RMC30 Use Guide v2.1

RuggedServer
RMC30 User Guide
RuggedCom Inc.
64 Jardin Dr. (Unit 3G)
Concord, Ontario Canada
L4K 3P3
Web: www.ruggedcom.com
Tel: (905) 760-7799
Fax: (905) 760-9909
Toll Free: (888) 264 0006
RMC30 User Guide
RUGGEDSERVER USER GUIDE

FOR USE WITH RMC30
RUGGED SERVER OPERATING SYSTEM V2.1
Version 2.1.0 Sept 23, 2004

RuggedCom Disclaimer
RuggedCom Inc. makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this
64 Jardin Drive, Unit 3G material.
Concord, Ontario RuggedCom shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for
consequential damages in connection with the furnishing,
Canada L4K 3P3 performance, or use of this material.
Voice: (905) 760-7799 Warranty

1-(888) 264-0006 Five (5) years from date of purchase, return to factory. For warranty
details, visit www.ruggedcom.com or contact your customer service
Fax: (905) 760-9909 representative .
COPYRIGHT Dec 2002 RuggedCom Inc.

support@ruggedcom.com
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
http://www.ruggedcom.com This document contains proprietary information, which is protected

by copyright. All rights are reserved.
No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced or

translated to another language without the prior written consent of
RuggedCom Inc.
RuggedCom
About this User Guide
ABOUT THIS U SER G UIDE

This guide is concerned with aiding the user in the configuration and operation of the
RuggedServer using the ROS User Interface. Specifically, this guide details aspects of:
Accessing the User Interface
Security (passwords)
Configuring the server
Status determination
Performance measurement
Uploading and downloading files
Dealing with alarms
This guide is intended solely for the purpose of familiarizing the reader with the ways that the
RuggedServer can be used to support Ethernet switching, Routing, TCP Modbus and serial
encapsulation applications.
Applicable Firmware Revision

This guide is applicable to RuggedServer Operating System (ROS) software revision 2.1.x.
Who Should Use This User Guide

This guide is to be used by network technical support personnel who are familiar with the
operation of networks. Others who might find the book useful are network and system
planners, system programmers and line technicians.
How To Use This User Guide

Each chapter has been prepared with a feature description, an application section and a
description of the default mode of operation. Each chapter includes a Troubleshooting
section describing the most commonly encountered problems.
The index of this guide has been prepared with:
Entries to each of the Features and Troubleshooting sections,
Entries to each of the Menus, organized by name.
It is recommended that you use this guide along with the RMC30 Installation Guide
Document Conventions
This publication uses the following conventions:
Note: Means reader take note. Notes contain helpful suggestions or references to materials not
contained in this guide.
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RMC30 User Guide
Quick Start Recommendations
The following description is included to aid those users experienced with

communications equipment that may wish to attempt to configure the server
without fully reading the guide. Commands strings have been provided with their
full path from the root menu.
1. Locate/mount the chassis in its final resting place.

2. Attach a PC running terminal emulation software to the RS232 port and apply
power to the chassis (default baud rate, data bits, parity - 57600 8 n, no
hardware/software flow control). Set the terminal type to VT100.
3. While the RMC30 is powering on press and hold the <CTRL>Z key. The
following prompt should appear on the screen:
Console mode...
Type 'yes' if you want to enter MAIN console mode:
After entering 'yes' and then pressing any key the main login screen will appear.
Using the default password of admin will provide access to the User Interface
(see Chapter 1).
4. Configure the servers IP address (Administration, Configure IP Services,
IP Address) and Subnet Mask (Administration, Configure IP Services,
Subnet). If instead you wish the server to load the address via DHCP, set
the address type to dynamic (Administration, Configure IP Services, IP
Address Type). See Chapter 1 for more details.
5. You may wish to change the default guest, operator and administration passwords
(Administration, Configure IP Services, Configure Passwords). See Chapter 1
for more details.
6. The serial ports may be configured to support Serial encapsulation or TcpModbus,
placing connections to or accepting connections from a remote host. See Chapter
2 for more details
7. You may wish to configure the security aspects of the server. By default the
server allows a number of incoming telnet sessions. TFTP sessions are allowed,
and may read (and not write) the servers configuration. The server also allows a
number of web management sessions to occur. You can limit the numbers of
these sessions or disable them completely (Administration, IP Services). If
remote SNMP management or traps are desired, configure the appropriate manage
station (Administration, Configure SNMP Management Stations).
8. Further concerns such as fine-tuning serial port parameters, measuring and
optimizing performance are dealt with by reading the guide fully.
ii RuggedCom
Table Of Contents
Table Of Contents
About this User Guide............................................................................................................................ i
Applicable Firmware Revision........................................................................................................... i
Who Should Use This User Guide......................................................................................................i
How To Use This User Guide.............................................................................................................i
Document Conventions.......................................................................................................................i
Quick Start Recommendations.......................................................................................................... ii
Table Of Contents.................................................................................................................................iii
Chapter 1 Setting Up And Administering The Server...................................................................... vii

Introduction......................................................................................................................................vii
The RuggedServer User Interface.................................................................................................vii
The RuggedServer Web Server Interface........................................................................................x
The RuggedServer Menu Interface..............................................................................................xiii
Troubleshooting............................................................................................................................... xx
Chapter 2 Configuring Serial Encapsulation And TcpModbus Ports............................................... 22

Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 22
Serial IP Applications...................................................................................................................... 24
TCPModBus Server and Client Applications.................................................................................. 27
Serial Encapsulator Concepts And Issues........................................................................................ 29
TcpModbus Concepts And Issues.................................................................................................... 31
Serial Port Configuration................................................................................................................. 34
Serial Port Statistics......................................................................................................................... 44
Troubleshooting............................................................................................................................... 48
Chapter 3 Using Diagnostics.............................................................................................................51

Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 51
Using The Alarm System................................................................................................................. 51
Viewing And Clearing Alarms.........................................................................................................53
Viewing CPU Diagnostics............................................................................................................... 54
Viewing and Clearing the System Log.............................................................................................55
Viewing Product Identification........................................................................................................ 55
Load Factory Default Configuration................................................................................................ 56
Resetting The Unit........................................................................................................................... 56
Chapter 4 Using The CLI Shell.........................................................................................................57

Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 57
Entering And Leaving The Shell......................................................................................................57
Summary Of Commands..................................................................................................................58
Viewing Files................................................................................................................................... 59
Pinging A Remote Device...............................................................................................................60
Tracing Events................................................................................................................................. 61
Viewing DHCP Learned Information Using Ipconfig..................................................................... 63
Executing Commands Remotely Through RSH.............................................................................. 64
Resetting The Server........................................................................................................................ 64
Chapter 5 Upgrading Firmware And Managing Configurations.......................................................65
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RMC30 User Guide
Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 65
Upgrading Firmware........................................................................................................................ 65
Capturing Configurations.................................................................................................................68
Using SQL Commands.................................................................................................................... 69
Appendix A - SNMP MIB Support......................................................................................................73
Appendix B SNMP Trap Summary.................................................................................................. 73
Index.....................................................................................................................................................76
4 RuggedCom
Table Of Contents
TABLE O F FIGURES
Figure 1: Main Menu With Screen Elements Identified........................................................................ ii
Figure 2: Signing On To The Server With A Web Browser.................................................................iv
Figure 3: Signing On To The Server With A Web Browser.................................................................. v
Figure 4: Signing On To The Server With A Web Browser.................................................................vi
Figure 5: Administration Menu........................................................................................................... vii
Figure 6: IP Services Configuration Menu.......................................................................................... vii
Figure 7: Time and Date Menu............................................................................................................. xi
Figure 8: SNMP Management Stations Menu..................................................................................... xii
Figure 9: Using A Router As A Gateway........................................................................................... xiv
Figure 10: Character Encapsulation .................................................................................................... 19
Figure 11: RTU Polling .......................................................................................................................20
Figure 12: Broadcast RTU Polling ......................................................................................................20
Figure 13: TcpModbus Client and Server ........................................................................................... 22
Figure 14: Sources of Delay and Error in an End to End Exchange ................................................... 27
Figure 15: Serial Protocols Menu........................................................................................................ 30
Figure 16: Serial Protocol Assignment Menu...................................................................................... 30
Figure 17: Serial IP Configuration Menu.............................................................................................31
Figure 18: TCP Modbus Server Configuration.................................................................................... 33
Figure 21: TCP Modbus Client Configuration.................................................................................... 36
Figure 24: Connection Statistics Menu................................................................................................ 39
Figure 25: Serial Summary Statistics Menu.........................................................................................40
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RMC30 User Guide
Figure 26: Serial Port Statistics Menu................................................................................................. 41
Figure 27: Diagnostics Menu Showing Alarm Commands................................................................. 46
Figure 28: Alarms Menu...................................................................................................................... 48
Figure 29: CPU Diagnostics Menu...................................................................................................... 49
Figure 30: Viewing the System Log.....................................................................................................50
Figure 31: Displaying Trace settings ...................................................................................................56
Figure 32: Changing Trace settings..................................................................................................... 57
Figure 33: Starting A Trace..................................................................................................................58
Figure 34 Example of an Upgrade using XModem............................................................................. 61
Figure 35 Example of an Upgrade using a TFTP client on your workstation......................................62
Figure 36 Example of an Upgrade using the TFTP client on the RuggedServer..............................63
Figure 37 The sql command and SQL help..........................................................................................64
Figure 38 The sql command and SQL help..........................................................................................65
Figure 39 Selecting a table................................................................................................................... 65
Figure 40 Select a parameter with a table............................................................................................ 65
Figure 41 Selecting rows in a table based upon parameter values.......................................................66
Figure 42 Selecting rows in a table based upon multiple parameter values........................................ 66
Figure 43 Changing Values In A Table................................................................................................66
Figure 44 Defaulting A Table.............................................................................................................. 66
Figure 45 Bulk Inspections Using RSH and SQL................................................................................67
6 RuggedCom
Chapter 1 Setting Up And Administering The Server

Introduction
This chapter familiarizes the user with the RuggedCom user interface and Web
Server interface as well as describes the following procedures:
Configuring the IP Address and Subnet Mask
Configuring the Gateway Address
Configuring for DHCP Operation
Configuring the Management Connection Inactivity Timeout
Configuring the number of Telnet Sessions
Configuring TFTP Server Permissions
Configuring the SNMP Get Community Name
Configuring the System Identification
Configuring Passwords
Configuring the time and date
Configuring SNTP to keep the time and date correct
Configuring SNMP Management Stations
The RuggedServer User Interface
Using the Console Port to Access the User Interface
Attach a terminal (or PC running terminal emulation software) to the RS232 port
on the rear of the chassis. The terminal should be configured for 8 bits, no parity
operation at 57.6 Kbps. Hardware and software flow control must be disabled.
Select a terminal type of VT100.
Once the terminal is connected, pressing <CR> will prompt for the password to
be entered. The server is shipped with a default administrator password of
admin. Once successfully logged in, the user will be presented with the main
menu.
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RMC30 User Guide
The Structure of the User Interface
The user interface is organized as a series of menus with an escape to a command

line interface (CLI) shell. Each menu screen presents the server name (as proved
by the System Identification parameter), Menu Title, Access Level, Alarms
indicator, Sub-Menus and Command Bar.
Sub-menus are entered by selecting the desired menu with the arrow keys and
System Identification Menu Name Access Level/Alarms Indicator
RMC30 Main Menu

