Alteon OS 21.0.7.

Release Notes

part number: 315397-L, February 2005

4655 Great America Parkway

Santa Clara, CA 95054
Phone 1-800-4Nortel
http://www.nortel.com
Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 Release Notes

Copyright © Nortel Networks Limited 2005. All rights reserved.,4655 Great America Parkway, Santa
Clara, California 95054, USA. All rights reserved. Part Number: 315397-L.

This document is protected by copyright and distributed under licenses restricting its use, copying,
distribution, and decompilation. No part of this document may be reproduced in any form by any means
without prior written authorization of Nortel Networks, Inc. Documentation is provided “as is” without
warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including any kind of implied or express warranty of non-
infringement or the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

U.S. Government End Users: This document is provided with a “commercial item” as defined by FAR
2.101 (Oct 1995) and contains “commercial technical data” and “commercial software documentation” as
those terms are used in FAR 12.211-12.212 (Oct 1995). Government End Users are authorized to use this
documentation only in accordance with those rights and restrictions set forth herein, consistent with FAR
12.211- 12.212 (Oct 1995), DFARS 227.7202 (JUN 1995) and DFARS 252.227-7015 (Nov 1995).

Nortel Networks, Inc. reserves the right to change any products described herein at any time, and without
notice. Nortel Networks, Inc. assumes no responsibility or liability arising from the use of products
described herein, except as expressly agreed to in writing by Nortel Networks, Inc. The use and purchase of
this product does not convey a license under any patent rights, trademark rights, or any other intellectual
property rights of Nortel Networks, Inc.
Alteon OS, Alteon 2424, Alteon 2424-SSL, Alteon 2224, 2216, 2208, 3408, Alteon 180, Alteon 180e,
Alteon 184, Alteon AD3, Alteon AD4, and ACEswitch are trademarks of Nortel Networks, Inc. in the
United States and certain other countries. Cisco® and EtherChannel® are registered trademarks of Cisco
Systems, Inc. in the United States and certain other countries. Check Point® and FireWall-1® are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. Any other trademarks
appearing in this manual are owned by their respective companies.

Originated in the U.S.A.

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 Release Notes
These Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 Release Notes provide the latest information on bug fixes and
enhancements to the existing Alteon OS 21.0.6.0 software base.

This document is a supplement to the complete documentation suite. Keep this document with
the other product manuals. For additional technical information regarding the
product architecture and features, refer to the complete product documentation.

„ Alteon OS 21.0 Command Reference (Part Number 315393-F)

„ Alteon OS 21.0 Application Guide (Part Number 315394-F)
„ Alteon OS 21.0.6 Release Notes (Part Number 315397-K)
„ Alteon Application Switch Hardware Installation Guide (Part Number 315396-E)
„ Alteon OS BBI Quick Guide (Part Number 315395-B)

Hardware Support
Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 is supported on the following Alteon Application Switch platforms:

„ Alteon 2208: supports 8 Fast Ethernet ports and 2 Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP)
GBIC Ethernet ports.
„ Alteon 2216: supports 16 Fast Ethernet ports and 2 SFP GBIC Ethernet ports.
„ Alteon 2224: supports 24 Fast Ethernet ports and 2 SFP GBIC Ethernet ports.
„ Alteon 2424: supports 24 Fast Ethernet ports and 4 SFP GBIC Ethernet ports.
„ Alteon 2424-SSL: supports 24 Fast Ethernet ports and 4 SFP GBIC Ethernet ports, and an
on-board SSL processor that allows SSL acceleration and SSL VPN functionality.
„ Alteon 3408: supports four 1000 Mbps SFP GBICS, four 10/100/1000Base-T Copper
Autoselecting and Autosensing RJ45 connectors, four dual-mode 1000 Mbps SFP GBIC
or 10/100/1000Base-T copper ports. Either type of port can be set as “preferred” or
“backup” connection.

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Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 Release Notes

Alteon Application Switch Model 2208 and

2216 Supported Software
Future hardware revisions of the Alteon Application Switch Model 2208 and 2216 will require
that customers use Alteon OS versions 21.0.7 or higher or 22.0.2 or higher. In these future
hardware revisions, any earlier software images will not load or function properly.

On these versions of the Alteon Application 2208 and 2216 Switches, the software will block a
software downgrade to an unsupported release through TFTP download and display
the following error message:

Error: Software version of the downloaded image is NOT supported on

this version of the hardware. Please download the
supported software version (21.0.7.0 or later, or 22.0.2.0 or later)
instead.

If the error message noted above is displayed during a downgrade procedure, only the software
versions described in the error message can be used as base line.

The switch is unable to prevent a downgrade operation through a serial download. If

an unsupported software version is applied to the switch through a serial download, the switch
will not boot properly which will result in a switch malfunction.

If release 21 of Alteon OS is the desired software version, ensure that release 21.0.7 or later is
used. This release is available via download from the Nortel Networks customer support web
site. If you do not have access to this web site, contact Nortel Networks by e-mail at
Alteon_keys@lists.nortelnetworks.com to obtain the software on a one time basis.

