Table of Contents

Basic NRP Configuration

This chapter describes how to perform a basic configuration for the node route processors (NRP-1, NRP-2, and NRP-2SV). The Cisco 6400 can contain multiple NRP modules, configured to operate independently or as 1+1 redundant pairs (NRP-1 only at this time). This chapter contains the following sections:

For information on differences among the NRP types, see the release notes for your specific software images. Also see Table 1-1.

NRP-1 Configuration

This section describes configuration information specific to the NRP-1, including:

Methods Available for Configuring the NRP-1

The following methods are available for configuring the NRP-1:

For general information on basic Cisco IOS configuration, see the Cisco IOS Configuration Fundamentals Configuration Guide.

Note   If your Telnet station or Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) network management workstation and the Cisco 6400 are on different networks, you must either use Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) to provide a default route, or add a static routing table entry to the routing table. To assign a static IP route, use the ip route global configuration command.

Initial NRP-1 Configuration

An NRP-1 running Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)DC or later comes preinstalled with a default configuration and does not require initial configuration.

The following sections describe how to configure the NRP-1 for the first time:

Using DHCP

If you plan to configure a DHCP server to inform the NRP-1 of its IP address and mask, write down the Media Access Control (MAC) address of the server's Ethernet port.

Optionally, take note of a default gateway address and static routes to the DHCP server.

Note   The Cisco 6400 performs a DHCP request only if the NME interface is configured with the ip address negotiated interface configuration command.

DHCP is the default IP assignment protocol for a new NRP-1, or for an NRP-1 that has had its configuration file cleared by means of the erase nvram:startup-config command. For DHCP, an Ethernet IP address, subnet mask, and the default route are retrieved from the DHCP server for any interface set with the ip address negotiated command. To configure DHCP, add an entry in the DHCP database using the instructions that came with your DHCP server.

Checking the Software Release Version and Choosing the Configuration Method

Complete the following steps to check the software release version and prepare for initial configuration:

After the NRP-1 autoboots, the following information appears to verify that the router has booted successfully.

Take note of the software release version included in the display. For information on upgrading to a higher release version, see Upgrading Software on the Cisco 6400.

Step 2   Press Return. After a few seconds, the user EXEC prompt Router> appears. Use the enable EXEC command to enter privileged EXEC mode:

The prompt changes to the privileged EXEC prompt, from which you can manually configure the NRP-1. Proceed to the "Configuring the NRP-1" section.

Configuring the NRP-1

To perform an initial basic NRP-1 configuration, complete the following steps:

The prompt changes to the global configuration mode prompt.

Step 2   Enter the enable secret (which is a secure encrypted password) and the enable password (which is a nonencrypted password). The passwords should be different for maximum security. The following example sets the enable secret to "walnut" and the enable password to "pecan":

An enable secret can contain from 1 to 25 uppercase and lowercase alphanumeric characters; an enable password or virtual terminal password can contain any number of uppercase and lowercase alphanumeric characters. In all cases, a number cannot be the first character. Spaces are also valid password characters. Leading spaces are ignored; trailing spaces are recognized.

Step 3   Enter a host name for the NRP-1. The default host name is Router. The host name appears in the CLI prompt.

Step 4   If you are upgrading the NRP-1 from an earlier software version to Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)DC or later, you can configure the NRP-1 to support network management Ethernet (NME) consolidation with the NSP. Complete the following steps to enable NME consolidation:

or

Step 5   Store the running configuration in NVRAM as the startup configuration:

When the NRP-1 reloads, it runs the startup configuration. If you do not perform Step 5, your configuration changes will be lost the next time you reload the NRP-1.

Your NRP-1 is now minimally configured and will reload with the configuration you have entered. To see a list of the configuration commands available to you, enter ? at the prompt or press the help key while you are in configuration mode.

Verifying the Initial NRP-1 Configuration

To check the running configuration, use the more system:running-config EXEC command.

