Abstract

Intel commissioned The Tolly Group to certify the Intel TokenExpress PRO ISA Adapter for compatibility with IBM LAN Network Manager, with the main focus on independently verifying interoperability with IBM’s Token Ring network-management environment. The project examined whether Intel’s Token Ring ISA adapter correctly implemented the functions required to operate with IBM LAN Network Manager version 1.1, the de facto standard for Token Ring management at the time, and whether it could successfully complete the formal certification process administered by Tolly on IBM’s behalf.  

The October 1994 report explains that The Tolly Group developed the IBM-endorsed LAN Network Manager certification program to validate product compatibility and interoperability with IBM’s LAN Network Manager protocol and extensions. Intel engaged Tolly in June 1994 to certify the TokenExpress PRO ISA Adapter as compatible with IBM’s LNM protocol. According to the report, the adapter under test ran an ODI driver version 0.17 beta and passed the certification suite, earning official LNM certification on October 13, 1994. The report emphasizes that Tolly was the only facility authorized by IBM to perform this certification testing.  

The certification process focused on the behaviors required for IBM-compatible Token Ring network management. The Network Adapter Card Test Matrix on page 2 lists the key functional areas exercised during testing: station insertion into the ring, station removal through a MAC Remove Station Frame, reporting of segment changes as an IBM bridge segment number changed, station query by LAN Network Manager, and several REM and CRS-related management functions. These included soft error reporting, detection and reporting of a new active monitor, and reporting of a nearest active upstream neighbor change when the cable was removed from the MAU. Tolly notes that the tests were designed both to document functional support within IBM’s management scheme and to trace the specific frame flow behavior associated with each management function.  

The test bed used two 16Mbit/s Token Ring segments connected by an IBM-compatible local Token Ring bridge. Test Station #1, containing the Intel TokenExpress PRO ISA Adapter, and Test Station #2, containing an IBM Token Ring Network 16/4 Adapter II, were attached to one segment, while the LAN Network Manager workstation running IBM LAN Network Manager version 1.1 PTF UR40085 was attached to the other. The environment used Compaq Deskpro 486-based systems, DOS 6.2 on the test stations, OS/2 version 2.10 on the LNM station, and a Network General Expert Sniffer to verify frame flow and correct functional behavior. Overall, the report presents the Intel TokenExpress PRO ISA Adapter as having successfully met IBM LAN Network Manager certification requirements for Token Ring adapter interoperability and management compatibility.