IxTcl Server Usage

IxTcl Server

The IxTcl Server is a software module which implements an intermediate process needed to support non-Windows (Unix) ScriptMate, Tcl and other clients. The version of IxTcl Server must match the version of ScriptMate, Tcl or other clients.

It may either reside on an Ixia chassis or on an intermediate Windows based system between the Unix system and the Ixia chassis. Figure: Initial IxTcl Server Screen illustrates the former case.

Figure: IxTcl Server with Connection illustrates the latter case.

This last case has the advantage that TclServer runs on a different processor than the chassis itself – allowing the chassis to run faster.

Installation and Invocation

IxTcl Server is installed on an Ixia chassis or Windows host using the standard Ixia installation methods. See the Ixia Quick Start Guide for a further discussion. The IxTcl Server is listed among the optional components.

When IxTcl Server is installed, it is automatically included in the All Users Startup group so that the IxTcl Server will automatically start up when any user logs in. If it is necessary to restart IxTcl Server, then the icon which has been placed on the desktop can be used. The icon is shown below.

IxTcl Server Usage

Normally IxTcl Server requires no user interaction. In day-to-day usage, it may be safely minimized.

Several options, however, are available for troubleshooting. The initial IxTcl Server screen, before any connections from any clients, is shown in Figure: Initial IxTcl Server Screen.

Figure: Initial IxTcl Server Screen

The two lines in the main window indicate that the server is ‘listening’ for connections from clients on two ports:

Port 4500–this port is used internally by several Ixia products for rapid file transfer.

Connections are reflected within the tree once they have been made as shown in Figure: IxTcl Server with Connection.

Figure: IxTcl Server with Connection

The menus available in this window are:

Table:IxTcl Server Menus

Menu Usage

File

Contains a single 'exit' option.

IxTcl Server

Allows for the creation of additional ports on which IxTcl Server will listen for connections. Advanced Usage for a further discussion.

Tcl Interpreter

The Show option opens a separate window which displays the commands that are sent through IxTcl Server as well as the results received from the chassis. The contents of this screen are controlled by the Tools..Options menu. This menu option is only active when a IxTcl Server connection is selected. The same window may be opened by right-clicking on a connection and choosing Show.

Tools

Contains a single Options dialog, discussed in Advanced Usage.

Help

Contains a single choice 'About IxTcl Server...'. When invoked, a dialog is presented with the version number of IxTcl Server.

Options

The options available with IxTcl Server available by selecting Tools..Options from the IxTcl Server window. The dialog is shown in Figure: IxTcl Server Options.

Figure: IxTcl Server Options

The options available in this dialog are:

Table:IxTcl Server Options

Category Option Usage

Output Options

Output Tcl commands in treeview

The last Tcl command executed for a IxTcl Server connection is shown in the tree view. For example, in Figure: IxTcl Server with Connection the phrase: Tcl Interpreter last cmd: session logout.

 

Output Tcl commands in TclInterpreter window

If a Tcl Interpreter window has been opened with the Tcl Interpreter..Show menu choice, then this option indicates that Tcl commands passed through IxTcl Server should be displayed in this window.

 

Return Tcl command standard output

Advanced Usage for a description of this option.

Logging Options

Log Tcl commands

If selected, then a log file is created in the Ixia installation directory (usually C:\Program Files\Ixia). Each connection creates a separate log file whose name includes the year, month, day and seconds since midnight.

 

Log Tcl command return values

If selected, return values from the Tcl commands are included in the log.

Note: If either of the Logging Options is enabled, additional CPU time is consumed creating and saving the logged data. This may slow down the execution of your test. A warning is added to the IxTcl Server window when one of these options is turned on, as shown in IxTcl Server Windows with Logging Enabled.

Figure: IxTcl Server Windows with Logging Enabled

Advanced Usage

Additional means of connecting to IxTcl Server are provided through the IxTcl Server menu. The options for this menu choice are:

Table:IxTcl Server Menu Options

Option Usage

Add Socket Listener...

IxTcl Server's socket interface can 'listen' to ports other than the default port 4555. This option adds another listener at another port.

Add Serial Listener...

IxTcl Server can also listen on one of the host's communications ports. The options associated with this type of connection are shown in Figure: Serial Port Characteristics. The port should be one of the available ports: COM1, COM2, etc. that is not in use by another application. Specify the port as COMx where x is the port number.

Add Telnet Listener...

IxTcl Server can also listen on a port using the Telnet protocol. A dialog allows the port to be selected.

Delete

This option deletes the currently selected connection in the main window and all associated Tcl Interpreters shown a child nodes.

Figure: Serial Port Characteristics

The serial connection and telnet connections are different from the socket listener connection in that they ‘speak’ Tcl. That is, an external program of any type may make a serial or telnet connection to IxTcl Server and send it Ixia Tcl commands which will be executed on the Ixia chassis. The results of the commands’ execution are sent back to the external program. If the Return Tcl command standard output option was checked in the Tools..Options dialog, then any output that the command produced would also be sent to the external program.