HECnet May 2024

hecnet@lists.dfupdate.se

10 participants
8 discussions

by Johnny Billquist

I've seen/heard of various stories about how people update their nodename databases on their machines, hacking together scripts, and processing files. So I figured I should write a small mail about the topic (I should create a web-page with this information as well). The main/basic point is that people are creating work for themselves they really don't need. Exactly how you update your nodename database on your machine depends on what OS you are running, but there are basically prepared tools and scripts already existing for pretty much any scenario. And if you happen to have a system or need not currently covered, I can easily create one for you as well. But before going into the solutions, let me explain a bit about the source of the data here. DECnet phase IV do not have a centralized nodename system like DNS. Each node in the DECnet network has its own nodename database, and every machine can have its own name for another machine, independent of what that other machine thinks its own nodename is. However, in order to make it easier for multiple people and machines to talk, it helps if everyone have a somewhat similar database. And here is where the nodename database in MIM comes it. The nodename database that I have on MIM is not the regular DECnet nodename database. Instead I'm using DATATRIEVE to maintain a nodename database, which contains more information than just the number and name. It contains the owner, information about the software and hardware of the node, the location, and when things were updated. This database is what is queried when someone goes to http://mim.stupi.net/nodedb . And that page is generated by just making queries in DATATRIEVE. If someone have a host with DATATRIEVE on it, it is even possible to remotely access this DATATRIEVE database over DECnet (you'll only have read-only access). I have been considering possibly adding a web interface for people to possibly be able to update their own information remotely, but so far that's been a low priority thing. Maybe one day... From this DATATRIEVE database I can then generate the DECnet nodename database on MIM. This is a simple makefile actually. Whenever I run it, it will create a bunch of different files (I'll get to that in a moment), and detect if any changes have happened on the DECnet level of things. If so, it will send a mail to people who have requested it, informing them that the nodename database have been updated, and they should update the nodename database of their own machines. I hope this makes it apparent that creating various files based on the nodename database is actually very simple. This is in a sense what DATATRIEVE is good at. Creating reports is sortof what all these output files are. So - what files do I create today? Well, here is a short list: FIX.CMD - This is a script file suitable for RSX systems using CFE. However, it's sortof specially tailored for MIM, so it's not a file I would recommend anyone else to use. FIX.COM - This is a script for VMS systems using phase IV. FIX.PHV - This is a script for VMS systems using phase V. FIX.IMP - This is a script for VMS for anyone using DECdns. FIX.T20 - This is a script for TOPS-20. HECNET.PY - This is a definition file for PyDECnet. FIX.RST - This is a script for RSTS/E. NODENAMES.DAT - This is basically just the basic information is a simple output form from DATATRIEVE. It exist mostly for historical reasons, but I understand that lots of people actually take this file, and then write code to process, extract and apply information from this file. In addition, some systems can directly import nodenames from another machine on DECnet, meaning you do not have to fetch and run any scripts at all. So here is the actioins you need to do on each system in a summarized form: RSX: In RSX, there is a tool called NNC which copies definitions from another node. Copy over MIM::HECNET:NNC.BAT which is a batch file you can use which does all the work of importing the latest definitions from MIM and updating your local system. All you need to do is just "SUBMIT NNC.BAT" and you are done. VMS: With phase IV, the node copy capability is build into NCP. All you need to do is: "NCP COPY KNOWN NODES FROM MIM TO BOTH" and you are done. With phase V, copy over FIX.PHV and run it, or just directly run it from MIM like this: "@MIM::HECNET:FIX.PHV" If you run DECdns, grab FIX.IMP, and run it with whatever tool is used to manage this (sorry that I can't help more, I don't really have any experience with DECdns). TOPS-20: Grab MIM::HECNET:FIX.T20 and run in in the NCP submode of OPR (if I remember the setup correctly). RSTS/E: Grab MIM::HECNET:FIX.RST, and run it with "@FIX.RST". PyDECnet: Fetch hecnet.py by doing "wget mim.stupi.net/hecnet.py". Place that where you have configured PyDECnet to get the nodenames from, and you are good (not sure if you need to restart PyDECnet). Now. If you have some other system with some specific format you need, just let me know, and I'll create such a file as well. It's trivial for me to do this from DATATRIEVE. If you spot something wrong/bad in some file created today, let me know, and we'll fix it. If you see any errors or omissions in the information in this mail, let me know, and I'll get it corrected. I will create a web page with this information as well. If you want to get a mail whenever the nodename database is updated, just let me know and I'll add you to the list. And HECnet is slowly growing. Occasionally a completely new person/site gets connected. Occasionally people add more nodes. The online presence seems pretty constant. At the moment 19 areas are online. In area 1, currently there are 19 machines online. Looking at Paul's HECnet map (http://akdesign.dyndns.org:8080/map), there are machines online in quite different locations, covering a large part of the world. I find this cool, and even though there isn't a lot being done, it's still fun. Well. Have a nice weekend everyone, and I hope some people find this information useful. Johnny -- Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus || on a psychedelic trip email: bqt(a)softjar.se || Reading murder books pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol

6 months

Re: pydecnet on LinuxMint

by Anders Andersson

I believe I did send an earlier version of this to the list yesterday, as I even saw Thomas comment on it, but somehow I can't find it in the mailing list archive at lists.dfupdate.se now, so in order to follow up on those questions, I'm sorry to bother you with what is likely a partial repeat post. My Maneframe-6 data centre is back in operation; thanks for allthe support andfeedback, includingthe serendipitous information on DECnet over CI which I don't use (I'dlike to have an emulated CI-20 interface as well, even in the form of an Am2900-based emulator running the CI20 microcode as provided with TOPS-20. My apologies everyone for having youspendtime on what seems tohave been a totally self-inflicted problem on my part. My earlier "moving around" involved trying to find the appropriate commands to bring down the bridge to its default state in order to perform a clean restart. It turns out that I failed to bring down some tap interfaces before deleting the bridge, which led to a defective bridge configuration being left running. Then I tried restarting pydecnet and that's when the problems showed up. Thanks to Thomas, Johnny and David for putting me on the right track. Several of you asked for how I configured the KLH10 networkinterfaces, and I remarked on that while hinting at my incomplete testing procedure. I should have taken down the bridge completely, and restarted the KLH10 instances, which would have resolved theproblem, before asking the list: >The KLH10 instances obtain their tap interfaces as part of their >startup configuration, so I have to restart them whenever I have reset >the bridge which I haven't done in a few days now. This is a sample net >device onfiguration line from one host: Asto that question however, the network configuration looksasfollows: devdef ni0 564 ni20 dedic=true ifc=tap2 ifmeth=tap+bridge ipaddr=192.168.9.72 dpdelay=3 then I havea local file in SYSTEM: with the node number used by 7-CONFIG.CMD which I believe makes KLH10 set the correctethernet addresson itsinerface. $TYPE (FILE) NODE.IND.1 RARITY 1.802 This is because I want to maintain only a single 7-CONFIG.CMD to be copied to all hosts, and it therefore contains the line node @SYSTEM:NODE.IND I findthe @indirect_file feature of COMND very convenient for this purpose as SETSPD has no explicit command for reading another file. This is another local file of potential interest (such as "IPNI#0"in case I havemultiple networkinterfaces, which I don't yet have): $TY INTERNET.ADDRESS.2 IPNI#0,192 168 9 72,PACKET-SIZE:1500,DEFAULT,PREFERRED I have yet to check a few things before can say for sure that all issues are resolved, butthankyou for yourquestions and feedback, it was very helpful. I have encountered a few different problems during this troubleshooting process, such as being unable to connect to my kaskal server even internally on my home network, while simultaneously being able to reach it from the outside, but that seems also to be solved right now. and just in case any of you would like to be able to log in on my virtual machines, you are welcome to ask via private mail,stating your preferred username,max 39 characters (no "." periods or ^V:s please, CHECKD may choke on ^V:s in directory names,but I think DEC removed the ability to prefix arbitrary characters with ^V in directory names after one of our users created a subdirectory containing a colon ":" and our staff reported the CHECKD issue which may in reality have been with the colon itself rather than the ^V prefix). Besides being reachable via HECnet you can run "ssh rarity(a)kaskal.pdcs.org" to be connected to a non-logged-in EXEC. Visitors are welcome to drop by just to SEND HLLO! Why would you want a subdirectory name with a colon in it,you may ask. Well, as the canonical place for storing a bunch of EMACS ".:EJ" files of course. TECO must be the only programming language where modem line noise serves as perfectly valid source code. I have a PDP-10 installation of CMU's ISPS in my planned work pipeline in case anyone is interested. Lots of fascinating stuff found when we cleaned out our magtape collection two years ago. /AndersAndersson

