Network Testing and Emulation Solutions
Candela Technologies typically delivers the LANforge system fully installed and configured on tested and approved hardware platforms, such as a 1U rack mounted unit. Anyone having a thorough understanding of Linux operating systems, however, should be able to install and configure a functional LANforge system on their hardware platform of choice. LANforge also supports Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7, but LANforge works best on Linux. Legal use of the LANforge system is based upon licensed data-generating ports and/or machines. You must own a license for every port or machine configured to generate traffic.
This document is targeted at those who wish to install the LANforge Demo software on their own hardware, and those who are re-installing software on hardware furnished by Candela Technologies. NOTE: Candela Technologies offers support packages!
If you are installing or upgrading to LANforge 5.2.7 or higher, and are using Fedora 13 or newer OS (or related OS), you may want to use the fully automated installation option. This will take a base install (with the 'lanforge' user created) and add appropriate packages, install or upgrade LANforge server, GUI, kernel and supporting files and tweak the OS to run best with LANforge.
ping www.candelatech.com
Example to perform the automated install with most options enabled:
perl <(curl -s http://www.candelatech.com/lf_kinstall.txt) --do_all_ct --kver 3.7.10+ --lfver 5.2.8
Ensure the script finishes without errors before you continue.
To see all available options use the following command:
perl <(curl -s http://www.candelatech.com/lf_kinstall.txt) --help
For Fedora 15 and higher systems (gnome-3 based systems), the script will tweak the desktop settings if you are logged into the graphical desktop. If you are not logged in currently, just run the tweak commands next time you do log in (as user lanforge):
/usr/local/bin/ctgnome.bash
cd /home/lanforge; ./serverctl.bash stop; ./lfconfig --new_layout
When done configuring, start up LANforge again if you used the text-based lfconfig option. If you used the GUI, then LANforge will be restarted automatically:
./serverctl.bash start
If you are installing or upgrading to LANforge 5.2.7 or higher, and are using Fedora 13 or newer OS (or related OS), you may want to use the fully automated installation option. This will take a base install (with the 'lanforge' user created), install or upgrade LANforge server, GUI, kernel and supporting files and tweak the OS to run best with LANforge.
Change the version numbers as needed by using the latest information
from the release download page.
The following example is for upgrading a 32 bit, Fedora 14 based system to LANforge release 5.2.8:
cd /home/lanforge/Downloads
dos2unix lf_kinstall.txt
chmod a+x lf_kinstall.txt
./lf_kinstall.txt --do_all_ct --kver 3.7.10+ --lfver 5.2.8 --source_dir /home/lanforge/Downloads
The LANforge-FIRE Network Traffic Generator configuration typically requires at least two ethernet ports: one for network management and one for data-generation. The LANforge-ICE Network Emulator works best using a minimum of three ethernet ports. Your unit's performance will be directly related to the CPU and memory as well as the quality of the ethernet hardware and PCI(e) bus. Candela Technologies suggests a minimum of 128MB RAM and a 600Mhz processor. You may be interested to look over the LANforge Hardware Install Guide for more information.
NOTE: LANforge now has limited support for the Microsoft Windows operating systems. See the Microsoft specific install section for more information.
The LANforge product line is primarily developed and tested on Fedora Linux. However, the LANforge processes should work on any distribution based on the 2.6 or higher Linux kernel. To help guarantee success, Candela Technologies recommends that you use Fedora Linux with Candela's custom kernel. If using Fedora Core 4 or higher, be sure to disable SELinux. See below for a suggested kernel patches and .config file if you are compiling your own kernel. Specific work-arounds for Suse and other versions of Linux are found in the trouble-shooting section at the end of this document.
The installation should include the following:
Any modern distribution should install everything that is required by default, and optional packages can be installed with the normal package management tools (yum, apt-get, etc).
If you want to use Virtual Routers with OSPF or multicast routing, download the xorp
package from the LANforge release directory.
To install:
Installing a LANforge Linux Kernel
If you are using Suse, this kinstall script will probably fail. Try making
the initrd script with a command similar to:
# mkinitrd -k ct2.6.31.6.img -i initrd-ct2.6.31.6.img
title Candela Technologies Linux 2.6.31.6
root (hd0,0)
kernel /ct2.6.31.6.img ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-ct2.6.31.6.img
If you are using Suse, you will edit /boot/grub/menu.lst instead.When using recent LANforge kernels on older distributions (Fedora 11 and earlier), you may need to enable some compatibility code in the kernel proc file system. To enable this, add: sysfs.deprecated=1 to the kernel boot arguments in the grub configuration file.
