Generally a configuration can have been generated using a mixture of definitions of an RDF, dynamic BCINs and BCAM-CREATE commands.
SOF generation and migration aid/conversion aid
You use the GENERATE-BCAM-CMD-FILE command (for information, see section "GENERATE-BCAM-CMD-FILE / GBCF: Output the BCAM configuration to a file") to generate a current command file which serves as the basis for a SOF file. Which command sequences arise is described in detail in the preceding section. The command sequence here takes into account the required order of the object definitions.
/GENERATE-BCAM-CMD-FILE FILE-NAME=ACTUAL.SOF,INFORMATION=*ALL
If the existing configuration has so far been defined in an RDF or with dynamic BCINs, it is now converted into a command file consisting of the new CREATE commands. The command can therefore be regarded as a conversion aid for converting the old configuration to the new notation using CREATE commands. The resultant command file can be edited and, if necessary, adapted to the new requirements before it is used in productive operation.
Generating command groups
The GENERATE-BCAM-CMD-FILE command also enables individual command groups to be output when, for instance, you want to output information about the AEC options or BCAM options which are set.
/GENERATE-BCAM-CMD-FILE FILE-NAME=ACTUAL.AEC-OPTIONS,INFORMATION=*AEC
/GENERATE-BCAM-CMD-FILE FILE-NAME=ACTUAL.OPTIONS,INFORMATION=*OPTION
Checking the command file
You should definitely check the command file which has been created, e.g. using the CALL-BCAM-COMMANDS command and the RDFCHECK tool.
First you should perform a simple syntax check using the command CALL-BCAM-COMMANDS command-filename, SYNTAX-CHECK-ONLY=*ON (see section "CALL-BCAM-COMMANDS: Process commands from a file").
Comment on activation
After completing the steps described so far, you must consider how the network defined by the configuration file is to be activated. This is of particular interest in the case of redundant configurations if the order in which the (VLAN) lines are to be activated is essential. This is a decision which must be taken by the system administrator and cannot be derived from the configuration itself.
Support when changing settings and for activation
The SHOW-BCAM-OBJECTS command also supports the online backup of an active BCAM configuration (for information, see section "SHOW-BCAM-OBJECTS / SHBCOB: Show BCAM objects in compact form"). With this command you can generate CREATE, MODIFY, ACTIVATE and DEACTIVATE commands for BCAM objects, each of which can be stored in a file on an object-related basis. The command allows the descriptions for the following BCAM objects to be complemented: host, nodes, VLAN devices, (VLAN) lines, link aggregations, processors and routes.
The online backup can be supplemented by these to prepare a complete SOF file with the necessary modification and activation of the objects.
Example 1
MODIFY commands for lines stored in the SHBCOB.MOD.LINE file:
/SHOW-BCAM-OBJECTS OUTPUT=SHBCOB.MOD.LINE,OBJECT=*LINE,INF=*MODIFY
Extract from the generated file:
/MODIFY-LINE LINE-NAME=STDLINE1 -
:/ ,AUTO-ROUTE-SWITCHING=*ON -/ ,ROUTE-RESWITCHING=*OFF -
As a rule AUTO-ROUTE-SWITCHING, ROUTE-RESWITCHING and TIMEOUT-PROCESSING must be set for redundant configurations. All other settings can be omitted.
Example 2
ACTIVATE commands for lines stored in the SHBCOB.ACT.LINE file:
/SHOW-BCAM-OBJECTS OUTPUT=SHBCOB.ACT.LINE,OBJECT=*LINE,INF=*ACTIVATE
Generated file is containing:
/ACTIVATE-LINE LINE-NAME=STDLINE1
Example 3
ACTIVATE commands for nodes stored in the SHBCOB.ACT.NODE file:
/SHOW-BCAM-OBJECTS OUTPUT=SHBCOB.ACT.NODE,OBJECT=*NODE,INF=*ACTIVATE
Generated file is containing:
/BCIN NODE=STDNODE1,ACT=ALL