Olicom CrossFire 8730 User manual

Reference Guide
DOC-7047/1.1
CrossFireTM 8730
Fast Ethernet
Translation Switch

CrossFireTM 8730
Fast Ethernet Translation Switch
Reference Guide

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CrossFire 8730 Switch Reference Guide, DOC-7047 v. 1.1
Trademarks
GoCard and the Olicom clasped hands logo are registered trademarks of Olicom A/S. CellDriver,
ClearServer, ClearSession, ClearSight, CrossFire, LANscout, PowerMACH, RapidFire and RapidLAN
are trademarks of Olicom A/S. ClearCare, ClearPartner, ClearStep and ExpertWatch are service marks
of Olicom A/S. Olicom is a registered trademark. Other brand and product names are trademarks,
registered trademarks, service marks or registered service marks of their respective holders.
Copyrights
Olicom A/S reserves the right to modify the information given in this publication without prior notice.
The warranty terms and conditions applicable for your purchase of this equipment are given at the time
of purchase. Please consult your place of purchase for details.
Publication: DOC-7047 v. 1.1
© Copyright Olicom A/S, Denmark, March 1999
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
FCC Compliance
This equipment has been tested and foundto comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant
to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection againstharmful
interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates,
uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this
equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be
required to correct the interference at his own expense.
Warning: This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment this product may cause radio
interference in which case the user may be required to take adequate measures.
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
Declaration of Conformity
We Olicom A/S
Nybrovej 114
DK-2800 Lyngby
Denmark
declare under our sole responsibility that the product
CrossFire 8730 Fast Ethernet Translation Switch
to which this declaration relates are in conformity with the following standards or other normative
documents
EN 50082-1
EN 55022
EN 60950 including Amendments
EN 60825-1
following the provisions of 89/336/EEC Directive and 73/23/EEC Directive.

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CrossFire 8730 Switch Reference Guide, DOC-7047 v. 1.1
Modifications
If the device is changed or modified without the expressapproval of Olicom A/S the user may void his
or her authority to operate the equipment.
Safety Notices
➽Danger: To avoid shock hazard, do not connect or disconnect any cables or perform installation,
maintenance, or reconfiguring of the CrossFire 8730 Fast Ethernet Translation Switch during an
electrical storm.
➽Danger: To avoid the possibility of electrical shock, switch power off and unplug the power cord from
the outlet before detaching the power cord from the CrossFire 8730 Fast Ethernet Translation Switch.
➽Danger: Do not open the CrossFire 8730 Fast Ethernet Translation Switch. Dangerous voltages inside.
➽Danger: To avoid shock hazard the power cord must be connected to a properly wired and earthed
receptacle. Any equipment to which the CrossFire 8730 Fast Ethernet Translation Switch will be
attached must also be connected to properly wired and earthed receptacles.
Caution:
Observe the following power cable considerations before you begin installation of the CrossFire 8730
Fast Ethernet Translation Switch.
1. The socket outlet shall be installed near the equipment and shall be easily accessible.
2. To prevent electrical shock, the power cord set used must comply with national regulations.
2a. The female receptacle of the cord must meet CEE-22 requirements.
2b. The cord must be UL listed, CSA labelled, and consist of three conductors with a maximum
of 15 feet in length.
Type SVT or SJT cord sets shall be used for units which stand on a desk or table. Type SJT
cord sets shall be used for units which stand on floor.
2c. The male plug for units operating at 115 VAC shall consist of a parallel blade, grounding
type attachment plug rated 15 A, 125 VAC.
The male plug for units operating at 230 VAC shall consist of a tandem blade, grounding
type attachment plug rated 15 A, 250 VAC.
The male plug for units operating at 230 VAC (outside of the United States and Canada) shall
consist of a grounding type attachment plug rated 15 A, 250 VAC and have the appropriate
safety approvals for the country in which the equipment will be installed.
➽Caution: Support the CrossFire 8730 Fast Ethernet Translation Switch while you are installing the unit
to avoid dropping it on the floor or any equipment beneath it in the rack. The CrossFire 8730 Fast
Ethernet Translation Switch unit weighs approximately 9.5 kg (20.9 lbs).
➽Warning: All RJ45 connectors must only be connected to safety extra low voltage (SELV) circuits like
local area networking (LAN).