Admin Access
Administration
Serial Protocols
Diagnostics
Command Bar Sub-Menus

pressing the enter key. Pressing the escape key ascends to the parent menu.
Figure 1: Main Menu With Screen Elements Identified
The command bar offers a list of commands that apply to the currently displayed
menu. These commands include:
<CTRL> Z to display help on the current command or data item
<CTRL> S to server to the CLI shell
<CTRL> U/D to jump to next/previous page of a status display
The main menu also provides a <CTRL> X command, which will terminate the
session.
8 RuggedCom
Making Configuration Changes
When changing a data item the user selects the data item by the cursor keys and
then pressing the enter key. The cursor will change position to allow editing of
the data item.
Typing a new value after pressing enter always erases the old parameter value. The
left and right cursor keys may be used to position the edit point without erasing
the old parameter value. The up and down cursor keys may be used to cycle
through the next higher and lower values for the parameter.
After the parameter has been edited, press enter again to change other parameters.
When all desired parameters have been modified, press <CTRL> A to apply
changes. The server will automatically prompt you to save changes when you
leave a menu in which changes have been made.
Some menus will require you to press <CTRL> I to insert a new record of
information and <CTRL> L to delete a record.
Updates Occur In Real Time
All configuration and display menus present the values at the current instant,
automatically updating if changed from other user interface sessions or SNMP. All
statistics menus will display changes to statistics as they occur.
Alarm Indications Are Provided
Alarms are events for which the user is notified through the Diagnostics menu
View Alarms command. All configuration and display menus present an
indication of the number of alarms (in the upper right hand corner of the screen)
as they occur, automatically updating as alarms are posted and cleared.
The CLI Shell
The user interface provides a shell for operations that are more easily performed at
the command line. You may server back and forth from the menu system and
shell by pressing <CTRL> S. For more information on the capabilities of the
shell consult Chapter 4 Using The CLI Shell.
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RMC30 User Guide
The RuggedServer Web Server Interface
Using a Web Browser to Access the Web Interface
Start a web browser session and open a connection to the server by entering a
URL that specifies its hostname or IP address (e.g. h ttp://192.168.0.1). Once the
server is contacted, start the login process by clicking on the Login link. The
resulting page should be similar to that presented below.
Figure 2: Signing On To The Server With A Web Browser
Enter the admin user name and the appropriate password for the admin user,
then click on the OK button. The server is shipped with a default administrator
password of admin. Once successfully logged in, the user will be presented with
the main menu.
Session Aging
The Server will close any sessions that have not been active within a given period.
The period is given by the value of the inactivity timer (IP Services Menu,
Inactivity Timeout command) or 30 minutes, whichever is less.
10 RuggedCom
The Structure of the Web Interface
The user interface is organized as a series of linked web pages. The main menu
provides the links and allows them to be expanded to display lower level pages for
a particular configuration system.
Each web page presents the server name (as proved by the System Identification
parameter), Menu Title link and Alarms link.
The Menu title link takes you to a page that provides help for the configuration
parameters provided by that page.
Alarms are events for which the user is notified of by following the Alarms link
(these alarms may also be viewed and cleared through the Diagnostics menu View
Alarms and Clear Alarms commands). All configuration and display menus
present an indication of the number of alarms (in the upper right hand corner of
the screen) as they occur, automatically updating as alarms are posted and cleared.
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RMC30 User Guide
Making Configuration Changes
When changing a data item the user selects the data item by selecting the field to
edit with the mouse, entering a new value and clicking on the apply field. More
than one parameter may be modified at a time.
Some menus will require you to create or delete new records of information.
Updating Of Statistics Displays
You may click your refresh button to update statistics displays.
12 RuggedCom
The RuggedServer Menu Interface
Administration Menu
The Administration command provides the menu shown in the following Figure.
My Server Administration Admin Access
Configure IP Services
Configure System Identification
Configure Passwords
Configure Time and Date
Configure SNMP Management Stations
<CTRL> Z-Help S-Shell
Figure 5: Administration Menu
Configure IP Services
The Configure IP Services command provides the ability to change the IP

Address/mask, Gateway address, Inactivity Timeout, Telnet Sessions Allowed,
TFTP Server and SNMP Get Community parameters.
RMC30 IP Services Admin Access
IP Address Type Static

IP Address 10.0.10.101
Subnet 255.0.0.0
Gateway 10.0.0.254
Inactivity Timeout Disabled
Telnet Sessions Allowed 8
Web Server Users Allowed 16
TFTP Server Enabled
SNMP Get Community public
Note: IP Address Type, IP Address, Subnet and Gateway parameters are not changed during
a factory reload. The following figure shows the settings as shipped from the factory.
Figure 6: IP Services Configuration Menu
IP Address Type
This parameter specifies if the IP configuration is static (i.e. configured through

this menu), or dynamically assigned. If dynamic IP configuration is chosen, the IP
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RMC30 User Guide
Address, Subnet and Gateway fields will become unavailable for editing and will
not be displayed. These values will be loaded via Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol (DHCP) and may be viewed using the ipconfig shell command.
IP Address
This parameter specifies the IP address of the server.
Note: Changes to the IP Address take effect immediately upon being saved. Telnet and Web
Server connections in place at the time of an address change will be closed.
Subnet
This parameter specifies the subnet mask of the server.
Gateway
This parameter specifies the gateway IP address. This is the address to use when
forwarding packets to a network other than the one the server belongs to. It is
only required if you intend to manage the server from a management station that is
separated from the server by a router. local PPP link address
Note: If the PPP connection is the only way of accessing hosts on the local LAN, configure the
gateway to point at the local PPP link address.
Inactivity Timeout
This parameter specifies the amount of time after keystrokes have been pressed
before a management connection will be automatically broken. A value of zero
disables timeouts altogether.
Telnet Sessions
This parameter limits the number of Telnet sessions. A value of zero prevents any
Telnet access.
Note: If you disable Inactivity Timeouts and reduce the number of Telnet sessions to one, you
will not be able to connect via Telnet until your current connection closes.
14 RuggedCom
Web Server Users Allowed
This parameter limits the number of simultaneous web server users. Set this value
to zero to disable the web server.
TFTP Server
This parameter controls how a TFTP client can access the built-in TFTP server. A
setting of Disabled prevents all access, Get Only allows retrieval of files and
Enabled allows storing and retrieval of files.
SNMP Get Community
This string determines the community string that may be used by any management
station for SNMP read-only access of settings. Delete this string if you wish to
prevent read-only access.
Configuring System Identification
The system identification is displayed in the sign-on screen and in the upper left
hand corner of all RuggedServer menu screens. Setting the system identification
can make it easier to identify the servers within your network.
Setting the location and contact fields can provide information about where the
server is located and who to contact in order to resolve problems.
Configure Passwords
The guest, operator and admin passwords provide differing levels of access to the
server. Guest users can view most settings but may not change settings or run
commands. Operators cannot change settings but can reset alarms, statistics and
logs. Admin users can change settings and run commands.
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RMC30 User Guide
Configure Time and Date
The Configure Time and Date command provides the ability to change the server
time, date and time zone. The server can also be configured to periodically
contact an NTP server to correct for drift in the onboard clock.
My Server Time and Date Admin
Access
Time 14:05:41
Date Jan 7, 2003
Time Zone UTC-5:00 (New York, Toronto)
NTP Server Address 0.0.0.0
NTP Update Period 60 min
Figure 7: Time and Date Menu
Time
The time parameter allows configuration of the local time in local 24-hour format.
Date
The date parameter configures the date.
Time Zone
The time zone setting allows for the conversion of UTC (Universal Coordinated
Time) to local time.
NTP Server Address
This parameter specifies the IP address of the NTP (Network Time Protocol)
server used to set the on-board real time clock. Programming an address of
0.0.0.0 disables the use of NTP. The current time setting will be overwritten at
every NTP sync time interval, as specified by the NTP update period parameter.
NTP Update Period
This parameter determines how frequently the time is updated from the NTP
server. If the update attempt fails the server will make two more attempts (at one-
minute intervals) after which an alarm is generated. The programmed update rate
will then be resumed.
16 RuggedCom
Configure SNMP Management Stations
This command identifies management stations that may configure the server
through SNMP and receive Traps from the server.
At shipping time and after factory reloads the server is configured not to allow
remote management or raise Traps. Identify a management station to the server
by executing the Configure SNMP Management Stations command and
My Server SNMP Management Stations Admin
Access
Community String public

Address
Set Access Disabled
Send Traps Enabled
<CTRL> Z-Help S-Shell A-Apply

pressing CTRL-I to create a management record, as shown below.
Figure 8: SNMP Management Stations Menu
You may create up to eight management stations, each of which may have
individual settings for community strings, set access permission and sending of
traps. Note that all management stations created this way inherently allow get
access and disable set access.
Community String
The community string this management station is authenticated by.
Address
The management station IP address.
Note: If this address does not lie in the same network as the servers IP address then the
gateway address must be configured.
Set Access
If enabled, this management station may change configuration parameters.
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RMC30 User Guide
Send Traps
The management station will be sent SNMP traps if this setting is enabled. The
traps issued are summarized in Appendix B SNMP Trap Summary.
18 RuggedCom
Troubleshooting
Problem One
I have configured the IP address and a gateway. I am pinging the

server but it is not responding. I am sure the server is receiving
the ping because its port LEDs are flashing and the statistics
menu shows the pings. What is going on?
Is the server being pinged through a router? If so, the server gateway address
must be configured. The following figure illustrates the problem.
Router RuggedSwitchTM
192.168.0.1 10.0.0.1 10.0.0.2
Workstation
192.168.0.2
Figure 9: Using A Router As A Gateway
The router is configured with the appropriate IP subnets and will forward the ping
from the workstation to the server. When the server responds, however, it will not
know which its interfaces to use in order to reach the workstation and will drop
the response. Programming a gateway of 10.0.0.1 will cause the server to forward
un-resolvable frames to the router.
This problem will also occur if the gateway address is not configured and the
server tries to raise an SNMP trap to a host that is not on the local subnet
Problem Two
I have a network of thirty servers for which I wish to restrict

management traffic to a separate domain. What is the best way of
doing this while still staying in contact with these servers?
At the server where the management station is located, configure a port to use the
new management VLAN as its native VLAN. Configure a host computer to act as
a temporary management station.
At each server, configure the management VLAN to the new value. As each
server is configured you will immediately lose contact with it, but should be able to
re-establish communications from the temporary management station. After all
servers have been taken to the new management VLAN, configure the ports of all
attached management devices to use the new VLAN.
Note: Establishing a management domain is often accompanied with the establishment of an

IP subnet specifically for the managed devices.
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RMC30 User Guide
Chapter 2 Configuring SERIAL E NCAPSULATION A ND T CPMODBUS

