ARCDIAG

ARCNET DIAGNOSTIC PROGRAM

USER GUIDE



Version 2.5







For use with
Novell Netware/SM/RX Type Networks












(c) Copyright 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992
by
Olympic Software Co
8424 Warner Rd
Saline, MI 48176
(313) 996-5750

All Rights Reserved Worldwide

The information in this document is subject to change without notice and
should not be construed as a commitment by Olympic Software Co. Olympic
Software Co. assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in
this document.

The software described in this document is furnished under license and may
only be used or copied in accordance with the terms of such license.


COPYRIGHT NOTICE AND LICENSE

This document; other accompanying written and disk-based notes and
specifications; and all referenced and related program files, demonstration
code and object modules accompanying this document are copyrighted by
Olympic Software. The copyright owner hereby licenses you to: use the
software; make as many copies of the software and documentation as you wish;
give exact copies of the original to anyone; and distribute the software and
documentation in its unmodified form via electronic means. There is no charge
for any of the above.

This is not free software. This license allows you to use this software
without charge for a period of 30 days. In order to include this software
as part of any product, either commercial, shareware, freeware, or public
domain, registration is required. Any such use of the Arcdiag product is in
violation of federal copyright laws and will be prosecuted.

No copy of the software may be distributed or given away without this
accompanying documentation; this notice must not be removed.

DISCLAIMER OF ALL WARRANTIES

There is no warranty of any kind associated with this software, and the
copyright owner is not liable for damages of any kind. By using this
software, you agree to this. Every effort has been made by Olympic Software
to make this product bug-free. However, the nature of software development
is that it is impossible to guarantee bug-free software.

REGISTRATION

Upon receipt of the appropriate registration fee, Olympic Software will send
the user a disk containing a version of Arcdiag without the shareware
registration screen, and entitle him to full telephone support.

BULLETIN BOARDS, USERS GROUPS AND DISK VENDORS

No Bulletin Board, User Group or Disk Vendor that charges any fee for access
or disks may distribute Arcdiag without completing the application form
below. Free, public access bulleting boards may distribute Arcdiag with no
written permission, but are encouraged to send the application form, in order
to receive the latest version of the product.

Operators of Bulletin Boards may receive an official copy of Arcdiag, its
documentation, and all related materials in archived form, by completing the
application form below, and returning it to Olympic Software. You must
provide free access to your BBS for you to receive this disk. This will also
entitle you to free upgrades of the product.

Non-Profit Users Groups may distribute unregistered copies of Arcdiag, as
long as the group charges no more than $10 per disk. To receive 'official'
master copies of Arcdiag and automatic updates, please fill in and return
the application form below. You should add Olympic Software to your group's
mailing list, and send a copy of your group's newsletter (if applicable).

For-Profit disk vendors may distribute unregistered copies of Arcdiag,
providing they return the application form below, pay a $10 fee for the
master disk, shipping and handling, AND THE VENDOR MUST HAVE ATTAINED
ASP-APPROVED STATUS.

Olympic Software must be placed on the vendor's mailing list, and receive
all promotional and advertising materials with the application.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES MAY ARCDIAG BE DISTRIBUTED WITHOUT THIS COMPLETE
DOCUMENTATION FILE, ALL PROGRAMS, AND OTHER MATERIALS PROVIDED WITH THE
OFFICIAL COPIES FROM OLYMPIC SOFTWARE. ANY SUCH DISTRIBUTION OF ARCDIAG
OR ITS RELATED FILES, EXCEPT AS PROVIDED FOR IN THIS LICENSE, SHALL BE
DETERMINED TO BE IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL COPYRIGHT LAWS AND WILL BE
PROSECUTED.

INTRODUCTION

The ARCDIAG program is designed to be a service tool for network
administrator personnel for a network that uses ARCNET type hardware (see
specifications section for compliance). The ARCDIAG.EXE program includes
two diagnostic sections that will help during installation of an ARCNET net-
work. The diagnostic software can be operated at any workstation during
installation of the network or at any time while running the Novell Network
Operating System.

NOTE: The ARCDIAG program is not intended to isolate
Novell Software problems except in those cases where the
physical network hardware is the prime cause of the
problem.