To check the startup configuration in NVRAM, use the more nvram:startup-config EXEC command.

Segmentation and Reassembly Buffer Management

In Cisco IOS Release 12.1(1)DC, the following segmentation and reassembly (SAR) buffer management enhancements were introduced:

These SAR buffer management enhancements reduce the amount of memory resources that can be held by congested PVCs. This prevents a small group of congested PVCs from using all available memory resources and adversely affecting the performance of other PVCs. The enhancements also improve high-priority packet transmission. With a segmentation buffer slot reserved for high-priority packets, each PVC accommodates high-priority packets even when the segmentation buffer is full.

Note   Because of process memory usage, setting the I/O memory size to a larger value might reduce the number of sessions that your NRP-1 can handle.

Setting the Segmentation Buffer Size

Caution   Entering the atm vc tx command can cause service disruption. Only enter this command during maintenance windows.

To manually set the size of all PVC segmentation buffers, complete the following steps beginning in global configuration mode:

Example

In the following example, the PVC segmentation buffer size is set to 64 packets.

Verifying the PVC Segmentation Buffer Size

To verify successful configuration of the segmentation buffer size, use the show running-config EXEC command.

Setting the I/O Memory Size

To manually set the size of I/O memory, enter the following command in ROMMON mode:

Note   IOMEM entries must be an even number. If you enter an odd number, the NRP-1 will round it down to an even number. If you enter a number outside of the allowed I/O memory range, the NRP-1 will use the default IOMEM setting. You can also enter unset IOMEM in ROMMON to return to the default setting.

Example

In the following example, the I/O memory size is set to 20 MB.

Verifying the I/O Memory Size

To verify that you successfully set the I/O memory size, use the show memory EXEC command. The following example shows an NRP-1 with an I/O memory size of 16 MB:

Using the NRP-1 File Systems and Memory Devices

File systems on the NRP-1 include read-only memory (system), read-write memory (NVRAM), Flash memory (boot flash), and remote file systems (such as TFTP, FTP, and rcp servers). Use the show file systems privileged EXEC command to display the valid file systems on your NRP-1:

Use the dir command to show the contents of a file system. Remember to include the trailing colon in the name of the file system:

If your Cisco 6400 system is configured with redundant NRP-1s, use the dir command with file systems that begin with sec- to show file systems on the secondary (redundant) NRP-1. For example, dir sec-nvram: will show the contents of the NVRAM on the secondary NRP-1.

NRP-2 and NRP-2SV Configuration

This section describes information specific to the NRP-2 and NRP-2SV. This section includes the following topics:

Restrictions

For a complete list of restrictions, limitations, and supported features, see the release notes for the software version running on your NRP-2.

This section describes the following limitations:

Soft PVCs Between the NRP-2 and NSP

Soft PVCs between the NRP-2 and NSP are not supported.

Maximum Transmission Unit

The maximum transmission unit (MTU) of the NRP-2 ATM interface to the backplane is 1900 bytes. Any incoming ATM packet larger than 1900 bytes is dropped by the NRP-2. To make sure that no incoming packets are larger than the NRP-2 MTU, see the "Matching the MTU Size of the NRP-2 and Its Network Neighbors" section.

VPI and VCI Limitation

Note   For Cisco IOS Releases 12.2(4)B, 12.2(13)T, 12.3, and later releases, the NRP-2SV supports 16 bits of VPI and VCI values. The 14-bit VPI and VCI limitation described in this section applies to the NRP-2 and to the NRP-2SV running Cisco IOS Release 12.2(2)B and earlier releases.

VPI and VCI values on the NRP-2 must share 14 bits. By default, VPI values are limited to 4 bits (0-15), and VCI values are limited to 10 bits (0-1023). You can change the VPI and VCI ranges, but together the VPI and VCI values cannot exceed 14 bits. To change the allowed VPI and VCI values, see the "Modifying VPI and VCI Ranges on the NRP-2" section.