11 months, 1 week

Re: pydecnet on LinuxMint

by Anders Andersson

My zpologies everyone for having youspendtime on what seems tohave been a totally self-inflicted problemonmypart. My earlier "moving around" invlvedtrying to findheapprpriatecommands to bring downthe bridge toits defaultstatein orderto performacleanrestart. Itturnsoutthat I failed to bringdown some tapinterfacesbefore deleing thebridge,which led to a defective bridge configuration being left running. Then I tried restarting pydecnet and that's when theproblems showed up. Thanks to Thomas, Johnny and David for putting me on the right track. Several of you askedfor how I configuredthe KLH10 networkinterfaces, and I remarked on that while hinting on my icompletetesting procedure.Ishould have taken down the bridgecompletely, andrestarted the KLH10 instances, which sould have resolved theproblem before asking the list: >The KLH10 instances obtain their tap interfaces as part of their >startup configuration, so I have to restart them whenever I have reset >the bridge which I haven't done in a few days now. This is a sample net >device onfiguration line from one host: Asto that question however, the network configuration looksasfollows: devdef ni0 564 ni20 dedic=true ifc=tap2 ifmeth=tap+bridge ipaddr=192.168.9.72 dpdelay=3 then I havea local file in SYSTEM with the node number usedby 7-CONFIG.CMD which I believe makes KLH10 setthe correctethernet addresson itsinerface. $TYPE (FILE) NODE.IND.1 RARITY 1.802 I haveyet to chck a fewthings before can say forsurethatthe issueis resolved, butthankyou fior yourquestions and feedback, itwasvery helpful. /AndersAndersson

11 months, 1 week

Re: pydecnet on LinuxMint

by Anders Andersson

Thank you foryourfeedback Yes,the KLH10istancesall run on thsame Linux Mint host that runs the apydecanet router calledKSKAL,and I haveno additioal hardware on that internal segment which lookslike this now: oot@kaskal:/home/andersa# brctl show bridge name bridge id STP enabled interfaces bridge0 8000.26d039e4c0f4 no tap1 tap2 tap3 If that doesn't indicate that thethreetap interfaceshavbeen addedto the bridge,I don't know what does. Are there any other diagnostics you want me to check? I dont know whether the following add anything relevant: root@kaskal:/home/andersa# ifconfig bridge0 bridge0: flags=4163 mtu 1500 inet 192.168.9.78 netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast 192.168.9.255 inet6 fe80::4cf6:1fff:fe01:f257 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x20 ether 26:d0:39:e4:c0:f4 txqueuelen 1000 (Ethernet) RX packets 557072 bytes 143985475 (143.9 MB) RX errors 0 dropped 450854 overruns 0 frame 0 TX packets 106193 bytes 4586565 (4.5 MB) TX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 carrier 0 collisions 0 root@kaskal:/home/andersa# ifconfig tap1 tap1: flags=4163 mtu 1500 inet6 fe80::6032:eff:fedb:7b94 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x20 ether 62:32:0e:db:7b:94 txqueuelen 1000 (Ethernet) RX packets 176227 bytes 46414104 (46.4 MB) RX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 frame 0 TX packets 318825 bytes 90356527 (90.3 MB) TX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 carrier 0 collisions 0 root@kaskal:/home/andersa# ip tuntap show tap0: tap persist tap1: tap tap2: tap tap3: tap The threeTOPS-20 hosts arealso awareof and can communicate with each other. When I run tcpdump -i bridge0 I do see DECnet, DEC LAT and TCP/IP ARP traffic to or from the three TOPS-20 hosts pass by,according to the ethertype code as well as decoding done by tcpdump. The KLH10 instances obtain their tap interfaces as part of their startup configuration, so I have to restart them whenever I have reset the bridge which I haven't done in a few days now. This is a sample net device onfiguration line from one host: devdef ni0 564 ni20 dedic=true ifc=tap2 ifmeth=tap+bridge ipaddr=192.168.9.72 dpdelay=3 The number of the interface specified with ifc= doesn't seem to matter the machine still gets assigned the next unassiged tap interface in order.And it did work previously. Eventually I hope to put all the bridge and pydecnet configuration into a hecnet.service file andstart it from systemd. Now I plan to restartpydecnet while logging bridg0 traffic using tcpdmpto see what comes up. /AndersAndersson

