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Installation and Start-Up Questions
Where do I install the software?
For UNIX install (default):
• SwitchKit = installed in /usr/local/switchkit
• License = /usr/local/switchkit/sk_license.dat
• Symbolic link to the system software location = /usr/local/switchkit/system_software.bin
For Windows/NT install:
• SwitchKit = C:\ProgramFiles\Excel Switching Corporation\SwitchKit
• Licenses = C:\Program Files\Excel Switching Corporation\SwitchKit\sk_license.dat
• Software = C:\Program Files\Excel Switching Corporation\SwitchKit\System-software.bin
How can I modify the default behavior of the SwitchKit modules?
The behavior of the components of the SwitchKit can be modified by using a system-wide defaults file. This file is /usr/local/switchkit/Defaults or C:\Program Files\Excel Switching Corporation\SwitchKit\Defaults. Entries in the file are of the form <fieldName> : value.
fieldName is not case sensitive. Comments begin with the pound sign (#). Blank lines are allowed. The valid fieldNames are compress_polls, llc_host, system_software_file, and password.
In what order should I start the modules?
You must start the LLC before any other modules are run. We suggest you start the SwitchManager before starting any applications.
If the LLC fails to run, it most likely means that it could not connect to the switch, or did not find a valid license file. Also, make sure that you have permission to write to the directory it started from, so that it can create and write to its log files. Pay careful attention to the error messages it outputs to standard out as well as looking at the maintenance.log file.
Why won’t the SwitchManager run?
If the SwitchManager fails to run, it most likely means that it could not connect to the LLC, or was unable to parse the configuration file it was given as input. Pay careful attention to the error messages it outputs to standard out, and to the SwitchManager maintenance.log file.
Do I have to run the SwitchManager?
It is not necessary to run the SwitchManager module in order to run applications, but the SwitchManager is responsible for configuring the switch, maintaining the switch, and handling alarms and other fault conditions. Therefore, it is advisable that the SwitchManager always be running in order to handle these conditions. For more information, refer to Running SwitchKit Components.
What should I do when SwitchManager shows a NACK for AssignSpan?
SwitchManager prints the following when you have not downloaded a system software license to your Excel platform:
A system software license is required to unlock the Excel platform software. For more information, see the CSP Developer’s Guide: Overview, DSP Resource Points (9-95).
In a configuration file, does the order of configuration messages matter?
No. SwitchManager sorts the messages and sends them in the correct order.
In a message, does the order of parameters matter?
No. But spelling and the use of commas to separate the parameters in a message is important.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of running Switchkit (LLC & SwitchManager) as a Windows NT service?
The advantages of running SwitchKit as a service:
• Services can be configured to start automatically when Windows NT is rebooted. This saves time not having to have someone manually start the service. A Windows NT utility in the control panel called TweakUI allows the user the option to automatically log in to NT.
• DOS windows take additional memory and other system resources that can affect performance. Running Switchkit in a DOS window prints the LLC Maintenance & SwitchMgr Alarm logs to the screen. This also takes additional memory and affects system performance to print each message.
• In SwitchKit 8.0 Service Icon's have been added to the system tray so the user can quickly see the status of LLC & Switchmgr. These icons identify the service as Active/Primary or Standby/Secondary. There are also options on the service to open the log files. These icons also change color to indicate the current state.
The only disadvantage is in releases, Switchkit 5.6 and below, the service icons are not available so there is no easy way to identify whether LLC & SwitchMgr are running or not.
By default, the logs are written to the current directory of the application. To change this, set SK_LOG_DIR.
What messages are sent to the switch and what messages are sent to the host?
The messages.log file is the place to look. The LLC will normally log all messages passing to the switch in the messages.log file. Use this file to see precisely what messages are being sent to the switch, and how the switch is responding.
Can I stop the LLC from writing to the messages .log file on my production system?
You can set the LLC to log everything or to log nothing.
The time stamp in the SwitchKit .log files is not correct. What causes this?
LLC uses a system call to obtain the timestamp for logging. If the system call returns the incorrect information, the timestamps in the .log files will be inaccurate. This can happen when the system time is changed on a machine.
How can I tell the result of the configuration given to the SwitchManager?
The SwitchManager will notify you of the status of every configuration message. It will notify when messages are successful, and when they fail (with the reason why), and it will notify when messages are not sent (e.g. if the board the message is for is not present). Pay careful attention to the alarm.log generated by the SwitchManager to understand the status of the configuration.
I want a channel group with just channels 3 and 7. How can I build non-contiguous channel groups?
AssociateChannelGroup messages are cumulative. Just issue two AssociateChannelGroup messages, one with just channel 3, and another with just channel 7.
Should I set the Poll Interval for the switch, and, if so, what should I set it to?
Normally, you should not have to set the Poll Interval. The LLC automatically sets it to the default, 2 seconds, upon start-up. If you do set the Poll Interval yourself, consider the value carefully. The LLC needs to check a variety of things periodically, such as dropped messages by the switch, loss of switch connection, etc. It is recommended that the poll interval be between 1 and 5 seconds. Turning off polls will disable some of the functionality of the SwitchKit, and is strongly discouraged.
Where are some sample configuration files and source code?
For UNIX, the source code is located in /usr/local/switchkit/samples/src and the configuration files are located in /usr/local/switchkit/samples/cfg
For NT, the source code is located in C:\Program Files\EXCEL\SwitchKit\samples and the configuration files are located in C:\Program Files\EXCEL\SwitchKit\samples\cfg
There are various sample applications for both C programmers (*.c) and C++ programmers (*.cpp). SimpleTandem and CallSim are the example applications described in the documentation. A sample configuration file for these applications and for a specific hardware and network configuration is tandem.cfg.
I do an sk_requestOutseizedChannel on a channel group that I've configured in my config file, but it says SK_NO_CHANNELS. Why?
The LLC allocates channels that are in service and are not in any kind of alarm state, such as red or yellow alarm, and that have not already been allocated. For all available channels, the maintenance.log file of the LLC should show "Channel <span>:<offset> has come up". Also, make sure that the channel group has been configured properly.