LAWO RAVENNA User manual
Networking Guide
RAVENNA
Version: 1.0/3
Edition: 19 September 2015
Copyright
All rights reserved. Permission to reprint or electronically reproduce any document or graphic in whole or
in part for any reason is expressly prohibited, unless prior written consent is obtained from the Lawo AG.
All trademarks and registered trademarks belong to their respective owners. It cannot be guaranteed that
all product names, products, trademarks, requisitions, regulations, guidelines, specifications and norms
are free from trade mark rights of third parties.
All entries in this document have been thoroughly checked; however no guarantee for correctness can be
given. Lawo AG cannot be held responsible for any misleading or incorrect information provided throughout
this manual.
Lawo AG reserves the right to change specifications at any time without notice.
© Lawo AG, 2015
RAVENNA Networking GuideV1.0/34
Welcome
Welcome
Welcome to RAVENNA, Lawo's preferred solution for real-time audio distribution in IP-based network
environments.
About this Manual
This manual describes the data network requirements which must be supported if you wish to stream audio
across an IP network using RAVENNA. Topics include general prerequisites, selecting components and network
switch configuration. We recommend that you read this document carefully before purchasing or installing
components intended for use with RAVENNA.
Other useful documents include the:
·RAVENNA for crystal User Guide
·RAVENNA for sapphire User Guide
·RAVENNA for mc2/Nova73 User Guide -more specific details about how RAVENNA is implemented
within these products.
Look out for the following symbols which indicate:
Notes - points of clarification.
Tips - useful tips and short cuts.
Warnings
Alert you when an action should always be observed.
Lawo User Registration
For access to the Download-Center and to receive regular product updates, please register at
www.lawo.com/user-registration.
RAVENNA Networking Guide V1.0/3 5
Data Network Requirements
Data Network Requirements
RAVENNA streaming requires proper configuration and management of the data network. This means that all
network components (routers and switches) must support the following requirements. All are common data
networking features. However, they are not supported by every network switch.
Please DO NOT attempt to connect RAVENNA streaming nodes using an unknown or unqualifying IP network. If
you do so, correct streaming operation cannot be guaranteed.
Essential Requirements
To qualify for RAVENNA streaming, all network components MUST support:
·Multicast addressing -as opposed to unicast, with:
oIGMPv2 Snooping -with an active Querier. Fast/Immediate Leave is also highly recommended.
oPort Filtering -streaming ports must be open to Avahi/Bonjour and Ember+ services (to allow for
automatic node detection and stream announcement).
·IPv4 protocol -as opposed to IPv6.
·QoS -the use of DSCP values, otherwise known as Diffserv, is highly recommended. In Lawo's
RAVENNA devices, the following DSCP values are implemented:
oDSCP 56 (C7) =PTP clock signals.
oDSCP 46 (EF) =RAVENNA media streams.
oDSCP 0(BE) =all other network traffic.
·No Green Ethernet/EEE/Power Saving-any Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE), Green Ethernet or power
saving features must be disabled, as these can interfere with RAVENNA's clock signals and real-time
buffering.
·No Jumbo Frames -any options for Jumbo Frames should be disabled.
·PTP -for mc2/Nova73 installations, Synchronization requires aPTP master clock source. As aresult, all
network components must be PTP-aware.
When configuring the network, it is also important that all streaming nodes reside within asingle broadcast
domain (i.e. within the same IP address range and subnet). This is necessary to support automatic stream
announcement.
Recommendations
The following are also highly recommended:
·Switch Configuration -amanaged switch will allow you to easily monitor and adjust settings such as
the IGMP,QoS and Port filtering features described above.
·Gigabit Ethernet -aGigabit Ethernet switch operating at 1000 Mbit/s will significantly improve the
network's bandwidth and performance when compared to Fast Ethernet (100 Mbit/s) or Standard Ethernet
(10 Mbit/s).
·No Network Address Translation (NAT) or Firewalls -NAT and Firewalls should be avoided as they
can result in long and unpredictable delays.
RAVENNA Networking Guide V1.0/3 7
Selecting Components
Cables
Cables
All of Lawo's RAVENNA devices support copper Ethernet cabling (see below). In addition, some devices support
optical fibre ports by fitting one of the Lawo-certified SFP modules.
Copper Connections
Choose an Ethernet cable and connector that meets the following specification:
·Cable Type: CAT 5or better (CAT 5e/6/7); straight (1:1) or crossed
Ethernet cable.
