Hello,
A little while ago I purchased an HP BL860c server blade. It has an Itanium
2 CPU and I was able to install OpenVMS 8.4 on it. However I do NOT have a
HP Bladesystem chassis to put the blade in, meaning I can only connect to
it via the SUV console cable which provides usb, serial, and VGA. There's
no way to get ethernet out of the thing without plugging it into a rather
gigantic Bladesystem chassis that I don't have. If it was an x64 based
blade running windows I could just use a USB->Ethernet adapter but of
course those things don't have OpenVMS drivers.
Given ethernet's not an option, would there be any way to tunnel DECNET
over the serial port? It seems like that was possible on VAXen and maybe
even Alphas but I've no mention of doing it on an Itanium. Or if anybody
else has any ideas of how I could network this thing I would appreciate it.
Chris
On Friday, December 10, 2021 at 12:19 PM, Paul Koning wrote:
> > On Dec 10, 2021, at 2:32 PM, cyb 2600 <cyb2600 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > A little while ago I purchased an HP BL860c server blade. It has an Itanium 2
> CPU and I was able to install OpenVMS 8.4 on it. However I do NOT have a HP
> Bladesystem chassis to put the blade in, meaning I can only connect to it via
> the SUV console cable which provides usb, serial, and VGA. There's no way to
> get ethernet out of the thing without plugging it into a rather gigantic
> Bladesystem chassis that I don't have. If it was an x64 based blade running
> windows I could just use a USB->Ethernet adapter but of course those things
> don't have OpenVMS drivers.
> >
> > Given ethernet's not an option, would there be any way to tunnel DECNET
> over the serial port? It seems like that was possible on VAXen and maybe
> even Alphas but I've no mention of doing it on an Itanium. Or if anybody else
> has any ideas of how I could network this thing I would appreciate it.
>
> I don't know that VMS ever did it, but a number of DECnet systems support
> DDCMP over async lines (terminal serial ports). That's part of the standard.
VAX/VMS certainly did async DDCMP. I've no idea if that functionality got
migrated to Alpha and Itanium. I'd suggest you try following the VMS example.
If you can get the configuration steps to work (suggesting Itanium support) then
this should work with a serial line going into a simh VAX.
Good Luck,
- Mark
On Dec 9, 2021 1:02 PM, Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se> wrote:
On 2021-12-09 23:52, Mark J. Blair wrote:
> So, basically like bang paths in uucp? Maybe I will play with that sometime!
Yes. But depending on application, it might be that all machines have to
be up and running at the moment you're trying to use it, as opposed to
UUCP which was store and forward.
Where EVERY step of the uucp activity was store and forward, including the local (starting system). The uucp command just queued the file for local background/later copy to the next hop.
- Mark
A little while ago, I got a second hecnet link to let me get on hecnet from my office at my day job. I've moved some of my node names from my home in Riverside, CA to my office in Norco, CA. If I wanted to get a new pin at http://akdesign.dyndns.org:8080/map for my relocated nodes, do I need to pester somebody to manually update locations in a database? Or does the mapping crawler look for something on the nodes which might feed updated location information to it?
I've begun putting .BEGIN-HECNET-INFO blocks in my INFO.TXT files, plagiarizing what I saw on Robert's nodes. But I get the impression that nothing automatically parses those at this time?
It's kind of silly that my Riverside and Norco nodes are quite close to each other in southern California, but have two separate links up to the bay area. I can't accept incoming connections either at home or at work, so I have two separate links to Robert instead of just linking directly between my two sites. Sigh. I'm still happy that I can get on hecnet both from home and work, and my two sites can talk to each other. Interactive sessions are naturally sluggish when I do something like editing a file, but it seems to work quite well otherwise.
--
Mark J. Blair, NF6X <nf6x at nf6x.net>
https://www.nf6x.net/
Hi folks, just FYI, some of you may notice LSSM machines (most of the
machines in area 61) will be up and visible on HECnet through parts of
today.
Today is a volunteer work day at the museum, and a local company
(Iron Mountain) is sending a group of volunteers to come and spend the
day with us and help with various things. They'll be doing everything
from cleaning to installing new surveillance cameras. We've been
preparing for this for the past couple of weeks. Due to our perpetual
short-handedness this is a really big deal for us.