Prerequisites

Methods Available for Configuring the NRP-2

There are two methods available for accessing the NRP-2:

You can also configure the NRP-2 with the Cisco 6400 Service Connection Manager, Release 2.2(1) and later. For more information, see the Cisco 6400 SCM documentation.  

Accessing the NRP-2 Console Through the NSP

The NSP is equipped with an internal communication server for accessing the NRP-2 console line. To access the NRP-2 console line, use Telnet to connect to the NSP as a communication server, using the port numbers shown in Table 3-2 to select the NRP-2.

To exit the NRP-2 console line without closing the console connection, use the escape sequence Ctrl-Shift-6 x. To close the NRP-2 console line connection, use the exit command.

Example

Suppose the NSP in your Cisco 6400 system has the management IP address 10.1.5.4. To access the console line of the NRP-2 in Slot 6 of the same Cisco 6400 chassis, use the telnet command from another router:

To return to the device prompt without closing the NRP-2 console line connection, enter the escape sequence Ctrl-Shift-6 at the NRP-2 prompt. Notice that the full escape sequence does not appear as you enter it in the command-line interface (CLI):

To return to the connected NRP-2 console line, enter a blank line at the device prompt:

To close the NRP-2 console line connection, use the escape sequence to return to the device prompt, and then use the exit command.

Using Telnet to Connect to the NRP-2 from the NSP

The NSP is equipped with command aliases for using Telnet to connect to an NRP-2 in the same Cisco 6400 chassis. To use Telnet to connect to the NRP-2, use the following NSP command alias in EXEC mode:

Note   Set the enable password for the NSP before you use Telnet to connect to the NRP-2.

To exit the NRP-2 VTY line without closing the Telnet session, use the escape sequence Ctrl-Shift-6. To close the NRP-2 Telnet session, use the exit command.

Example

Suppose you want to use Telnet to connect to the NRP-2 from a device outside your Cisco 6400 system, and the NSP in the Cisco 6400 has the management IP address 10.1.5.4.

To use Telnet to connect to the NRP-2, first connect to the NSP, and then use the nrps command alias to connect to the NRP-2:

To close the Telnet session to the NRP-2 and return to the NSP prompt, use the exit command.

Matching the MTU Size of the NRP-2 and Its Network Neighbors

The NRP-2 ATM interface to the backplane supports a maximum packet size, or maximum transmission unit (MTU), of 1900 bytes. The ATM interface drops any incoming packet larger than 1900 bytes. To prevent packets from being dropped, make sure that the MTU sizes match for both ends of virtual connections.

Displaying the MTU for the Main ATM Interface

To check the current MTU size on the NRP-2 ATM main interface, use the show interface atm 0/0/0 EXEC command, which displays the following fields:

Example—Main ATM Interface

Displaying the MTU for a Subinterface

To display the current MTU size on the NRP-2 ATM subinterface, use the show interface atm 0/0/0.subinterface EXEC command. This command displays only one MTU field that represents the MTU setting for the subinterface.

Example—ATM Subinterface

Displaying the MTU for a Network Neighbor

To check the current MTU size on the network neighbor, use the show interface atm EXEC command for the interface used to terminate the virtual connection from the NRP-2.

Example—Cisco 7200

Example—Cisco 6400 NRP-1

Changing the MTU on the NRP-2

To adjust the MTU size on the NRP-2, complete the following steps beginning in global configuration mode:

Changing the MTU on a Network Neighbor

To adjust the MTU size on the network neighbor, complete the following steps beginning in global configuration mode:

Example

Suppose that the show interface atm 0/0/0 EXEC command displayed the MTU size of 1900 bytes on the NRP-2, and the MTU size of 4470 bytes on a neighboring NRP-1.

In the following example, the network neighbor MTU size is reduced to 1900 to match the MTU size of the NRP-2.

Verifying the MTU Size of the NRP-2 and Its Network Neighbors

To verify that the MTU size matches for the NRP-2 and its network neighbors, complete the following steps for each network neighbor:

Step 2   Use the show interface EXEC command on the network neighbor to view the neighbor's MTU size.

