Starting and Maintaining IPQoS (Tasks)

This chapter contains tasks for activating an IPQoS configuration file and for logging IPQoS-related events. The following topics are covered:

• Administering IPQoS (Task Map)

• Applying an IPQoS Configuration

• Enabling syslog Logging for IPQoS Messages

• Troubleshooting with IPQoS Error Messages

Administering IPQoS (Task Map)

This section lists the set of tasks for starting and maintaining IPQoS on a Solaris system. Before you use the tasks, you must have a completed IPQoS configuration file, as described in Defining a QoS Policy in the IPQoS Configuration File (Task Map).

Applying an IPQoS Configuration

You activate and otherwise manipulate the IPQoS configuration by using the ipqosconf command.

How to Apply a New Configuration to the IPQoS Kernel Modules

You use the ipqosconf command to read the IPQoS configuration file and to configure the IPQoS modules in the UNIX kernel. The next procedure uses as an example the file /var/ipqos/Goldweb.qos, which is created in Creating IPQoS Configuration Files for Web Servers. For detailed information, refer to the ipqosconf(1M) man page.

1. Assume the Primary Administrator role, or become superuser, on the IPQoS-enabled system.

   The Primary Administrator role includes the Primary Administrator profile. To create the role and assign the role to a user, see Chapter 2, "Working With the Solaris Management Console (Tasks)," in System Administration Guide: Basic Administration.

2. Apply the new configuration.

   # /usr/sbin/ipqosconf -a/var/ipqos/Goldweb.qos

   
   

   ipqosconf writes the information in the specified IPQoS configuration file into the IPQoS modules in the Solaris kernel. In this example, the contents of /var/ipqos/Goldweb.qos are applied to the current Solaris kernel.

   ---

   Note - When you apply an IPQoS configuration file with the -a option, the actions in the file are active for the current session only.

   ---

3. Test and debug the new IPQoS configuration.

   Use UNIX utilities to track IPQoS behavior and to gather statistics on your IPQoS implementation. This information can help you determine if the configuration operates as expected.

See Also

• To view statistics on how IPQoS modules are working, refer to Gathering Statistical Information.

• To log ipqosconf messages, refer to Enabling syslog Logging for IPQoS Messages.

• To ensure that the current IPQoS configuration is applied after each boot, refer to How to Ensure That the IPQoS Configuration Is Applied After Each Reboot.

How to Ensure That the IPQoS Configuration Is Applied After Each Reboot

You must explicitly make an IPQoS configuration persistent across reboots. Otherwise, the current configuration applies only until the system reboots. When IPQoS works correctly on a system, do the following to make the configuration persistent across reboots.

1. Assume the Primary Administrator role, or become superuser, on the IPQoS-enabled system.

   The Primary Administrator role includes the Primary Administrator profile. To create the role and assign the role to a user, see Chapter 2, "Working With the Solaris Management Console (Tasks)," in System Administration Guide: Basic Administration.

2. Test for the existence of an IPQoS configuration in the kernel modules.

   # ipqosconf -l

   
   

   If a configuration already exists, ipqosconf displays the configuration on the screen. If you do not receive output, apply the configuration, as explained in How to Apply a New Configuration to the IPQoS Kernel Modules.

3. Ensure that the existing IPQoS configuration is applied every time the IPQoS system reboots.

   # /usr/sbin/ipqosconf -c

   
   

   The -c option causes the current IPQoS configuration to be represented in the boot-time configuration file /etc/inet/ipqosinit.conf.

Enabling syslog Logging for IPQoS Messages

To record IPQoS boot-time messages, you need to modify the /etc/syslog.conf file as shown in the next procedure.

How to Enable Logging of IPQoS Messages During Booting

1. Assume the Primary Administrator role, or become superuser, on the IPQoS-enabled system.

   The Primary Administrator role includes the Primary Administrator profile. To create the role and assign the role to a user, see Chapter 2, "Working With the Solaris Management Console (Tasks)," in System Administration Guide: Basic Administration.

2. Open the /etc/syslog.conf file.

3. Add the following text as the final entry in the file.

   user.info /var/adm/messages

   
   

   Use tabs rather than spaces between the columns.

   The entry logs all boot-time messages that are generated by IPQoS into the /var/adm/messages file.

4. Reboot the system to apply the messages.

Example 35-1   IPQoS Output From /var/adm/messages

When you view /var/adm/messages after system reboot, your output might contain IPQoS logging messages that are similar to the following.

May 14 10:44:33 ipqos-14 ipqosconf: [ID 815575 user.info]
 New configuration applied.
May 14 10:44:46 ipqos-14 ipqosconf: [ID 469457 user.info] 
Current configuration saved to init file.
May 14 10:44:55 ipqos-14 ipqosconf: [ID 435810 user.info]
Configuration flushed.

You might also see IPQoS error messages that are similar to the following in your IPQoS system's /var/adm/messages file.

May 14 10:56:47 ipqos-14 ipqosconf: [ID 123217 user.error]
 Missing/Invalid config file fmt_version.
May 14 10:58:19 ipqos-14 ipqosconf: [ID 671991 user.error] 
No ipgpc action defined.

For a description of these error messages, see Table 35-1.