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire, AK4HZ
New Kensington, PA
Ok, thanks.
I asked because I saw no Hecnet internet mails since 1-dec-2021 and such a
silence is (highly?) unusual . :)
Reindert
From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On Behalf
Of R. Voorhorst
Sent: Sunday, 05 December, 2021 17:04
To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Subject: [HECnet] Hecnet mail still alive?
Hi,
SNMP access to my Cisco works for me but does not seem to work for some
others. I am wondering if it might be possible for others who have
snmpwalk installed to issue the following and see if it returns the
dnAreaTable part of the MIB. Thanks in advance.
*snmpwalk -v2c -c foobar hecnet-us-east-gw.duckdns.org 1.3.6.1.4.1.9.3.1.26*
Regards,
Supratim*
*
Hi, all. This mail contains some very important information that affects
a fair number of people and services on HECnet. So please read through
it, and if you need to take action, please do this in a timely manner.
I'm here to help with whatever, but I can only work on things from my
end of things.
Background:
Update is a computer club at Uppsala University. As such, it has enjoyed
a lot of support from the University over a long time. However, recent
development have now led us to a point where the University is no longer
willing to support Update.
The main way the support have been provided is through a computer room
where machines have been running, electricity, and network connectivity.
All of this is now going away. Basically, and the end of this year,
Update will have to have moved out of their current location.
This means that any machine Update currently have running will need to
move. Update have found a location of their own that they now started to
rent, and most things will be moving in a few weeks from now. There are
also unfortunately a need to reduce the size of Update's collection of
hardware since the size of the collection is just too big for Update to
afford to keep. You might hear more on that separately, but I'm not
going to go into that any further than saying that Magica and other
large iron is currently safe, and will be moved. But it's going to be
difficult to run these machines for the time being.
Primary effects:
Mim.Update.UU.SE, Psilo.Update.UU.SE and any other resources used by
HECnet will go offline. I'm not sure about the exact date, but expect
this to happen in a couple of weeks from now.
This means any Multinet links to MIM will go down, and will not come
back up. Any bridge connections to Psilo will also go away.
Also, the HECnet mailing list will stop working.
Update is working on getting services back up and running in their new
location, but exactly in which form we are able to is unclear, and it is
also unclear what network capacity there will be, or when anything will
be back.
Changes happening on HECnet:
Because of the things mentioned above, there is a plan in place to keep
HECnet up and running. Thanks to Peter Lothberg, a lot of functions and
services currently at Update will move to Stupi.
MIM:: (Mim.Update.UU.SE) has already moved to Stupi, and is now known as
Mim.Stupi.NET. Still the same nodename on HECnet.
The old Mim (Mim.Update.UU.SE) is still up for the time being, as XMIM::
Any Multinet links to Mim.Update.UU.SE are going to have to move. There
will be two alternatives:
. HECnet-1-1023.Stupi.NET is a PyDECnet router which I intend to be a
major hub for HECnet. Located in Stockholm with good network capacity.
. Mim.Stupi.NET, which is just the same machine, and can accept the same
links.
Any bridge connection to Psilo.Update.UU.SE are going to have to move.
There is one alternative:
. HECnet-1-1023.Stupi.NET. Same router that takes Multinet links. As
mentioned above, I aim for this to be a major hub going forward.
XMIM:: will be around for a few weeks, but will go down in the not
distant future. All current Multinet bridges to it will have to migrate
in order to keep working. Else those links will soon stop.
MIM:: will continue service HECnet with the nodename database, just like
before. It also will continue to act as a mail gateway for anyone using
that feature. Mail from inside HECnet to the Internet will continue to
be handled as MIM::<user at internet.host>
Mail from Internet to HECnet will need to be addressed as
<node>::<user>@Mim.Stupi.Net
Web services at Mim will continue as well, but obviously at
Mim.Stupi.NET. Same with ftp, rpm, and all other things.
In order to reduce the number of issues that might pop up, I am going to
try and get Mim.Update.UU.SE setup as a CNAME to Mim.Stupi.NET, so that
most things will continue to work even using the old hostname, but there
might be hiccups here. Be aware.
The mailing list I'm still looking into how to handle. I'll get back on
that soon.