PORTS
Introduction
This chapter familiarizes the user with:
Serial Encapsulation Applications
Configuring Serial IP ports
Configuring TcpModbus Server and Client ports
Viewing Serial Encapsulation port status and statistics
Viewing TCP Connections status and statistics
Resetting Serial Encapsulation ports
Troubleshooting Serial Encapsulation
Serial IP Port Features
RuggedCom Serial IP provides you with the following features:
A means to transport streams of characters from one serial port, over an IP

network to another serial port.
One RS232 and one RS422/485 serial ports per product
Baud rates of 1200, 2400, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200 or 230400
bps.
Supports RS232, RS422 and RS485 party line operation.
XON/XOFF flow control.
Support a point-to-point connection mode and a broadcast connection

mode in which up to 32 remote servers may connect to a central server.
TCPIP incoming, outgoing or both incoming/outgoing connections mode,

configurable local and remote TCP port numbers.
Packetize and send data on a full packet, a specific character or upon a

timeout.
20 RuggedCom
Chapter 2 Configuring Serial Encapsulation And TcpModbus Ports
Support a turnaround time to enforce minimum times between messages

sent out the serial port.
Debugging facilities include connection tracing and statistics.
TcpModbus Port Features
RuggedCom TcpModbus provide you with the following features:
2 independent serial ports operating in TcpModBus Server Gateway mode

or Client Gateway mode. In Server mode, each port can accept
TcpModbus connections for up to 32 RTUs. In Client mode, each port can
connect to up to 64 remote Server Gateways.
Baud rates of 1200, 2400, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200 or 230400
bps.
Supports RS232, RS422 and RS485 party line operation.
The Server support multi-master mode.
The Clients behaviour upon receiving a TcpModbus exception is

configurable.
Full control over packetization timers and retransmission counts.
Debugging facilities include connection tracing and statistics.
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RMC30 User Guide
Serial IP Applications
Character Encapsulation
Character encapsulation is used any time a stream of characters must be reliably

transported across a network.
The character streams can be created by any type of device. The baud rates
supported at either server need not be the same. If configured, the server will
obey XON/XOFF flow control from the end devices.
RuggedServer RuggedServer
Figure 10: Character Encapsulation
One of the servers is configured to listen to TCP connection requests on a specific

TCP port number. The other server is configured to connect to its peer on the
listening port number. The RuggedServer will attempt to connect periodically if
the first attempt fails and after a connection is broken.
The RuggedServer can be used to connect to any device supporting TCP (e.g. a
host computers TCP stack or a serial application on a host using port redirection
software).
RTU Polling
The following applies to a variety of RTU protocols besides ModBus RTU,

including ModBus ASCII and DNP.
Note: Users of TcpModbus are advised to use the Server and Client Gateway application.
The host equipment may connect to a RuggedServer via a serial port, may use a
port redirection package or may connect natively to the network. As with
character encapsulation, connections must be made by only one side.
22 RuggedCom
RTU
RuggedServer
RTU
Host with Port Redirection Software
Figure 11: RTU Polling
If a RuggedServer is used at the host end, it will wait for a request from the host,
encapsulate it in a TCP message and send it to the remote side. There, the remote
RuggedServer will forward the original request to the RTU. When the RTU
replies the RuggedServer will forward the encapsulated reply back to the host
end.
ModBus does not employ flow-control so XON/XOFF flow control should not
be configured.
The RuggedServer maintains configurable timers to help decide replies and

requests are complete and to handle special messages such as broadcasts.
The RuggedServer will also handle the process of line-turnaround when used
with RS485.
Broadcast RTU Polling
Broadcast polling allows a single host connected RuggedServer to fan-out a

polling stream to a number of remote RTUs.
The host equipment connects via a serial port to a RuggedServer. Up to 32

remote RuggedServers may connect to the host server via the network.
RuggedServer
RTU 1
RTU 2
Host polling RTUs 1-3
RuggedServer
RTU 3
Figure 12: Broadcast RTU Polling
RuggedCom 23
RMC30 User Guide
Initially, the remote servers will place connections to the host server. The host
server in turn is configured to accept a maximum of three incoming connections.
The host will sequentially poll each RTU. Each poll received by the host server is
forwarded (i.e. broadcast) to all of the remote servers. All RTUs will receive the
request and the appropriate RTU will issue a reply. The reply is returned to the
host server, where it is forwarded to the host.
24 RuggedCom
TCPModBus Server and Client Applications
The TcpModbus Server and Client applications are used to transport Modbus
requests and responses across IP networks.
The TcpModbus Client application accepts Modbus polls from a master and
determines the IP address of the corresponding RTU. The client then
encapsulates the message in TCP and forwards the frame to a Server Gateway or
native TcpModbus RTU. Returning responses are stripped of their TCP headers
and issued to the master.
The TcpModbus Server application accepts TCP encapsulated modbus messages

from Client Gateways and native masters. After removing the TCP headers the
messages are issued to the RTU. Responses are TCP encapsulated and returned to
the originator.
The following figure presents a complex network of Client Gateways, Server
RuggedServer
Client Gateway RuggedServer
Master polling RTUs 1 and 2 Server Gateway
RTU 1
RuggedServer
RuggedServer Server Gateway
RTU 2
Client Gateway
Master polling RTUs 1,2 and 4 RuggedServer
Server Gateway
RTU 3
Native TcpModbus RTU
RTU 4
Native TcpModbus Master polling all RTUs
Gateways and native TcpModbus devices.
Figure 13: TcpModbus Client and Server
Local Routing At The Server Gateway
The Server Gateway supports up to 32 RTUs on any of its two ports. When a
request for a specific RTU arrives the server will route it to the correct port.
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RMC30 User Guide
MultiMaster Capability
It is possible for multiple masters to simultaneously issue requests for the same
RTU. The Server Gateway will queue the requests and deliver them to the RTU in
turn. This multimaster capability allows widely distributed masters to configure
and extract information from the RTU.
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Serial Encapsulator Concepts And Issues
Host And Remote Roles
RuggedServer either places a TCP connection or accepts one. The connection

can be made from the field or remote equipment to the central site or host
equipment, vice versa or bi-directionally.
Connect from the host to the remote if:

The host end uses a port redirector that must make the connection.
The host end is only occasionally activated and will make the connection
when it becomes active.
A host end firewall requires the connection to be made outbound.
Connect from the remote to the host if:

The host end accepts multiple connections from remote ends in order to
implement broadcast polling.
Connect from each side to other if:

Both sides support this functionality.
Use Of Port Redirectors
Port redirectors are PC packages that emulate the existence of communications

ports. The redirector software creates and makes available these virtual COM
ports, providing access to the network via a TCP connection.
When a software package uses one of the virtual COM ports, a TCP connection is
placed to a remote IP address and TCP port that has been programmed into the
redirector. Some redirectors also offer the ability to receive connections.
Message Packetization
The server buffers received characters into packets in order to improve network
efficiency and demarcate messages.
The server uses three methods to decide when to packetize and forward the
buffered characters to the network:
Packetize on Specific Character,
Packetize on timeout and
Packetize on full packet.
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If configured to packetize on a specific character, the server will examine each

received character and will packetize and forward upon receiving the specific
character. The character is usually a <CR> or an <LF> character but may be any
ASCII character.
If configured to packetize on a timeout, the server will wait for a configurable

time after receiving a character before packetizing and forwarding. If another
character arrives during the waiting interval, the timer is restarted. This method
allows characters transmitted as part of an entire message to be forwarded to
network in a single packet, when the timer expires after receiving the very last
character of the message. This is usually the only packetizer selected when
supporting ModBus communications.
Note: Some polling software packages which perform well over DOS have been known to
experience problems when used over Windows based software or port redirection software. If the
OS does not expedite the transmission of characters in a timely fashion, pauses in transmission
can be interpreted as the end of the message. Messages can be split into separate TCP packets.
A locally attached RuggedServer or a port redirector could packetize and forward the message
incorrectly. Solutions include tuning the OS to prevent the problem or increasing the packetizing
timer.
Finally, the server will always packetize and forward on a full packet, i.e. when the
number of characters fills its communications buffer (1024 bytes).
Use of Turnaround Delays
Some RTU protocols (such as ModBus) use the concept of a turnaround delay.
When the host sends a message (such as a broadcast) that does not invoke an RTU
response, it waits a turnaround delay time. This delay ensures that the RTU has
time to process the broadcast message before it has to receive the next poll.
When polling is performed over TCP, network delays may cause the broadcast and
next poll to arrive at the remote server at the same time. Configuring a
turnaround delay at the server will enforce a minimum separation time between
each message written out the serial port.
Note that turnaround delays do not need to be configured at the host computer
side and may be disabled there.
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TcpModbus Concepts And Issues
Host And Remote Roles
The RuggedServer Client Gateway always makes the TCP connection to the
Server Gateway. The Server Gateway can only accept a connection.
The client begins making its connections at start up and whenever a new RTU is
configured. The client will retry the connection at 2-30 second intervals until it
establishes.
Port Numbers
The TCP port number dedicated to Modbus use is port 502. The Server Gateway
can also be configured to accept a connection on a configurable port number.
This auxiliary port can be used by masters that do not support port 502.
Retransmissions
The Server Gateway offers the ability to resend a request to an RTU should the
RTU receive the request in error or the Server Gateway receives the RTU response
in error.
The decision to use retransmissions, and the number to use depends upon factors
such as:
The probability of a line failure
The number of RTUs and amount of traffic on the port
The cost of retransmitting the request from the server vs. timing-out and
retransmitting at the master. This cost is affected by the speed of the ports and
of the network.
ModBus Exception Handling
If the Server Gateway receives a request for an unconfigured RTU, it will respond
to the originator with a special message called an exception (type 10). A type 11
exception is returned by the server if the RTU fails to respond to requests.
Native TcpModbus polling packages will want to receive these messages.

Immediate indication of a failure can accelerate recovery sequences and reduce the
need for long timeouts.
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Exception information can be passed along to the Modbus host by the Client
Gateway in the form of an exception response message. Some legacy Modbus
hosts may not be capable of processing the new TcpModbus originated exception
codes. The Client Gateway may be programmed to discard the information and
allow the host to time-out.
TcpModbus Performance Determinants
The following description provides some insight into the possible sources of delay
and error in an end-to-end TcpModbus exchange.
Client Server
Master RTU
Gateway Gateway
1 Transmission time from
1a 2
Master to Client Gateway
Network transmission time
3a
4
3b Queuing time
Server Gateway to RTU
6 RTU "think" and transmission

times to Server Gateway
7
Network transmission time
9a
Client Gateway to Master
9b
9c Time-out / Retransmissions
9d complete, Exception sent
Figure 14: Sources of Delay and Error in an End to End Exchange
In step 1 the master issues a request to the Client Gateway. If the Client Gateway
validates the message it will forward it to the network as step 2.
The Client Gateway can respond immediately in certain circumstances, as shown

in step 1b. When the Client Gateway does not have a configuration for the
specified RTU it will respond to the master with an exception using TcpModbus
exception code 11 (No Path). When the Client Gateway has a configured RTU
but the connection is not yet active it will respond to the master with an exception
using TcpModbus exception code 10 (No Response). If the forwarding of
TcpModbus exceptions is disabled, the client will not issue any responses.
30 RuggedCom
Steps 3a and 3b represents the possibility that the Server Gateway does not have
configuration for the specified RTU. The Server Gateway will always respond
with a type 10 (No Path) in step 3a, which the client will forward in step 3b.
Step 4 represents the possibility of queuing delay. The Server Gateway may have
to queue the request while it awaits the response to a previous request. The worst
case occurs when a number of requests are queued for an RTU that has gone
offline, especially when the server is programmed to retry the request upon failure.
Steps 5-8 represent the case where the request is responded to by the RTU and is
forwarded successfully to the master. It includes the think time for the RTU to
process the request and build the response.
Step 9a represents the possibility that the RTU is offline, the RTU receives the
request in error or that the Server Gateway receives the RTU response in error. If
the Server Gateway does not retry the request, it will issue an exception to the
originator.
A Worked Example
A network is constructed with two Masters and 48 RTUs on four Server Gateways.
Each of the Master is connected to a Client Gateway with a 115.2 Kbps line. The
RTUs are restricted to 9600 bps lines. The network is Ethernet based and
introduces an on average 3 ms of latency. Analysis of traces of the remote sites
has determined that the min/max RTU think times were found to be 10/100 ms.
What time-out should be used by the Master?
The maximum sized Modbus message is 256 bytes in length. This leads to a
transmission time of about 25 ms at the Master and 250 ms at the RTU. Under
ideal circumstances the maximum round trip time is given by: 25 ms (Master-
>client) + 3 ms (network delay) + 250 ms (server->RTU) + 100 ms (Think time)
+ 250 ms (RTU->server) + 3 ms (network delay) + 25 ms (client->Master). This
delay totals about 650 ms.
Contrast this delay with that of a quick operation such as reading a single
register. Both request and response are less than 10 bytes in length and complete
(for this example) in 1 and 10 ms at the client and server. Assuming the RTU
responds quickly, the total latency will approach 35 ms.
It is also necessary to take account such factors as the possibility of line errors and
collisions between masters at the server.
The server may be configured to recover from a line error by retransmitting the
request. Given a maximum frame transmission time of 250 ms and an RTU
latency of 100 ms, it would be wise to budget 350 ms for each attempt to send to
the RTU. Configuring a single retransmission would increase the end-to-end delay
from about 650 ms to about 1000 ms.
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The server can already be busy sending a request when the request of our example
arrives. Using the figures from the above paragraph, the server being busy would
increase the end-to-end delay from 1000 to 1350 ms.
The preceding analysis suggests that the Master should time-out at some time after
1350 ms from the start of transmission.
Serial Port Configuration
Parameter Ranges & Default Settings
The following set of tables lists default configuration parameters for each port.
For each parameter the parameter name, recommended setting and possible range
are included.
Common Configuration Items Default Value Supported Values

