static address mapping, Permanent Virtual Circuits (PVCs), Switched Virtual Circuits (SVCs), protocol-to-virtual circuit mapping (CUD), Level 3 parameters (timers, packet sizes, flow control, call suppression, reverse-charged calls), bridging over X.25, DDN X.25, Blacker Emergency Mode, monitoring, and debugging.
   • CMNS (Connection-Mode Network Service): Details routing support, NSAP address mappings, monitoring, and debugging.
   • Frame Relay: Explains configuration, LMI mechanisms (ANSI, keepalives), DLCI mapping (address, multicast), and debugging.
   • SMDS (Switched Multimegabit Data Services): Covers requirements, configuration (addresses, ARP, static/multicast maps, AT&T d15-mode), specific protocol configurations (IP, AppleTalk, XNS, Novell), and IP fast switching.

This volume serves as a detailed reference for managing the complex networking functionalities of the DECbrouter 90, with a strong emphasis on command-line configurations and troubleshooting for a wide range of protocols and interface types.