Next steps:
I want that people have have links to Update to contact me, and we can
move the links over to new endpoints. Keep in mind that I might take a
day or two to respond to each individual. But I'll try to move fast as I
don't know when things will stop operating in the current setup.
Also, any issues, problems, funny stuff, or whatever, please reach out
to me. I'm also going to keep an eye open for routing becoming odd in
the face of things here, and will poke people when I see things that
just look wrong.
Of course, I have no insight into any Cisco equipment, so there I will
just have to hope and trust that each person running such gear have
things set up in a reasonable way.
Well, that's about all I can think of right now.
Now you all know what is happening, and anyone having links to Update
will need to take action. Anyone using other services from machines at
Update might also see problems as this all happens.
And once more, many thanks to Peter Lothberg, who have been very helpful
in finding a solution to this problem.
(And yes, I wish Uppsala University had done things differently, but
that is not anything I am in any position to affect, or make much
comments on.)
Johnny
--
Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
|| on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se || Reading murder books
pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
Hi. Since people have asked about the future of Update, if there are
anything people can do to help, and so on.
One simple thing you all can do is to become members. Update is nowadays
open to membership for anyone. Admittedly, if you are not around
Uppsala, Sweden, you might not enjoy some of the activities, or be able
to play with the collection. But there are talks about getting something
more museum-like running. And of course, just keeping much of what
Update have collected over the years have value for the future as well.
You can find more information at https://www.update.uu.se/en/
Johnny
--
Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
|| on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se || Reading murder books
pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
For DN60 variants software look in the trailing edge Pdp10 archives for tape
BB-J845A-SM; it is called TOPS-20 IBM 2780/3780/HASP E/T for the
DECSYSTEM-2020.
Contrary to what I thought, the hardware platform and software is similar to
Anf10 and should run on a simh pdp11 properly throttled but with added
interfaces.
In this case It is specified for Tops20 V4 on 2020. There also exists tapes
for older Pdp10 systems with dte type interfaces and Tops10.
As we have Tops20 V4.1 there is a base to work upon.
Reindert
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On Behalf
Of Robert Armstrong
Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 17:33
To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Subject: RE: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) --> should be
Ddcmp --Re3
> <dave.g4ugm at gmail.com> <dave.g4ugm at gmail.com> wrote:
> It might be worth looking at how Hercules encapsulates SDLC as that
> will
do
TOPS-10 had an IBM HASP communication FE product; I think it was called a
DN60. I used it long ago - you could submit card decks to JES2 under OS/VS2
from files on the -10 and get the resulting print out back as another disk
file on the -10. Beats a keypunch and a line printer by miles... It'd be
kind of neat, although a total waste of time, to hook up a simh TOPS10 to a
Hercules and try to get that working.
Bob
No, the Dup is only simulated as Kdp/Dup combo, hence the Ddcmp characteristics of the pair.
Reindert
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On Behalf Of Johnny Billquist
Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 00:31
To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) --> should be Ddcmp --Re2
Fair enough.
But DUP11 is a sync character based interface. So that one too requires that you do DDCMP in software. But I didn't think simh simulated a DUP11?
Johnny
On 2021-11-18 23:33, R. Voorhorst wrote:
> Yes, but they are async lines and these are indeed character based with software determining the protocol, not so the sync liness. Async decnet ddcmp behaves slightly differently from sync decnet ddcmp in number of characters used. Look at the packet contents in used characters and in between.
>
> Reindert
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On
> Behalf Of Johnny Billquist
> Sent: Thursday, 18 November, 2021 23:23
> To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
> Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) --> should
> be Ddcmp --Re
>
> Well... RSX for example can talk DDCMP over DZ11 or DL11 lines just as well, which are plain simple serial lines existing in simh.
> Hopefully such lines can be connected with interfaces doing DDCMP in hardware (simulated in simh of course), and it should all work.
>
> And any software running in RSX just have an interface that gives the DDCMP packet layer. The actual serial lines are not accessible as such by any other software than the DDCMP driver.
>
> Johnny
>
> On 2021-11-18 23:01, R. Voorhorst wrote:
>> Point in this case is that the ddcmp is handled in Simh and not in system software so software can only deal with packets/messages; there is need for a simh sync line where the software itself will be able to communicate in bytes/characters and synthesize the packets/messages as the next higher organization.
