You can configure the TCP/IP interfaces for OptiConnect in either of two ways. In the first configuration, the OptiConnect bus is viewed similar to a LAN, and has a single subnet address. Each *OPC interface is assigned a unique IP address within the subnet, thus defining the host's connection to that subnet. An example of this configuration is:
System A:
ADDTCPIFC INTNETADR('10.1.1.1') LIND(*OPC) SUBNETMASK('255.255.255.0')
System B:
ADDTCPIFC INTNETADR('10.1.1.2') LIND(*OPC) SUBNETMASK('255.255.255.0')
System C:
ADDTCPIFC INTNETADR('10.1.1.3') LIND(*OPC) SUBNETMASK('255.255.255.0')
In the second configuration, you can use the associated local interface parameter (local-interface). Using this method, you can configure the OptiConnect interfaces as part of existing local subnets to which the iSeries™ server is attached via other local interfaces (for example, token ring or ethernet interfaces). Each OptiConnect interface would define an endpoint of a point-to-point OptiConnect connection between two iSeries servers. The existing local interface would then be specified as the associated local interface for the OptiConnect interface. An example of this configuration is:
System A:
ADDTCPIFC INTNETADR('9.1.1.1') LIND(TRNLINE) SUBNETMASK('255.255.255.0')
ADDTCPIFC INTNETADR('9.1.1.2') LIND(*OPC) SUBNETMASK('255.255.255.255') LCLIFC(9.1.1.1)
ADDTCPIFC INTNETADR('9.1.1.3') LIND(*OPC) SUBNETMASK('255.255.255.255') LCLIFC(9.1.1.1)
System B:
ADDTCPIFC INTNETADR('9.1.1.2') LIND(TRNLINE) SUBNETMASK('255.255.255.0')
ADDTCPIFC INTNETADR('9.1.1.1') LIND(*OPC) SUBNETMASK('255.255.255.255') LCLIFC(9.1.1.2)
ADDTCPIFC INTNETADR('9.1.1.3') LIND(*OPC) SUBNETMASK('255.255.255.255') LCLIFC(9.1.1.2)
System C:
ADDTCPIFC INTNETADR('9.1.1.3') LIND(TRNLINE) SUBNETMASK('255.255.255.0')
ADDTCPIFC INTNETADR('9.1.1.1') LIND(*OPC) SUBNETMASK('255.255.255.255') LCLIFC(9.1.1.3)
ADDTCPIFC INTNETADR('9.1.1.2') LIND(*OPC) SUBNETMASK('255.255.255.255') LCLIFC(9.1.1.3)
To use the associated local interface, you must configure an interface on each system, and both must be active. Using the example above, the following two lines represent a point-to-point configuration from System B to System C.
ADDTCPIFC INTNETADR('9.1.1.3') LIND(*OPC) SUBNETMASK('255.255.255.255') LCLIFC(9.1.1.2)
ADDTCPIFC INTNETADR('9.1.1.2') LIND(*OPC) SUBNETMASK('255.255.255.255') LCLIFC(9.1.1.3)
The advantage of the associated local interface technique is that there is no need to define new subnets for the OptiConnect bus. Subsequently, no external route tables need to be updated to provide connectivity between the OptiConnect interfaces and the rest of the TCP/IP network. Moreover, if one of the OptiConnect paths goes inactive, packets will automatically be routed over the backup interface. In the case of the second example above, the TRNLINE. One disadvantage of this type of configuration is that an interface must be defined for every destination on the OptiConnect bus.