The program exercises the network card by testing all of its internal functions,
RAM, RIM etc., and then displays a map of active nodes and packet counts.
The latter also provides an indication of any reconfiguration that might be
occurring.

START UP

The program can be run from the DOS prompt by typing:

ARCDIAG [-mxxxx] [-ixxxx] [-ffile descriptor] [-ttype] [-b]

Start Up Options:

-b Option for removing the preliminary board test.

-ffile descriptor
Option for specifying the location of the logical
name file - ARCDIAG.DAT. 40 characters
maximum. (Registered version only).

-ixxxx Option for operating ARCDIAG at an I/O address of
xxxx (hex). ARCDIAG defaults to 02E0 (hex). Must
use all 4 digits (Registered version only).

-mxxxx Option for operating ARCDIAG at a RAM memory
location of xxxx (hex). ARCDIAG defaults to D000
(hex). Must use all 4 digits. (Registered version
only).

-q Option allows board test only operation. Place
[ARCDIAG -q] in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file for
automatic test of ARCNET card on power up. If
an error condition is detected, the nature of the
error is displayed and the DOS error level is set
to 1. Otherwise, nothing is displayed, and the
DOS error level is kept at 0.

-ttype Option for selecting different network interface cards.
ARCDIAG defaults to standard SMC type cards with
memory mapped RAM and I/O mapped RIM
controllers. (Registered version only). Use -t2 for
memory mapped cards such as Thomas Conrad in enhanced
mode.

ArcDiag will function in the file server or any work station, providing there
is a floppy drive available. Work stations with no local file storage that use
boot proms to load Novell can not perform boards tests.

The ARCDIAG.EXE file may be copied onto and executed from the network hard
disk, but keep in mind that board testing is disabled if the Novell Shell
is loaded.

Type ARCDIAG at the DOS prompt of the drive containing ARCDIAG,
whereupon, if the Novell Shell is not loaded, the board test screen shown in
Figure 1 will appear:

Map Count Names Format Board Print Reset Quit
+------------------------------------------------------------------++---------+
| Dec 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 || |
| +--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+|| |
| 0+ +||---------|
| 15+ Network Board Test +|| Rcn/Min |
| 30+ +|| |
| 45+ PASSED: RAM test +||---------|
| 60+ No Network Boot PROM Found +|| Station |
| 75+ PASSED: Internal RIM Test +|| |
| 90+ PASSED: Physical node address is 2 +||---------|
|105+ PASSED: POR test +|| Address |
|120+ PASSED: ETS test +|| |
|135+ +||---------|
|150+ +|| Packets |
|165+ +|| |
|180+ +||---------|
|195+ +|| Recnfgs |
|210+ +|| |
|225+ +||---------|
|240+ +|| ActNode |
| +--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+|| |
+------------------------------------------------------------------++---------+
ARCDIAG V2.4 Copyright Olympic Software 1989

Figure 1 - Board Test Screen

BOARD TESTS

Unless option [-b] is included in the startup command, the board test
function automatically begins when entering [ARCDIAG] at the DOS
prompt.

Board Types
ARCDIAG has been set to function on most Arcnet boards,
with the exception of Nestar.

By including [-ttype] in the command line as a start up option,
different board types may be selected, e.g. [-t1], [-t2], etc. Following is
an example of the command line:

ARCDIAG [-mxxxx] [-ffile descriptor]
[-ttype]

[-t1] is the default and is used for most Arcnet cards that use memory
mapped RAM and I/O mapped RIM controllers such as SMC,
Novell, Earth, etc.

[-t2] is used for memory mapped RIM controllers, such as Thomas
Conrad, Arcmaster, etc. When the [-t2] option is used, the [-I] option
is disabled.

[-t3] is used for SMC type PC500 and PC550. Use the [-I] option to
configure I/O mapping if other than 2E0.

Example: To select a Thomas Conrad 6054 16 bit card
at D000 hex, enter the following command line:

ARCDIAG -mD000 -t2


Note: If you do not know the option codes for
your board, contact Olympic Software Co., (313)
996-5750.