>>
>> Reindert
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On
>> Behalf Of Johnny Billquist
>> Sent: Thursday, 18 November, 2021 22:39
>> To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
>> Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) -->
>> should be Ddcmp
>>
>> Well, a serial line over which DDCMP is running is purely a packet based interface.
>>
>> Johnny
>>
>> On 2021-11-18 21:46, R. Voorhorst wrote:
>>> Indeed it is Ddcmp, but the meaning is the difference between
>>> packet/message oriented and character oriented and the latter should also exist.
>>>
>>> Reindert
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE]
>>> On Behalf Of Robert Armstrong
>>> Sent: Thursday, 18 November, 2021 21:11
>>> To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
>>> Subject: RE: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet)
>>>
>>>> Paul Koning <paulkoning at comcast.net> wrote:
>>>> They speak DDCMP, yes, but not DECnet. Any protocol layered over
>>>> DDCMP
>>> should work.
>>>
>>> Indeed, and we just proved that with ANF10 which uses the DMCs
>>> and DUPs but is not DECnet.
>>>
>>> Bob
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
--
Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
|| on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se || Reading murder books
pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
As far as I know here are programs on Vax Vms that also read Tops10 tapes;
on the 10/20-Vax integration tools there was tenvax: decsystem-10 to Vax to
do something like that. Just google around and you find something.
Intergaration tools are on pdp10 archive.
Reindert
From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On Behalf
Of Robert Armstrong
Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 21:30
To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Subject: Re: [HECnet] VMS progtram for real tape -> TAP --> VMS copying
through clustering
Thanks, but it's a TOPS10 tape that I want to read, on a simulated KS10
with TOPS10.
Bob
On 11/19/21 12:06 PM, R. Voorhorst wrote:
Use the real vax Vms Ethernet clustered with a simh Vax, enable Mscp disk
and tape serving and you can use the Vms commands like copy, dump and backup
and specific programs to read tapes to move contents onto simh device files
whether disk or tape.
Reindert
From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE <mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE>
[mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On Behalf Of Robert Armstrong
Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 20:23
To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE <mailto:hecnet at Update.UU.SE>
Subject: [HECnet] VMS progtram for real tape -> TAP
Can someone point me to a program for VMS that will read a real, physical,
9-track tape into a simh compatible TAP or TPC file? I was sure I already
had one, but I can't seem to find it anymore.
Thanks,
Bob
_______________________________________________
Hecnet-list mailing list
Hecnet-list at lists.sonic.net <mailto:Hecnet-list at lists.sonic.net>
https://lists.sonic.net/mailman/listinfo/hecnet-list
I updated the remark by Bob with this in my update and could not find that
back in your copy of the mail transcript:
Before I get a storm this from Pdp11_dup.c should accompany it:
The wire protocol implemented is native DDCMP WITHOUT the DDCMP SYNC
characters both initially and between DDCMP packets.
Reindert
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On Behalf
Of Mark Pizzolato - Info Comm
Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 21:18
To: R. Voorhorst <R.Voorhorst at swabhawat.com>; hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Subject: RE: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) --> should be
Ddcmp --> Re:4 --> Cryptic -->Dup11 simh only for Ddcmp --> update
On Friday, 19 November, 2021 at 20:42, Reindert wrote:
> Yes, that is how Pdp10 KS10 and Vax and Rsx and Rsts all interface to
> the Dmc/Dmr offered layer and for Anf10 on Pdp10 as well.
> But trying Decnet on bare Dup11 will reveal all.
>
> However this will fail on simh: look at the comment in Pdp11_dup.c
> from
> Bob:
>
> dup DUP11 Unibus/DPV11 Qbus bit synchronous interface
>
> This module implements a bit synchronous interface to support DDCMP.
> Other
> synchronous protocols which may have been supported on the
> DUP11/DPV11
> bit
> synchronous interface are explicitly not supported.
>
> So the 0,01 % rises to 100% that it will not work as bare sync device
I don't see what you're saying will fail. The comments very explicitly say
that DDCMP will work. Other possible uses of the DUP11/DPV11 will not work.
