These release notes support the ptx®/SYNC V4.6.0 synchronous Wide Area Networking software, which is a prerequisite for all other ptx synchronous data communication products, such as ptx/SNA and ptx/X.25. This software works in conjunction with a Synchronous Communication Controller, or SCC, such as the SCC-P for the NUMA-Q® platform.
ptx/SYNC V4.6.0 requires DYNIX/ptx® V4.6.0 or later on a NUMA-Q system. ptx/SYNC is a requirement for ptx/SNA V4.6.1 or later and ptx/X.25 V4.5.1 or later.
ATTENTION On NUMA-Q systems, the sync board is the SBE PCI-360 Intelligent High-Speed Synchronous Serial Communications Adapter, or SCC-P.
System Type |
Board |
Supported Configurations |
NUMA-Q 1000 |
SCC-P (pci/SYNC) |
4 boards per Quad up to a maximum of 8 boards per system |
1 EIA-530 or X.21 line up to E1 per board, or |
||
4 EIA-530 or X.21 lines up to T1 per board, or |
||
4 RS-232 lines up to 19.2 Kbps per board |
||
NUMA-Q 2000 |
SCC-P (pci/SYNC) |
4 boards per Quad up to a maximum of 16 boards per system |
1 EIA-530 or X.21 line up to E1 per board, or |
||
4 EIA-530 or X.21 lines up to T1 per board, or |
||
4 RS-232 lines up to 19.2 Kbps per board |
To install ptx/SYNC, follow the instructions in the DYNIX/ptx V4.6.0 and Layered Product Software Installation Release Notes. Be sure to rebuild the kernel and reboot the system, as directed in the software installation release notes. It is recommended that the SCC board(s) be installed when the system is brought down to install the newly rebuilt kernel.
After installing the ptx/SYNC software and the SCC board(s), and before using ptx/SNA or ptx/X.25, set up the system using ptx/ADMIN® to automatically download the necessary firmware module to the board during boot-up.
ATTENTION On NUMA-Q systems during system bootup and download of the ptx/SYNC protocol module, the SCC-P LEDs will change states. (Consult your Customer Service Representative if you have questions.) After the ptx/SYNC protocol module has been successfully downloaded and initiated either by the applicable /etc/rc2.d/S43syncX script (where X is the board number) or the syctl(1M) command, the left LED should be on; the right, off.
In the unlikely event the protocol module panics, both the LEDs will be on. Contact your Service Representative.
After you have installed ptx/SYNC and the Synchronous Communications Controller(s), or SCC, and have rebooted the new kernel, set up the system to recognize the proper device name for each SCC and to automatically download a particular firmware module during the boot sequence.
For ptx/SYNC and SCC-P board(s) on NUMA-Q systems:
Invoke the ptx/ADMIN menu system by logging in as the root user and enter the following command:
# menu
Select the Network Administration menu.
Select the SYNC Setup menu.
Select the Add a Board option. SYNC boards that have not yet been set up are displayed with temporarily assigned names; for example:
ptx/SYNC Add a Board menu Board Quad sync0 0 sync1 0 Press S to select an entry
To select the board you plan to set up, highlight the entry with the cursor control keys and press the S key. The Add a SYNC Board screen will be displayed. In this example:
addnsync
Add a SYNC Board
Enter the Board number for "sync0" ____
Quad Number x
Enter Software(hdlc, sdlc or both) both
Enter a unique board number from 0 to 15 (inclusive). The Quad number is determined by the system and cannot be altered.
Enter a protocol from the list provided:
For example, to set up a new SYNC board in Quad0 for both ptx/SNA and ptx/X.25, enter the following information. You will change the temporary board number for sync0 to sync3.
addnsync
Add a SYNC Board
Enter the Board number for " sync0 " 3
Quad Number 0
Enter Software(hdlc, sdlc or both) both
To verify that the SYNC board has been added, press the Run key (usually F1) to see confirmation. For example:
devctl: Assigned sync0 -> sync3
Board sync3 has been added. Press Return to continue.
The board sync3 (device node /dev/com/sync3) is now set up and will automatically be downloaded at system boot time. Press the Return key to redisplay the SYNC Setup Menu.
To verify that the SYNC board has been set up, select the Configure a Board option from the SYNC Setup Menu to see a list of all the properly set-up SYNC boards. For example:
Configure ptx/SYNC Board Configuration Board Quad Slot Software 0 2 2 hdlc 3 0 2 both(hdlc/sdlc)
To change an entry, highlight the entry and press C.
To update the information, press the Run key (usually F1).
Exit from the menu system (usually F4 or Ctrl-X).
For the initial download of the firmware to the SCC, either reboot the system or execute the following command as the root user:
# /etc/rc2.d/S43syncx start
where x is the number assigned to the board. Each time the system reboots, the board will be downloaded.
ATTENTION This command is downloaded in the background and takes about ten seconds.
The number that appears in parentheses in problem report titles is the Problem Tracking Number assigned to the report. These problems will be corrected in a future release unless otherwise noted.
Alternate disk installation of ptx/SYNC V4.6.0 aborts if being installed from a release of DYNIX/ptx earlier than V4.6.0.
Workaround: Boot the system on the newly-installed disk partition and perform a root installation of ptx/SYNC V4.6.0.
(251714) SYNC wq deadlocked if allocb() fails and rq has pending bufcall()
(251612) NULL ptr panic from race between sync_close & msgblk_bufcall_wq
(251505) hdlcstat -z option does not zero statistics.
(250952) x25 stops receiving and eventually sync card may panic.