Step 3   Make sure that the MTU sizes for the NRP-2 and the network neighbor are identical.

Modifying VPI and VCI Ranges on the NRP-2

To change the VPI and VCI ranges, use the following commands beginning in global configuration mode:

Note   Entering the atm vc-per-vp command in interface configuration mode resets the ATM interface.

Example

In the following example, the VCI range is set to 2048 values (0-2047):

Verifying the VPI and VCI Ranges

To verify successful configuration of the VPI and VCI ranges, complete one or both of the following steps:

Step 2   Use the show controller atm 0/0/0 command in privileged EXEC mode:

Saving the NRP-2 Startup Configuration

To save the NRP-2 running configuration to NVRAM as the startup configuration, use the copy EXEC command:

Note   Although the prompt displays the destination filename of nrp-startup-config, the NRP-2 uses the filename nrp2-startup-config and saves it in the NSP PCMCIA disk0:/slotn/ directory, where n is the slot in which the NRP-2 is installed.

When the NRP-2 reloads, it runs the startup configuration. If you do not save to the startup configuration, your configuration changes will be lost the next time you reload the NRP-2.

Using NRP-2 Console and System Logging

By default, each system log message created by the NRP-2 appears on the NSP as a local message, and the message is labeled with the slot number of the NRP-2 that created the message. Each system log message also appears on the NRP-2 console.

To control console and system logging, use the following commands:

For more information on system and console logging, see the "Redirecting Debug and Error Message Output" section in the "Using Debug Commands" chapter in the Cisco IOS Debug Command Reference.

Troubleshooting and Monitoring the NRP-2

Use the following debug commands to troubleshoot the NRP-2:

Use the following commands to monitor and maintain the NRP-2:

Example—Using the who and clear Commands on the NSP

In the following example, the who EXEC command is used to identify the connection from the NSP to the NRP-2 console, and the clear privileged EXEC command is used to close the NRP-2 console session:

Example—Using the show line Command on the NSP

In the following example, the show line EXEC command is entered on the NSP to look at the console connection to the NRP-2:

Example—Using the show line Command on the NRP-2

In the following example, the show line EXEC command is used to view the NRP-2 console line parameters from the NRP-2:

Example—Using the show controller async Command on the NRP-2

In the following example, the show controller async EXEC command is used to monitor the NRP-2 PAM mailbox serial interface:

Example—Using the show controller async Command on the NSP

In the following example, the show controller async EXEC command is entered on the NSP to view the PAM mailbox serial interface for the NRP-2 in slot 6:

Transferring an NRP-1 Configuration to an NRP-2 or NRP-2SV

This section describes how to properly transfer an existing NRP-1 configuration to an NRP-2 or NRP-2SV. Unless a clear distinction is made, all references to the NRP-2 also apply to the NRP-2SV. Complete the following steps:

Step 2   Edit the configuration file so that:

This edited file is the new NRP-2 configuration file.

Step 3   In the NSP configuration, remove all VCs to the NRP-1 that you are replacing.

Step 4   From the NSP, copy the NRP-2 configuration to the appropriate slot directory in the PCMCIA disk in NSP disk slot 0. Make sure that the filename is "nrp2-startup-config."

Step 5   Verify that:

For details, see the "Configuring NRP-2 Image Management on the NSP" section.

Step 6   On the NRP-1, shut down the ATM interface.

Step 7   Remove the NRP-1 from the Cisco 6400 chassis, and replace it with the NRP-2.

Step 8   On the NSP, reconfigure the VCs that you removed in Step 3.

Step 9   If the NRP-2 did not boot upon insertion, reload the NRP-2 from the NSP.

Permanent Virtual Circuits

Permanent virtual circuits (PVCs) are used to connect the NRP to the ATM interfaces of the NSP and node line cards (NLCs) in the Cisco 6400 chassis. Typically, each subscriber is bound to a specific NRP and should be configured as a separate PVC.