11 months, 1 week

Re: pydecnet on LinuxMint

by Anders Andersson

YES! The Maneframe-Six data centre is back in operation! thanks for all your support! And we giotome extrainfo on DECnet via CI which wasn't plannd.thanks to serendipity!. /Anders Andersson

11 months, 1 week

pydecnet on LinuxMint

by Anders Andersson

pydecnet Q.Q.648Uusedto workfor me in the past,and I HAD three instances of KLH10 running TOPS-20, talking to each and other HECnet nodes with no visible problem. I have sincemovedafewthings around and I'mno longerabletoget the old configuratinstowork. "Moved around" essentially means updating theufw firewall settings and adjusted afew system settings such asthe SSH service parameers. When I moved thestart script forpydecnetI hadto createasymbolic link to keep thedecnet/applications/mirror.py script accessible (I uncommentedit in thehopeof gaining some extradiagnostisthat way. But no, my routerKASKAL is nolonger visible to my KLH10 hosts. This is the kaskal.conf file(wheremost lines are ommwns): # Configuration file circuit tap-0 Ethernet tap:tap0 --console Plugh --random-address #circuit tap-1 Ethernet pcap:tap0 --console Plugh --random-address #circuit eth-1 Ethernet pcap:en1 #circuit bridged-1 Ethernet udp:7101:127.0.0.1:7001 --random #circuit mul-0 Multinet localhost:7000 --latency 47 #circuit mul-1 Multinet localhost:700:connect #circuit dmc-0 Multinet --mode=connect --remote-address=hecnet-1-1023.stupi.net --remote-port=7700 --cost=3 circuit dmc-0 Multinet --mode=connect --remote-address=hecnet-1-1023.stupi.net --remote-port=7704 --cost=3 #circuit dmc-0 DDCMP tcp:12345:localhost:32154 --cost 3 #circuit dmc-1 DDCMP udp:12345:localhost:32154 --cost 3 #circuit dmc-2 DDCMP serial:/dev/tty.usbserial-FTVSKM26:19200 --t3 120 --qmax 2 #circuit gre-0 GRE localhost circuit dmc-1 Multinet --mode=listen -4 --local-port=7700 --cost=2 routing 1.808 --type l2router node 1.808 KASKAL node @flogsta.dat node @nodenames.dat system --ident "Flogsta HECnet router" # This replaces the default built-in mirror object which is # implemented as a Python module within PyDECnet by a functionally # equivalent one that runs as a subprocess. object --number 25 --name MIRROR --file decnet/applications/mirror.py ### end of kaskal.conf ### Aftersetting up the virtual network segment usng theseincantations brctl addbr bridge0 ifconfig bridge0 192.168.9.78 up ip tuntap add dev tap0 mode tap ifconfig tap0 up brctl addif bridge0 tap0 andstarting the KLH10 instances (if they weren't already running) the following line is run under sudo: pydecnet -d --uid decnet --gid 137 -e DEBUG -L logs/decnet.log kaskal.conf http. conf This sems to be a relevant portion of thelogfile: 2022-08-25 14:25:13.770: MainThread: command line: /usr/local/bin/pydecnet -d - -uid decnet --gid 137 -L logs/decnet.log kaskal.conf http.conf 2022-08-25 14:25:15.446: KASKAL: Logging configuration reloaded 2022-08-25 14:25:15.446: KASKAL: Now running as daemon 2022-08-25 14:25:15.446: KASKAL: Running in as uid 129, gid 137 2022-08-25 14:25:15.447: KASKAL: Error starting datalink TAP-0 Traceback (most recent call last): File "/usr/local/lib/python3.8/dist-packages/decnet-1.0.596-py3.8.egg/decnet/d atalink.py", line 73, in start c.open () File "/usr/local/lib/python3.8/dist-packages/decnet-1.0.596-py3.8.egg/decnet/e thernet.py", line 220, in open ioctl (fd, TUNSETIFF, ifr) PermissionError: [Errno 1] Operation not permitted 2022-08-25 15:11:26.565: MainThread: Starting DECnet/Python DECnet/Python V1.0-5 96 2022-08-25 15:11:26.565: MainThread: command line: /usr/local/bin/pydecnet -d - -uid decnet --gid 137 -L logs/decnet.log kaskal.conf http.conf 2022-08-25 15:11:28.185: KASKAL: Logging