Table of Contents

Note

The ncu utility depends on the NetworkManager service and cannot be used if the NetworkManager service is not installed and running. If you do not wish to enable the NetworkManager service, please see section "Manual configuration of CHARON networking" of the Installation chapter of this Guide for instructions on configuring the network manually.

Description

The "ncu" ("Network Control Utility") is used to dedicate a host interface to CHARON, to release it back to the host and to manage CHARON virtual interfaces (TAPs).

The utility allocates chosen network interfaces (both physical and virtual) and configures the offload parameters.

On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 & 7 and CentOS 7

Package "vconfig" must be installed to enable NCU VLAN configuration functionality. Otherwise NCU will display the status "disabled, because vlan control package is not found"

Dedication of a host physical interface to CHARON

Login as root and enter "ncu". The following menu will appear:

# ncu CHARON Network Configuration Utility, STROMASYS (c) 2020 Version 1.7

Interfaces Dedicated to State
---------- ------------ ------------
eth0 host         connected to host
eth1       host         connected from host
lo         host         unmanaged from host

=================================================================
bridge name bridge id STP enabled interfaces
========================== VLAN =================================
=================================================================

select action:

1 - Dedicate to CHARON
2 - Release to host
3 - Create Bridge with TAPs
4 - Remove Bridge
5 - Add VLAN
6 - Remove VLAN
7 - Print status
8 - Exit

:> 8

The utility lists available network interfaces (both physical and virtual) and indicates whether they are dedicated to the host or to CHARON and whether they are currently in use by host operating system.

"ncu" offers several options:

Dedicate interface to CHARON
Release interface to host
Create a bridge between a chosen physical network interface and the Linux virtual network and create a number of virtual network interfaces
Remove the Linux virtual network and all the created virtual network interfaces
Add VLAN interface
Remove VLAN interface
Print status - use it to display status of network interfaces and the menu shown above
Exit

In the example above we see 2 network interfaces - "eth0" and "eth1", both of them are dedicated to host, but host uses only the interface "eth0".

Let's dedicate the interface "eth1" to CHARON. Enter "1", type "eth1" and press Enter:

Specify the interface to dedicate to CHARON:eth1
Turning off offloading for eth1.. Please wait

select action:

1 - Dedicate to CHARON 
2 - Release to host 
3 - Create Bridge with TAPs 
4 - Remove Bridge 
5 - Add VLAN 
6 - Remove VLAN 
7 - Print status 
8 - Exit

:> 7

Now the interface "eth1" is dedicated to CHARON:

Interfaces Dedicated to State
---------- ------------ ------------
eth0       host         connected to host
eth1       CHARON       disconnected from host
lo         host         unmanaged from host

================================================================= 
bridge name            bridge id         STP enabled     interfaces 
========================== VLAN ================================= 
=================================================================

select action:

1 - Dedicate to CHARON 
2 - Release to host 
3 - Create Bridge with TAPs 
4 - Remove Bridge 
5 - Add VLAN 
6 - Remove VLAN 
7 - Print status 
8 - Exit

Enter "8" to return to console prompt.

Now "eth1" can be used by CHARON.

Release of a host physical interface back to host

Login as root and enter "ncu". The following menu will appear:

# ncu CHARON Network Configuration Utility, STROMASYS (c) 2020 Version 1.7

Interfaces Dedicated to State
---------- ------------ ------------
eth0       host         connected to host
eth1       CHARON       disconnected from host
lo         host         unmanaged from host

================================================================= 
bridge name           bridge id          STP enabled      interfaces 
========================== VLAN ================================= 
=================================================================

select action:

1 - Dedicate to CHARON 
2 - Release to host 
3 - Create Bridge with TAPs 
4 - Remove Bridge 
5 - Add VLAN 
6 - Remove VLAN 
7 - Print status 
8 - Exit

:> 2

Let's say that we want to return the interface "eth1" (currently dedicated to CHARON) back to host. To do that enter "2" then "eth1":

Specify the interface to release to HOST:eth1
Connection successfully activated (D-Bus active path: /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/ActiveConnection/3)

select action:

1 - Dedicate to CHARON 
2 - Release to host 
3 - Create Bridge with TAPs 
4 - Remove Bridge 
5 - Add VLAN 
6 - Remove VLAN 
7 - Print status 
8 - Exit

:> 8

Enter "8" to quit the "ncu" utility.

The interface "eth1" is released back to host system now.

Creation of a virtual network

Login as root and enter "ncu":

# ncu
CHARON Network Configuration Utility, STROMASYS (c) 2020 Version 1.7

Interfaces Dedicated to State
---------- ------------ ------------
eth0       host         connected to host
eth1       host         connected to host
lo         host         unmanaged from host

================================================================= 
bridge name         bridge id          STP enabled      interfaces 
========================== VLAN ================================= 
=================================================================

select action:

1 - Dedicate to CHARON 
2 - Release to host 
3 - Create Bridge with TAPs 
4 - Remove Bridge 
5 - Add VLAN 
6 - Remove VLAN 
7 - Print status 
8 - Exit

:> 3

Enter "3" to create a bridge between the host physical network adapter and the LINUX virtual network interfaces (TAP) and specify the physical network interface ("eth1" in our example) and the number of virtual network interfaces to be created (2 in our example):

Specify the interface to be used for BRIDGE:eth1
How many tap should be created:2
Forming the bridge: ..1..2..3..4..5.. addif tap0 .. addif tap1 ..7..8 done!
Formed bridge br0_eth1 attached over eth1...

select action:

1 - Dedicate to CHARON 
2 - Release to host 
3 - Create Bridge with TAPs 
4 - Remove Bridge 
5 - Add VLAN 
6 - Remove VLAN 
7 - Print status 
8 - Exit

:> 7

Now enter "7" to see the created virtual interfaces:

Interfaces Dedicated to State
---------- ------------ ------------

eth0           host            connected to host 
eth1           bridge          connected to bridge 
lo             host            unmanaged from host 
tap0           CHARON          connected to host 
tap1           bridge          connected to bridge 
================================================================= 
bridge name         bridge id           STP enabled         interfaces 
br0_eth1            8000.768e1ea091d9   no                  eth1 
                                                            tap0 
                                                            tap1 
========================== VLAN ================================= 
=================================================================

select action:

1 - Dedicate to CHARON 
2 - Release to host 
3 - Create Bridge with TAPs 
4 - Remove Bridge 
5 - Add VLAN 
6 - Remove VLAN 
7 - Print status 
8 - Exit

:> 8

In the example above we see 2 virtual network Interfaces "tap0" and "tap1" connected to the created bridge. The physical network interface "eth1" is used for the bridge to the virtual network interfaces.

The interfaces "tap0" and "tap1" are ready to be used in CHARON configurations - they do not need to be additionally dedicated to CHARON.

Enter "8" to quit "ncu" utility.

Removal of a virtual network

Login a root. Start "ncu" utility:

# ncu

CHARON Network Configuration Utility, STROMASYS (c) 2020 Version 1.7

Interfaces Dedicated to State ---------- ------------ ------------

eth0           host            connected to host 
eth1           bridge          connected to bridge 
lo             host            unmanaged from host 
tap0           CHARON          connected to host 
tap1           bridge          connected to bridge 
================================================================= 
bridge name         bridge id           STP enabled         interfaces 
br0_eth1            8000.768e1ea091d9   no                  eth1 
                                                            tap0 
                                                            tap1 
========================== VLAN ================================= 
=================================================================

select action:

1 - Dedicate to CHARON 
2 - Release to host 
3 - Create Bridge with TAPs 
4 - Remove Bridge 
5 - Add VLAN 
6 - Remove VLAN 
7 - Print status 
8 - Exit

:> 4

Enter "4" then enter the interface name that is a bridge to the Linux virtual network on this host ("eth1" in our example):

Specify the phys interface used for BRIDGE:eth1
Cleanup bridge br0_eth1 with ip over eth1...
Removing the bridge: ..1..2 delif eth1
delif tap0
delif tap1
..5..6..7..8 done!

select action:

1 - Dedicate to CHARON 
2 - Release to host 
3 - Create Bridge with TAPs 
4 - Remove Bridge 
5 - Add VLAN 
6 - Remove VLAN 
7 - Print status 
8 - Exit

:> 8

Enter "8" to quit "ncu" utility.

Adding VLAN interface

If VLAN is going to be used for CHARON (See: More information on VLAN) proceed with the following instruction:

Login a root. Start "ncu" utility:

# ncu

CHARON Network Configuration Utility, STROMASYS (c) 2020 Version 1.7

Interfaces Dedicated to State ---------- ------------ ------------

eth0       host         connected to host
eth1       host         connected to host
lo         host         unmanaged from host

================================================================= 
bridge name         bridge id          STP enabled      interfaces 
========================== VLAN ================================= 
=================================================================

select action:

1 - Dedicate to CHARON 
2 - Release to host 
3 - Create Bridge with TAPs 
4 - Remove Bridge 
5 - Add VLAN 
6 - Remove VLAN 
7 - Print status 
8 - Exit

:> 5

Enter "5" then enter:

The phisical interface name to be used for creating VLAN
The ID of the VLAN device
IP address of the VLAN device. Skip this step if no IP is required
Network mask of the VLAN device. Enter for no network mask.

Specify the phys interface used for VLAN:eth1 
Specify the id of VLAN device (<4095):111 
Specify the ip address of VLAN device or empty string for no ip address: 192.168.1.100
Specify the netmask address of VLAN device or empty string for no netmask: 225.225.225.0

select action:

1 - Dedicate to CHARON 
2 - Release to host 
3 - Create Bridge with TAPs 
4 - Remove Bridge 
5 - Add VLAN 
6 - Remove VLAN 
7 - Print status 
8 - Exit

:> 8

Enter "8" to quit "ncu" utility.

Removing VLAN interface

Login a root. Start "ncu" utility:

# ncu

CHARON Network Configuration Utility, STROMASYS (c) 2020 Version 1.7

Interfaces Dedicated to State ---------- ------------ ------------

eth0       host         connected to host
eth1       host         connected to host
lo         host         unmanaged from host

================================================================= 
bridge name         bridge id          STP enabled      interfaces

========================== VLAN ================================= 
eth1.111 
=================================================================

select action:

1 - Dedicate to CHARON 
2 - Release to host 
3 - Create Bridge with TAPs 
4 - Remove Bridge 
5 - Add VLAN 
6 - Remove VLAN 
7 - Print status 
8 - Exit

:> 6

Enter "6" then enter the VLAN interface for remove:

Specify the VLAN interface, which be removed: eth1.111
Removed VLAN -:eth1.111:-

select action:

1 - Dedicate to CHARON 
2 - Release to host 
3 - Create Bridge with TAPs 
4 - Remove Bridge 
5 - Add VLAN 
6 - Remove VLAN 
7 - Print status 
8 - Exit

:> 8

Enter "8" to quit "ncu" utility.

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