forum.ipfire.org

Hi,

ich habe mir bei eBay einen Mini Server gekauft, der bereits mit einem installierten IPFire (Grundinstallatio) geliefert wurde. Es handelt sich offensichtlich um einen Riverbed Steelhead https://support.riverbed.com/content/su ... iance.html / MiROx Mini Power Server: http://www.ebay.de/itm/IPFire-Mini-Powe ... 888139958?

Über die serielle Schnittstelle konnte ich auch einigermaßen schnell darauf zugreifen und das IPF-Setup durchführen.

Der Server hat vier Schnitstellen WAN0_0/LAN0_0/Primary/AUX, mit vier unterschiedlichen MAC-Adressen. Nur irgendwie scheinen diese Ports nicht ganz so zu wollen, wie ich es gerne hätte oder IPF es bräuchte.

Am Anfang hatte ich Grün am Primary Port betrieben und Rot am AUX, funktionierte ganz gut, die Clients bekamen eine IP vom IPF DHCP geliefert und alles war gut.

Nach ein paar Neustarts jedoch "verlor" IPF die Zuweisung der Netzwerkkarten. Es sind auch irgendwie spezielle onboard Schnittstellen, die mit einem Treiber gesondert eingestellt werden können. Siehe auch Anleitung hier http://www.extrabyte.com/Download/MiROx ... ysinfo.pdf (Achtung ca. 24 MB, auf Seite 18 ff.)
Ob die Treiber in der bei Auslieferung vorhandenen Grundinstallation mit dabei waren kann ich leider nicht mehr sagen. Ich gehe davon aus, dass die in obiger Anleitung beschriebenen Treiber nicht mit dabei waren.

Derzeit habe ich wieder eine Testinstallation am Laufen: Linux Notebook <-> Hub <-> Server.
Am Server, Primary-Port leuchten beide Kontroll-LEDs, auch am Hub, am Notebook jedoch nur eine und das NB versucht eine Verbindung herzustellen. Internet (Rot) ist keines angeschlossen. Grün: 192.168.0.1, Mask: 255.255.0.0.

Ich wollte mit diesem Posting eigentlich Leute erreichen, die evtl. einen ähnlichen Server betreiben oder mit so etwas Erfahrung haben, speziell jetzt natürlich was die LAN-Ports angeht, die anscheiend machen was sie wollen. Liest hier jemand mit, der evtl. Erfahrung mit derlei (baugleichen) Geräten hat?

Btw., kann man IPF irgendwie in den Grundzustand versetzen, sowas wie einen Reset aber ohne Neuinstallation?

Danke,
Michael

Hi, Hellfire

Bought similar device exactly from the same seller on ebay, and was trying to deploy Debian for the test purposes, but have met exactly the same issue with networking. I will you keep updated in case of I can reach some positive results.

gmax.

Actually, "always-on" PRI and AUX ports of Steelheads can be used, but it has more sense to use WAN and LAN ports, served by the dual-port 82571EB controller connected to x4 PCIe interface of the EDMA-capable fast "Northbridge" (MCH) part of the chipset. PRI and AUX ports (both via 82574L controllers) are on x1 PCIe interfaces derived from slow and EDMA-incapable "Southbridge" (ICH) part of the chipset. Notice these two types of PCIe interfaces below; the left one is from ICH:



Found something very exciting - a Python script to switch between the modes https://github.com/c0d3z3r0/rbmode. Will try it soon.
To bring up LAN and WAN interfaces of Riverbed Steelhead appliance (DTABA platform, i.e. Steelhead 150, 250, 550 with dual-port bypass network module, and newer CX series with 2*dual-port bypass network module) the script switches off the "Bypass" mode of the network module, placing the module in "Normal" mode, so WAN and LAN interfaces disconnect from each other and connect to the ports of 82571EB Ethernet controller. BTW, the third mode is "Disconnect", which obviously disconnects the interfaces either from Ethernet controller and from each other.

Hi defoliant,

thanks for your reply!

This script sounds very interesting, indeed.

Did not try it myself so far. Currently running the hardware with two ports only, those on the right side of the device. The most right one is connected to the LAN, which means the green interface and the port aside is connected to the WAN, red interface.

I did not try, or better: I did not got the other interface running so far, and I gave up long time ago, to be honest. So your discovery sounds very promising. Perhaps you can come back and report if you could set up the other ports as well. And, I don't know how firm you are with Linux (I'm not ;-), if you could set up the ports to run in a persistent mode without loosing its configuration.

Don't want to try it myself, you know, because IPFire is already running in an production enivronment and I do not want to be cut off the www.

Thanks,
Michael

Hi Michael!

Definitely, the production environment is not the best place for the testing And of course, I will come back with the results; may be someone else could test the script as well. Don't know how many Steelheads are on hands, but the appliance came to EOL recently and may be found pretty cheap. Steelheads are really nice little machines, true server-class, and pretty capable.

I believe a simple no-bypass ('Normal' in terms of Riverbed) mode on startup would be the most useful scenario for the two ports LAN and WAN, but the bypass controller can do much more; it has even its own watchdog. What about some other usage scenarios for the bypass/disconnect circuitry? May be, disconnect on intrusion and reconnect several minutes after? Just brainstorming

defoliant,

Did you find already some time to check the PY-script with your Riverbed?

Michael

Hello all,

I just ran the script ( rbmode u) and indeed it works, the ports light up.
I followed the instrucions on the site. Ran into all kinds of issues with python...had to install smbus2 and rename de import on the script itself but worked at the end.

Unfortunately, after power off/on, the interfaces revert to disconnected state. Reboot with power on, keeps the interfaces on. So the a script must be executed each boot to ensure rbmode is executed.

hope it helps someone