configuration reloaded 2022-08-25 15:11:28.185: KASKAL: Now running as daemon 2022-08-25 15:11:28.185: KASKAL: Running in as uid 129, gid 137 Myguess is that ioctl UNSETIFF on theethernetinterfacerquirsroottosucceed, but effctive UID is nowprobably 129 (my DECnet pseudou-user. Anychanceof setting the interface parameters beforetransfering control to UID 129)? I haven'tlooked hrough thecodeto findout. Removing the --uid decnet option however lets pydecnet run as root,and now the error diagnstics re gonefromthelog file,but still I can'treach KSKAL or any other HECnetnode frommy local machines: OPR>ENTER (command subset) NCP NCP>LOOP NODE KASKAL:: NCP> 20:05:32 NCP Request # 92 Accepted 20:05:32 NCP Request # 92; Loop Node Failed, Mirror connect failed Remote Node = 1.808 (KASKAL) Unlooped count = 25701 NCP>EX $I DEC Local DECNET node: RARITY. Nodes reachable: 3. Accessible DECNET nodes are: FLUSHY RARITY RBDASH $ $INFORMATION (ABOUT) DECNET MIM:: %Node MIM is unreachable $ So, now Ihavetwo problems. My pydecnet runs as root, which shouldn't be too muchof an issue untilIstart experimentingwithcustom DECnetserver scripts on the outer and more importantly,my configuraton is still dysfunctional,as I have no connectivity to or via the router. i intendthe HTTP server to beavailableat http://kaskal.pdcs.org:8036/ though I'mnot sure my setupisstable enough for it to work allthetime,Ihavea ZTE broadband routerreporting its IP address to dyndns.One of the KLH10 hosts should bereachable via "ssh rarity(a)kaskal.pdcs.org" (without apassord) to a non-logged-in EXEC where atleast theINFORMATION (ABOUT) DECNET command is availabe, in case anyonewants to see itscurrent status. I can aaccess it locally however,and NSP Characteristics lists maybe a thousand nodes in a table. So,theremaining issuewill likely require me to dig a little deeper in the pydecnet debugging options, any particular feature I could investigate? Currently, most recent portion of the log file: 2024-05-15 20:13:34.779: KASKAL: Starting node KASKAL 2024-05-15 20:13:34.779: KASKAL: Starting timer subsystem 2024-05-15 20:13:34.779: KASKAL: Starting datalink layer 2024-05-15 20:13:34.779: KASKAL: Ethernet TAP-0 hardware address is 86-fa-6f-77-4b-56 2024-05-15 20:13:34.780: KASKAL: Started datalink TAP-0 2024-05-15 20:13:34.780: KASKAL: Started datalink DMC-0 2024-05-15 20:13:34.780: KASKAL: Started datalink DMC-1 2024-05-15 20:13:34.780: KASKAL: Starting MOP layer 2024-05-15 20:13:34.780: KASKAL: Starting mop for _TapEth TAP-0 2024-05-15 20:13:34.781: KASKAL: Initialized loop handler for TAP-0 2024-05-15 20:13:34.781: KASKAL: Initialized sysid handler for TAP-0 2024-05-15 20:13:34.781: KASKAL: Started MOP circuit TAP-0 2024-05-15 20:13:34.781: KASKAL: Starting Routing layer 2024-05-15 20:13:34.781: KASKAL: Started Routing circuit TAP-0 2024-05-15 20:13:34.781: KASKAL: Started Routing circuit DMC-0 2024-05-15 20:13:34.782: KASKAL: Started Routing circuit DMC-1 2024-05-15 20:13:34.785: KASKAL: Starting NSP 2024-05-15 20:13:34.785: KASKAL: Starting Session Control 2024-05-15 20:13:34.786: https: Starting https server on port 8443 2024-05-15 20:13:34.787: KASKAL: Starting http server on port 8000 2024-05-15 20:13:35.245: KASKAL: L2 attached state changed to True 2024-05-15 20:13:44.820: KASKAL: Designated router on TAP-0 will be self, 5 second delay 2024-05-15 20:13:49.833: KASKAL: Designated router on TAP-0 is self Yetwhen I try to talk to KASKAL viathat very virtualetenet it hasTAP-0 on: NCP> 10:01:59 NCP Request # 93 Accepted 10:01:59 NCP Request # 93; Loop Node Failed, Mirror connect failed Remote Node = 1.808 (KASKAL) Unlooped count = 25701 NCP> Should I use some other server than mirror.py?