To determine if a Model 2208 or 2216 Alteon Application Switch only supports Alteon OS
21.0.7 or later or 22.0.2 or later, check the hardware revision information located on the rear of
the chassis and consult any additional documentation that was included with the switch.

The hardware revision number can also be determined via the Alteon OS
Browser-Based Interface where the revision number is displayed as the value Chassis Rev or in
Alteon EMS 3.1.1 or later where it is displayed as the value Chassis Revision Number.

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 Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 Release Notes

Software Base
Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 is based on Alteon OS 21.0.6.0 functionality currently implemented across
the Alteon Application Switch models.

Table 1 lists the software images required to run Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 on all Alteon Application
Switch models.

Table 1 Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 Software Base

Application Switch Model File Type File Name

Alteon 2000 Series Image File AAS-21.0.7.0-2000-AlteonOS.img

Binary Image File AAS-21.0.7.0-2000-Serial.img

Alteon 3408 Image File AAS-21.0.7.0-3000-AlteonOS.img

Binary Image File AAS-21.0.7.0-3000-Serial.img

All Switch Models AAS Boot Image AAS-21.0.7.0-Boot.img

File

MIB Files AAS-21.0.7.0_mib.zip

NOTE – Nortel Networks recommends upgrading the Alteon OS boot image to at least version
21.0.4.0.

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Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 Release Notes

Installing Alteon OS 21.0.7.0

Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 software can be installed in one of the following two ways:

„ “TFTP Upgrade”
„ “Direct Serial Upgrade” on page 7
The TFTP Upgrade is the preferred method of upgrading switch software because
TFTP software downloads retain the switch configuration throughout the upgrade process.

If the decision is made to downgrade to an earlier software image, see the following section:

„ “Downgrading from Alteon OS 21.0.7.0” on page 9

TFTP Upgrade
Use the following procedure to upgrade the software on your Alteon Application Switch:

1. Back up the current configuration to a file (optional, but recommended).

A configuration backup can be obtained through either a TFTP configuration upload to a file or
by copying the contents of a configuration dump to a file.

>> # /cfg/ptcfg
Enter hostname or IP address of TFTP server:
Enter name of a file on TFTP server:

2. Upgrade the boot image on the switch.

Perform a TFTP download of the boot image software code onto the switch.

>> # /boot/gtimg
Enter name of switch software image to be replaced
[“image1”|”image2”|”boot”]: boot
Enter hostname or IP address of TFTP server:
Enter name of file on TFTP server:

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 Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 Release Notes

3. Upgrade image1 or image2 on the switch.

Perform a TFTP download of the Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 software code onto the switch.

>> # /boot/gtimg
Enter name of switch software image to be replaced
[“image1”|”image2”|”boot”]: <image#>
Enter hostname or IP address of TFTP server: <TFTP server name or IP>
Enter name of file on TFTP server: <image file name>

4. (Optional) Select the new Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 image for use upon reboot, and reset the
switch.

>> Boot Options# image

Currently set to use switch software “image1” on next boot.
Specify new image to use [“image1”/”image2”]: <image#>
>> Boot Options# reset

Direct Serial Upgrade

A serial download of the new software can be performed if upgrading Alteon OS directly from
any image.

This procedure requires the following:

„ A computer running terminal emulation software.

„ A standard serial cable with a male DB9 connector (see your switch software installation
guide for specifics).
„ A binary switch firmware image (not the tftp file used for TFTP download).
Use the following procedure to perform a serial upgrade:

1. Using the serial cable, connect the Console port of the Alteon Application Switch to the
serial port of a PC that supports XModem/1K XModem.

2. Start the terminal emulation software on the PC and set the following parameters:

Table 2 Terminal Emulation Parameters

Parameter Value

Baud Rate 9600

Data Bits 8
Parity None
Stop Bits 1
Flow Control None

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Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 Release Notes

3. Power on the switch.

4. Hold the SHIFT key down and press the D key repeatedly until the following message
appears:

- PPCBoot 2.2.
To download a serial image use 1K XModem at 115200

5. Reconfigure the terminal emulation software with the following parameters:

Table 3 New Terminal Emulation Parameters

Parameter Value

Baud Rate 115200

Data Bits 8
Parity None
Stop Bits 1
Flow Control None

NOTE – A serial download can be performed at a 57600 baud rate by pressing SHIFT + F or at
115200 baud rate by pressing SHIFT + D.

6. Press Enter on the keyboard of the PC that is connected to the console port of the switch.
When the console port is successfully communicating with the PC, you will see: CCCC...

7. Ensure the new binary firmware file is available on the computer. This file can
be downloaded from the CD that is shipped with the switch. Select Transfer-Send
File and choose the following:
„ file: <The serial image file previously downloaded to the computer>
„ protocol: 1K XModem
It takes approximately 15 minutes for the process to complete.

