SLP configuration recommendations MDM discovery environment

Some configuration recommendations are provided for enabling Multiple Device Manager (MDM) to discover a larger set of storage devices. These recommendations cover some of the more common SLP configuration problems.

This topic discusses router configuration, SLP directory agent configuration, and environment configuration.

Router configuration

Configure the routers in the network to enable general multicasting or to allow multicasting for the SLP multicast address and port, 239.255.255.253, port 427. The routers of interest are those that are associated with subnets that contain one or more storage devices that are to be discovered and managed by MDM. To configure your router hardware and software, refer to your router reference and configuration documentation.

SLP directory agent configuration

Configure the SLP directory agents (DAs) to circumvent the multicast limitations. With statically configured DAs, all service requests are unicast by the user agent. Therefore, it is possible to configure one DA for each subnet that contains storage devices that are to be discovered by MDM. One DA is sufficient for each of such subnets. Each of these DAs can discover all services within its own subnet, but no other services outside its own subnet. To allow MDM to discover all of the devices, it needs to be statically configured with the addresses of each of these DAs. This can be accomplished using the MDM Discovery Preference panel. You can use this panel to enter a list of DA addresses. MDM sends unicast service requests to each of these statically configured DAs, and sends multicast service requests on the local subnet on which MDM is installed. Figure 11 displays a sample environment in which DAs bridge the multicast gap between subnets.

Configure an SLP DA by changing the configuration of the SLP service agent (SA) that is included as part of an existing CIM Agent installation. This causes the program that normally runs as an SLP SA to run as an SLP DA.

Note:Note: The change from SA to DA does not affect the CIMOM service of the subject CIM Agent, which continues to function normally, sending registration and deregistration commands to the DA directly.

Note that

Figure 11. Directory agents bridging the multicast gap between subnets
Environment configuration

It might be advantageous to configure SLP DAs or the following environments:

Related topics MDM discovery environment

(C) Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2004