Configuring Logical Interfaces
  • 25 Jan 2024
  • 15 Minutes to read
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Configuring Logical Interfaces

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Article summary

You can define one or more logical interfaces for managing the unit; the types of interfaces available include standard IPv4 or IPv6, bridges and VLANs. Once the interface is defined, you can also define a route to access the unit from outside the unit's subnet.

The following types of logical interface are available:

  • Standard: This interface type is associated with a single port. You could use a standard interface to manage the unit from a single untagged port.
  • VLAN: Like standard interfaces, this interface type is also associated with a single port. One use of a VLAN interface would be if you wanted to separate the management traffic from the client traffic. In this example, you would create a VLAN for the management and another VLAN for the customer traffic.


Note: Setting up policies and filters in this manner does not prevent the Management VLAN traffic from communicating with the unit.

  • VLAN-in-VLAN (.1q in .1q): This interface type is also associated with a single port. You can use this interface type when you want to use sub-VLAN. With a VLAN-in-VLAN interface, you can assign priority as well as choose the Ethertype.
  • Management: This interface (Interface type Standard) enables access to the Management Web Interface and the CLI via the management port.

You can configure interfaces for dual homing by specifying a second IP address (an IP address alias). When specifying an alias, only the address, network mask and gateway parameters can be defined. An alias interface is always set up as a static IP address (DHCP cannot be used).


Note: An interface can also be used for other purposes, such as for loopbacks or test set interaction.

To view the list of logical interfaces

  1. Access the page System ▶Configuration ▶Interface.

Adding or Editing a Logical Interface

When the unit is initially installed (or after a factory default reset), a logical interface named Management is bound to a port. You can add and edit more logical interfaces to provide the unit with multiple management options.


CAUTION: If you modify a Management interface, you or another user may lose access to the management Web interface and/or the CLI.

To add or edit a logical interface

  1. Access the page System ▶Configuration ▶Interface.

  2. Click Add to create a new interface or click the Interface Name of an existing interface to edit its settings.

  3. Complete the required fields, then click Apply.


Notes:

The fields displayed will vary depending on the Interface type you select.

You can set the IP address for an interface to 0.0.0.0 when the interface is not required to be an IP interface, such as when the interface is used for loopback or test set interaction.


For more information on specific parameters, refer to the following table.

Auto Interface Settings (System ▶Configuration ▶Interface)
All Interface Types

ParameterDescription
StateEnabled or disabled.
PrimarySelect this box to identify this interface as the primary interface.

Note: The system will not prompt you for a confirmation when changing the existing primary interface to a new interface.

Interface NameA name to identify the interface.
Interface TypeThe type of interface to create.

Available options are:

  • Standard: Standard IP interface associated with untagged frames.
  • Bridge: Bridged interface that connects two or more interfaces.
  • VLAN: VLAN interface associated with single-tagged frames.
  • VLANinVLAN: VLAN-in-VLAN (.1q in .1q) interface associated dual-tagged frames.
  • Auto: You can set up only one Auto interface for each device. This option cannot be selected on any other interfaces.

IPv4

ParameterDescription
Allow DHCP RelaySelect this box to enable relaying DHCP requests on this interface to the server or servers you specify.

In order for this parameter to take effect, you must also select the Enable DHCP Relay box in the System ▶DHCP Relay page to globally permit per-interface relaying of DHCP requests. "Configuring IPv4 Settings" for details.

Allow ICMP redirectSelect this box to enable or disable the interface specific ICMP redirects. ICMP Redirect is configurable in the combination of 3 factors:
  • Interface ICMP redirect state (/accept_redirects)
  • Global ICMP redirect state (all/accept_redirects)
  • Interface IP forwarding state(/forwarding).

Note: See Table below, ICMP Redierct Configuration State, for examples of all possible cases.

Allow IP ForwardingSelect this box to enable IP forwarding for ingress traffic on this interface.

In order for this parameter to take effect, you must also select the Enable Forwarding box in the System ▶IPv4 page to globally permit per-interface IPv4 forwarding. "Configuring IPv4 Settings" for details.

Automatic IP (DHCP)Allows the interface to act as a DHCP client and automatically obtain its IP address, DNS server and gateway settings from a DHCP server.
Use DHCP Route InformationAllows the unit to obtain routing information from the DHCP server.
Use Static IP Until DHCP ResponseUses the manually configured IP address on the interface until an address is resolved by DHCP.