Note   Soft VCs between the NRP and NSP are not supported.

The following sections describe common methods of configuring PVCs:

For more general information on configuring PVCs, refer to the "Configuring ATM" chapter in the Cisco IOS Wide-Area Networking Configuration Guide associated with your software release version.

Note   Any PVC configured on the NRP must also be configured for the corresponding ATM interface on the NSP. See the "Internal Cross-Connections" section.

Configuring PVCs on the ATM Interface

To configure a PVC on the ATM interface, complete the following steps beginning in global configuration mode:

Example—PVC with AAL5 SNAP Encapsulation on an ATM Interface

The following example shows a typical PVC configuration using the ATM adaptation layer 5 (AAL5) Subnetwork Access Protocol (SNAP) encapsulation. AAL5 SNAP is commonly used in IP routing and bridging. For information on IP routing and bridging, see the "RFC1483 Bridging Baseline Architecture"  tech notes on Cisco.com.

Example—PVC with PPPoA on an ATM Interface

The following example shows a typical PVC configuration for PPP over ATM (PPPoA). For information on configuring PPPoA, see the "PPPoA Baseline Architecture"  white paper on Cisco.com.

Verifying PVCs on the ATM Interface

To verify successful configuration of PVCs on the main ATM interface, use the show atm vc EXEC command. Check that the status (Sts) is up, and that the encapsulation type is correct.

Configuring PVCs on ATM Subinterfaces

The NRP allows the configuration of multiple virtual interfaces, or subinterfaces, on a single physical interface. The ATM interface on the NRP (interface atm 0/0/0) can be configured with subinterfaces to allow greater flexibility and connectivity when working with subscriber sessions.

A subinterface must be classified as either point-to-point or multipoint. A point-to-point interface supports only a single PVC; a multipoint interface can be configured with multiple PVCs. Because of the standard rule of bridging, a PVC on a multipoint subinterface configured for RFC 1483 bridging cannot send data to another PVC on the same subinterface. This means that an RFC 1483 bridged multipoint interface can offer greater security than a point-to-point interface, but only at the expense of flexibility.

By default, all PVCs use AAL5 SNAP encapsulation. When you specify an encapsulation type for the main ATM interface (ATM 0/0/0), all PVCs on its subinterfaces inherit this encapsulation type. You can, however, override the inherited encapsulation type by specifying the encapsulation type in ATM VC configuration mode.

To configure a PVC on an ATM subinterface, complete the following steps beginning in global configuration mode:

Example—PVC on a Point-to-Point Subinterface

In the following example, the ATM 0/0/0.20 subinterface is configured as a point-to-point interface. Attempting to configure a second PVC results in the "P2P Interface already has VC" message.

The previous example results in the following configuration fragment:

Example—PVCs on a Multipoint Subinterface

In the following example, the ATM 0/0/0.21 subinterface is a multipoint interface, so it accepts multiple PVCs.

The previous example results in the following configuration fragment:

Example—PVCs on Subinterfaces with Encapsulation Type Inherited from the Main ATM Interface

In the following example, PVCs 0/70 and 0/71 on ATM subinterface 0/0/0.40 inherit the AAL5 multiplex (MUX) encapsulation type from the main ATM interface. PVC 0/72 is specifically configured for AAL5 SNAP, overriding the inherited encapsulation type.

The previous example results in the following configuration fragment:

Verifying PVCs on ATM Subinterfaces

To verify successful configuration of PVCs on ATM subinterfaces, use the show atm vc EXEC command. Check that the status (Sts) is up, and that the encapsulation type is correct.

Configuring VC Classes

VC classes allow you to define a template for a particular VC. You can then apply this template directly to a PVC, or to an interface or subinterface whose PVCs inherit the VC class properties.