Compiling Your Own Linux Kernel
NOTE: For optimum performance, you should use one of the pre-compiled LANforge Linux kernels, or compile your own with the Candela patches applied. Pre-compiled LANforge Linux kernels can be found on the Downloads page.
Candela now publishes it's patched linux tree in a public git code repository.
git clone git://dmz2.candelatech.com/linux-2.6.dev.31.y
Ensure that you have at least two ethernet interfaces installed in your target platform. Ensure you have at least 64MB of RAM installed. LANforge is very flexible, so if you have hardware constraints that do not appear to be supported by LANforge, please contact support@candelatech.com. It is likely we have a solution!
Choose a distribution that meets the requirements above and install according to its instructions. If you are using RedHat or Fedora, choose the 'Server' or 'All' package selection, or customize to your specific needs and hope it works! (It probably will.)
An IP address should be assigned to the management port, and the other ethernet port(s) can be left un-configured at this time. You can use DHCP for the management port.
It is assumed that the user will be able to correctly configure the Linux Operating system.
In addition to installing the OS, you may want to install and configure the Network Time Protocol (NTP) tools. You can configure NTP as part of the initial login process on Fedora Core 2 and above.
If you would like to be able to have LANforge automatically launch the
Wireshark packet sniffer, then you
must install Wireshark. If you choose not to install Wireshark, however, LANforge will
still function normally. The particular version to install and additional packages
you have to download depends on your Linux distribution. For Fedora Core 5 and similar
distributions, Wireshark is included on the install CDROMs, though it is not always
installed by default. You can usually install it with this command as root user:
# yum install wireshark-gnome
In the end, LANforge will attempt to execute a file called /usr/sbin/wireshark. If that fails, it will attempt to execute /usr/sbin/ethereal. So as long as one of these files exist, it will work.
If you wish to use LANforge scripting, you will need the Net::Telnet perl library installed. The easiest way to install is to use Perl's MCPAN tool:
perl -MCPAN -e shell
## Choose 'no' when it asks you if you want to manually configure
## perl. The auto-config works just fine.
# install Net::Telnet
# quit
Now that you have the Linux Operating System installed on your box, you are ready to install the LANforge components.
$ su - root
You should create a lanforge user and install the LANforge software in that user's
home directory. Use your preferred method, or use mine:
# adduser lanforge
# passwd lanforge
Copy the LANforgeServer-X.X.X_Linux-XX.tar.gz
file to some temporary directory and un-tar it with a command like:
# tar -xvzf LANforgeServer-*_Linux-x86.tar.gz
That command should create a LANforgeServer-X.X.X directory, in which the distribution
exists. Change to that directory as root, and you will find an install.bash file.
Run this script:
# ./install.bash
NOTE 1: The lfconfig tool often scrolls information off the screen, so you may need to scroll back to see useful information. On the console, use SHIFT-PageUp, SHIFT-PageDown
NOTE 2: Make sure you enter 'config' when done with the lfconfig changes: It is the 'config' option that creates the files needed to run the LANforge applications.
NOTE 3: Make sure that each resource machine has a unique identifier. This identifier is specified as 'resource', and you can find more details below.
NOTE 4: If you wish to run the LANforge-ICE WAN Emulator on a machine with only two ethernet ports, the management device (mgt_dev) must be 'lo', the loopback device. This means you will not be able to get network connectivity to this machine when LANforge is running as both of the ICE interfaces must have an IP address of 0.0.0.0
After running the install script, cd to the /home/lanforge directory as root
and run the lfconfig script to configure LANforge:
# cd /home/lanforge
# ./lfconfig
It is an interactive script that allows you to set certain configuration options and then generate the start/stop scripts to control LANforge. The lfconfig script now hides some of the less-often used options. You can view them with the "show_all" command. However, for most configurations, you will not need to change any of the hidden options.