The reason they wouldn't work when this pdp11_dup.c was written was due to
the lack of software on the PDP11 side and something on the other end of a
conversation to talk to. If such a useful test case existed the
functionality in the pdp11_dup.c code could be extended to support it.
- Mark
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner- hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On
> Behalf Of Paul Koning
> Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 17:23
> To: hecnet at update.uu.se
> Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) --> should
> be Ddcmp --> Re:4 --> Cryptic
>
> I assume it means that RSX (and RSTS too) lets you use a DMC directly
> from an application as an I/O device you can open. If so, you get a
> packet service that lets you transmit whatever packets you want, which
> will be sent encapsulated in DDCMP protocol. In the RSX case I'd
> assume that includes support for maintenance mode (in RSTS that isn't
supported).
>
> paul
>
> > On Nov 19, 2021, at 11:14 AM, R. Voorhorst
> <R.Voorhorst at swabhawat.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > Please can you explain your second sentence somewhat? I read: "...
> > the
> Ddcmp layer ... it does present it as a device ...". I do not perceive
> the connotation.
> >
> >
> > Reindert
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-
> hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On
> Behalf Of Johnny Billquist
> > Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 14:46
> > To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
> > Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) -->
> > should
> be
> Ddcmp --> Re:4
> >
> > RSX definitely can use a DUP11 standalone through DECnet. In which
> > case
> it's software side DDCMP.
> >
> > Heck, you can also use the DDCMP layer yourself, without involving
> DECnet.
> It does present it as a device to the system on which you can
> send/receive packets.
> >
> > Johnny
Use the real vax Vms Ethernet clustered with a simh Vax, enable Mscp disk
and tape serving and you can use the Vms commands like copy, dump and backup
and specific programs to read tapes to move contents onto simh device files
whether disk or tape.
Reindert
From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On Behalf
Of Robert Armstrong
Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 20:23
To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Subject: [HECnet] VMS progtram for real tape -> TAP
Can someone point me to a program for VMS that will read a real, physical,
9-track tape into a simh compatible TAP or TPC file? I was sure I already
had one, but I can't seem to find it anymore.
Thanks,
Bob
Before I get a storm this from Pdp11_dup.c should accompany it:
The wire protocol implemented is native DDCMP WITHOUT the DDCMP SYNC
characters both initially and between DDCMP packets.
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On Behalf
Of R. Voorhorst
Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 20:42
To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Cc: Mark at infocomm.com
Subject: RE: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) --> should be
Ddcmp --> Re:4 --> Cryptic -->Dup11 simh only for Ddcmp
Yes, that is how Pdp10 KS10 and Vax and Rsx and Rsts all interface to the
Dmc/Dmr offered layer and for Anf10 on Pdp10 as well.
But trying Decnet on bare Dup11 will reveal all.
However this will fail on simh: look at the comment in Pdp11_dup.c from Bob:
dup DUP11 Unibus/DPV11 Qbus bit synchronous interface
This module implements a bit synchronous interface to support DDCMP.
Other
synchronous protocols which may have been supported on the DUP11/DPV11
bit
synchronous interface are explicitly not supported.
So the 0,01 % rises to 100% that it will not work as bare sync device
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On Behalf
Of Paul Koning
Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 17:23
To: hecnet at update.uu.se
Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) --> should be
Ddcmp --> Re:4 --> Cryptic
I assume it means that RSX (and RSTS too) lets you use a DMC directly from
an application as an I/O device you can open. If so, you get a packet
service that lets you transmit whatever packets you want, which will be sent
encapsulated in DDCMP protocol. In the RSX case I'd assume that includes
support for maintenance mode (in RSTS that isn't supported).
paul
> On Nov 19, 2021, at 11:14 AM, R. Voorhorst <R.Voorhorst at swabhawat.com>
wrote:
>
> Please can you explain your second sentence somewhat? I read: "... the
Ddcmp layer ... it does present it as a device ...". I do not perceive the
connotation.
>
>
> Reindert
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On
Behalf Of Johnny Billquist
> Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 14:46
> To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
> Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) --> should be
Ddcmp --> Re:4
>
> RSX definitely can use a DUP11 standalone through DECnet. In which case
it's software side DDCMP.
>
> Heck, you can also use the DDCMP layer yourself, without involving DECnet.
It does present it as a device to the system on which you can send/receive
packets.