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CrossFire 8730 Switch Reference Guide, DOC-7047 v. 1.1

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CrossFire 8730 Switch Reference Guide, DOC-7047 v. 1.1
Table of Contents
1. Introduction 1
About the CrossFire 8730 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Translation from Token-Ring to Fast Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Isolated Ethernet Segments or Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Application Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Benefits of the CrossFire 8730 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2. Switch Overview 15
How the CrossFire 8730 Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Multiple Simultaneous Conversations . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Address Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Multiple Bridging Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Filtering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Congestion Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Three Switching Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Fast Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Fast Ethernet Ports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Fast Ethernet Port Operation Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Fast Ethernet Bridging Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Redundant Connections to Fast Ethernet Network . . . . . 25
Network Scenarios—Preventing Frame Duplication and
Looping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Spanning Tree Configuration for Fast Ethernet . . . . . . . 28
Technical Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Token-Ring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Token-Ring Port Operation Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
RI/RO-Like Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Transmission Priority Queues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
CrossLink Connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Spanning Tree Protocol Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
VLAN Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
SNMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Switch Manager for HP OpenView for Windows . . . . . . . 38
IBM LAN Network Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
RMON Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Built-in Port Counters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Stackable Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Optional Redundant Power Supply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

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CrossFire 8730 Switch Reference Guide, DOC-7047 v. 1.1
3. Switch Configuration 41
General Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Navigating within the Menus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Main Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Configuration... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Statistics... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Download/Upload... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Reset... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Exit Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Configuration Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Configuration Overview for the Fast Ethernet Ports. . . . . .45
Switch Configuration Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Stack Configuration Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Module Information Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
VLAN Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
VLAN Configuration Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
VLAN Configuration Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
VLAN Parameter Configuration for TrCRF Screen . . . . . . 55
VLAN Parameter Configuration for TrBRF Screen . . . . . .57
Local VLAN Port Configuration Screen . . . . . . . . . . . .59
IP Configuration Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
BootP Requests and Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
SNMP Configuration Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Spanning Tree Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
IEEE 802.1D Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) . . . . . . . . .64
Spanning Tree for TrBRF Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Spanning Tree for TrCRF Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Port Spanning Tree Parameters Screen. . . . . . . . . . . .70
Current Spanning Tree Information Screen . . . . . . . . . .71
Port Configuration Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Token-Ring Port Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Fast Ethernet Port Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Virtual Port Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Virtual Port Configuration Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Frame Conversion Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Frame Conversion Configuration Screen . . . . . . . . . . .81
IP Frames Conversion Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
Novell Conversion Configuration Screen . . . . . . . . . . .85
NetBios Conversion Configuration Screen . . . . . . . . . . 87
SNA Conversion Configuration Screen . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Other w SNAP Conversion Configuration Screen . . . . . . .91
Other w/o SNAP Conversion Configuration Screen . . . . . .93
Dual Home FEP Addresses Configuration Screen . . . . . .95