To configure and apply a VC class directly to a PVC, complete the following steps beginning in global configuration mode:

To configure and apply a VC class to an interface or subinterface, complete the following steps beginning in global configuration mode:

Example—VC Classes

In the following example, ATM 0/0/0 is assigned the VC class "snap." PVC 0/40 and PVC 0/41 inherit the properties of VC class "snap." PVC 0/42 is configured to override the VC class properties by assigning a static IP address. ATM subinterface 0/0/0.2 inherits the properties of ATM 0/0/0, so PVC 0/43 also inherits the properties of VC class "snap." By assigning a different VC class, "ppp-atm," PVC 0/44 overrides the properties of the "snap" VC class.

Verifying VC Classes

To verify successful configuration of VC classes, use the show atm vc EXEC command. Check that the VC class properties (encapsulation) are inherited by the appropriate PVCs.

Configuring PVC Discovery

You can configure the NRP to automatically discover internal PVCs that are configured on the NSP. The discovered PVCs and their traffic parameters are configured on the ATM main interface or on the subinterface that you specify. The NRP Interim Local Management Interface (ILMI) receives the PVC parameter information from the NSP.

Configuring PVC discovery on subinterfaces allows you to sort PVCs on a per-VP basis. The subinterface PVC discovery configuration associates all VCs with non-zero VPI values with the subinterface of the same number. For example, if the NSP reports PVC 2/123, the NRP associates that PVC with ATM 0/0/0.2, and the PVC inherits parameters applied to the subinterface.

To configure the NRP for PVC discovery, complete the following steps beginning in global configuration mode:

Example—PVC Discovery on the Main ATM Interface

The following example shows a typical PVC discovery configuration for the Cisco 6400 NRP:

Example—PVC Discovery on ATM Subinterfaces

In the following example, PVC discovery is applied to two subinterfaces: ATM 0/0/0.1 and ATM 0/0/0.2. Discovered PVCs with VPI value of 1 are associated with ATM 0/0/0.1 and inherit properties from the "ppp-atm-General" VC class. Discovered PVCs with VPI value of 2 are associated with ATM 0/0/0.2 and inherit properties from the "ppp-atm-Admin" VC class.

Note   PVCs with VPI values that do not match a configured ATM subinterface will not be discovered.

Verifying PVC Discovery

To verify successful configuration of PVC discovery, use the show atm vc interface atm 0/0/0 EXEC command. Discovered interfaces appear with the "PVC-D" type.

Configuring PVC Traffic Shaping

The NRP-1 supports the unspecified bit rate (UBR) and variable bit rate nonreal time (VBR-NRT) quality of service (QoS) classes.

Note   Only one QoS class can be specified per PVC. When you enter a new QoS class, it replaces the existing one.

The NRP-2SV supports the VBR-NRT QoS class. When using VBR-NRT on the NRP-2SV, you may need to modify the ATM SAR transmission ring limit to provide more buffering space and time for packets on one or more VCs. For more information, see the tx-ring-limit command reference entry in the Cisco 6400 Command Reference.

Note   The NRP-2 does not support traffic shaping. The NRP-2SV supports only the VBR-NRT QoS class.

To configure PVC traffic shaping and a QoS class for a PVC, use one of the following commands in VC configuration mode or VC class mode:

Note   If you do not specify a QoS class for a PVC, the PVC defaults to UBR, with a peak rate set to the maximum physical line speed.

Example—Traffic Shaping a PVC with UBR QoS

In the following example, PVC 0/40 is configured with the UBR QoS class, at a peak cell rate of 512 kbps:

Example—Traffic Shaping a PVC with VBR-NRT

In the following example, PVC 103/100 is configured with the VBR-NRT QoS class, with a peak cell rate of 512 kbps, a sustained cell rate of 16 kbps, and a burst rate of 10 kbps:

Verifying PVC Traffic Shaping

To verify successful configuration of PVC traffic shaping, use the show atm vc EXEC command. Check that the traffic shaping parameters are displayed correctly.