·Connector Type: RJ45.
·Network Speed: 1000, 100 and 10 Base-TX LAN speeds are supported;
1000 Base-TX (Gigabit Ethernet) is recommended.
·Cable Length: up to 100m.
Cable Quality&Distance
The CAT5, CAT5e, CAT6 and CAT7 standards specify that these cables can transmit data up to 100m. However,
in practice, the reliability of Gigabit Ethernet transmission over longer distances will vary according to the cable
quality and its termination. You should check the manufacturer's specifications for the maximum cabling
distance, and also the quality of terminations using aCAT5e cable checker -an inaccurate termination will not
achieve the maximum transmission performance.
If the cabling distance is to exceed say 70m, then arugged solid-conductor cable, as opposed to stranded cable,
is recommended )(see below). For distances longer than 100m, you should convert to fibre optic, see SFPs.
In addition, if the installation environment is prone to electromagnetic interference, you should choose STP
(Shielded Twisted Pair) cables, as opposed to UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair). Note that STP cables require
compatible connectors (for proper grounding).
Solid-conductor vs Stranded Cables
Two cable types are supported by the CAT 5/5e/6/7 specifications:
·Solid-conductor cable uses asingle solid wire per conductor and, therefore, creates amore rigid
product. It is ideal for fixed installations and provides reliable long distance transmission (up to 100m).
·Stranded cable uses multiple wires wrapped around each other in each conductor and, therefore,
creates amore flexible product. It is ideal for shorter patch cables, but is less reliable over long distance.
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Selecting Components
SFPs (Fibre Optic Conversion)
SFPs (Fibre Optic Conversion)
For network connections over long distances (> 100m), you should use optical fibre cables and connectors.
The 981/61 RAVENNA IO card (for Lawo's mc2consoles and Nova73 router) offers connections on optical fibre by
fitting one of the Lawo-certified SFP modules:
The Lawo-certified SFPs include multi-mode and single-mode fibre, supporting achoice of maximum cable
lengths. Please refer to the "RAVENNA for mc2/Nova73 User Guide" for details.
All other Lawo RAVENNA IO cards require an external media converter (copper to fibre).
Many network switches also support fibre optic connection via SFP or GBIC modules; please check the switch
manufacturer's specifications for details.
You should close any unused optical connectors, with a protection plug, to avoid performance
degradation by dust or dirt.
RAVENNA Networking Guide V1.0/3 9
Selecting Components
Switches
Switches
In order to create aRAVENNA network you will need aLayer 2switch, or switches, that meet the following
requirements:
1. Transmission Speed =Gigbit Ethernet
AGigabit Ethernet switch operating at 1000 Mbit/s is recommended, as opposed to Fast (100 Mbit/s) or Standard
(10 Mbit/s) Ethernet.
2. Synchronization =PTP-Aware
In mc2/Nova73 systems, synchronisation of the RAVENNA streaming network requires aPTP master clock
source. In the current release, this takes the form of aspecially configured DALLIS sync frame which converts
incoming Wordclock, from the master sync reference, to PTP.
In other Lawo systems, you should consider installing aPTP Grandmaster. Currently, Lawo recommends using
Meinberg clock generators.
As aresult, you will require aPTP-aware switch with this feature enabled.
In smaller RAVENNA streaming networks using crystal, sapphire or JADE, it is possible for nodes to
sync to an incoming stream. In this instance, a PTP Grandmaster is not required, and non-PTP
switches may be implemented. Please see "RAVENNA for crystal" or "RAVENNA for sapphire/
Nova17" for more details.
3. Capacity (Non-blocking) =dependent on number of RAVENNA nodes &bandwidth requirements
The capacity of the switch will depend on the number of RAVENNA nodes and their bandwidth requirements. It is
best to choose anon-blocking switch, where all ports are capable of simultaneous Gigbit transfer. This can be
determined by the switch capacity and number of ports -for example, if aswitch has 10 ports, then its capacity
should be at least 20 Gbps (Gigabits per second), to cater for 1Gb Input and Output transmissions per port.
If long distance connections are required, then you should choose a switch that supports fibre optic
modules.
4. Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) or Power Saving =OFF
It is important that any EEE, Green Ethernet or power saving features can be disabled, as these can interfere with
RAVENNA's clock signals and real-time buffering.
