PE on S8730 duplex servers

[Orintas]

Hello,
I have question about PE (Processor Ethernet) on S8730 servers with software duplication.
I found on "Installing and Configuring the Avaya S8700-Series Server Release 5.2" manual, that:
"The PE interface is always enabled on an S8700-series Server pair for registration by an ESS or an LSP. However, the PE interface is not supported on duplex servers for registration by an H.248 gateway, H.323 endpoints, or adjuncts",
but on CM52AdminGuide.pdf is:
"Note: The PE interface is enabled automatically on an LSP or an ESS server. Do not disable the PE interface on an LSP or an ESS server. Disabling the PE interface disables the LSP or ESS server’s ability to register with the main server. The LSP or ESS server will not work if the PE interface is disabled.
In Communication Manager Release 5.2, Processor Ethernet (PE) is supported on duplicated servers for the connection of H.323 devices, H.248 gateways, SIP trunks, and most adjuncts.
The capabilities of ESS servers are enhanced to support connection of IP devices to the PE interface as well as to C-LAN interfaces located in G650 (port network) gateways."

What information is correct? It is supported PE interface on S8730 MAIN servers with software duplication or not?

I have enabled PE interface on servers, but IP phones sometimes can connect to PE, sometimes not. When PE is disabled, IP phones is connecting to C-LAN interfaces without any problem. CM software version is 5.2.1 with latest servicepacks, IP phones (16xx and 96xx) are updated to latest firmware release.

 

[uzumaki]

Yes it is supported. PE is your Pathom IP address on your Customer LAN ports. I'm using PE on S8730/G650 with ESS S8730/G650 and S8510 LSP/G450.

 

[Orintas]

yes, i know, that PE IP is virtual IP address of LAN interface.
When i enable 'ip-interface procr' on CM, sometimes IP phones registers on PE interface correctly, sometime they shows "Discovering xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx... (PE ip)". When i disable procr interface, phones registers with CLAN interface without any problem. In this situation, active server is the same (interchange between servers not occurs)
IP phones receives CLAN (callserver) ip address from DHCP, when PE is enabled, ip phones is traiing to register with PE interface instead of CLAN. PE and CLAN interfaces is in one subnet. All IP phones, CLAN and procr interfaces belongs to one big routed voice VLAN.

 

[Mitch672]

You have 9600 firmware R3.1, or R3.101A or later? Earlier versions did not respond to arp requests and can take a long time to register, when the active/standby servers interchange.

You don't have to use PE, just have your DHCP Option 242 give out a CLAN address only, and don't enable PE. H.248 gateways can register to CLAN cards as well, just make sure the MGP list only has CLAN IP's in it.

There is also some configuration to do in the "configure server" for each S8730 and PE, you can set the priority etc.



Mitch

AVAYA Certified Expert

 

[Orintas]

thanks Mitch.
96xx phones is with firmware release 3.0, we upgrading all now to latest release 3.11. 16xx - all is with release 1.22 (latest).
With CLAN interfaces is OK, but, i have only 2 CLAN's for ip endpoints and media-gateways, and we need register 1200 ip phones and 12-14 G430 media gateways. Two CLAN's have for that phones not enought ip sockets . and hera is problem, we need buy more CLAN cards, or enable PE. but with PE we found some problems...
"configure server" - is all done, on system status i see that PE is UP... when i enable ip-interface procr, sometimes ip phones can register, sometime not...

 

[AvayaTier3]

System: Standard Software Version: R015x.02.1.016.4

You can allow or disallow h.323 and h.248 on the ip-interface admin form.

change ip-interface procr                                       Page   1 of   1 
                                  IP INTERFACES


                  Type: PROCR 
                                                       Target socket load: 19200

      Enable Interface? y                           Allow H.323 Endpoints? y
                                                     Allow H.248 Gateways? y
        Network Region: 1                             Gatekeeper Priority: 5



                                 IPV4 PARAMETERS
             Node Name: procr          
           Subnet Mask: /25

A great teacher, does not provide answers, but methods to teach others "How and where to find the answers"

bsh

36 years Bell, AT&T, Lucent, Avaya
Tier 3 for 26 years and counting

http://bshtele.com

 

[Orintas]

yes, it is done...
but, wheh PE is enabled, IP Phones not allways can connect to PE interface... , and i cann't find why

 

[Mitch672]

upgrade your 96XX firmware to R3.101a, there is even a new release (3.1.1), but I have heard of "no audio" issues with it, so stick with R3.1 or R3.101a



Mitch

AVAYA Certified Expert

 

[Orintas]

OK Mitch. but what will be with 16xx type of phones?
16xx we have upgraded to release 1.22, but the problem with that phones still exist. they registers on PE interface not allways.

 

[uzumaki]

Have you tried doing static? Put your PE on a separate Network Region, do not include your CLAN on the same network region as PE.

I'm not having this issue right now, so why it doesnt work on your side. I'll be migrating 5000 stations this week and still getting better. I just suspecting a misconfiguration.

I'm using 3.1 on all of my 96xx phones.

Always enable the procr interface.

Can you share your Web interface ip configuration here?

 

[Orintas]

ok,
i will create new network region for PE (for now, 2 CLAN interfaces and PE is on the same network region). Maybe problem is here...