The following tests are made during the board test phase:

NOTE: WHEN ARCDIAG IS FIRST EXECUTED, BOARD TESTING IS
DISABLED IF THE USER HAS ALREADY LOADED THE NOVELL SHELL.

RAM TEST
ARCDIAG exercises the ARCNET board's RIM RAM. All 2K of RAM are tested
for shorted and open bits. Also, the address lines are tested.

An error message is displayed if the RAM fails the test or if the DIP
switch setting of the memory address set is incorrect.

A PASSED message is displayed if operation is verified.

NETWORK BOOT PROM TEST
This test indicates whether or not a network boot PROM is installed.

RIM TEST
The token controller IC (9026) is tested in the RIM test. The network
microprocessor (9026) can perform its own internal diagnostics.
When the test is run, approximately 95% of the processor's operations are
exercised. If this test fails, replacement of the network card is
recommended if it is verified that the I/O address DIP switches are set
correctly.

A PASSED message is displayed if operation is verified.

SID TEST
During the SID test, the Controller source ID is located and read. The
returned value from this test is the station node address. The test will
fail if it is at zero. If failed, make sure the address switches are set
to an address greater than zero.

A PASSED message is displayed if operation is verified.

ETS TEST
The ETS test verifies the proper location of the (E)xtended (T)imeout
(S)etting jumper. Newer ARCNET cards may not have a jumper. Therefore,
the card needs to be replaced if an error occurs.

A PASSED message is displayed if operation is verified.

POR TEST
During this test, a power-up cycle is activated and verified. The 9026
RIM processor is reset and the ARCNET card is placed into an operational
state.

After performing all of the above tests, the program will halt for approximately
three seconds, then cycle into the Network Tests.

The Board Tests may be continued by selecting [Board] from the Lotus-type
menu at the top of screen, or by merely pressing [B].


NETWORK TESTS

Network tests function both in and out of the Netware shell. However, the file
server and workstations can be tested only if they are powered on.

The Network Test Grid shown in Figure 2 appears after ArcDiag has been
started and the Board Tests are completed.

Map Count Names Format Board Print Reset Quit
+------------------------------------------------------------------++---------+
| Dec 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 || 6/24/90 |
| +--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+|| 8:30:23 |
| 0+ FS1 . MGR . . . . . . . . . . . . +||---------|
| 15+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +|| Rcn/Min |
| 30+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +|| 0 |
| 45+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +||---------|
| 60+ . TST . . . . . . . . . . . . . +|| Station |
| 75+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +|| 2 |
| 90+ . . . . . . . . . LAB . . . . . +||---------|
|105+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +|| Address |
|120+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +|| 3 |
|135+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +||---------|
|150+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +|| Packets |
|165+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +|| |

|180+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +||---------|
|195+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +|| Recnfgs |
|210+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +|| 0 |
|225+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +||---------|
|240+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +|| ActNode |
| +--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+|| 4 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------++---------
ARCDIAG V2.4 Copyright Olympic Software 1989

Figure 2 - Network Test Grid

Each dot on the grid represents a node. As noted by the cursor rapidly moving
across the grid, the program polls all 255 nodes. When a file server or
workstation is powered on, the node number or node name will be displayed in
the place of the dot.

INFORMATION WINDOWS
Information from the network diagnostics is provided in the windows
on the right side of the screen. The first window contains current
date and time. Following is a description of the information
contained in the other windows.

RCN/MIN
Indicates the number of reconfiguration per minute, relative to
(1) the number of stations being powered on or off of the
network, and (2) any type of fault condition occurring on the
network.

This information may be used as a gross indication of network
fault conditions (see "Recnfgs" below).

STATION
If the Novell shell is running, the station number on which
ARCDIAG is running is displayed in this window. This number
may be referenced to the station number which appears on the
file server monitor.

If the shell is not loaded, the message "No Shell" is displayed.

ADDRESS
The physical address, or the dip switch setting, on the network
interface card.

PACKETS
The number of packets that have occurred on the network since
the last reset. This information indicates relative network
activity.