11 months, 2 weeks

IP Address change for A29RT2 (29.2) tomorrow (27th Feb) at 11:00 UTC

by Keith Halewood

Hi, There will be an IP address change for inbound/outbound DMC, Multinet, GRE and GRETAP connections to A29RT2 (29.2) tomorrow (27th Feb) at around 11:00 UTC. 82.70.71.174 will change to 77.104.155.22 There will be no change to the IPv6 prefix... apparently. Please update your routers accordingly... and keep the previous config around, just in case. What could possibly go wrong? Regards Keith

11 months, 2 weeks

DECnet traceroute for RSX

by Johnny Billquist

I just wanted to let people know that I've just created a traceroute for RSX. Available also as an RPM. It can trace the route from yourself to somewhere, but also do tracing from one arbitrary node to another. So you can explore the different paths in both directions. Example: .trd frodo Trace DECnet route Tracing from 1.21 (JOCKE) to 30.1 (FRODO) 1: Tot: 0 1.21 (JOCKE) 2: Cost: 5 Tot: 5 1.13 (MIM) 3: Cost: 3 Tot: 8 1.1023 (ANKE) 4: Cost: 10 Tot: 18 30.15 (CBVRP3) 5: Cost: 3 Tot: 21 30.1 (FRODO) Hops: 5 Total cost: 21 .trd frodo pondus Trace DECnet route Tracing from 30.1 (FRODO) to 1.15 (PONDUS) 1: Tot: 0 30.1 (FRODO) 2: Cost: 3 Tot: 3 30.15 (CBVRP3) 3: Cost: 6 Tot: 9 1.1023 (ANKE) 4: Cost: 3 Tot: 12 1.13 (MIM) 5: Cost: 5 Tot: 17 1.15 (PONDUS) Hops: 5 Total cost: 17 . A couple of comments: 1. This all works by talking to the NICE server for each node along the path. 2. If a hop does not have a NICE server, it will not be possible to query beyond that point. This typically happens if there is a CISCO router in the path. 3. Your local node needs to have a nodename of all nodes along the path, or else the program cannot connect to the NICE server of that hop. 4. If NICE do not give a next hop for a node, the program tries to instead query about the destination area. If that also fails, then the tracing fails. This happens with with older versions of PyDECnet. So in order to make some diagnosing of things on HECnet a bit easier, please update your PyDECnet routers to a somewhat recent version everybody. Suggestions on improvements, as well as bug resports are most welcome. The code is written in C, and isn't that large. At the moment is's a bit hacky, but I might eventually clean it up some. But it means if someone wants to port this, it's not completely impossible to do so. Johnny -- Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus || on a psychedelic trip email: bqt(a)softjar.se || Reading murder books pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol

11 months, 4 weeks

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