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      Multiple Owl Cards in DFTS 3.0.0.2

      This is the configuration required to run two Owl cards in a system with DFTS.

      This is not documented in the DFTS 3002 manual.  If you are using 2 cards, you need to manually create the setOwlCardType2 file. 

      You also need to specify channel 211 on a V7 card, which is also not in the DFTS 3002 manual, except in the context of using multiple channels.  The fact is, even a single channel setup requires the driver to use channel 211.  With single channel driver setup, it will use 202 unless told otherwise.  Hence, for single channel, you need to explicitly tell the driver to use channel 211 as noted below.  ( options owlv7Bsc CH_01=211,100  )

       

      • Make the driver do 2 cards
        • Modify /etc/init.d/owlv7Bsc   and edit the numcards=1  to numcards=2
      • Make the driver go to channel go to 211, instead of the default single channel number of 202:
        • In /etc/modprobe.d/owlv7Bsc.conf, specify:
          • options owlv7Bsc MaxChannels=1
          • options owlv7Bsc CH_01=211,100
          • options owlv7Bsc DebugOption=0x12
          • On blue side only, have lines for rate keys:
          • options owlv7Bsc MaxRateKey=8D05E9C5
          • options owlv7Bsc MaxRateKey_01=0A217C27
          • (it does not matter which key is for which card, the driver will figure it out)
      • Restart the driver.  Look in /var/log/messages for stuff like this for each card:
        • Jan 18 10:29:10 dfts-blue-el7 kernel: 1 [owlg_blue] LoopCompareDigest: MaxRateKey from owlv7Bsc.conf file:8D05E9C5
        • Jan 18 10:29:10 dfts-blue-el7 kernel: 1 [owlg_blue] EvaluateMaxRate: MaxChannels: 1   Rate = 10000Mbps Percentage of card 100%
        • Jan 18 10:29:10 dfts-blue-el7 kernel: 1 [owlg_blue] Bandwidth Reservation: 0  CH= 211  Percentage = 100 10000Mbps
      • Configure owlDftsSend script (or receive script on red)
        • NUMBER_OF_CARDS=2
        • NUMBER_OF_INSTANCES=1
      • Create setOwlCardType2 file:
        • setOwlCardType should have:  DEVICE_NAME="/dev/owlg_blue0"
        • setOwlCardType2 should have:  DEVICE_NAME="/dev/owlg_blue1"
        • (for red, device is obviously owlg_red*  )
      • Check that ownership of /Owldata/dfts  and /Owllog/dfts    is dfts:dfts   (dfts user and group)

       

      Suggested additions/edits in DFTS 3.0.0.2 r01c document:

      The suggested updates in section 5.3 and 5.4, which are absolutely required for V7 cards, would be very helpful to get into the document.  Most customers have V7 cards, and most use 1 channel.  Without this required driver configuration, they cannot get DFTS to work in the most common configuration.

      The suggestion for a section 10 is less urgent, as very very few customers use multiple Owl cards in 1 server.

      Section 5.3:  Installing the Send Server Application

      Start by saying that the DFTS RPM has a pre-requisite for and OwlDriver RPM to be installed first.  If the Owl card is Version 6 or 7, and the desired setup is single channel mode, then the driver must be explicitly configured to use channel 211.  For Version 7, this is accomplished by editing /etc/modprobe.d/owlv7Bsc.conf, and adding line:

      • options owlv7Bsc CH_01=211,100

      You will then need to restart the driver with commands:

      • /etc/init.d/owlv7Bsc stop
      • /etc/init.d/owlv7Bsc start

      Section 5.4 - the same but for the receive application.     Edit /etc/modprobe.d/owlv7Rsc.conf, add line:

       

      • options owlv7Rsc CH_01=211,100

      You will then need to restart the driver with commands:

      • /etc/init.d/owlv7Rsc stop
      • /etc/init.d/owlv7Rsc start

       

      Insert a new, brief section for setup with multiple cards.  I suggest after section 9.  The new section 10 should contain the following information:

      10 . DFTS setup with multiple Owl cards

      • DFTS can be used with more than 1 Owl card, of the same type.  Each pair of Owl cards must be of the same version, and use the same number of channels.  This has been tested with up to 4 cards.
      • Driver configuration note:
        • Blue:   For Owl Version 7 cards, the MaxRateKey will need to be specified for each card.  This is done by addling lines to /etc/modprobe.d/owlv7Bsc.conf.  (blue side only) This example shows how to specify the keys for 3 cards:
          • options owlv7Bsc CH_01=211,100 
          • options owlv7Bsc MaxRateKey=1234ABCD
          • options owlv7Bsc MaxRateKey_01=5678EFAB
          • options owlv7Bsc MaxRateKey_02=9012CDEF
          • Note that the order of the keys does not matter.  The driver will figure resolve it, as long as the keys for all the cards are listed.
        • Red:   (/etc/modprobe.d/owlv7Rsc.conf)
          • options owlv7Rsc CH_01=211,100
      • DFTS Configuration:
        • Receive side:
          • vim owlDftsReceive

            • Find and edit the NUMBER_OF_CARDS variable:
              NUMBER_OF_CARDS=<number>

          • Create setOwlCardType2 file:
            • setOwlCardType should have:  DEVICE_NAME="/dev/owlg_blue0"
            • setOwlCardType2 should have:  DEVICE_NAME="/dev/owlg_blue1"
            • If you have more than 2 cards, create the another file for each, incrementing the numbers

        • Send side:

          • vim owlDftsSend

            • Find and edit the NUMBER_OF_CARDS variable:
              NUMBER_OF_CARDS=<number>

          • Create setOwlCardType2 file:
            • setOwlCardType should have:  DEVICE_NAME="/dev/owlg_blue0"
            • setOwlCardType2 should have:  DEVICE_NAME="/dev/owlg_blue1"
            • If you have more than 2 cards, create the another file for each, incrementing the numbers