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CrossFire 8730 Switch Reference Guide, DOC-7047 v. 1.1
Switched Port Analyzer Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
CrossLink. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
CrossLink Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
CrossLink Configuration Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Setting up a CrossLink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
Current CrossLink Information Screen . . . . . . . . . . . .101
Address Filtering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
Filters and Port Security Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Configure Filters Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Configure Port Security Mode Screen . . . . . . . . . . . .106
View Port Filters Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
Protocol Filters Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Protocol Class Assignment Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Port Filtering Attributes Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Address Aging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Address Aging Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Port Address Table Aging Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Master Address Table Aging Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Password Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Console/Telnet Sessions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Console Configuration Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Serial Link Configuration Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Creating a Console Session Using a Modem . . . . . . . .119
Stopping the Console Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Telnet Configuration Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Telnet Sessions Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Starting the Telnet Session. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Stopping the Telnet Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Involuntary Termination of the Telnet Session . . . . . . . . 122
Syslog Daemon Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Download/Upload Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
Serial Link Download Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126
TFTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
TFTP Download/Upload Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Reset Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
4. Monitoring the Network from the Statistics Menu 133
Statistics Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Switch Statistics Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
Power Supply Information Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
Port Status Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Port Statistics Menu for Token-Ring Ports . . . . . . . . . .140
Port Statistics Menu for Fast Ethernet Ports . . . . . . . . .141

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CrossFire 8730 Switch Reference Guide, DOC-7047 v. 1.1
General Statistics Screen for Token-Ring Ports. . . . . . . 142
General Statistics Screen for Fast Ethernet Ports. . . . . . 145
Discarded Frames Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Discarded Inbound Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Discarded Outbound Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
802.5 Statistics Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
802.5 State Information Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
802.5 DTR MAC Information Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
TXI Information Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Station-CPort Information Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
802.3 Statistics Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Virtual Port Statistics Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Discarded Frames Statistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Inbound Discarded Frames Statistics - No Translation . . . 162
Inbound Discarded Frame Statistics - Translation Errors . . 163
Outbound Discarded Frame Statistics - No Translation . . . 163
Outbound Discarded Frame Statistics - Translation Errors . 164
Address Tables Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Master Address Table Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Master Route Descriptor Table Screen . . . . . . . . . . . 168
VLAN Address Table screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
VLAN Route Descriptor Table Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Locate MAC Address Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Current Spanning Tree Information Screen . . . . . . . . . 173
Current Spanning Tree Information for a TrCRF Screen . . 176
VLAN Statistics Screen for TrCRF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
VLAN Statistics Screen for TrBRF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Diagnostic Test Results Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Message Log Information Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Display Summary Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
5. Monitoring the Network with SNMP 185
SNMP Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
IP Configuration Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
SNMP Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
SNMP Configuration Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Community Strings Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Trap Receivers Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
List of Supported Traps from a Switch. . . . . . . . . . . . 190
6. Monitoring Port Traffic 195
Switched Port Analyzer Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

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CrossFire 8730 Switch Reference Guide, DOC-7047 v. 1.1
7. Getting in Touch with Technical Support 197
Before You Contact Olicom Technical Support . . . . . . . . . 197
Hotline Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197
Fax Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198
Internet E-Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Anonymous Internet FTP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198
Internet World Wide Web Server (WWW) . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Olicom Support WEB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199
Problem Report Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200
Appendix A. Abbreviations 203

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CrossFire 8730 Switch Reference Guide, DOC-7047 v. 1.1
List of Figures
Figure 1. CrossFire 8730 Fast Ethernet Translation Switch . . . . . 1
Figure 2. Translation Strategy: Fast Ethernet Ports Operating as 400
Mbps CRF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Figure 3. Integrating Ethernet and Token-Ring Networks Using a
CrossFire 8730 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Figure 4. Multiple Conversations Through a CrossFire 8730 . . . . . 16
Figure 5. Typical Configuration with Switches Using Multiple Bridging
Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Figure 6. Source Route Transparent Bridging (SRT) Mode. . . . . . 24
Figure 7. Source Route Bridging (SRB) Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Figure 8. Preventing Frame Duplication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Figure 9. Frame Looping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Figure 10. Preventing Frame Looping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Figure 11. Spanning Tree Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Figure 12. Two Separate Ethernet Clouds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Figure 13. STP BPDU Cost Modification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Figure 14. A Switch Configured with Two VLANs . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Figure 15. Switch with Four VLANs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Figure 16. Setting up CrossLinks for Token-Ring Ports . . . . . . . . 97
List of Tables
Table 1. Translational Switching Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Table 2. Benefits of the Multiple Bridging Modes . . . . . . . . . . 5
Table 3. Benefits of Token-Ring Port Operation Modes . . . . . . . 6
Table 4. Benefit of Ethernet Port Operation Modes . . . . . . . . . 7
Table 5. Benefits of the Switching Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Table 6. Spanning Tree Protocol Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Table 7. Management Benefits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Table 8. Network Monitoring Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Table 9. Filtering Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Table 10. Connectivity Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Table 11. Supported MIBs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Table 12. Modem Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