RECNFGS
Reconfiguration bursts are counted accumulatively and displayed
in this window. Reconfiguration bursts increment whenever any
of the following occur:

1. a workstation is powered onto the network.
2. a workstation is powered off of the network
(intermittent).
3. a network card is faulty.
4. the network connecting cable is faulty.

A rapidly increasing reconfiguration count indicates a faulty
network (refer to "Network Troubleshooting, Network Tests").

ACTNODE
The number of nodes that have powered onto the network.

FUNCTION SELECTION

At the top of the Network Test screen is a "Lotus" type menu for selecting
various functions, such as "Map," "Count," "Names," etc. To select a
particular function, either move the cursor key to highlight the function
and press [Enter], or merely type the first letter of the function label,
e.g. [M] for the "Map" function.

Note that a "help" statement, corresponding to each function, appears at
the bottom of the screen whenever a function is highlighted.


MAP
Selection of this function displays all nodes on a grid, each node
being indicated by a dot. The number range is from 1 to 255. The
display is arranged in a matrix form. Nodes are displayed 15 at a
time along the horizontal. Therefore, nodes 1 through 15 are
displayed on the first line, nodes 16 through 29 on the next line.

Stations that are powered on are indicated by a node number or node
name, in the place of a dot.

COUNT
In this mode, packets from each station are monitored and displayed
on the grid. Packet counts can be viewed as an indication of activity
from each node. Those nodes that transfer packets most frequently
will increment the packet count much more rapidly.

Although the program is not fast enough to catch all packets, relative
packet increases are displayed. Therefore, the nodes that are assigned
as fileservers should have packet counts increasing at a faster rate
than workstations.

NAMES
Any of the 255 nodes can be given an alpha-numeric designation
which is useful for quick recognition of node locations.

These logical names can be assigned to physical node numbers by
using the "Names" function. For example, a file server that might be
located on node 1 may be given the logical designation "FS1".

When selecting the "Names" function, the following message will
appear at the bottom of the screen:

Enter node number (1 to 255):

At the blinking cursor, enter the number of the node to which you
want to give a logical name, then press [Enter]. The following
message will then appear:

Enter name (3 char max):

At the blinking cursor, enter a maximum of three characters and press
[Enter]. You will then be asked:

Save (y/n)

If your entry is correct and you want to save it to the ARCDIAG.DAT
file on the disk, press [Enter], since "Enter" or "Return" is the
default. Otherwise, press [N] to ignore the entry.

The program uses the file ARCDIAG.DAT to store logical names for
physical node numbers.

The ARCDIAG.DAT file can be located in either the default drive or
when connected to a Novell network it can be located in the Z:
(public) directory. Optionally a command line argument (-f) can be
used to tell ARCDIAG where to locate and what name to use for the
logical name file (see "Start Up Options").


FORMAT
Physical node numbers can be displayed on the node map as either
decimal, octal or hexidecimal numbers. The current mode of
operation is displayed in the upper left hand corner of the display.

Pressing the [Enter] key more than once will toggle the display mode
between decimal, octal and hexidecimal.

BOARD
This function runs diagnostics on network interface cards. In order
for the board diagnostic test to operate, however, ARCDIAG cannot
be running in conjunction with the Novell operating system.

When this test is initiated from the menu at the top of the screen, it
will continue until the space bar is pressed or until an error is
found.

PRINT
If an IBM graphics compatible printer is available, use PrtSc to
produce an exact copy of the map including graphic borders.

If an IBM graphics compatible printer is not available, or if you want
to label and date the node map, select the "Print" function on the
menu, whereupon the following statement will appear at the bottom of
the screen:

Enter map name:

Type a name for the map, then press [Enter]. A node map with time
and date stamp will be sent to the printer. All borders are converted
to characters that can be printed on any type of printer.

The printing program does not send a form feed character at the end
of printing allowing two maps to be printed on one 8 1/2 by 11 inch
piece of paper.

RESET
Select this function to reset all counters to zero and reformat
the grid.

EXIT
Select this function to exit the program.