5. Addressing =Multicast, with IGMPv2
The switch must support multicast addressing. This means that packets sent from asingle device can be
received by multiple nodes at the same time (i.e. one to many). This differs from aunicast data network where
data packets are addressed to asingle receiving node (i.e. one to one).
The switch should also support IGMPv2 Snooping with an active Querier and Fast or Immediate leave.IGMP
Querying/Snooping is atechnique used by network switches to control the forwarding of Multicast data packets.
Aswitch with IGMP Querying/Snooping will forward Multicast data packets only to the ports that are members of
the Multicast group. Whereas, aswitch without IGMP Querying/Snooping will broadcast Multicast data to all of its
output ports. As aresult, the volume of Multicast traffic will be significantly reduced if anetwork switch supports
IGMP Querying/Snooping.
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Selecting Components
Switches
6. Quality of Service (QoS) =DiffServ
The switch should support DSCP values, otherwise known as Diffserv.
In data networks, aQoS (Quality of Service) setup is used to prioritise different types of network data. So, for
example, RAVENNA timing information and audio streams MUST take priority over all other types of network
traffic (e.g. control data, file transfers, web browsing, etc.). In Lawo's RAVENNA devices, DSCP (Differentiated
Services Code Point) values are implemented (this system is known as DiffServ). The default DSCP values are
DSCP 56 (C7) =PTP clock signals; DSCP 46 (EF) =RAVENNA media streams; DSCP 0(BE) =all other
network traffic. You should check that your network switch is configured to support and prioritise the correct
DSCP classes, and that the default values have not been altered.
7. Port Filtering =Ports must be open to Avahi/Bonjour and Ember+ services
Streaming ports must be open to Avahi/Bonjour and Ember+ services to allow for automatic node detection and
stream announcement.
8. Configuration =Managed Switch (recommended)
Amanaged switch can be remotely configured, usually from aservice computer running abrowser-based
interface. This will allow you to easily monitor and adjust the settings described above. See Network Switch
Configuration for more details.
If you are creating a network with multiple switches, then it may be helpful to choose switches from
the same manufacturer and/or the same model. This will allow you to copy the switch configuration
from one device to another.
RAVENNA Networking Guide V1.0/3 11
Selecting Components
Switches
Evaluated Network Switches
The following network switches have been evaluated by Lawo. This list is from working and proven setups, and is
subject to change at any time.
Note that the only switch recommended for professional audio and/or video installation, at this time, is the Arista
7150S.
PTP-Aware Switches (recommended)
·Arista 7150S -www.arista.com/en/products/7150-series
Other PTP-Aware Switches (we have experience of)
·Extreme Networks X460 Gen2 -www.extremenetworks.com/product/summit-x460-series
·Cisco Nexus 3000 family -www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/switches/nexus-3000-series-switches
·Hirschmann Mach 104 family -www.e-catalog.beldensolutions.com
·ARG stagebox switch -www.arg.co.uk/network-products/stagebox-html
·Juniper (latest firmware Beta)
Example configuration files are available for some of the above. Note that these should be used as examples only,
as some parameters must be adopted for the individual situation. Please contact your local Lawo representative
or email service@lawo.com.
Other Switches (we have experience of)
·Small Business 300 and 500 series
·Catalyst 3750-X
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Network Switch Configuration
Network Switch Configuration
This section provides an example configuration of anetwork switch. We will use aCISCO SG300 series switch to
demonstrate the procedures and options. This is amanaged network switch that allows remote configuration from
abrowser-based interface. Note that the CISCO switches are non-PTP aware, and therefore you should also refer
to the Arista 7150S topic for an example of the PTP-aware switch options.
If you are using adifferent manufacturer's switch, then the user interface and its terminology may differ. Please
refer to the switch documentation to help locate (and configure) the equivalent options.
You should configure the network switch first, before connecting the RAVENNA-enabled devices.
Note that our example configures the switch for asingle vLAN (virtual Local Area Network). However, if the
network is large or the switch is to be used for other devices (Control System, Service ports, company network,
etc.), then it is agood idea to divide the network traffic by creating separate vLANs. This will avoid unnecessary
packet transfers between different types of device and make the network more stable. Please refer to your switch
documentation for more details.
All RAVENNA streaming interfaces must connect to the same vLAN.
