Configuring for redundant operation

To configure a system for redundant operation, modify the following components:

• HMI configuration

• ss7load script configuration

• MTP configuration over TDM

• M3UA and SCTP configuration over IP (SIGTRAN)

• ISUP, TUP, TCAP, and/or SCCP configuration

HMI configuration

The HMI service requires the hmi.cfg file to identify the boards to be monitored and other run time parameters. The HMI configuration file is located in the following directories:

Sample HMI configuration file

The sample HMI configuration file created by the software installation utility for Windows is shown in the following example. The UNIX file is identical to the Windows file except for the format of the path name for the download files.

Windows version

BOARD_NUMBER1     1
SS7LOAD_FILE1     "c:\\Progra~1\\Dialogic\\tx\\bin\\ss7load.bat"
BOARD_NUMBER2     2
SS7LOAD_FILE2     "c:\\Progra~1\\Dialogic\\tx\\bin\\ss7load2.bat"
END

UNIX version

BOARD_NUMBER1   1
SS7LOAD_FILE1   /opt/dialogic/tx/bin/ss7load
BOARD_NUMBER2   2
SS7LOAD_FILE2   /opt/dialogic/tx/bin/ss7load2
END

HMI configuration can be specified in any order. The BOARD_NUMBERn and SS7LOAD_FILEn can be repeated for up to eight boards:

Note: HMI cannot pass any arguments (that is, the board number) to the ss7load script. If multiple boards are configured on a single node, each board must have its own ss7load script with an explicit board number. The default ss7load script is a generic script that accepts the board number as an argument and defaults to board number 1 when the board number is not specified.

Configuring port numbers for the Health Management service

The Health Management service uses one UDP port number for its functions - the same port for unsolicited events and for conversational requests. By default, port number 4801 is used for this purpose. Both the HMI service and the Health Management service libraries check for the appropriate service name/port assignments with the standard sockets getservbyname function before using the default values.

The service name is hm_api. For example, the following entry in the services file changes the UDP ports used to 1750:

hm_api     1750/udp     # Tx Series HM API service

This entry is read-only at startup time. To change these values, the HMI service and all applications using the Health Management service must be stopped and restarted.

ss7load script configuration

The ss7load script contains the commands necessary to download a board with the proper protocol tasks and configuration files. The ss7load script is located in the following directories:

For redundant configurations, the ss7load script must download the txmon.elf file. This is controlled by the value of the environment variable TXMODE. If TXMODE is set to redundant, then the ss7load script will load the txmon.elf file.

Note: For standalone configurations where the Health Management system is employed for board monitoring only, the txmon.elf file is required for standalone configurations.

The ss7load script is called by the HMI process, as shown in the HMI configuration file. In the sample HMI configuration file, there are two versions of the ss7load script file, ss7load.bat and ss7load2.bat. The first script loads board 1 and the second script loads board 2. It is important that both ss7load scripts are modified as shown earlier in this topic. If the ss7load script file names are changed, ensure that their references in the HMI configuration file are also changed.

MTP configuration over TDM

Specify the IP address of the local board using the ifcreate command and the IP address of the TX board’s redundant mate using the mate command in the file read by the txconfig utility. This is typically specified in the txcfgn.txt file, where n is the board number. For example:

#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Ethernet interface number 1:
ifcreate 1 192.168.1.1 255.255.0.0
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
# Set up this board's redundancy mate board address:
mate 192.168.1.2

For more information, refer to the Dialogic® NaturalAccess™ Signaling Software Configuration Manual.

A typical redundant configuration includes signaling links terminated on both boards in a mated pair. The MTP configuration for each board must include the links terminated on its own board and the links terminated on the mate board. The following example shows a simple MTP configuration file for each board of a mated pair with one link terminated on each board:

# Board 1 MTP Configuration          # Board 2 MTP Configuration
#-----------------------             #-----------------------
#Overall MTP3 Parameters             #Overall MTP3 Parameters
#-----------------------             #-----------------------

NODE_TYPE SP                         NODE_TYPE SP
. . .                                . . .
   <identical to board 2>               <identical to board 1>
. . .                                . . .
#------------------------            #------------------------
#Link 0                              #Link 0
#------------------------            #------------------------
LINK  0                              LINK  0
PORT  T1 # Board 1, TDM 1            PORT  R # Remote (board 1)
LINK_SET 1                           LINK_SET 1
ADJACENT_DPC 2.2.2 # Adjacent STP    ADJACENT_DPC 2.2.2 # Adjacent STP
LINK_SLC 0                           LINK_SLC 0
TIMER_T31  1                         TIMER_T31  1
LSSU_LEN 2                           LSSU_LEN 2         # ignored: remote
END                                  END
#------------------------            #------------------------
#Link 1                              #Link 1
#------------------------            #------------------------
LINK  1                              LINK  1
PORT  R # Remote (board 2)           PORT  T1 # Board 2, TDM 1
LINK_SET 1                           LINK_SET 1
ADJACENT_DPC 2.2.2 # Adjacent STP    ADJACENT_DPC 2.2.2 # Adjacent STP
LINK_SLC 1                           LINK_SLC 1
LSSU_LEN 2         # ignored: remote LSSU_LEN 2 
END                                  END
#---------------------------------   #---------------------------------
#User Parameters (NSAP definition)   #User Parameters (NSAP definition)
#---------------------------------   #---------------------------------
. . .                                . . .
   <identical to board 2>               <identical to board 1>
. . .                                . . .

The locally terminated links are fully configured with physical port identifiers and all layer 2 and layer 3 parameters. The links terminated on the mate board contain no physical port identifiers or other layer 2 parameters; instead, they are specified as Remote (R).

Note: Each relative link number (link 0, for example) refers to the same link. On board 1, it is fully configured since it is terminated locally. On board 2, only the layer 3 parameters are specified because the link is not terminated on board 2 (layer 2 parameters can be specified in this case, but they have no affect).

Other sections of the MTP configuration, such as link sets, routes, and service access points are typically identical on both boards in the mated pair.

For more information on the MTP configuration, refer to the Dialogic® NaturalAccess™ Signaling Software Configuration Manual.

M3UA and SCTP configuration over IP (SIGTRAN)

Specify the IP address of the local board using the ifcreate command and the IP address of the TX board’s redundant mate using the mate command in the file read by the txconfig utility. This is typically specified in the ipcfgn.txt file, where n is the board number. For example:

#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Ethernet interface number 1 is part of the 10.*.*.* subnet:
ifcreate 1 192.168.1.1 255.255.0.0
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Set up this board's redundancy mate board address:
mate 192.168.1.2

There are no specific M3UA or SCTP configuration requirements for redundant board configurations. Both boards in a mated pair typically have identical configurations.

For more information, refer to the Dialogic® NaturalAccess™ Signaling Software Configuration Manual.

ISUP, TUP, TCAP, and/or SCCP configuration

There are no specific ISUP, TUP, TCAP, or SCCP configuration requirements for redundant board configurations. Both boards in a mated pair typically have identical configurations.

For more information on the ISUP, TUP, TCAP, and SCCP configurations, refer to the Dialogic® NaturalAccess™ Signaling Software Configuration Manual.