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About this Guide
This reference guide containsinformationneeded tooperatethe CrossFireTM 8730
Fast EthernetTranslationSwitch. The user of thisguide isassumed tobe a network
technician familiar withthe installationand operation of networking equipment.
Inaddition to thisreferenceguide,theCrossFire 8730 Switch isdelivered withthe
CrossFire 8730 FastEthernet Translation SwitchInstallation Guide enclosedboth
asa printedmanual and asapdf filein the package.Theinstallation guidecontains
information needed toinstall and getstarted withthe switch.
This reference guide contains thefollowing chapters:
Chapter1,“Introduction”, discussestranslation from Token-Ringto Ethernet
and listsfeaturesand benefitsofthe switch.
Chapter2,“Switch Overview”, givesan overview of how the switch improves
network performanceanddescribes thevarious features supported on theswitch.
Chapter3,“Switch Configuration”,dealswith setting up and configuring the
switchusing adirectconsoleconnection.
Chapter 4,“Monitoring the Network from the StatisticsMenu”, explains how
to monitor the switch using the Statistics menu through a direct console connection.
Chapter5,“MonitoringtheNetworkwith SNMP”,explainshow tomonitor the
switchfrom a Network Management System using an application thatsupports
Simple Network Management Protocol.
Chapter6,“Monitoring Port Traffic”, explainshow to monitor portson the
switchusing SwitchProbe.
Chapter 7,“Getting in Touch with Technical Support”,listsOlicom’s support
services suchas hotlinesupport, fax supportand the support web,as well as other
servicessuchas bulletin board service,FTPserver and e-mail.
Appendix A,“Abbreviations”, liststhe abbreviationsused inthismanual.
Document Conventions
Thefollowing conventionsare usedin thisguide:
•HELVETICA NARROW indicateskeystrokes,asin
“PressENTER to select the item.”
•Itemsdisplayed on thescreen,such asmenusand parameters,are indicated
withbold.For example,“Select Configuration...in the main menu.”
❏

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1
CrossFire 8730 Switch Reference Guide, DOC-7047 v.1.1 Introduction
1.Introduction
This chapter discussestranslation fromToken-Ring to Ethernetonagenerallevel
and listsimportant featuresandbenefits of theCrossFire8730 Switch.
Forinformation on the specific physical featuresofthe switch,please refer tothe
CrossFire 8730 Fast Ethernet TranslationSwitch Installation Guide.
About the CrossFire 8730
TheCrossFire 8730is a simpleand inexpensive solution tothe challenge of
connectingToken-Ring and Ethernetnetworks,enabling datato quickly andeasily
flow between thetwo architectures- atnearly wirespeed.
TheCrossFire 8730translatesallToken-Ring packetsdirectly intoFastEthernet
frames.Thisavoidsthelimitationsof proprietaryencapsulation techniques.
TheCrossFire 8730supportstranslationalbridging for thekey network protocols
SNA,IP,IPX,and NetBios.Moreover,all nativeToken-Ring features, including
sourcerouting andIEEE802.1Q taggedVLANaresupported aswellasallnetwork
speeds for both standard Token-Ring(16/4 Mbps) and Ethernet (10/100 Mbps).
Also, the CrossFire8730 supports fourdifferentswitching modesto provide
maximum flexibility in allinstallation environments.Theswitching modesare
SourceRouteSwitching(SRS),SourceRouteBridging (SRB),SourceRoute
Transparent (SRT) and SRT/SRB.
Formoreinformation on these featuresreadChapter2,“Switch Overview”.
Figure 1. CrossFire 8730 Fast Ethernet Translation Switch
3254876109151211 1413 1716 1918 20
STACK-LINK
ATTACHRXTX
DIAGPWR RSTERRMANAGEMENT
21 FASTETHERNET21-22 25-2622 2625
1
FastEthernetTranslationSwitchCrossFire8730
FAULT
STATUS FAULT STATUS
LINK
100
ACT
LINK
100
ACT
LINK
100
ACT
LINK
100
ACT