SPECIFICATIONS

RIM RAM Base Address
D000 (hex) segment default - configurable at runtime

Board I/O Address
02E0(hex) default - configurable at runtime

Interface Types
8 bit cards with Standard Microsystem interface (type 1)
16 bit cards with Thomas Conrad interface (6045)(type 2)
16 bit cards like Standard Microsystms PC500/550 (type 3)

Active Nodes Displayed
1 thru 255

RIM RAM size
2K bytes

Computer Compatibility
IBM PC/XT/AT or compatible Network Operating Systems
Novell Netware 4.61 and above. Novell Advanced Netware 1.02
and above. Does not perform reliably when executing a board test
on a non-dedicated fileserver running ELS ver 1.0.

NETWORK TROUBLESHOOTING

Board Tests

Symptom Corrective Action

RAM Test Fails
Check network card memory address DIP
switches for proper settings.

RAM defective, replace card.

RIM Test Fails
Check network card I/O address DIP switches for
proper settings.

9026 RIM controller defective, replace card

SID Test
The SID address should display the node address.
Note: Do not allow two network cards to have the
same physical address.

ETS Test Fails
Newer network card does not have a jumper for
extended timeout. Therefore, if this test fails, the
board needs to be replaced.
POR Test Fails
Before, continuing, remove the network cable and
try again. If the test still fails, the network card
needs to be replaced. Disconnecting the cable
removes any type of external interference with the
test.



Network Tests

Symptom Likely Cause

Reconfiguration
counter increments
continuously
(1) no other nodes are connected to the local
network card.
(2) the cable network is defective from the local
card to the rest of the network.
(3) an active or passive hub port is defective.


Multiple "phantom"
nodes are
displayed
(1) two nodes have been set to the same address.
(2) a cable connection is not making solid contact.
(3) the memory address DIP switches are set
incorrectly.
(4) -i or -m options have been set incorrectly.

When run with Novell
shell - local node is
not displayed
Nothing is wrong with the display. The Novell
shell has not passed the proper physical node
address to ARCDIAG. Works correctly when not
running with the shell. Fixed in Novell Advanced
Netware 2.0 and above.


ARCDIAG shows OK, but
cannot "find fileserver"
when shell is run
Make sure the interrupt jumper is used for all
network cards used with Advanced Netware 1.02
and above.

OLYMPIC SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT


License
Olympic Software owns the enclosed software program ("Program") and all
copyrights and other rights and interest in such program. Olympic
Software grants you a non-exclusive license to use the enclosed Program
subject to the terms and restrictions below.

Restrictions on Use
You may use the program only on a single fileserver. You may not use
the Program on a single user computer. You may modify the Program or
merge it into any other program but all such portions remain subject
to the restrictions of this license.

Restrictions on Copying
The Program and documentation are copyrighted and may only be copied
as permitted by this license. You may copy the machine readable form
of the Program only for back-up or archive purposes, provided that nor
more than three(3) copies are in existence at any one time without
prior written consent from Olympic Software. You must maintain a
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merged portion. You may copy the documentation which is provided in
printed form with the program.

Restrictions on Transfer
You may physically transfer the program from one of your own computers
to another as long as the matching key card is transported also. You
may not distribute copies of the Program to others. You may transfer
this license together with all originals, copies, modifications, and
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Term
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will also terminate if you fail to comply with any term or condition of
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portions in any form.

No Warranty of Performance
OLYMPIC SOFTWARE MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, AS TO
THE QUALITY, PERFORMANCE OR MERCHANTABILITY OF THIS PROGRAM, NOR AS TO
THE FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR PARTICULAR RESULTS OBTAINED
THROUGH USING THE PROGRAM. YOU ACCEPT THIS PROGRAM "AS IS" AND ASSUME
ALL RISK OF DEFECTS AND ALL COSTS OF SERVICING, REPAIRS AND CORRECTIONS.

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Olympic Software warrants the original magnetic diskette on which the
Program is recorded to be free from defects in material and faulty
workmanship under normal use and service for a period of ninety (90)
days from the date you receive it. If, during this ninety day period,
such a defect should occur, you may return the diskette to Olympic
Software or an authorized Olympic Software dealer for a replacement
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enclosed Registration Form or send a copy of your receipt for the
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abuse or misapplication. Olympic Software makes this warranty to you as
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