Note: Available only when using Automatic IP (DHCP) mode; not available with the Auto interface.

Manual ConfigurationSelect this option to enable manual configuration of the IP address settings.
IP AddressThe IP address assigned to the interface, if required.
Network MaskThe network mask associated with the IP address, if required.
Default GatewayA default gateway address provides a shortcut to creating a default gateway through the route configuration. Only one default gateway can be set per unit.
IP Address AliasA second IP address that you may assign to the interface if dual homing is required. This address must belong to a different subnet than the primary IP address.
Network Mask AliasThe network mask associated with the IP address alias, if required.
Default Gateway AliasThe default gateway associated with the IP address alias, if required.
InfoA brief description of the interface that appears on the network summary page, e.g. VLAN number, auto interface.

IPv6

ParameterDescription
IPv6 EnableEnable or disable IPv6 on the interface.
Allow ICMP redirectSelect this box to enable or disable the interface specific ICMP redirects.
DHCPv6Make a selection from the drop-down list to indicate the implementation of DHCPv6 (only used if IPv6 is enabled).

Acceptable values are:

  • Stateless: Use IPv6 stateless address auto-configuration for this interface; configuration details are provided via DHCPv6 as necessary (see RFC-3315 and RFC-3736).
  • Stateful: Use a DHCPv6 server to assign an IPv6 address to this interface from a predefined range.
  • Disabled: Do not use DHCPv6 for IPv6 address management on this interface.
Static AddressEnable or disable IPv6 static addresses (used if IPv6 is enabled).
Router Advertisement PrefixEnable or disable IPv6 router advertisement auto configuration (used if IPv6 is enabled).
Static IPv6 Address / Prefix LengthStatic interface IPv6 addresses (used if IPv6 and IPv6 static addresses are enabled).

Note: Can be reinitialized by setting the value to :: /0

IPv6 Default GatewayIPv6 default gateway addresses (used if IPv6 and IPv6 static addresses are enabled).

Note: Can be reinitialized by setting the value to ::

Bridge Interface Type Only

ParameterDescription
On InterfacesIn the case of a bridge, select multiple interfaces by holding down the control key when you click interface names in the list.
Enable Spanning- Tree ProtocolThe Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) may be enabled or disabled.
Enable Subinterface IP OverrideThis option disables DHCP and resets the IP address of each subinterface to 0.0.0.0. This action is necessary when adding subinterfaces to a management bridge.

For example, if the Management interface is assigned address 192.168.1.254 and the Network interface (in-band) is assigned address 192.168.2.100 and you configured a bridge between them, enabling the subinterface IP override would reset all subinterface addresses to 0.0.0.0.

You then would be able to assign an IP address to the bridge. The Management and Network interfaces would be part of the bridge and the unit would be accessible via any port that is part of the bridge, using the bridge's IP address (192.168.2.200).

VLAN Settings (VLAN and VLANinVLAN Interface Types Only)

ParameterDescription
VLAN IDThe VLAN ID assigned to the interface.
VLAN PriorityThe VLAN priority. Acceptable values range from 0–7.
EthertypeThe Ethertype value for the first or second VLAN ID. The Ethertype may vary depending on the equipment to which the unit is connected:
  • C-VLAN: 0x8100
  • S-VLAN: 0x88A8 (or 0x9100); refer to the global setting for SVLAN Ethertype under System ▶Configuration ▶Mode.
  • T-VLAN: 0x9100 (or 0x88A8); refer to the global setting for the S-VLAN Ethertype under System ▶Configuration ▶Mode.
Note: The S-VLAN and T-VLAN Ethertype values are assigned in the page System ►Configuration ►Mode. For details, see "Configuring General System Settings".

Beacon Settings (All Interface Types Except Auto)

ParameterDescription
StateEnable or disable the transmission of beacons using the interface.
Beacon RateThe interval at which the beacon frames will be sent:
  • 3 seconds
  • 1 minute
  • 10 minutes
  • 60 minutes
The default interval is 1 minute.
Domain IDIn the discovery process, the domain ID can be matched by remote devices to select which beacons it should process.

See the Domain ID and ID Matching parameters in the Discovery Settings parameters.