Port Name Port x Any 15 character string
Status Disabled Disabled, Enabled
Baud 19200 bps 1200, 2400, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600,
115200 or 230400
Stop Bits 1 1, 1.5, 2
Parity None None, Even or Odd
Serial IP Configuration Items Default Value Supported Values

Flow Control None None, XON/XOFF
Pack Char Off Off or any character from 0-255
Pack Timer 10 milliseconds 10-1000 milliseconds
Turnaround Time 10 milliseconds 0-1000 milliseconds
Call direction In In or Out
Max Conns 1 1-32 Incoming Connections
Remote IP Blank Any IP address
Remote Port 50001 Any TCP Port Number
Local Port 50001 (port 1) through Any TCP Port Number
50004 (port 4)
Retry Timer 30 Seconds 2-60 Seconds
TcpModbus Client Gateway Default Value Supported Values

Configuration Items
Forward Exceptions Enabled Enabled, Disabled
TcpModbus Server Gateway Default Value Supported Values

Configuration Items
Response Timer 50 ms 50 to 1000 ms
Turnaround Time 10 milliseconds 0-1000 milliseconds
Auxiliary TCP Port Disabled Disabled, Any TCP Port Number
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TcpModbus Server Gateway Default Value Supported Values

Configuration Items
Retransmits 1 0-2 Retransmissions
Serial Protocols Menu
The Serial Protocols menu is accessible from the main menu Serial Protocols
command. The Serial Protocols menu will lead you to all the other available
menus for configuring and obtaining the status of serial IP and TcpModbus ports.
My Server Serial Protocols Admin
Access
Configure Serial Protocol Assignment

Serial IP Configuration
TCP Modbus Server Configuration
TCP Modbus Client Configuration
View Connection Statistics
View Serial Summary Statistics
View Serial Port Statistics
Clear Serial Port(s) Statistics
Reset Serial Port(s)
Figure 15: Serial Protocols Menu
Serial Protocol Assignment Menu
The Serial Protocol Assignment menu is accessible from the Serial Protocols
menu. The Serial Protocol Assignment menu determines the protocol that will run
on each port.
My Server Serial Protocol Assignment Admin
Access
Port Protocol
1 Serial IP
2 TCP ModBus Server Gateway
Figure 16: Serial Protocol Assignment Menu
Note: You must configure protocols for the ports in this menu for the ports to appear in the
Serial IP, TCP Modbus Server and Client menus.
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Serial IP Configuration Menu
The Serial IP Configuration menu is accessible from the Serial Protocols menu.
This menu presents the configuration of the Serial IP Ports.
My Server Serial IP Configuration Admin
Access
Port Name Status Baud Data Bits Stop Parity Flow Control Pack
Char
1 Alarm 6 Enabled 19200 8 1 None None Off
More right ...
Figure 17: Serial IP Configuration Menu
Name
A descriptive name that may be used to identify the device connected on that port.
Status
Whether the port is disabled or enabled. Disabled ports will not accept or place
connections.
Baud
The baud rate at which to operate the port.
Data Bits
The number of data bits to operate the port with.
Stop
The number of stop bits to operate the port with.
Parity
The parity to operate the port with.
Flow Control
Whether to use XON-XOFF flowcontrol on the port.
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Pack Char
The character to which can be used to force forwarding of accumulated data to the
network. If a packetization character is not configured, accumulated data will be
forwarded based upon the packetization timeout parameter.
Pack Timer
The delay from the last received character until when data is forwarded.
Turnaround
The amount of delay (if any) to insert between the transmissions of individual
messages out the serial port.
Call Dir
Whether to accept an incoming connection or to place an outgoing connection.
Max Conns
The maximum number of incoming connections to permit when the call direction
is incoming.
Remote IP
The remote IP Address to use when placing an outgoing connection.
Remote Port
The remote TCP port to use when placing an outgoing connection.
Local Port
The local TCP port to use when accepting an incoming connection.
Retry Timer
The time to wait after an outgoing connection fails before the next attempt.
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TCP Modbus Server Configuration Menu
The TCP Modbus Server Configuration menu is accessible from the Serial
Protocols menu. This menu presents the commands to configure the port for TCP
Modbus Server Gateway operation and to specify RTUs.
My Server TCP Modbus Server Configuration Admin
Access
Configure TCP Modbus Server Gateway Parameters

Configure TCP Modbus Server Gateway RTU Assignment
Figure 18: TCP Modbus Server Configuration
TCP Modbus Server Gateway Parameters Menu
The TCP Modbus Server Configuration menu is accessible from the TCP Modbus
Server Configuration menu. This menu presents the configuration of the TCP
Modbus Server ports.
My Server TCP Modbus Server Configuration Admin
Access
Port Name Status Baud Data Bits Stop Parity Flow Control
2 Port x Enabled 57600 8 1 None None
More right ...
Name
Status
Whether the port is disabled or enabled. Disabled ports do not accept

connections.
Baud
Data Bits
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Stop
Parity
Response Timer
The maximum allowable time to wait for the RTU to start to respond, after which
the request is retransmitted or the exchange deemed failed.
Pack Timer
The maximum allowable time to wait for a response to a Modbus request to

complete once it has started. The product will automatically calculate (and
enforce) the minimum value of this parameter based upon the Modbus
specification. The specification states the minimum time is about 640 character
times at baud rates below 19200 Kbps and 256 char times + 192 ms at baud rates
above 19200 Kbps. You may specify a larger value if you think your RTU will take
longer to complete transmission than the calculated time.
Turnaround
The amount of delay (if any) to insert after the transmissions of Modbus broadcast
messages out the serial port.
Auxiliary TCP Port
TCP Modbus always listens on TCP port 502. It may be additionally configured to
listen on this auxiliary port number, accepting calls on both.
Retransmits
The number of times to retransmit the request to the RTU before giving up,
should the original attempt fail.
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TCP Modbus Server Gateway RTU Assignment Menu
The TCP Modbus Server Gateway RTU Assignment menu is accessible from the
TCP Modbus Server Configuration menu. This menu presents the configuration
of the Modbus RTUs.
My Server TCP Modbus Server Gateway RTU Assignment Admin
Access
Port RTU list

1 None
2 1-2, 13
RTU List
A list of RTUs located on the associated port.
38 RuggedCom
TCP Modbus Client Configuration Menu
The TCP Modbus Client Configuration menu is accessible from the Serial
Protocols menu. This menu presents the commands to configure the port for TCP
Modbus Client Gateway operation and to specify RTUs.
My Server TCP Modbus Client Configuration Admin
Access
Configure TCP Modbus Client Gateway Parameters

Configure TCP Modbus Client Gateway RTU Assignment
Figure 21: TCP Modbus Client Configuration
TCP Modbus Client Gateway Parameters Menu
The TCP Modbus Client Configuration menu is accessible from the TCP Modbus
Client Configuration menu. This menu presents the configuration of the TCP
Modbus Client ports.
My Server TCP Modbus Client Configuration Admin
Access
Port Name Status Baud Stop Parity Pack Timer Forward Exceptions
3 Port x Enabled 19200 1 None 352 ms Enabled
Name
Status
Whether the port is disabled or enabled. Disabled ports do not accept

connections.
Baud
Data Bits
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Stop
Parity
Pack Timer
The maximum allowable time to wait for a response to a Modbus request to

complete once it has started. The product will automatically calculate (and
enforce) the minimum value of this parameter based upon the Modbus
specification. The specification states the minimum time is about 640 character
times at baud rates below 19200 Kbps and 256 char times + 192 ms at baud rates
above 19200 Kbps. You may specify a larger value if you think your host
computer may pause in the middle of transmitting a request.
Note: Some versions of the Windows OS have been observed to pause in the middle of
transmitting requests, resuming transmission afterwards. This behaviour was related to the load
placed upon the host.
Forward Exceptions
When the Master polls for an unconfigured RTU or the remote TcpMobdus Server
receives a poll for an RTU which is not configured or is timing out, it returns an
exception message. When enabled this feature forwards these messages to the
client as exception codes 10 (no path) and 11 (no response). Disable this feature if
your client is confused by these codes and would prefer to time-out when a failure
occurs.
TCP Modbus Client Gateway RTU Assignment Menu
The TCP Modbus Client Gateway RTU Assignment menu is accessible from the
TCP Modbus Client Configuration menu. This menu presents the configuration of
the Modbus RTUs. Delete an RTU by selecting an entry and pressing <CTRL
D>. Configure a new RTU by entering <CTRL I>.
40 RuggedCom
My Server TCP Modbus Client Gateway RTU Assignment Admin

Access
Port 3
RTU 1
Remote IP 10.17.0.1
Remote Port 502
RTU
An RTU located on the associated port.
Remote IP
The network address of the Server Gateway where this RTU can be found.
Remote Port
The TCP port number to use.
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Serial Port Statistics
Connection Statistics Menu
The Connection Statistics menu is accessed from the Serial Protocols menu and
displays all TCP connections.
My Server Connection Statistics Admin Access
Remote IP Remote Port Local Port Ports Rx Packets Tx Packets

10.5.0.23 4847 50001 1 133 203
10.5.0.5 4856 502 1-3 2 203
10.5.0.13 4857 50002 2 45 203
10.5.0.17 4864 50003 3 6 203
10.5.0.18 4875 50004 4 18 203
Figure 24: Connection Statistics Menu
Remote IP
This parameter presents the IP address of the remote device.
Remote Port
This parameter presents the TCP port of the remote device.
Local Port
This field presents the TCP port number used by the server.
Ports
The serial ports for which the connection applies. Note that TcpModbus Server
Gateway ports share TCP port 502.
Rx Packets
The cumulative number of received packets for this connection since it became
active.
Tx Packets
The cumulative number of transmitted packets for this connection since it became
active.
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Serial Summary Statistics Menu
The Serial Summary Statistics menu is accessed from the Serial Protocols menu. It
presents a summary of active connections and per-second byte and packet counts.
My Server Serial Summary Statistics Admin
Access
Port Type State Rx Chars Tx Chars Rx Packets Tx Packets Errors