>
> Johnny
Hi Mark,
The Dn20 is Rsx-11S with Decnet layered on it in phase-III/IV forms; however the Decnet layer is only offered on pdp10 software and mainly without source code.
It will not run (yet). Maybe the Cex layer could be tinkered onto an Rsx-11M 3.1 base system that has (some) source code available.
Reindert
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On Behalf Of Mark Matlock
Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 19:06
To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) --> should be Ddcmp --> Re:4 --> Cryptic
All,
This discussion has been quite interesting! Back in the 1982, I did programming for a large RSX11M/DECnet based system that input commodity trading data from around eight different commodity exchanges (CBOT, COMEX, Mercantile, etc.) as well as commodity news service and distributed it to over 200 VT100s located all over the U.S.
The host system was an 11/44 connected to the development 11/44 via DMCs and they shared a DT07 bus with box. In the DT07 was a couple DZ11s for data input from the exchanges and a DV11 with 16 synchronous serial ports that were connected to twelve remotely located 11/23s running RSX11S & DECnet.
The 11/23s were downloaded RSX11S via their DUV11s and the re-entrant RSX tasks received DECnet task to task data packets about trades and then displayed individualized data to ~20 VT100s on DZV11s and DLV11-Js.
A DUP11 on one of the 11/44s also did RJE jobs to an IBM mainframe. A watch-dog timer ran between the 11/44s so that a semi-hot fail over could occur and the DT07 would move the I/O to the development system if the primary had hardware issues.
Later I had an 11/24 that connected into this network via the CPUs 2nd DL11 port that was often used for a TU58. I don?t remember exactly what it connected to on the 11/44 side. All the network connections were 9600 baud point to point lease lines from AT&T.
If anyone out there has a DECnet distribution for RSX11S, I?d love to get a copy to experiment with today.
Best,
Mark
> On Nov 19, 2021, at 10:50 AM, Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se> wrote:
>
> Well, I meant this in the context of a DUP11, but sure, it's also true with DMC.
>
> But basically, in RSX, DECnet is just a component of something called the communications executive, or CEX. CEX provides its own environment in which multiple processes run, and provide services.
>
> CEX then provides an interface to its drivers from RSX, which means that any RSX program can make use of the services and protocols that CEX have, without have DECnet in the picture.
>
> So for example, CEX provides communication lines, which are packet based. If that is over asynch lines it utlizes DDCMP over async serial. Any application in RSX can make use of this. If you instead have a synch line, like a DUP11, or DMC, that is another interface inside CEX. From the outside it makes no difference if it is a DUP or a DMC. Bottom side is synch serial, using DDCMP. With DMC this is all done in the hardware. With a DUP11, CEX is doing the DDCMP layer in software.
>
> For the user program this is all invisible. You just communicate over the DUP11, and it will be doing DDCMP.
>
> If you actually want to use the DUP11 *whithout* DDCMP, then you'd go for the DUP11 device driver instead of accessing it through CEX.
>
> And talking to a device using CEX in RSX means you talk to the "direct line access" interface, or DLX. That is just one interface, independent of what underlying hardware you are going to access. In the DLX, you start by opening the link, and for that you use the name, which is the same as the line name you see for DECnet. But you are in fact then just talking at the line level, using whatever protocol layer is used for that line. DDCMP, for example.
>
> Anything using DDCMP is always in packets. Don't matter how the hardware looks.
>
> DLX is also used to access ethernet, by the way. And that is how I coexist with DECnet in RSX, since ethernet can allow multiple channels on the same hardware.
>
> I hope this makes sense. Else I can try to explain it more.
>
> Johnny
Yes, that is how Pdp10 KS10 and Vax and Rsx and Rsts all interface to the
Dmc/Dmr offered layer and for Anf10 on Pdp10 as well.
But trying Decnet on bare Dup11 will reveal all.
However this will fail on simh: look at the comment in Pdp11_dup.c from Bob:
dup DUP11 Unibus/DPV11 Qbus bit synchronous interface
This module implements a bit synchronous interface to support DDCMP.
Other
synchronous protocols which may have been supported on the DUP11/DPV11
bit
synchronous interface are explicitly not supported.