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CrossFire 8730 Switch Reference Guide, DOC-7047 v. 1.1 Introduction
Translation from Token-Ring to Fast Ethernet
The configuration options of the CrossFire 8730 Switch provide for several
translation strategies, thereby providing extra flexibility for managers when
designing their integrated network. The best option will depend on the current
network and the migration strategy.
This section describes a typical migration strategy and gives an example of an
application of the CrossFire 8730.
Isolated Ethernet Segments or Servers
As the starting point for migratinga bridged Token-Ring network toFast Ethernet,
the switch could be set up with the four Fast Ethernet ports connected to four
isolated Ethernet segments or Fast Ethernet Attached servers. The CrossFire 8730
Switch will make servers and workstations attached to the Fast Ethernet ports
appear to be on a single logical Ethernet segment connected to the Token-Ring
network through the switch. This configuration will provide a translation
bandwidth corresponding to that of four Fast Ethernet ports.
Figure 2. Translation Strategy: Fast Ethernet Ports Operating as 400 Mbps
CRF
Token-Ring cloud
32 5 4876109151211 1413 1716 19
18 20
STACK-LINK
ATTACH
RXTX
DIAGPWR RSTERRMANAGEMENT
21 FASTETHERNET 21-22 25-2622 2625
1
Fast Ethernet Translation Switch
CrossFire 8730
FAULT
STATUS FAULT STATUS
LINK
100
ACT
LINK
100
ACT
LINK
100
ACT
LINK
100
ACT

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CrossFire 8730 Switch Reference Guide, DOC-7047 v. 1.1 Introduction
Application Example
The CrossFire 8730 Fast Ethernet Translation Switch is ideal for situations in
which the plan is to connect Token-Ring clients to a Fast Ethernet backbone. It
provides switched Token-Ring ports for legacy users and Fast Ethernet ports to
connect to a new Fast Ethernet backbone. Translation between Ethernet and Token-
Ring is performed within the CrossFire 8730 Switch, making the migration
seamless.
The Fast Ethernet backbone can be formed using several CrossFire 8720 Fast
EthernetBackboneSwitches or the CrossFire 8710 Fast Ethernet Stackable Switch.
This provides a high-performance Ethernet backbone, adds Layer 3 and Layer 4
capabilities to the Ethernet network, and introduces the possibilities of integrating
ATM and Gigabit Ethernet.
Figure 3. Integrating Ethernet and Token-Ring Networks Using a
CrossFire 8730
CrossFire 8730 Fast Ethernet Translation Switch
CrossFire 8720 Fast Ethernet
Backbone Switch
CrossFire 8711 Fast Ethernet
Workgroup Switch
CrossFire 8710 Fast Ethernet
Stackable Switch
RapidLan 2800
Fast Ethernet Hub
CrossFire 8710 Fast Ethernet
Stackable Switch
RF2410