1 SIP Active 0 26 1 0 0
2 TMBS Active 0 0 0 0 0
3 TMBC Active 8 10 1 1 0
Figure 25: Serial Summary Statistics Menu
Type
This parameter identifies the protocol running on the port and is one of SIP (Serial
IP), TMBS (TcpModbus Server Gateway) or TMBC (TcpModbus Client Gateway).
State
The state of the port is active if there are connections established and inactive
otherwise.
Rx Chars
The number of characters received by the port in the last second.
Tx Chars
The number of characters transmitted by the port in the last second.
Rx Packets
The number of received packets for all connections to this port in the last second.
Tx Packets
The number of transmitted packets on connections to this port in the last second.
Errors
The number of errors on this port in the last second.
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Serial Port Statistics Menu
The Serial Port Statistics menu is accessed from the Serial Protocols menu. It
presents connection management and cumulative byte-level statistics.
My Server Serial Port Statistics Admin
Access
Port Type Active Conns Rx Chars Tx Chars Rx Packets Tx Packets

1 SIP 1 4887 6248 198 203
2 TMBS 1 0 5344395 20701 0
3 TMBC 0 0 0 0 0
More right ...
Figure 26: Serial Port Statistics Menu
Type
This parameter identifies the protocol running on the port and is one of SIP (Serial
IP), TMBS (TcpModbus Server Gateway) or TMBC (TcpModbus Client Gateway).
Active Conns
The number of active connections on this port. If the call direction is outgoing,
there can be at most one connection. If the call direction is incoming, there can
be at most 32 connections.
A display of the IP addresses and TCP port numbers held by active connections
can be viewed from the View Connection Statistics menu.
Rx Chars
The cumulative number of received characters on this port since reboot.
Tx Chars
The cumulative number of transmitted characters on this port since reboot.
Rx Packets
The cumulative number of received packets for all connections on this port since
reboot.
44 RuggedCom
Tx Packets
The cumulative number of transmitted packets all connections on this port since
reboot.
Parity Errors
The cumulative number of parity errors on this port since reboot.
Framing Errors
The cumulative number of framing errors on this port since reboot.
Overrun Errors
The cumulative number of overrun errors on this port since reboot.
Clearing Serial Port Statistics
Clearing the statistics of one or all ports will cause serial port statistics counts for
Rx Chars, Tx Chars, Rx Packets, Tx Packets, Parity Errors, Framing Errors and
Overrun Errors to be cleared:
The statistics of individual TCP connection (including Rx packets and Tx packets)

will also be cleared.
Resetting Serial Ports
Resetting one or all serial ports will cause any active TCP connection to be
dropped. The port will begin wait for new incoming connections or pause for the
configured call retry time and attempt to reconnect outgoing connections.
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RMC30 User Guide
Troubleshooting
Problem One
I configured a Serial IP port to call in (or out) but nothing seems

to be happening. What is going on?
Ensure that an Ethernet port link is up.
The peer may not be opening (accepting) connections. The Serial Port Statistics
Menu will display whether the connection is active or not.
The peer may not be sending data. The Serial Port Statistics Menu will display the
counts of transmitted and received data.
Watch the connection activity. For a detailed description of the TCP connection
activity, turn on tracing at the TCPCONN level (See the section on tracing in
Chapter 4 Using The CLI Shell).
Problem Two
My connections (as shown in the Serial Port Statistics Menu) go

up and then immediately go down again. What is going on?
If two ports (on the same or different RuggedServers) are configured to call the
same IP/TCP port in the network, only the first one to call will be successful. All
other ports will fail, displaying the attempts as brief periods of connection in the
Serial Port Statistics Menu.
Problem Three
I have 5 RTUs at one site and 10 at another. I use a PC based

Modbus polling package. What is the minimum number of
devices I need to implement polling, and how should I connect
the RTUs and configure the devices?
You can implement polling by adding three RuggedServers to your network.
Start by installing one server at the Modbus Master and the other two at the RTUs.
Ensure basic network connectivity by pinging or telnetting into each device.
On the server at the Master, assign a TcpModbus Client Gateway to a port using
the Serial Protocol Assignment menu. Connect the Master to the port. Use the
TCP Modbus Client Gateway Parameters menu to configure the line
parameters to support the Masters maximum speed and enable the port. Use the
46 RuggedCom
TCP Modbus Client Gateway RTU Assignment menu to create RTU entries
for each of the RTUs, providing the IP address of the site at which the RTU is
located.
On the servers at the RTUs, assign TcpModbus Server Gateways to each port.
Group the RTUs by their level of performance, balancing them across the four
ports. Use the TCP Modbus Server Gateway Parameters menu to configure the
line parameters for each port according to the capabilities of the RTUs on that
port, enable the ports and connect the RTUs. Use the TCP Modbus Server
Gateway RTU Assignment menu to map the RTUs to their respective ports.
Verify that the Master can now poll each RTU. Use the tracing package to tune
performance at the client and server ports. You may need to length time-outs for
particularly slow ports and may want to shorten timeouts for particularly fast
ports.
Problem Three
My ModBus polling is not working. I am sure that a connection is

occurring but my Master reports an error connecting to the device.
What is happening?
Are framing, parity or overrun errors reported at either the client or server?
Is the Server Gateway set up for the correct baud, parity and stop bits? Is the
RTU online?
Is an adequate pack timer configured at the server? Is the Masters time-out long
enough? Is the Master pausing in the middle of transmitting the request? Some
versions of the Windows OS have been observed to display this behaviour as load
is increased.
Could the IP network be splitting the ModBus message into two TCP segments?
Ultimately, it may be necessary to view the contents of messages transmitted over

TCP (by activating tracing at the IP level) or by viewing messages at the serial port
level (See the section on tracing at the SERIAL level.) See Chapter 4 Using The
CLI Shell, Tracing Events. Start by tracing at the client, ensuring that it is
receiving and forwarding the request over IP. Then, if needs be, trace at the
server to ensure that it is receiving the request and forwarding to the RTU. Verify
that the RTU is responding properly.
Problem Four
How do I get figures (like those presented earlier in the chapter)

for my own analysis?
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RMC30 User Guide
Activate tracing at the IP level and serial port level. The trace package displays
timestamps, packet sizes and types as well as providing measured response times.
The response time displayed for Server Gateways is the time from when the last
character of the request is transmitted until the first character of the response
arrives (i.e. the RTUs think time).
Similarly, the response time displayed for Client Gateways is the time from the last
character of the request as transmitted by the Master until the first character of the
response as transmitted by the Client Gateway. This figure measures the end-to-
end delay through the network.
48 RuggedCom
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Chapter 3 Using Diagnostics

Introduction
Using The Alarm System to view and clear Alarms
Viewing and clearing the System Log
Viewing CPU Diagnostics
Loading the Factory Default Configuration
Viewing the Product Identification
Resetting the server
Using The Alarm System
Alarm Concepts And Issues
Alarms are the occurrence of events of interest that are logged by the server. If
alarms have occurred the server will indicate the number of alarms in the top right
corner of all menu screens.
My Server Diagnostics 5
ALARMS!
View Alarms
Clear Alarms
View System Log
Clear System Log
View CPU Diagnostics
View Product Identification
Load Factory Default Configuration
Reset Unit
Figure 27: Diagnostics Menu Showing Alarm Commands
Types Of Alarms
There are two broad types of alarms, active and passive alarms.
Active Alarms
Active alarms are ongoing. They signify states of operation that are not in
accordance with normal operation. Examples of active alarms include links that
50 RuggedCom
should be active but are not or error rates that are continuously exceeding a certain
threshold.
Active alarms are removed (cleared) either by solving the original cause of the
alarm or by disabling the alarm itself.
Passive Alarms
Passive alarms are historic in nature. They signify events that represented
abnormal conditions in the past, and do not affect the current operational status.
Examples of passive alarms include authentication failures or error rates that
temporarily exceeded a certain threshold.
Passive alarms are cleared through the diagnostics menu Clear Alarms command.
RMON generated alarms are passive.
Note: Alarms are volatile in nature. All alarms (active and passive) are cleared at startup.
Format of Alarms
Every alarm includes the following information:
The time of the alarm occurrence
The alarm level
The alarm description
Alarm Time
The alarm time provides the month, hour and minute at which the alarm occurred.
Alarm Level
The alarm level provides an indication of the severity of the alarm. The possible
levels correspond to those described in the UNIX SysLog facility.
Severity Level SysLog Keyword Alarm Keyword Description

0 emergencies EMRG System unusable
1 alerts ALRT Immediate action required
2 critical CRIT Critical condition
3 errors ERRO Error conditions
4 warnings WARN Warning conditions
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5 notifications NOTE Normal but significant

conditions
6 informational INFO Informational messages
7 debugging DEBG Debugging messages
Alarm Description
Each alarm has an associated description string. The string will include a port
number if it is relevant. The description may also provide an indication of the
recent rate at which this alarm is occurring (if the alarm has occurred previously).
Alarms And The Critical Failure Relay
All active alarms will immediately de-energize the critical fail relay (thus signifying
a problem). The relay will be re-energized when the last outstanding active alarm
is cleared.
Viewing And Clearing Alarms
Viewing Alarms
The Alarms Menu is available from the Diagnostics menu View Alarms command.
Alarms are displayed in the order in which they occurred, even if the real time
clock was incorrect at the time of the alarm.
My Server Alarms 6
ALARMS!
Level Time Description

WARN Jan 4 17:55 Port 1 down is occurring (2 times in 192 sec)
WARN Jan 4 18:30 Port 3 down has occurred (9 times in 19 hr)
WARN Jan 4 19:10 Port 4 is down
<CTRL> Z-Help S-Shell D-PgDn U-PgUp
Figure 28: Alarms Menu
Clearing Alarms
The Diagnostics menu Clear Alarms command will clear all alarms.
52 RuggedCom
Viewing CPU Diagnostics
The CPU Diagnostics Menu is available from the Diagnostics menu View CPU
Diagnostics command. The parameters presented in this menu are read-only.
My Server CPU Diagnostics Admin Access
Running Time 265 days, 22:38:05

Total Powered Time 488 days, 12:15:07
CPU Usage 13 %
RAM Total 16777216
RAM Available 9347069
Temperature 31 C
Figure 29: CPU Diagnostics Menu
Running Time
This parameter presents the time since reboot in days and hours.
Total Powered Time
This parameter presents the cumulative powered up time of the product
CPU Usage
This parameter presents the CPU usage.
RAM Total
This parameter presents the total amount of memory available to the servers
processor.
RAM Available
This parameter presents the amount of memory available to be consumed by the

servers processor.
Temperature
This parameter presents the current internal temperature of the server.
RuggedCom 53
Viewing and Clearing the System Log
The View System Log command displays entries made in the system log. The
system log records various events including reboots, user sign-ons, alarms and
configuration saves.
My Server syslog.txt Admin
Access
Nov 11 14:25:40.363 INFO System log cleared

