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Re: (ASCEND) Problems with Modems on the suspect list


 FYI, Here is how the Max handles modems on the suspect list. This is
how Ascend explained it to me:

A modem is not moved to the suspect list until after 4 initial failures or
8 failures in a row.   Modems from the suspect list will still be assigned,
but only after there are no modems on the free list.

A determination is made on returning a modem to the free list or to the
suspect list after each call that is answered by that modem.  One
successful call out of eight will cause the modem to be moved back to the
free list.

Session "failures" are defined in terms of call progress, not call
duration.  Any call that results in a successful modem handshake is counted
as "good."  Failure to handshake is counted as "bad."  In the past, it
measured "short" calls - calls shorter than 60 seconds - and logged a "bad"
call as one that was shorter than 60 seconds.

Currently, avm shows calls that have failed to successfully handshake and
bring the modem user to the login prompt.

If handshaking takes 3 minutes but eventually succeeds, that is logged as a
good call.

If handshaking begins and the user manually hangs up before completion of
handshaking, that is logged as a bad call. If handshaking fails between
the modems, that is logged as a bad call. If the call fails anywhere after
successfully handshaking, that is logged as a good call.

Note that this does not provide a direct indicator of good or bad modems.
It is an indirect indicator - we must try to infer the status of the modems
based on the success or failure of calls.  A high number of bad calls does
not nessesarly indicate a bad modem.

Example "avm" output :
 > Modem 6:1, 42 calls, 3 bad, last 32 calls = fbfffbff
The "fbfffbff" is a bit mask of the last 32 calls, the most recent call is
the low order bit.  In binary:
     1111 1011 1111 1111 1111 1011 1111 1111
a "1" is a good call (the modems completed handshake) and a "0" is a bad
call.  Within the last 32 calls there were 2 bad calls, but the last 10
calls were good..  On this modem since unit reset, there were a total of 42
calls, 3 of them failing to handshake.
A "dead" modem is one that fails power up self test or one that has been
disabled with 'modem diag.'

Jason Nealis
Director Internet Operations / Network Access
Erols Internet




On Fri, 10 Apr 1998, Jack Deegan wrote:

> I have heard that modems on the suspect list are selected when all on the
> free list have been used, but I have never seen a suspect modem used as
> the"resource of last resort."  Here's how you can move "suspect" modem to
> the "free" list for the case of shown below.
> 
> (1) In the main screen arrow down to 50-000, right arrow to screen 50-100
> then arrow down to Modem #13.
> 
> (2) Right arrow until Modem #13= dis modem.
> 
> (3) Left arrow and enter 2 to save the configuration. This removes 5:13
> from the disabled list by making it inactive.
> 
> (4) Go to step (2) and right arrow until Modem #13= enable modem. Execute
> step (3). This causes 5:13 to be put back on the "free" list.
> 
> If 5:13 shows up on the "suspect" list in a short period of time it's
> probably a bad modem.
> 
> 
> At 08:29 PM 4/9/98 -0400, Cyril Jaouich wrote:
> >> avm
> >Modems on free list:
> >Modem 3:8, 2059 calls, 101 bad, last 32 calls = fffffff7 dir=3
> >Modem 3:9, 1911 calls, 74 bad, last 32 calls = ffffff7f dir=3
> >Modems on suspect list:
> >Modem 5:13, 1356 calls, 73 bad, last 32 calls = ffdfff00 dir=3
> >
> >	Why is the modem on 5:13 stuck at 1356 calls while every other
> >modem on that box is at ~2000 calls?
> >
> >Another machine:
> >
> >> avm
> >Modems on free list:
> >Modem 5:6, 293 calls, 10 bad, last 32 calls = ffefffff dir=3
> >Modem 3:8, 276 calls, 14 bad, last 32 calls = ffffffff dir=3
> >Modems on suspect list:
> >Modem 5:1, 4 calls, 4 bad, last 4 calls = 00000000 dir=3
> >Modem 5:2, 4 calls, 4 bad, last 4 calls = 00000000 dir=3
> >
> >	Same here, this is quite bizzare. We have had some problems with
> >channels staying free on the machine, I think this problem might be
> >related to this.
> >
> >	I am running 5.0Ap36 on Max4004/48 with Rev. F k56 cards. I know
> >of:
> >
> > TR 2996 AVM diagnostic command reports disabled modems (Part one) 
> >	Completed in: 5.0Ap44.
> >
> >
> >	Has someone else ran into the same problems?
> >
> >	Thanks
> >
> >Cyril Jaouich [CJ837]
> >---------------------
> >ACC DATA OPERATIONS EASTERN CANADA/US
> >-------------------------------------
> >
> >
> >
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> >To get FAQ'd:	<http://www.nealis.net/ascend/faq>
> >
> >
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> 


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