Ethernet connections for a typical Avaya S8700 Media Server for IP-Connect Configuration are described below.
Avaya S8700 Media Server. The server does system initialization and recovery, provides access to the telephony application software, and handles alarming for hardware and software components. Two are always present, one in active mode and the other on standby.
Duplication interface: default Ethernet 2. The dedicated, direct Ethernet connection between the two required Avaya media servers, used to monitor and exchange the state of health of each server.
Services interface: default Ethernet 1. The server's dedicated Ethernet connection to a laptop.
Network control A and corporate LAN interface: default Ethernet 0. The server's Ethernet connection to the port networks and the customer's LAN. In most S8700 IP-Connect configurations, the control signals for the port networks are sent over the corporate LAN (a "shared" or non-dedicated network). They may be routed through various Ethernet switches or routers, depending on the local network configuration.
Because the S8700 IP Connect interacts with the corporate network in this configuration, the IP addresses of the various S8700 media server configuration components must be administered with extreme care to prevent conflicts with other equipment that shares the LAN.
The administrator's PC, the servers' UPS units, and the corporate network management system for SNMP alarms (if used) access the server through this same Ethernet interface.
The IP-connect configuration
may be set up to send its control signals over a private LAN. The configuration
in this case looks identical to that of a S8700
Multi-Connect duplex configuration, except for the port network configuration
(see items 8 and 9 below).
Corporate LAN. The topology for the local area network varies significantly.
If Ethernet switches are part
of the switch configuration and report alarms to the servers using SNMP,
they must be on the same subnet as the S8700 media servers.
Administration PC. The administrator typically accesses the media servers over the corporate LAN.
UPS. An uninterruptible power supply keeps the S8700 media server configurations functional through brief power outages. One UPS is required per server.
The UPS units must be on the
same subnet as the S8700 media servers, and must report alarms using SNMP
to their respective servers, in order for the servers to respond correctly
to a loss of power.
Port network (PN). Provides the telecommunications functions of the system. An S8700 IP-Connect configuration supports up to 64 port networks. The port networks must be Avaya G600 media gateways, and each port network must contain an IPSI circuit pack.
IPSI. The Internet Protocol Server Interface (IPSI) circuit pack carries the control network signals to the other boards in the port network.
The IP addresses for the IPSI boards must be assigned manually through a direct laptop connection to the IPSI board. This connection is similar to the services link connection, requiring a crossover Ethernet cable between the laptop and the IPSI board.
The Ethernet connection characteristics for each IPSI can be set automatically by the Ethernet switch (the autosense option), or manually.
Manual settings include the Ethernet connection speed (10 Mbps or 100 Mbps) and either half duplex (can receive or transmit) or full duplex (can receive and transmit simultaneously) operation.
Normally Ethernet interfaces in the Avaya media server network run at 100 Mbps full duplex, but these values can be adjusted if equipment in the corporate network requires it.
IP Connect preinstallation worksheet
Multi-Connect duplex configuration