Nov 12 16:50:53.058 INFO Guest logged in
Nov 12 21:52:11.406 INFO Flashing config.csv started
Nov 12 21:52:11.968 INFO Flashing config.csv done
Nov 12 21:52:12.051 INFO Flashing config.bak started
Nov 12 21:52:12.913 INFO Flashing config.bak done
Nov 12 21:52:14.600 INFO Admin logged in
Nov 12 21:52:14.704 INFO Port 3 is up
Nov 12 21:52:15.284 INFO Port 2 is up
Nov 12 21:52:20.334 INFO Last Running time Nov 13 16:35:59.000
Nov 12 21:52:20.335 INFO Starting ROS Boot v2.1.0 HwID:RS400 (40-00-0010 Rev
B2)
Nov 12 21:52:23.494 INFO Starting v1.7.0 HwID:RS400 (40-00-0010 Rev B2)
Nov 12 21:52:24.920 INFO Running RS400-HI-TX-2-M MAC Addr:00-0A-DC-FF-67-80
Serial#:6734219
Press space to continue ...
Figure 30: Viewing the System Log
The system log will continue to accumulate information until becomes full. There
is enough room in the file to accumulate logs for months or years under normal
operation.
The Clear System Log command will clear the log. Clearing the log is
recommended after a firmware upgrade.
Viewing Product Identification
The View Product Identification command presents the following information:
The product base MAC Address (i.e. the MAC address of port 1).
The product Order Code.
The product Serial Number.
The version of the Boot code that has been loaded onto the product.
The version of the Main Application code that has been loaded onto the
product.
The hardware revision of the RuggedServer.
54 RuggedCom
If so equipped, the hardware identification of the internal modem.
Load Factory Default Configuration
The Load Factory Default Configuration command will re-load all configuration
parameters to factory default values. Configuration parameters that affect the
connection to the server (as provided by the Configure IP Services menu) will not
be modified. A prompt will be displayed requesting confirmation of this action.
Resetting The Unit
The Reset Device command will close all open Telnet connections and warm
start the unit.
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RMC30 User Guide
Chapter 4 Using The CLI Shell

Introduction
Entering and leaving the CLI shell
Viewing files contained in the RuggedServer File System
Viewing and clearing log files
Pinging remote devices
Tracing the operation of certain protocols
Viewing DHCP Learned Information Using ipconfig
Executing Commands Remotely Through RSH
Resetting the server
Note: The operations described in this chapter are available to users at the guest, operator or
administrator security level. The XModem and TFTP file transfer utilities are available only
to operators and administrators and are described in the chapter Upgrading Firmware And
Managing Configurations. The SQL command is available to users at the administrator level
and is also described in Upgrading Firmware And Managing Configurations.
Entering And Leaving The Shell
You may enter the Command Line Interface (CLI) shell from any and all menus by
pressing <CTRL> S. Any menu operation in progress (such as changing a
configuration parameter) will be terminated. You may return to the menu system
by pressing <CTRL> S or entering exit<CR> at the shell prompt.
56 RuggedCom
Summary Of Commands
The shell makes available the following commands.
Command Accessible By Description

alarms Guest, Operator, Admin Displays alarms available in the server.
cls Guest, Operator, Admin Clears the screen.
Dir Guest, Operator, Admin Prints file directory listing.
Echo Guest, Operator, Admin Echoes the specified message to the screen.
Exit Guest, Operator, Admin Terminate this command line session.
Help Guest, Operator, Admin Print listing of all commands.
ipconfig Guest, Operator, Admin Displays IP configuration.
login Guest, Operator, Admin Login to the shell i.e. set the access level.
logout Guest, Operator, Admin Logout of the shell.
ping Guest, Operator, Admin Pings specified IP address.
rmon Guest, Operator, Admin Displays names of RMON alarm eligible objects.
telnet Guest, Operator, Admin Telnet to the server with specified IP address.
tftp Guest, Operator, Admin TFTP client.
type Guest, Operator, Admin Displays the contents of a text file.
version Guest, Operator, Admin Prints software versions.
xmodem Guest, Operator, Admin Upload or download a file to the server.
clearalarms Operator, Admin Clears all alarms.
clearlogs Operator, Admin Clears the system and crash logs.
reset Operator, Admin Perform a 'hard' reset of the server.
resetport Operator, Admin Resets specified server port(s).
trace Operator, Admin Trace command.
delay Admin Pause a specified number of milliseconds.
sql Admin SQL like commands for setting/viewing parameters
Note that this chapter describes only the most useful of the above commands.
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RMC30 User Guide
Viewing Files
The RuggedServer maintains a number of volatile and nonvolatile files. These

files can aid in the resolution of problems and serve as a useful gauge of the
servers health.
Dir command
Enter dir<CR> to obtain a complete list of files and a description of each.
Note: Each file has associated attributes, as described under the Attr column. Files marked
R are readable, i.e. may be uploaded by the user. Files marked W are writable, i.e. may
be modified (downloaded) by the user. Files marked B are binary files, i.e. may be upgraded
by the user.
The most useful files include config.csv, crashlog.txt and syslog.txt. These files
may be viewed by using the type command, specifying the desired filename.
The config.csv file contains the current configuration settings. The use of this file
is described in the chapter Upgrading Firmware And Managing Configurations.
Viewing And Clearing Log Files
The crashlog.txt and syslog.txt files contain historical information about events
that have occurred.
The crashlog.txt file will contain debugging information relating to problems that
have resulted in unplanned restarts of the server. A file size of 0 bytes indicates
that no untoward events have occurred.
The syslog.txt file contains a record of significant events including startups,

configuration modifications, firmware upgrades and database re-initializations due
to feature additions. The syslog will accumulate information until it fills, holding
approximately 3 megabytes of characters.
The clearlogs command will reset these logs. It is recommended to run the
clearlogs command after every firmware upgrade.
58 RuggedCom
Pinging A Remote Device
The ping command sends an ICMP echo request to a remotely connected device.
For each reply received the round trip time is displayed.
The ping command can be used to ensure connectivity to the next connected
device. The command ping 192.168.0.1 will send a small number of pings to
this device and display the results.
The ping command is a useful tool for testing commissioned links. The command
also includes the ability to send a specific number of pings with specified time with
which to wait for a response.
The specification of a large number of pings and a short response time can flood
a link, stressing it more than a usual ping sequence. The command ping
192.168.0.1 500 2 can be used to issue 500 pings each separated by 2 milliseconds
to the next server. If the link used is of high quality then no pings should be lost
and the average round trip time should be small.
Note: The device to be pinged must support ICMP echo.

Upon commencing the ping an ARP request for the MAC address of the device is issued.
If the device is not on the same network as the server the default gateway must be programmed.
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RMC30 User Guide
Tracing Events
The CLI trace command provides a means to trace the operation of various
protocols. The trace provides detailed information including RSTP packet
decodes, IGMP activity and MAC address displays.
Notes: Tracing has been designed to provide detailed information to expert users.
Note that all tracing is disabled upon server startup.
In order to display the current trace settings and discover the systems that be
>trace ?
Supported commands:
noclear Starts the log without clearing it first
alloff Disables all trace subsystems from tracing
allon Enables all flags in all trace subsystems
stp Traces STP operations
link Displays server fabric statistics
mac Displays MAC Events
forward Forwards trace messages to an IP:UDP address
ip Traces IP communications
ppp Traces PPP communications
tcpconn Traces TCP Connections
serial Traces Serial communications
igmp Displays IGMP Snooping events
Enter "trace command ?" for more information on a particular command.
STP : Logging is disabled

LINK : Logging is disabled
MAC : Logging is disabled
FORW : IP: 0.0.0.0 UDP: 0 (OFF)
IP : Logging is disabled
IGMP : Logging is disabled
PPP: Logging is disabled
TCPCONN: Logging is disabled
SERIAL: Logging is disabled
>
traced, enter the CLI command trace ?.
Figure 31: Displaying Trace settings
60 RuggedCom
Enabling Tracing
Tracing can be enabled on a per subsystem basis. Obtain detailed information

about individual subsystems by entering trace subsystem_name ?<CR>. Some
subsystems offer a mechanism to enable tracing only on certain ports.
>trace stp ?
trace stp syntax:
stp [-|+] [all] [verbose] [packets] [timers] [actions]
[decodes] [ports[port_number|all]]
>trace stp all

STP : Logging all conditions on port(s) 1-16
>trace link ?
trace link syntax
link changes | stats | allon | alloff | statsonce
LINK : Logging is disabled
>trace stp - all

>trace stp decodes
STP : Logging decodes

>trace stp port 7
STP : Logging decodes on port(s) 7
>trace tcpconn allon
TCPCONN: Logging is enabled
>trace serial allon
SERIAL: Logging all conditions on port(s) 1-4
>trace ip decodes
IP : decodes>
Figure 32: Changing Trace settings
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RMC30 User Guide
Starting The Trace
The trace is be started by entering trace<CR>. All historical trace messages will
be displayed. Since this may include many messages it may be more desirable to
use the trace clear<CR> command instead. This command will automatically
clear the trace buffer as it starts the trace.
>trace
Log has been cleared
06/09 19:26:51.543 LINK Link 4 has risen.

19:26:51.550 RSTP TX port 4 RST BPDU:
TCack 0 agg 1 lrn 0 fwd 0 role DP prop 1 TC 0
root 32768/0adc001000 cst 38, brdg 32768/0adc005000, prt 128/7
age 2.00, maxage 20, hello 2, fwddelay 15 V1Length 0
19:26:51.557 RSTP RX port 4 RST BPDU:
TCack 0 agg 1 lrn 0 fwd 0 role DP prop 1 TC 0
root 32768/0adc004000 cst 0, brdg 32768/0adc004000, prt 128/14
age 0.00, maxage 20, hello 2, fwddelay 15 V1Length 0
19:26:51.454 TCPCONN Opening connection to 10.5.0.8 TCP Port 13 from port 1
19:26:51.475 IP TX 00:0a:dc:40:70:00 00:c0:4f:0c:24:b6 IP 60b:
10.5.0.20 5000 > 10.5.0.80 13: S 515023: 515023(0) win 0 <mss 1460>
19:26:51.476 IP RX 00:c0:4f:0c:24:b6 00:0a:dc:40:70:00 IP 60b:
10.5.0.80 13 > 10.5.0.20 5000: S 12290: 12290(0) ack 515024 win 4392<
mss 1464> (DF)
19:26:51.477 IP TX 00:0a:dc:40:70:00 00:c0:4f:0c:24:b6 IP 60b:
10.5.0.20 5000 > 10.5.0.80 13: . ack 1 win 4380
19:26:51.474 TCPCONN Opened connection for 10.5.0.80 TCP Port 13 from port
1 TCP Port 5000
19:26:51.478 IP RX 00:c0:4f:0c:24:b6 00:0a:dc:40:70:00 IP 80b:
10.5.0.80 13 > 10.5.0.20 5000: P 1:27(26) ack 1 win 4392 (DF)
19:26:51.479 IP RX 00:c0:4f:0c:24:b6 00:0a:dc:40:70:00 IP 60b:
10.5.0.80 13 > 10.5.0.20 5000: F 27:27(0) ack 1 win 4392 (DF)
19:26:51.517 IP TX 00:0a:dc:40:70:00 00:c0:4f:0c:24:b6 IP 60b:
10.5.0.20 5000 > 10.5.0.80 13: . ack 28 win 0
19:26:51.456 SERIAL Transmitted message on port 1, length 26
32 31 20 4a 55 4c 20 32 30 30 33 20 31 35 3a 31
35 3a 34 32 20 45 44 54 0d 0a
19:26:51.470 SERIAL Packet timer expired on port 1
19:26:51.470 SERIAL Received message on port 1, length 5
83 c6 a5 92 18
19:26:51.477 IP TX 00:0a:dc:40:70:00 00:c0:4f:0c:24:b6 IP 60b:
10.5.0.20 5000 > 10.5.0.80 13: P 1:6(5) ack 28 win 0
Figure 33: Starting A Trace
Note: The trace package includes the forward subsystem, a remote reporting facility intended
to be used only under the direction of RuggedCom service personnel.
Viewing DHCP Learned Information Using Ipconfig
The CLI command ipconfig will provide the current IP address, subnet mask
and default gateway. This command provides the only way of determining these
values when DHCP is used.
62 RuggedCom
Executing Commands Remotely Through RSH
The Unix/Dos Remote Shell Facility can be used at the workstation to cause the
product to act upon commands as if they were entered at the CLI prompt. The
syntax of the RSH command is usually of the form:
rsh ipadd l password command_string
where ipadd = The address or resolved name of the product
password = The password for the access level you wish to
issue the command at
command_string = The command to execute
The access level selected must support the given command.
Any output from the command will be returned to the workstation submitting the
command. Commands that start interactive dialogs (such as trace) cannot be used.
Resetting The Server
The CLI command reset can be used to reset the server.
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RMC30 User Guide
Chapter 5 Upgrading Firmware And Managing

