As a VSM system operates at the heart of a broadcast install, fast and proper data communication between VSM components and controlled Lawo and 3rd party devices is of the essence for a reliable and resilient operation in 24/7/365 environments. The following settings apply for the management network, in order to meet operational demands.
Selecting the right Switch
For the management network, to connect vsmSoftware, vsmGear and controlled 3rd party devices, it is recommended to use at least a light or full Layer3 Switch with VLAN and routing capabilities.
It is recommended to divide device classes into VLANs.
If you plan to control devices which use Broadcast messages for keepalive or control, it is mandatory to separate these devices into at least one VLAN and to forward all Broadcast messages to the VLAN of the VSM-Server or directly to the Server's IP address.
Network Cabling
To avoid issues caused by electromagnetic interference, use at least CAT5e shielded cables (S/STP or S/FTP). It is mandatory to use shielded cables, connectors, patch panels in your entire environment. Make sure the shield is properly connected in the complete chain.
Speed / Duplex Settings
Depending which version of vsmGear you use, you may need to adapt the configuration on your switch in regards of the speed / duplex settings. There are two types of vsmGear on the market:
- Devices with silver front plate (2013-today): set switch port settings to auto negotiation.
- Devices with black front plate (2006-2013): set both, device network ports and switch ports, to 100Mbit Full Duplex fixed
Network connections to and from servers running VSM should always be set to auto negotiation on both sides (server NIC and switch port).