Uzumaki, you are using only 96xx phones? We have here mostly 1608 phones. with this type of phones PE (on duplex servers 8730) is compatible?

here is ip configuration:
Configure Server


Configure Interfaces
* = required fields

Ethernet 0: Server Duplication Interface
IP address server1 (server1) 192.168.3.1*
IP address server2 (server2) 192.168.3.2*
Subnet mask 255.255.255.252*
Speed (Current speed : AUTO SENSE) *

Ethernet 1: Laptop Interface
IP address server1 192.11.13.6
Subnet mask 255.255.255.252

Ethernet 2: Control Network A Interface
IP address server1 (server1) 192.168.1.4*
IP address server2 (server2) 192.168.1.5*
Alias IP address, active server (server) 192.168.1.1
Subnet mask 255.255.255.0*
Speed (Current speed : AUTO SENSE) *
Enable VLAN 802.1q priority tagging

Ethernet 3: Control Network B Interface
IP address server1 (server1) 192.168.2.4*
IP address server2 (server2) 192.168.2.5*
Alias IP address, active server (server) 192.168.2.1
Subnet mask 255.255.255.0*
Speed (Current speed : AUTO SENSE) *
Enable VLAN 802.1q priority tagging

Ethernet 4: Processor Ethernet (PE), Corporate LAN Interface
IP address server1 (server1) 10.1.104.5*
IP address server2 (server2) 10.1.105.5*
Alias IP address, active server (server) 10.1.104.6*
Gateway 10.1.105.254*
Subnet mask 255.255.254.0*
Speed (Current speed : AUTO SENSE) *
Enable VLAN 802.1q priority tagging

Processor Ethernet (PE) Parameters:
PE Interchange Priority: HIGH* EQUAL LOW IGNORE

 

[Mitch672]

looks like you have a typo in your server 2 IP address.

why would it be on a separate subnet? that makes zero sense.

10.1.104.5 for server 1, and 10.1.105.5 for server 2? with the active at 10.1.104.6? I can see why you are having issues.

Try putting them all on the same subnet...



Mitch

AVAYA Certified Expert

 

[AvayaTier3]

Gateway is wrong also

A great teacher, does not provide answers, but methods to teach others "How and where to find the answers"

bsh

36 years Bell, AT&T, Lucent, Avaya
Tier 3 for 26 years and counting

http://bshtele.com

 

[Mitch672]

looking at your subnet mask (255.255.254.0), I guess they address's are valid, but I would NOT put the servers on separate subnets, that is asking for trouble, and I'm not sure AVAYA even supports it.

My guess is you have wired each server into a separate LAN switch, and that sometimes also causes issues, because of the "active" server IP being spoofed... try using a single LAN switch as well





Mitch

AVAYA Certified Expert

 

[Mitch672]

also, I usually make the "PE Interchange Priority" "equal" for both servers.


Mitch

AVAYA Certified Expert

 

[Orintas]

Mitch, with ip is all OK. here is used one subnet 10.1.104.0 with subnet mask 255.255.254.0 (\23), and here we have from 10.1.104.1 to 10.1.105.253 ip address space for ip phones, servers and media gateways.

 

[Mitch672]

yes, I understand how subnetting works, you have 2 Class C subnets. I would STILL not put each server on a separate Class C segment. It is "non-standard". try putting both Servers on the same Class C, as in both on the 10.1.104.X subnet, get it? technically what you are doing SHOULD work, in an ideal world, however, we are talking about AVAYA here, not an ideal world



Mitch

AVAYA Certified Expert

 

[Orintas]

Hi Mitch,
thank yuo very much for posts here...

"My guess is you have wired each server into a separate LAN switch, and that sometimes also causes issues, "because of the "active" server IP being spoofed... try using a single LAN switch as well" - here is impossible connect both servers to one LAN switch, servers are separated to different locations for high system reliability (these two locations is in diferent buildings, connected with fiber for duplication and for control networks, and so on....) These locations is accesible from branch offices independently, if one locations (with server1) fail (LAN/WAN connections is broken or other "force major" issues), second location with server2, CLAN,PE interfaces, can be used for registration of all branch offices IP phones and media gateways. For this reason we have these IP: server1 - 10.1.104.5 (1 location), server2 - 10.1.105.5 (2 location).
now, we have two CLAN interfaces (10.1.104.1 (first port network in location 1) and 10.1.105.1 (second port network in location 2) and IP phones and media gateways can connect to these interfaces without any problem...
all subnet 10.1.104.0/23 is dedicated only for voip, only ip phones and media gateways can access this VLAN. Branch offices with their ip phones have their own subnets (10.2.104.0, 10.3.104.0 ....) for voip in the same VLAN.

 

[Orintas]

can influence for this issue that CLAN, MEDPRO interfaces to this time is not upgraded to newest firmware release? We have migrated CM 3.1 to 5.2.1 and replaced S8500 server to these new two servers with software duplication....
after migration all works fine (CCE, Call center, CMS...), but we need add about 1000 new ip phones in 14 new branch offices and we don't wont add new CLAN interfaces (old CLAN intefaces has not enought sockets for new IP phones and media gateways). PE in this situation can be very useful...

 

[Mitch672]

What you are doing with those 2 servers isn't really support by AVAYA (physical separation in separate buildings or active/standby servers more than 1KM apart)
Do not even bother calling or opening a case with them, as when you describe your setup and what you are expecting, I wouldn't count on help from them.

you should really just get an ESS server for the 2nd location, as that will be able to "take over" that location in the event of a WAN failure.

The way you have it now with the S8730 Active in 1 building and the S8730 Standby in another building, you have zero redundancy if the WAN fails. If you are counting on them both to go "active" that is a very bad/poor plan, and I would NOT recommend it. You should put both S8730's in the same building, and use them the way they where designed to be used, get an ESS for the 2nd location.

If you just upgraded to CM 5.2.1, the first ESS Server license is free, you just need an old S8500 to run it on, and it and it sounds like you have that You use the IPSI from the 2nd G650 A cabinet, port network to license the ESS server to.

I really believe what I have provided you is the proper and correct solution for your issue, good luck.



Mitch

AVAYA Certified Expert