IP Config ModeIndicates which IP configuration mode the receiver should use:
  • Local: Use the receiver interface settings.
  • Auto: Instruct the remote device to compute an IP address given the subnet, gateway and mask.
  • Auto Static: Behavior is similar to that of Auto configurationmode; however, in the case of a reboot, this mode preserves the IP address, gateway and mask values if an IP address (other than 0.0.0.0) is already configured.
  • DHCP: Use DHCP to obtain an IP address for the AUTO interface.
IP SubnetSubnet used by the receiver when the Auto or Auto Static IP Config Mode is selected.
MaskMask used by the remote device when the Auto or Auto Static IP Config Mode is selected.
GatewayGateway used by the remote device when the Auto or Auto Static IP Config Mode is selected.
Authorize ID MismatchWhen enabled, it tells the receiver to accept beacon frames even if the beacon's domain ID does not match the local domain ID when ID matching is enabled at the receiver. This is useful for troubleshooting Domain entry errors.
DHCP Host NameThe name assigned to the DHCP host. Possible values are:
  • Current hostname
  • Serial number
  • Custom hostname
DHCP Client IDThe ID assigned to the DHCP client. Possible values are:
  • Serial number
  • Custom client ID
IP Exclusion ListIn Auto and Auto IP Static configuration modes, this list of IP addresses is excluded from the remote units.

You can specify both single IP addresses and ranges of addresses, each separated by commas. For example, a range of 172.16.1.2- 172.16.1.5 spans four IP addresses.

A total of 100 IP addresses can be specified here, including both address ranges and single IP addresses.

One Shot BeaconWhen you press Send, the system sends a single beacon frame with the information that has previously been configured and applied. If changes to the beacon settings were made without clicking Apply, they would not be effective in the beacon frame.

Discovery Settings (Auto Interface Only)

ParameterDescription
Beacon Discovery StateProcessing of beacons upon reception. When enabled, the discovery ports listen for beacons and configure the Auto interface.
Last Effective Beaconer MACIf the unit was configured with the Plug & Go feature, this field shows the source MAC address of the beacon used for configuring the auto interface. In other words, this MAC address identifies the beaconer (the remote unit that sent the beacon).
ID MatchingTells the receiver to accept beacons only if the beacon's domain ID matches the local domain ID
Domain IDThe domain ID to use in the discovery process. The domain ID can be matched with the incoming beacon domain ID to determine if the beacon should be processed.
Discovery PortsA list of ports enabled to listen for incoming beacons.

Forwarding Settings (Auto Interface Only)

ParameterDescription
LevelThe ACP frames level. This level is used in transmitted advertisements and beacons. A unit receiving a beacon frame will automatically set its system ACP level to the one included in the beacon frame.

Possible values are:

  • 0–7: For a specific level. The ACP frames level defines how far the ACP frames can go. A unit requires a higher level to be used to run ‘above’ a lower level. For example, a unit using ACP frames level 3 will be able to reach another unit if the other units in between have an ACP frame level of 2 or below.
  • All: All ACP frames will go through this unit without processing.
Forward on BridgeWhen enabled, beacons and advertisements are forwarded using the bridge associated with this interface, if the bridge exists.

When enabled, the forwarding ports on match are not effective.

Forwarding Ports on MatchA list of ports to forward beacons and advertisements to when the domain ID of these frames matches the configured domain ID.
Forwarding Ports on MismatchA list of ports to forward beacons and advertisements to when the domain ID of these frames does not match the configured domain ID.

Advertisement Settings (All Interface Types)

ParameterDescription
L2 StateThe advertisement of information frames may be enabled or disabled. Information frames are used to advertise to a central unit.

Default for Auto Interface: Enable.

Default for other interfaces: Disable.

L3 StateThe advertisement of Layer-3 information frames may be enabled or disabled.

Default (all interfaces): Disabled.

Advertisement IP listThe list of destination IP addresses to be used in Layer-3 advertisements.
Use Rate from BeaconWhen enabled, the advertisement transmission rate matches the rate that is configured in the beacon settings.
Transmission RateThe advertisement transmission rate to use when the beacon rate option is disabled.
Advertisement FormatThe frame format to use when sending information frames.

ACP: Accedian's proprietary format.