RAVENNA Networking Guide V1.0/3 13
Network Switch Configuration
First Steps
First Steps
The first steps are to establish aconnection between the network switch and your computer, and download and
install the latest switch software.
To do this, you will need to know the IP address of the network switch. If the IP address is unknown, or the switch
has been used for aprevious application, then you should reset the switch to its factory default settings and begin
anew configuration from scratch. For the purposes of this illustration, we will assume that the switch IP settings
are as follows:
·IP Address =192.168.101.254
·Subnet Mask =255.255.255.0
·Default Gateway =left blank
1. Before connecting you should download the latest firmware release for the network switch onto your
computer -for example:
2. It is also recommended to use aTFTP server tool such as Tftpd64 (or Tftpd32 for 32-bit windows
systems), for the file transfers. This can be downloaded from http://tftpd32.jounin.net/.
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Network Switch Configuration
First Steps
3. Next, connect your computer's Ethernet port directly to one of the 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports on the
switch front panel using astandard network cable (CAT 5or above):
4. Adjust the TCP/IP settings for your computer’s Network Interface Card (NIC) -the following screenshots
demonstrate how to do this on aPC running Windows 7/8:
The Subnet Mask should be identical to that of the port you are connecting to, in our example 255.255.255.0.
The IP address must be unique, and set within the same range as that of the port you are connecting to (i.e.the
first three fields must match). For example, to connect to anetwork switch which has an IP address of
192.168.101.254,you could set your computer's IP address to 192.168.101.67.
RAVENNA Networking Guide V1.0/3 15
Network Switch Configuration
First Steps
5. Now start abrowser session, by opening your web browser software, and entering the IP address of the
switch into the URL field -in our example, 192.168.101.254 -the browser connects and the login screen
appears (in our example, behind our TCP/IP configuration):
If the login screen does not appear, then check the following:
·URL Address -this must match the IP address of the network switch.
·Physical network connection -between the computer's Network Interface Card and the switch.
·TCP/IP configuration -check the TCP/IP settings entered in step 2. If the login screen still does not
appear, then run aPING test to check your network communication.
·Firewall or Antivirus Software -some software may interfere with web browser communication. Try
disabling your Firewall and/or Antivirus to eliminate them as the cause of the problem.
For further assistance, consult your switch documentation.
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Network Switch Configuration
First Steps
6. At the login screen, enter the Username and Password and click on Log in.
The default Username and Password for CISCO switches is CISCO.
If you do not know the Username and/or Password, then you will need to perform a factory reset.
7. If the Username and Password have not been altered (from the defaults), then you may be asked to
enter anew password.
Once the login (and password changes) are complete, the Getting Started (Home) page for the switch
configuration appears:
8. Use the tabs on the left to select the different pages of switch settings. For full details, you should
consult the CISCO switch documentation. Here we will focus on the settings and options which must be
adjusted to support aRAVENNA streaming network. If an option is not mentioned, then it should be left at its
default setting.
Before proceeding, it is recommended that you first install any new firmware.
RAVENNA Networking Guide V1.0/3 17
Network Switch Configuration
Installing New Firmware
Installing New Firmware
To install the new firmware, it is recommended you use an TFTP server tool, such as Tftpd64, rather than the
browser interface as this is a more reliable method of performing file transfers.
1. Start the TFTP server tool and adjust the settings as shown below -this will bind the TFTP server to your
computer's IP address (e.g. 192.168.101.67)and prepare it for the file transfer:
Global Settings
TFTP Settings
2. Select Browse and choose the firmware update file which you downloaded earlier.
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Network Switch Configuration
Installing New Firmware
3. Leave the TFTP server tool running and, on the CISCO switch GUI select Administration -> File
Management -> Upgrade/Backup Firmware.Then adjust the following settings:
·Transfer Method =via TFTP
·Save Action =Upgrade
·File Type =Firmware image
·TFTP Server Destination =By IP address (Version 4)
·TFTP Server IP Address/Name =enter the IP address of your TFTP server (in our example
192.168.101.67).
·Source File Type =the firmware version filename
The complete setup should look like this:
RAVENNA Networking Guide V1.0/3 19
Network Switch Configuration
Installing New Firmware
4. Select Apply to begin the file transfer -you will see the upload in progress:
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Network Switch Configuration
Installing New Firmware
5. After asuccessful upload, the following screen appears:
6. Click on the active image link to make the firmware image active, and then Reboot the switch:
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