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CrossFire 8730 Switch Reference Guide, DOC-7047 v. 1.1 Introduction
Benefits of the CrossFire 8730
This section looks into the benefits that can be derived from the technical features
of the switch.
Translational Switching
Feature Description Benefit
High-speed
translationbetween
Fast Ethernet and
Token-Ring
Translates frames
between Token-Ring
and Fast Ethernet at
nearly line speed
Fastandefficientintegrationof
Token-Ring and Fast Ethernet
networks
Next-generation
switch architecture Full-featured
switching for
maximum
performance and
compatibility
Segment legacy LAN to
improve performance until
migration is complete.
IEEE 802.1Q
tagged VLAN
support over the
Fast Ethernet link
Industry standard
that enables frames
belonging to
different VLANsto
be carried over the
same physical link
Translation to Fast Ethernet
Support for IP
multicasting Transmissions from
a single source can
be delivered to
several subscribing
participants.
Avoids unnecessary
broadcasting to provide an
efficient use of bandwidth.
Support for IP
fragmentation Provides tight
compatibility with
IP-based networks
Ensures fast, simple
connections between IP,
Token-Ring and Ethernet
networks
NetBios Address
Translation Provides tight
compatibility for
networks using
NetBios
Ensures fast, efficient
performance
Table 1. Translational Switching Benefits

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CrossFire 8730 Switch Reference Guide, DOC-7047 v. 1.1 Introduction
Multiple Bridging Modes
Feature Function Benefit
Transparent
and Source Route
Switching (SRS)
Switching is based on
MAC addresses only.
Learns MAC
addresses and source
routing route
descriptors of Source
Route Bridges
attached to local
switch ports.
Allows easy installation in
environments with no need for
Source Route Bridging.
Source Route
Bridging (SRB) The switch ports may
begroupedintological
rings. The switch acts
as a standard
multiport Source
Route Bridgebetween
logical rings. Non
Source Route frames
(NSR) are not
forwarded outside the
logical ring.
Allows easy installation in
existing Token-Ring networks
where Source Route Bridges are
used. Allows easy replacement
of bridges with switches.
Source Route
Transparent
Bridging (SRT)
NSR frames are
forwarded between
Logical Rings based
on MAC address.
Source Route frames
are forwarded as by
SRB.
Allows the mix of source route
and non source route protocols
in the network.
SRT/SRB Combines the SRT
and SRB modes. Allows the use of duplicate MACaddresseswhenrunningin
SRT. Ports with duplicate MAC
addresses are reachable only via
source routing. Duplicate MAC
addresses are typically found in
installations utilizing SNA
gateways and/or front-ends.
Table 2. Benefits of the Multiple Bridging Modes

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CrossFire 8730 Switch Reference Guide, DOC-7047 v. 1.1 Introduction
Token-Ring Port Operation Modes
Each port can be independently configured to one of the following operating
modes.
Feature Function Benefit
Half-duplex
concentrator port Port behaves like an
active MAU port for
classical Token-Ring.
Connects to a single station in
half-duplex mode. Compatible
with older adapters.
Half-duplex station
emulation The Token-Ring port
is connected toa port
on a MAU.
Connects to classical Token-
Ring segments with multiple
stations in existing
installations.
Full-duplex
concentrator port Connects to a single
station in full-duplex. Allows high-performance station and server connection
and allows high performance
server attachments with up to
97% improvement over a half-
duplex Token-Ring
connection.
Full-duplex station
emulation. Connects to another
switch in full-duplex
mode.
Allows easy connection
between switches.
RI/RO-like
connection
on Token-Ring ports
19 and 20
Allows connection
of the RI/RO port
from a MAU orCAU
directly to the
switch.
Enables easy integration into
existing installations.
Automatic port
sensingofoperating
mode
The port senses
automatically which
mode to operate in.
Makes installation easier and
faster.
Auto-configuration All Token-Ring and
Ethernetswitchports
automatically sense
connection speed
and duplex mode.
Easy, plug and play installation
Table 3. Benefits of Token-Ring Port Operation Modes