NOTE – Although slower, XMODEM works as well if 1K XMODEM is not chosen.

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 Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 Release Notes

8. When the transfer process completes, the message Change your baud rate to
9600 bps and power cycle switch is displayed. Power off the switch, wait for a
few seconds, and power the switch on again.

CAUTION—Do not power off the switch until the message Change your baud rate to
! 9600 bps and power cycle switch is displayed. Failure to do so renders the switch
inoperable.

9. The switch boots with the new software load. A log of the complete process will
be displayed on the screen similar to the following sample log:

- PPCBoot 2.2.
To download a serial image use 1K XModem at 115200
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Total bytes transferred: 0x4ff400
Extracting images... Do *NOT* power cycle the switch
Updating flash...
##################################################################
Change your baudrate to 9600 bps and power cycle the switch

Downgrading from Alteon OS 21.0.7.0

If the switch is not functioning properly after Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 is installed, perform
the following procedure to remove Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 and downgrade to an earlier version of
the software.

NOTE – Downgrading from Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 to an earlier version without following this
procedure will result in configuration loss.

To downgrade from Alteon OS 21.0.7.0, perform this procedure:

1. Back up the current Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 configuration to a file.

2. Perform a TFTP download of the desired Alteon OS software onto the switch.

3. Reset the switch to the factory defaults.

4. Select the new Alteon OS image for use upon reboot, and reset the switch.

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Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 Release Notes

5. Get the desired switch configuration.

„ To restore the configuration to the original settings prior to upgrading, use
the configuration backup created during the upgrade process.
„ To use the configuration from Alteon OS 21.0.7.0, get the configuration backup created in
step 1. Any Alteon OS 21.0.7.0-specific configurations are lost when the software is
downgraded. An error message may appear on the screen.

NOTE – If the switch configuration was saved to a TFTP server, temporarily add an
IP interface to reach the TFTP server. If the TFTP server is on the same subnet, use ping to
test the connection. If the TFTP server is on another subnet, add a default gateway to the other
network. These settings are overwritten once the configuration file is loaded.

Version 21.0.7.0 Fixes and Enhancements

The following fixes have been implemented since version 21.0.6.0 of Alteon OS.

Priority 1 - Critical Impact Bugs

„ A memory leak found in SNMP health checking is fixed. (Q01025816)
„ A memory leak found in the SNMP agent is fixed. (Q01026947)
„ IP fragments are no longer dropped when filtering is enabled on the ingress port.
(Q01050704)

Priority 2 - High Impact Bugs

„ The command /info/link now displays correct link information and status.
(Q00598991-02)
„ Persistence issues in the cookie insert mode with the service r-port set to zero are resolved.
(Q01029339)
„ ICMP Type 3, Code 4 data will now be forwarded properly to the correct real server when
port mapping is configured and DAM is enabled. (Q00945960)
„ Memory access issues that had previously caused improper functioning of TCP operations
are resolved. (Q01025822)

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 Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 Release Notes

Priority 3 - Medium Impact Bugs

„ The switch no longer malfunctions when CTRL + L is pressed at the log in
prompt displayed in the following example:

------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: There are configuration changes pending. Use "diff"
to see them, "apply" to make them operational if
desired, and "save" to make them permanent.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Confirm seeing above note [y/n]:

(Q01033929)

„ Issues around Layer 7 WCR string statistics are resolved. (Q00957228)

„ The switch now recognizes 2AM on the first Sunday in April as the beginning of Daylight
Savings Time instead of 12AM as in previous versions. (Q01011811-01)
„ A 503 error is no longer sent back to the client when both GSLB and NOREMOTE are
enabled. (Q00978295-01)
„ Unexpected configuration issues experienced when the SNMP Health Check Community
String is set to none have been resolved. (Q01039613)
„ Longer than expected response times in TCP Health Checks are fixed. (Q01046088)
„ The Track VRS menu item is removed from the /cfg/vrrp/group/track menu.
(Q00964550-01)
„ Session counts now decrement correctly when viewed in the /stat/slb/virt menu.
(Q00786947)

Priority 4 and Priority 5 - Low Impact Bugs

„ Advanced health check formulaic expressions now allow 128 characters. (Q01041065)
„ Timing issues that may have been seen when a session is closed and the real server takes a
longer than expected time to respond to the client close are resolved. (Q01043010)

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Alteon OS 21.0.7.0 Release Notes

Known Issues

MP CPU Usage
Customers that are running switches with very large configurations (150 or more Real Servers
and 100 or more Virtual Routers) could potentially see spikes in MP CPU utilization when
issuing the /maint/tsdmp command through a Telnet connection. This spike in MP CPU
utilization can result in VRRP failover, ping latency and loss to switch interfaces and Virtual
IPs and a possible timeout of their telnet session.

Customers are encouraged to use the /stats and /info commands to collect
running information from the switch and to use the /cfg/ptcfg command to obtain copies
of their configuration file

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