Passive Addition Process

Passive Addition of a Standby EXNET-ONE Card

Passive addition has been enhanced and simplified for SRR2. While still compatible with the old procedure, the following two commands are needed:

1. Prepare for Addition – This prevents the EXNET-ONE card from trying to get added to the ring.

2. Add Node – Once the EXNET-ONE card is configured and ready to participate on the ring, the node is added to the ring after issuing this command.

During EXNET-ONE card passive addition, each port is individually added, validating the physical, link, and data layer of the protocol stack. If either layer fails to validate, the port is looped back and not added to the ring. This allows for future enhancement, including automated passive addition and port expansion.

Normally, the Passive Addition Command entity messages are addressed by specifying the Ring ID. In a SRR configuration, these messages will get sent to both the active and standby EXNET-ONE cards. This process works when adding an entire node to a ring or adding another node because both the active and standby EXNET-ONE cards process the same commands. When passively adding the standby EXNET-ONE card, the active EXNET-ONE card is playing the role of adjacent node and the standby EXNET-ONE card is playing the role of the passively added node, so both EXNET-ONE cards process different passive addition commands. When passively adding the standby EXNET-ONE card, the host needs the ability to send the EXNET Ring Configure (0x74), Entity messages directly to the standby EXNET-ONE card, based off of its Slot Number, not the Ring ID. The EXNET Ring Configure (0x74), Entity messages now supports the slot AIB (Address type 0x01) or the Ring ID AIB (Address type 0x1A) for the following entities:

• EXNET-ONE card Diags (0x04)

• Prepare For Addition (0x05)

• Expand Ring (0x06)

• Loop Back Port (0x07)

• Add Node (0x08)

The SRR2 Passive Addition Process is backward compatible with the existing (CSP Software Release 5.5) non-SRR2 Passive Addition Process.

For the host to passively add a standby EXNET-ONE card to an operational ring, the original procedure would be:

1. Assign a redundant EXNET-ONE card to the desired Ring ID. The EXNET-ONE card will be placed in the standby state. Since the ring is operational, the standby EXNET-ONE card waits for the host to passively add it or bring down the ring.

2. Send a Loop Back Port (0x07) entity command to the active EXNET-ONE card (or the EXNET-ONE card with "A" port will be looped back).

3. Send a Prepare For Addition (0x05) entity command to the standby EXNET-ONE card.

4. Physically connect the standby EXNET-ONE card to the ring.

5. Send an Expand Ring (0x06) entity command to the active EXNET-ONE card.

6. Send an Add Node (0x08) entity command to the standby EXNET-ONE card.

A node can also be added using these simplified procedures:

1. Assign the EXNET-ONE card a Ring ID. If this is a standby EXNET-ONE card, it will automatically inherit the configuration of the active EXNET-ONE card.

2. Send a Prepare For Addition (0x05) entity command to the slot of the EXNET-ONE card to be Passively Added.

3. If not already configured, configure the Transmit Mode and Number of Transmit Packets.

4. Physically connect the EXNET-ONE card to the ring.

5. Send an Add Node (0x08) entity command to the EXNET-ONE card.

Important! If you are passively adding both the active EXNET-ONE card and the standby EXNET-ONE card, we recommend that each EXNET-ONE card is added one at a time, obviously starting with the active EXNET-ONE card (if you passively add the standby first, it will switchover to active once on the ring), followed by the standby.

Diagnostics

The internal loop back diagnostics run automatically upon card power-up and when the host brings the ring in and out-of-service. The internal loop back diagnostic performs the following function: It configures the EXNET-ONE card as the master node, bringing the ring up while both ports are looped back. The test passes when a canned frame is validated on the ring. This test does not test the fiber drivers. To validate the external fiber drivers, the external loopback test needs to be performed. See the API Reference for the messages indicated below.

If the internal diagnostics fail, the CSP notifies the host by sending a major Alarm (0xB9). The Alarm Type field, Card (0x02), indicates the following message:

• Internal Diagnostics Failure (0x1B).

If the EXNET-ONE card is assigned to a ring, Ring Status Report (0x72) is also sent. The More Status field indicates the following message:

• Internal Diagnostics Failed (0xFA)

Adding a Redundant EXNET Ring

Adding a redundant EXNET ring to an CSP has no effect on calls that are connected or that are setting up. Use the following procedure to add a second EXNET ring.

1. Add an EXNET-ONE card to each node

2. Connect the EXNET cable to each node the same way the active ring is connected

3. Configure the EXNET ring (EXNET Ring Configure)

4. Assign a unique Logical Ring ID and configure the Transmit/Receive Mode

5. Bring the ring in service (Service State Configure)

Adding a Line Card

Adding a line card to an Excel platform node has no effect on traffic, but note that timeslots used for conferencing may be affected. You can add a redundant Matrix Controller card to a node with no effect on local or distributed traffic. However, in the event of an Matrix Controller switchover, some calls setting up on the node may be dropped.