Configurations
Introduction
Upgrading firmware using the XModem protocol and Trivial File Transfer
Protocol (TFTP)
Capturing and restoring the server configuration using XModem and TFTP
Using SQL commands to view/change configuration.
Upgrading Firmware
You may be required to upgrade the server firmware in order to take advantage of
new features or bug fixes.
Your RuggedServer has two firmware components, the boot binary and the main
application binary. In normal practice only the main application will have to be
upgraded. Your RuggedCom representative will provide you with this file. It will
be of the form RuggedServer_Main_v1.x.y.bin.
You may upgrade using either an XModem or TFTP protocol utility. If you will
use XModem you upgrade from the RS232 port or through a Telnet session.
TFTP transfers may be performed in one of two ways. A TFTP client upon a
Unix/Dos workstation can be used to contact the RuggedServer TFTP server.
This method is very convenient, but will not provide control over who is allowed
to upgrade the server.
Alternatively, the TFTP client in the RuggedServer CLI shell can be used to
contact a Unix/Dos host supporting a TFTP server. You must set up a TFTP
server on your network, but only admin level users can then perform upgrades.
Note: Security during file transfer by XModem and TFTP is established in the following
ways. Transfers from the CLI shell XModem and TFTP clients are determined by the access
level of the user. Downloads may only be performed by administrators while uploads may be
performed by operators and administrators.
TFTP transfers to the RuggedServer TFTP Server are controlled by the IP Services
Configuration Menu, TFTP Server parameter.
64 RuggedCom
Chapter 5 Upgrading Firmware And Managing Configurations
Upgrading Firmware With Xmodem
Connect to the server, either through the RS232 port or through a Telnet
connection. Press <CTRL S> to enter the shell. Enter the command xmodem
receive main.bin<CR>. Open the XModem utility in your terminal package. If
possible select the XModem1K protocol, otherwise select the Xmodem protocol.
>xmodem receive main.bin
Press Ctrl-X to cancel
Receiving data now ...
Received 982298 bytes. Closing file ...
Flash programming results for main.bin
Product Name: RuggedServer

File Name: main.bin
File Size: 982234
Version: 1.7.0
Date/Time: Jun 25 2004 17:54
Wrote 982234 bytes at 0x30000..
Flash file main.bin successfully programmed.
Transfer complete
Figure 34 Example of an Upgrade using XModem
Start sending the RuggedServer_Main file. After the file transfer completes the
server will provide an indication that the server was properly upgraded.
The server must be reset in order for the new software to take effect. If you want
to reset the server immediately enter reset<CR>. The server will begin its
reboot within a few seconds.
Upgrading Firmware Using A TFTP Client On Your Workstation
This method of TFTP transfer relies upon the use of a TFTP client upon a
Unix/Dos workstation to contact the products TFTP server.
Note: The IP Services Configuration Menu, TFTP Server parameter controls how a
TFTP client can access the servers built-in TFTP server. A setting of Disabled prevents all
access, Get Only allows retrieval of files and Enabled allows storing and retrieval of files.
Ensure that this parameter is appropriate for the type of access you wish to perform.
Ping the server to be downloaded in order to ensure it is available. Perform a

TFTP transfer in binary mode to the server, specifying a destination filename of
main.bin. Most command line TFTP utilities would use a syntax similar to
tftp i hostname put local_file remote_file.
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RMC30 User Guide
Checking The Status OF The Download.
The utility will provide an indication that the file was transferred properly, but you
must also query the server in order to determine if it was correctly programmed.
Use the command rsh hostname l password version to obtain the revision
levels of the software. If the download was successful the version will be
indicated as the next firmware (i.e. the firmware that will run after the next
C:\>ping 10.1.0.1
Pinging 10.1.0.1 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 10.1.0.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=60
C:\>tftp -i 10.1.0.1 put C:\files\RuggedServer_Main_v1.4.1.bin main.bin

Transfer successful: 751234 bytes in 2 seconds, 375617 bytes/s
C:\> rsh 10.1.0.1 l guest version

Current RuggedServer Boot Software v1.2.0 (Nov 03 2003 15:27)
Current RuggedServer Main Software v1.4.0 (Nov 25 2003 17:54)
Next RuggedServer Main Software v1.4.1 (Nov 27 2003 16:43)
C:\>
reboot).
Figure 35 Example of an Upgrade using a TFTP client on your workstation
Upgrading Firmware Using The TFTP Client On Your RuggedServer
Identify the IP address of the host providing the TFTP server capability. Ensure
that the firmware revision to be downloaded (e.g. RuggedServer_Main_v1.4.1.bin)
is present there.
Telnet to or connect to the console of the server. Enter the CLI shell and run the
command tftp host_addr get main.bin RuggedServer_Main_v1.4.1.bin.
Check the status of the download by running the version command.
Alternatively the download could also be started by the rsh command rsh
C:\>telnet 10.1.0.1, sign-on and <CTRL S> to enter CLI shell..
>ping 10.1.0.254 1
Reply 1 from 10.0.0.28: time<4ms
Packets: Sent = 1, Received = 1, Lost = 0 (0.00% loss)
Approximate average round trip time in milli-seconds: 4
>tftp 10.0.0.1 get 10.1.0.254 main.bin RuggedServer_Main_v1.4.1.bin

Transfer successfully completed. Closing file main.bin...
>version
Current RuggedServer Boot Software v1.2.0 (Nov 03 2003 15:27)
Current RuggedServer Main Software v1.4.0 (Nov 25 2003 17:54)
Next RuggedServer Main Software v1.4.1 (Nov 27 2003 16:43)
>
server_add l admin tftp host_addr get main.bin RuggedServer_Main_v1.4.1.bin.
66 RuggedCom
Figure 36 Example of an Upgrade using the TFTP client on the RuggedServer
Capturing Configurations
The RuggedServer provides a means to capture the configuration of the server in

an ASCII formatted text file.
The same file can be downloaded to the server at a later date in order to restore
the server to its previous configuration.
Different versions of configuration file can be compared using an ASCII text

difference tool, in order to pinpoint configuration changes.
Capturing Configurations With XModem
Connect to the server, either through the RS232 port or through a Telnet
connection. Press <CTRL S> to enter the shell. Enter the command xmodem
send config.csv<CR>. Open the XModem utility in your terminal package and
start an XModem receive to the desired local filename. Open the file to verify that
it contains the appropriate configuration.
Note: You may wish to include date and node address/name information in the local filename.
Capturing Configurations With TFTP
Ping the server to be uploaded in order to ensure it is available. Perform a TFTP

transfer from the server, specifying a remote filename of config.csv and a
desired local filename. Most command line TFTP utilities would use syntax similar
to tftp hostname get config.csv local_file.
Alternatively, sign-on to the product and use the CLI shells tftp command to send
the configuration file to your TFTP server.
Open the file to verify that contains the appropriate configuration.
RuggedCom 67
RMC30 User Guide
Using SQL Commands
The RuggedServer provides an SQL like command facility that allows expert
users to perform several operations not possible under the user interface, namely:
Restoring the contents of a specific table, but not the whole configuration,
to their factory defaults,
Search tables in the database for specific configurations,
Make changes to tables predicated upon existing configurations.
When combined with RSH, SQL commands provide a means to query and
configure large numbers of servers from a central location.
Getting Started
SQL information is obtainable through the CLI shell sql command.

>sql
The SQL command provides an 'sql like' interface for manipulating all system
configuration and status parameters. Entering 'SQL HELP command-name' displays
detailed help for a specific command. Commands, clauses, table, and column
names are all case insensitive.
DEFAULT Sets all records in a table(s) to factory defaults.

DELETE Allows for records to be deleted from a table.
HELP Provides help for any SQL command or clause.
INFO Displays a variety of information about the tables in the database
INSERT Allows for new records to be inserted into a table.
SAVE Saves the database to non-volatile memory storage.
SELECT Queries the database and displays selected records.
UPDATE Allows for existing records in a table to be updated.
Figure 37 The sql command and SQL help
68 RuggedCom
Finding The Correct Table
Many sql commands operate upon specific tables in the database, and require the
table name to be specified. The name can easily be determined by navigating the
menu system to the desired menu and pressing <CTRL Z>. The menu name and
the corresponding database table name will be cited.
Another way to find a table name is to run the sql info tables command. This
command also displays menu names and their corresponding database table names.
>sql info tables
Table Description
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
alarms Alarms
cpuDiags CPU Diagnostics
ethPortCfg Port Parameters
ethPortStats Ethernet Statistics
ethPortStatus Port Status
ipCfg IP Services
...
Figure 38 The sql command and SQL help
Retrieving Information
Retrieving A Table
The sql select subcommand is used to retrieve table information. The command
sql select from tablename provides a summary of the parameters within the
table, as well as their values.
>sql select from ipcfg
IP Address Type IP Address Subnet Gateway Inactivity

Timeo
ut Telnet Sessions Allowed TFTP Server SNMP Get Community
Static 10.9.0.2 255.0.0.0 10.0.0.254 Disabled
8 Enabled public
Figure 39 Selecting a table
Retrieving A Parameter From A Table
A particular parameter from a table can be retrieved by selecting it, e.g. sql select
parameter_name from tablename. The parameter name is always the same as
those displayed in the menu system. If the parameter name has spaces in it (e.g.
IP Address) the spaces must be replaced with underscores or the name must be
quoted.
>sql select ip address from ipcfg
IP Address
10.9.0.2
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RMC30 User Guide
Retrieving A Table With The Where Clause
It is useful to be able to display specific rows of a table predicated upon the row
having parameters of a specific value. The addition of a where clause to the
select will limit the returned results. As an example, suppose that it desirable to
identify all ports on the server operating in Auto Select mode.
> sql select from ethportcfg where Media_Type = Auto_Select
Port Name Status Media Type Flow Control FEFI Link Alarms
1 Port 7 Enabled Auto Select Enabled Disabled Enabled
2 Port 8 Enabled Auto Select Disabled Disabled Enabled
2 records selected
Figure 41 Selecting rows in a table based upon parameter values
It is also possible to select rows based upon multiple parameters by and-ing or or-
ing comparisons in the where clause. Ensure that parentheses are used to enclose
the full where clause.
> sql select from ethportcfg where Media_Type = Auto_Select and Flow_control =
Disabled
1 records selected
Figure 42 Selecting rows in a table based upon multiple parameter values
Changing Values In A Table
The where clause can be used to select rows in a table to modify. As an

example, suppose that it desirable to identify all ports on the server operating in
100 Mbps full duplex with flow control disabled, and to enable flow control on
these ports.
> sql update ethportcfg set flow_control=enabled where ( media_type =
Auto_Select and flow_control = disabled )
1 records updated
Figure 43 Changing Values In A Table
Defaulting A Table
It is sometimes desirable to restore one table to its factory defaults without

modifying the remainder of the configuration. The sql default command allows an
individual table to be defaulted.
> sql default into ethportcfg
Figure 44 Defaulting A Table
70 RuggedCom
Using RSH And SQL
The combination of remote shell scripting and sql commands offer a means to
interrogate and maintain large numbers of servers. Consistency of configuration
across sites may be verified by this method. The following presents a simple
example where the servers to interrogate are drawn from the file servers.
C:> type servers
10.0.1.1
10.0.1.2
10.0.1.3
c:\> for /F %i in (servers) do rsh %i -l admin sql select from ethportcfg where
flow_control = disabled
C:\>rsh 10.0.1.1 -l admin sql select from ethportcfg where flow_control =

disabled
1 records selected

disabled
0 records selected

disabled
4 records selected
C:\
Figure 45 Bulk Inspections Using RSH and SQL
RuggedCom 71
APPENDIX A - SNMP MIB SUPPORT