When you start lfconfig, you will see something like this:
Interfaces: eth0 eth1 eth2 eth3
Resource interface assignment:
Resource 1: eth0 eth1 eth2 eth3
Specified Resource Addresses:
127.0.0.1:4004
Key Acceptable Values Value
**************************************************
log_level [0-65535] 7
log_dir [directory path] /home/lanforge
add_resource_addr [host:port] SEE LIST ABOVE
rem_resource_addr [host:port] SEE LIST ABOVE
realm [1-255] 255
resource [1-511] 1
mgt_dev [ethernet device] eth0
mode [resource, manager, both] both
bind_mgt [0-1] 0
shelf [1-8] 1
dev_ignore [eth0 eth1 ... ethN]
first_cli_port [1025-4199] 4001
connect_mgr [host:port]
gps_dev [device file] NONE
max_tx [1-500] 5
wl_probe_timer [50-2000] 50
Other Commands: help, show_all
**************************************************
If these values are correct, enter 'config', otherwise change
the values by entering the key followed by the new value, for example:
mode manager
Your command:
Here are the values you can manipulate, and what they mean:
mgt_dev eth0
resource 1
realm 255
mode both
config
mgt_dev eth0
resource 2
realm 22
mode resource
config
mgt_dev eth0 |
mgt_dev eth0 |
mgt_dev eth0 |
mgt_dev eth0 |
NOTE: Entering 'config' creates a port configuration file called lanforge_eth_1 for resource 1 or lanforge_eth_2 for resource 2, etc., which is saved in the /home/lanforge directory. All clustered resources will now be displayed on the Status page of the LANforge-GUI and will be listed in the Port Mgr tab.
After running the lfconfig script, you should have a box that is functionally similar to the LF1000 Series units. Now, go to the Hardware Installation Guide and procede to install your new box into the LANforge system.
To start the LANforge servers, use the serverctl.bash script as root:
# ./serverctl.bash start
From now on, the LANforge server will be started when the machine boots.
Two packages must be installed to support ISCSI client. Following installation, the Level 3/5 iscsi and iscsid services must be disabled to facilitate LANforge control. LANforge can/should configure the rest of it for you by setting up file-io endpoints of type iscsi.
For current LANforge releases, you can just use the GUI to set the preferred fixed address (or DHCP) from the
Port-Mgr tab just as you would configure any other interface. For older LANforge releases, or if you prefer
to do it manually, follow the steps below.
NOTE: You shoud NOT change the management interface's IP address while LANforge is running. You should first
stop LANforge, then change the IP, then start LANforge again. Or, you can just reboot the machine and the new settings
will take affect automatically.
DEVICE=eth3 ONBOOT=yes BOOTPROTO=dhcp
DEVICE=eth3 ONBOOT=yes IPADDR=192.168.1.101 NETMASK=255.255.255.0
GATEWAY=192.168.1.1
Most LANforge traffic generation and network emulation features are available on Microsoft Windows operating systems. Click here for details on supported features. LANforge on Linux is still the most precise, featureful, and highest performing option. Please contact Candela Technologies or your sales representative if you have questions about whether a feature you need is supported on Windows. Windows managers can manage Linux data generators, and vice versa.
Currently, only Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 are actively tested. LANforge may work on other platforms as well.
Install the LANforge Server Files
For example:
Device ID: {20AC6D62-1D4E-49E1-982A-091CD9329CB3}
Management Network Device | {20AC6D62-1D4E-49E1-982A-091CD9329CB3} |
For example: IP#1:Port1 IP#2:Port2 IP#3:Port3
Example input for three remote resources is:
192.168.2.2:4002 192.168.2.3:4002 120.5.3.2:4002
To start the LANforge server on a 'Both' system double click both the LANforge Manager and LANforge Data Generator shortcuts.
Likewise, a Manager only node will only require the LANforge Manager shorcut executed while a Resource node will only require running the LANforge Data Generator shortcut.
NOTE: Windows Vista and Windows 7 users must run the LANforge Manager, LANforge Data Generator and usually the LANforge GUI as administrator for a LANforge system to function properly. The shortcut properties should be modified to run as administrator: right-click on the shortcut icon, select Properties and click the Advanced button. Select 'Run as administrator' then click OK on both the Advanced Properties and LANforge Manager (or LANforge Data Generator) Properties windows.
Follow these instructions to upgrade your LANforge Server from an existing Linux installation. Some Example Configurations are listed in the Installing LANforge Server on Linux section.
To upgrade your LANforge Server from an existing Windows installation,
follow these instructions:
Otherwise, double-click the appropriate icon for the node type.
NOTE: Windows Vista and Windows 7 users must run the LANforge Manager, LANforge Data Generator and usually the LANforge GUI as administrator for a LANforge system to function properly. The shortcut properties should be modified to run as administrator: right-click on the shortcut icon, select Properties and click the Advanced button. Select 'Run as administrator' then click OK on both the Advanced Properties and LANforge Manager (or LANforge Data Generator) Properties windows.
If you have a problem not answered here, please contact Candela Technologies technical support at support@candelatech.com.