In the IP DCN solution, NEs use unified DCCs to transmit TCP/IP protocol data, which enables the Web LCT to manage the NEs.The IP DCN solution is applicable to a network consisting of only OptiX transmission equipment or a network consisting of OptiX transmission equipment and the third-party equipment that supports the IP DCN function. This solution is also applicable when the equipment located in the center of a network needs to provide IP-based network management message transmission paths for the equipment at the edge of the network.
Application 1: Gateway NE Mode
If the Web LCT and the GNE connect to the same Ethernet (the Web LCT and the GNE need to be in the same subnet), and other NEs are accessed in the gateway NE mode, you do not need to add any static routes.
As shown in Figure 1, the Web LCT with the IP address of 129.9.0.100 uses the nearby NE1 as the GNE to access other NEs. You need not to add static routes on the Web LCT or NEs.
Application 2: Gateway NE Mode (by Default Gateway)
If the Web LCT is connected to the GNE through a router and other NEs are accessed in the gateway NE mode, you need to add a default gateway on the Web LCT and on the GNE.
As shown in Figure 2, the Web LCT with the IP address 10.100.11.12 connects with the GNE (NE1) through a router and accesses other NEs in the gateway NE mode. In this case, you need to set a default gateway on both the Web LCT and NE1. Set the default gateway on the Web LCT to 10.100.11.1, and that on NE1 to 129.9.0.254.
Application 3: Direct Connection Mode (by Static Routes)
If the Web LCT and the GNE connect to the same Ethernet and other NEs are accessed in the direct connection mode, you need to set on the Web LCT the default gateway to the IP address of the NE that is connected to the Web LCT directly. Or you need to add the static route to the non-GNEs, with the forwarding address as the IP address of the GNE.
As shown in Figure 3, if the Web LCT with the IP address of 129.9.0.100 needs to access NE3 directly, you need to add the static route to 133.168.0.0/24 on the Web LCT.
Application 4: Direct Connection Mode through a Router (by Static Routes)
The Web LCT connects to the Ethernet port of a certain NE through a router and accesses other NEs in the direct connection mode. You need to perform the following operations.
- On the Web LCT, set the static route to the GNE and non-GNEs.
- On the GNE, set the default route to the Web LCT.
- Add static routes to the Web LCT on the destination station and the intermediate station.
As shown in Figure 4, the Web LCT with the IP address of 10.100.11.12 connects to NE1 through a router and accesses NE3 in the direct connection mode. Suppose the IP address of the Web LCT is 10.100.11.0 (subnet mask 255.255.255.0). Perform the listed operations:
- Add the static route on the Web LCT to the gateway 129.9.0.2.
- Set the default gateway on NE1 to 129.9.0.254.
- Add the static route on NE2 to 10.100.11.0, with the next hop address as 129.9.0.2.
- Add the static route on NE3 to 10.100.11.0, with the next hop address as 133.168.0.2.
Configuration Requirements
If NEs communicate with each other through IP over DCC, note the following rules for setting the network scale. It is recommended that a GNE manage no more than 50 and 60 non-gateway NEs (including the extended ECC).
If NEs communicate with each other through IP over DCC, note the following rules for setting the IP address.
- If NEs communicate through IP addresses on the network layer, each NE need to have a unique IP address to avoid routing error due to conflict.
- NEs support standard A, B, C types of IP addresses, that is, the IP address ranges from 1.0.0.1 to 223.255.255.254. The 127.x.x.x, a loopback address, cannot be used.
- The IP address must be used with the subnet mask. The subnet mask supports consecutive masks in addition to natural masks, for example, 255.255.224.0.
- When the IP over DCC communication is used between a GNE and a non-GNE, the IP addresses can be of different network sections.
- The GNE and non-GNEs cannot be in the same IP subnet. The NEs managed through the same GNE can be in different IP subnets.
- Do not configure one GNE and one non-GNE into the same IP subnet.
- Ethernet in the network must belong to different subnets. Otherwise, a routing error will occur in the whole network. This is not allowed.
- The subnet masks of the NEs must be the same.
- The priority of static routes is higher than that of dynamic routes. If there is a conflict, static routes take priority.