Issue
I/NET Reference Host Suggested Configuration
Environment
- I/NET
- NPR
- Xenta 527-NPR
- Xenta 527
- Xenta 913
- Xenta 731
Cause
There are many opinions about the correct use of Reference Hosts. This is a suggested use which will be successful for most sites.
Resolution
From TCON 298
A Reference Host is any TAC I/NET workstation, NPR, or Xenta 527/527-NPR that will serve as a source of IP addresses. Any of these devices attached to an Ethernet LAN can be used as a Reference Host.
Each time I/O Server is started on a workstation, it provides the workstation’s IP address to each remote host designated as a Reference Host. I/O Server also requests and receives a list of all host IP addresses that are known to the remote host at that time. I/O Server must be running on the remote host for this address exchange to occur. I/O Server compiles and maintains a list of all the remote hosts that it learns about. Ultimately, all hosts in the network will know the IP addresses of all the other hosts.
Ideally, you should determine 1 or at most 2 devices to serve as your Reference Host. This device would ideally be a Xenta Server or an NPR, but a Host workstation that has I/O Server running 100% of the time will work as well.
All devices on the system will use this as a single Reference Host. No others are needed. When the device comes online it will contact the Reference Host and get the site’s Routing Table. The Reference Host can have an empty routing table.
Once the Routing Table is shared, Reference Hosts are no longer needed. You can leave the single entry in place. This will allow a quick recover, in the event of a critical system failure.
Here are a few reasons for using multiple Reference Hosts:
- Temporarily add a new device as a Reference Host on the Sites Reference Host or a workstation to aid in bringing it online
- A large site may desire to have 2 Reference Hosts in case one is offline when a device comes online.
- An I/NET site that spans multiple locations may wish to declare a local Reference Host for each building and a network Reference Host