RFC MIB Name Items supported
RFC 1907 SNMPv2-MIB SNMP Group
SNMP Community Group
SNMP Set Group
System Group
SNMP Basic Notifications Group
RFC 2012 TCP-MIB TCP Group
RFC 2013 UDP-MIB UDP Group
APPENDIX B SNMP TRAP SUMMARY

The server generates the standard traps summarized in the following table.
SNMP Trap Name Source MIB Configurable From

authenticationFailure SNMPv2-MIB Not Configurable (always generated)
warmStart SNMPv2-MIB Not Configurable (always generated)
The server also generates the proprietary traps summarized in the following table.
These traps are described in the RC-TRAPS-MIB.
SNMP Trap Name

GenericTrap (String Stack overflow)
GenericTrap (String Heap error)
TCP-MIB (RFC 2012)

tcpActiveOpens The number of times TCP connections have made a direct
transition to the SYN-SENT state from the CLOSED state.
tcpPassiveOpens The number of times TCP connections have made a direct
transition to the SYN-RCVD state from the LISTEN state.
tcpAttemptFails The number of times TCP connections have made a direct
transition to the CLOSED state from either the SYN-SENT state
or the SYN-RCVD state, plus the number of times TCP
connections have made a direct transition to the LISTEN state
from the SYN-RCVD state.
tcpEstabResets The number of times TCP connections have made a direct
transition to the CLOSED state from either the ESTABLISHED
state or the CLOSE-WAIT state.
tcpCurrEstab The number of TCP connections for which the current state is
either ESTABLISHED or CLOSE- WAIT.
tcpInSegs The total number of segments received, including those received
in error.
tcpOutSegs The total number of segments sent, including those on current
connections but excluding those containing only retransmitted
bytes.
tcpRetransSegs The total number of segments retransmitted - that is, the number
of TCP segments transmitted containing one or more previously
transmitted bytes.
72 RuggedCom
UDP-MIB (RFC 2013)
udpInDatagrams The total number of UDP datagrams received and delivered to
UDP users.
udpNoPorts The total number of received UDP datagrams for which there
was no application at the destination port.
udpInErrors The number of received UDP datagrams that could not be
delivered for reasons other than the lack of an application at the
destination port.
udpOutDatagrams The number of sent UDP datagrams.
SNMPv2-MIB
snmpInPkts The number of messages delivered to the SNMP Agent.
snmpInBadVersions The total number of SNMP messages which were delivered to
the SNMP Agent and were for an unsupported SNMP version.
snmpInBadCommunityNames The total number of SNMP messages delivered to the SNMP
Agent which used a unknown SNMP community name.
snmpInBadCommunityUses The total number of SNMP messages delivered to the SNMP
Agent which represented an SNMP operation which was not
allowed by the SNMP community named in the message.
snmpInASNParseErrs The total number of ASN.1 or BER errors encountered by the
SNMP Agent decoding received SNMP messages.
RuggedCom 73
INDEX
Alarms Indicator ii
Character Encapsulation 19
Console port 1
Gateway Address, Configuring viii
Password, Default 1, iv
Serial Encapsulation 16
Serial IP Parameter Ranges & Default Settings 29
Serial IP, Configuration 29
Serial Port, Clearing Statistics 42
Serial Port, Resetting 42
TcpModbus 18
Turnaround Delays 25
Alarms, Active 46
Alarms, Clearing 48
Alarms, Critical Failure Relay 48
Alarms, Level 47
Alarms, Passive 47
Alarms, Using 46
Alarms, Viewing 48
Broadcast RTU Polling 20
CLI Shell ii
CLI Shell, CLEARLOGS command 54
CLI Shell, Command Summary 53
CLI Shell, DIR command 54
CLI Shell, Entering And Leaving 52
CLI Shell, PING command 55
CLI Shell, RESET command 59
CLI Shell, TRACE command 56
CLI Shell, TYPE command 54
Configurations, Capturing 63
DHCP, Configuring vii
Firmware, Upgrading 60
Firmware, Versions 50
Inactivity Timeout, Configuring ix
IP Address, Configuring viii
Load Factory Default Configuration 51
Management VLAN, Configuring viii
Menu Tree 68
Menu, Administration vii
Menu, Connection Statistics 39
Menu, CPU Dignostics 49
Menu, IP Services Configuration vii
Menu, Serial IP Configuration 31
Menu, Serial Port Statistics 41
Menu, Serial Protocols 30
Menu, Serial Summary Statistics 40
Menu, SNMP Management Stations xii
Menu, TCP Modbus Client Configuration 36
Menu, TCP Modbus Client Gateway Parameters 36
Menu, TCP Modbus Client Gateway RTU Assignment 37
Menu, TCP Modbus Server Configuration 33
Menu, TCP Modbus Server Gateway Parameters 33
74 RuggedCom
Index
Menu, TCP Modbus Server Gateway RTU Assignment 35

Menu, Time and Date xi
ModBus MultiMaster 23
ModBus RTU Polling 19, 22
Modbus, Examples 28, 43
ModBus, Exception Handling 26
ModBus, Performance 27
ModBus, Retransmissions 26
NTP Server Address, Configuring xi
NTP Update Period, Configuring xi
Packetization 24, 27
Password, Configuring x
Port Redirectors 24
Product Identification 50
Resetting, Device 51
RSH, Using 59
RuggedServer( User Interface 1
RuggedServer( Web server Interface iv, vii
SNMP Community String, Configuring xii
SNMP Get Community ,Configuring ix
SNMP Management Station Address, Configuring xii
SNMP Set Access, Configuring xii
SNMP Trap Sending, Configuring xiii
SNMP, Mibs supported 69
SNMP, Trap Summary 69
SQL Commands, Using 64
SQL, Default Command 66
SQL, From Clause 65
SQL, Info Command 65
SQL, Select Command 65
SQL, Update Command 66
SQL, Where Clause 66
Subnet, Configuring viii
System Identification, Configuring ix
System Log, Clearing 50
System Log, Viewing 50
TCP Port Number, ModBus 26
Telnet Sessions, Configuring ix
TFTP Client, Upgrading Firmware With 62
TFTP Server ,Configuring ix
TFTP Server, Upgrading Firmware With 61
Time Zone, Configuring xi
Troubleshooting, Administration Settings xiv
Troubleshooting, Serial Encapsulation 43
Web Server ,Configuring ix
XModem, Upgrading Firware With 61
RuggedCom 75

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RuggedServer

RMC30 User Guide

RUGGEDSERVER USER GUIDE

Version 2.1.0 Sept 23, 2004

Voice: (905) 760-7799 Warranty

COPYRIGHT Dec 2002 RuggedCom Inc.

http://www.ruggedcom.com This document contains proprietary information, which is protected

No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced or

ABOUT THIS U SER G UIDE

Applicable Firmware Revision

Who Should Use This User Guide

How To Use This User Guide

Quick Start Recommendations

The following description is included to aid those users experienced with

1. Locate/mount the chassis in its final resting place.

Chapter 1 Setting Up And Administering The Server...................................................................... vii

Chapter 2 Configuring Serial Encapsulation And TcpModbus Ports............................................... 22

Chapter 3 Using Diagnostics.............................................................................................................51

Chapter 4 Using The CLI Shell.........................................................................................................57

Chapter 5 Upgrading Firmware And Managing Configurations.......................................................65

Appendix A - SNMP MIB Support......................................................................................................73

Appendix B SNMP Trap Summary.................................................................................................. 73

Figure 2: Signing On To The Server With A Web Browser.................................................................iv

Figure 3: Signing On To The Server With A Web Browser.................................................................. v

Figure 4: Signing On To The Server With A Web Browser.................................................................vi

Figure 5: Administration Menu........................................................................................................... vii

Figure 6: IP Services Configuration Menu.......................................................................................... vii

Figure 7: Time and Date Menu............................................................................................................. xi

Figure 8: SNMP Management Stations Menu..................................................................................... xii

Figure 9: Using A Router As A Gateway........................................................................................... xiv

Figure 10: Character Encapsulation .................................................................................................... 19

Figure 11: RTU Polling .......................................................................................................................20

Figure 12: Broadcast RTU Polling ......................................................................................................20

Figure 13: TcpModbus Client and Server ........................................................................................... 22

Figure 15: Serial Protocols Menu........................................................................................................ 30

Figure 16: Serial Protocol Assignment Menu...................................................................................... 30

Figure 17: Serial IP Configuration Menu.............................................................................................31

Figure 18: TCP Modbus Server Configuration.................................................................................... 33

Figure 19: TCP Modbus Server Configuration.................................................................................... 33

Figure 20: TCP Modbus Server Configuration.................................................................................... 35

Figure 21: TCP Modbus Client Configuration.................................................................................... 36

Figure 22: TCP Modbus Client Configuration.................................................................................... 36

Figure 23: TCP Modbus Client Configuration.................................................................................... 38

Figure 24: Connection Statistics Menu................................................................................................ 39

Figure 25: Serial Summary Statistics Menu.........................................................................................40

Figure 26: Serial Port Statistics Menu................................................................................................. 41

Figure 27: Diagnostics Menu Showing Alarm Commands................................................................. 46

Figure 28: Alarms Menu...................................................................................................................... 48

Figure 29: CPU Diagnostics Menu...................................................................................................... 49

Figure 30: Viewing the System Log.....................................................................................................50

Figure 31: Displaying Trace settings ...................................................................................................56

Figure 32: Changing Trace settings..................................................................................................... 57

Figure 33: Starting A Trace..................................................................................................................58

Figure 34 Example of an Upgrade using XModem............................................................................. 61

Figure 35 Example of an Upgrade using a TFTP client on your workstation......................................62

Figure 36 Example of an Upgrade using the TFTP client on the RuggedServer..............................63

Figure 37 The sql command and SQL help..........................................................................................64

Figure 38 The sql command and SQL help..........................................................................................65

Figure 39 Selecting a table................................................................................................................... 65

Figure 40 Select a parameter with a table............................................................................................ 65

Figure 41 Selecting rows in a table based upon parameter values.......................................................66

Figure 42 Selecting rows in a table based upon multiple parameter values........................................ 66

Figure 43 Changing Values In A Table................................................................................................66

Figure 44 Defaulting A Table.............................................................................................................. 66