ACL Settings (All Interface Types)

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ACL StateEnable or disable the use of ACL for this interface.
ACLThe ACL assigned to this interface.
ACL TypesEnable or disable the use of ACL for each management type:
  • CLI: SSH and Telnet
  • WEB
  • SNMP
  • NETCONF
  • ICMP

Setting Up a Beacon Instance at Layer 3

You can configure a logical interface to send beacon frames. A frame is sent by the central unit (or another unit configured as the beaconer) to all remote units that are used by the auto interface for auto-provisioning. This can be done at Layer 2 or Layer 3.

Configure the unit to send beacon frames at Layer 2 if the remote units are within the same subnet. Configure the unit to send beacon frames at Layer 3 if the remote units are outside the beaconer's subnet.

Only configure one unit on your network―either the central unit or a separate beaconer―for sending beacon frames. Configure the auto interface of the remote units to listen for beacon frames by modifying the Discovery Settings parameters.

To set up a beacon interface at Layer 3, see Setting Up a Beacon Instance at Layer 3.

To set up a beacon interface at Layer 2, see Configuring Logical Interfaces.

Adding or Editing an IPv4 Route

You can define an IPv4 route that is outside the subnet defined by each interface in order to access a unit that does not reside in the management station’s subnet.

Access the page System ▶Configuration ▶Interface to view the existing, active IPv4 routes and update their settings.

To add or edit an IPv4 route

  1. Access the page System ▶Configuration ▶Interface.

  2. In the IPv4 Routes section of the screen, click the Add button to add a new route or click the route Name to edit an existing route.

  3. Complete the required fields, then click Apply.

For more information on specific parameters, refer to the following table.

IPv4 Route (System ▶Configuration ▶Interface)

ParameterDescription
Interface NameThe name to assign to the route. It can also be a brief description of the route, such as Default Route.
TypeThe route type may be either Network (for a range of addresses) or Host (for a specific IP address).
Interface TypeThe interface with which the route is associated.
DestinationThe route's network or host address. The default IPv4 destination is 0.0.0.0.
Network Mask/NetmaskThe mask assigned to the route.

Note: Only used for Network routes.

GatewayThe gateway associated with this route.

Adding or Editing an IPv6 Route
You can define an IPv6 route that is outside of the subnet defined by each interface to access a unit outside of the management station’s subnet.

Access the page System ▶Configuration ▶Interface to view the existing active IPv6 routes and update their settings.

To add or edit an IPv6 route

  1. Access the page System ▶Configuration ▶Interface.

  2. In the IPv6 Routes section of the screen, click the Add button to add a new route or click the route Name to edit an existing route.

  3. Complete the required fields, then click Apply.

For more information on specific parameters, refer to the following table.

IPv6 Route (System ▶Configuration ▶Interface)

ParameterDescription
NameThe name of the IPv6 route. It can be a brief description of the route, e.g. Default.
TypeRoute type may either be Network for a range of addresses or Host for a specific IP address.
InterfaceThe interface with which the route is associated.

This parameter is only for specific situations when a target exists on a different network for that interface. In most situations, the interface is determined automatically.

DestinationThe route's network or host address. Use ::/0 to indicate the default route.
Network Mask/NetmaskThe mask assigned to the route.

Note: Only used for Network routes.

GatewayThe gateway address associated with this route or default gateway address.

ICMP Redirect Configuration State

The redirect configuaration states include:

  • /forwarding: is to allow IP forwarding
  • all/accept_redirects: is the global ICMP redirect configuration in IPv4 options
  • /accept_redirects: is the interface/Allow ICMP redirect
  • The final /accept_redirects: is the Resulting ICMP redirect configuration applied

The following table provides all possible cases for ICMP Redirect configuration states.

/forwardingall/accept_redirects/accept_redirectsThe final /accept_redirects
0 (disabled)0 (disabled)0 (disabled)0 (disabled)
1 (enabled)0 (disabled)0 (disabled)0 (disabled)
1 (enabled)0 (disabled)1 (enabled)0 (disabled)
1 (enabled)1 (enabled)0 (disabled)0 (disabled)
0 (disabled)0 (disabled)1 (enabled)1 (enabled)
0 (disabled)1 (enabled)0 (disabled)1 (enabled)
0 (disabled)1 (enabled)1 (enabled)1 (enabled)
1 (enabled)1 (enabled)1 (enabled)1 (enabled)

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