So the 0,01 % rises to 100% that it will not work as bare sync device
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On Behalf
Of Paul Koning
Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 17:23
To: hecnet at update.uu.se
Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) --> should be
Ddcmp --> Re:4 --> Cryptic
I assume it means that RSX (and RSTS too) lets you use a DMC directly from
an application as an I/O device you can open. If so, you get a packet
service that lets you transmit whatever packets you want, which will be sent
encapsulated in DDCMP protocol. In the RSX case I'd assume that includes
support for maintenance mode (in RSTS that isn't supported).
paul
> On Nov 19, 2021, at 11:14 AM, R. Voorhorst <R.Voorhorst at swabhawat.com>
wrote:
>
> Please can you explain your second sentence somewhat? I read: "... the
Ddcmp layer ... it does present it as a device ...". I do not perceive the
connotation.
>
>
> Reindert
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On
Behalf Of Johnny Billquist
> Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 14:46
> To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
> Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) --> should be
Ddcmp --> Re:4
>
> RSX definitely can use a DUP11 standalone through DECnet. In which case
it's software side DDCMP.
>
> Heck, you can also use the DDCMP layer yourself, without involving DECnet.
It does present it as a device to the system on which you can send/receive
packets.
>
> Johnny
Yes, that is what I am busy with: get that system running in this case for
Decnet-III; it that runs DN60 will also run on Rsx-11S but then the
interfacing to the Ibm world is the next thing to tackle. Not that I will
devote too much time to the DN60, but DN20 I probably will.
Reindert
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On Behalf
Of Robert Armstrong
Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 17:33
To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Subject: RE: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) --> should be
Ddcmp --Re3
> <dave.g4ugm at gmail.com> <dave.g4ugm at gmail.com> wrote:
> It might be worth looking at how Hercules encapsulates SDLC as that
> will
do
TOPS-10 had an IBM HASP communication FE product; I think it was called a
DN60. I used it long ago - you could submit card decks to JES2 under OS/VS2
from files on the -10 and get the resulting print out back as another disk
file on the -10. Beats a keypunch and a line printer by miles... It'd be
kind of neat, although a total waste of time, to hook up a simh TOPS10 to a
Hercules and try to get that working.
Bob
Can someone point me to a program for VMS that will read a real, physical,
9-track tape into a simh compatible TAP or TPC file? I was sure I already
had one, but I can't seem to find it anymore.
Thanks,
Bob
Please can you explain your second sentence somewhat? I read: "... the Ddcmp layer ... it does present it as a device ...". I do not perceive the connotation.
Reindert
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On Behalf Of Johnny Billquist
Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 14:46
To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) --> should be Ddcmp --> Re:4
RSX definitely can use a DUP11 standalone through DECnet. In which case it's software side DDCMP.
Heck, you can also use the DDCMP layer yourself, without involving DECnet. It does present it as a device to the system on which you can send/receive packets.
Johnny
On 2021-11-19 12:22, R. Voorhorst wrote:
> Well, that leaves 0,01% chance to see that assumption defeated so why not test it?
> I'll see next week if that can be tested if a software testbed can be found to support the single Dup11 that wise: VMS at least does not in the Decnet corner but Vax Psi may be different. Maybe Rsx-11M+ would be a suitable testbed?
>
> Reindert
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On
> Behalf Of Mark Pizzolato - Info Comm
> Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 05:19
> To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
> Subject: RE: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) --> should
> be Ddcmp --Re3
>
> I have not followed the details of this conversation, BUT I'm 99.99% sure that a PDP11 can be configured with just a DUP with DECnet using that interface, and that DUP can be "wired" to another simulator which has a DUP, KDP/DUP or a DMC and DECnet can be spoken just fine.
>
> - Mark
>
> On Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 3:35 PM, Reindert wrote:
>>
>> No, the Dup is only simulated as Kdp/Dup combo, hence the Ddcmp
>> characteristics of the pair.
>>
>>
>> Reindert
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner- hecnet at Update.UU.SE]
>> On Behalf Of Johnny Billquist
>> Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 00:31
>> To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
>> Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) -->
>> should be Ddcmp --Re2
>>
>> Fair enough.
>>
>> But DUP11 is a sync character based interface. So that one too
>> requires that you do DDCMP in software. But I didn't think simh simulated a DUP11?
>>
>> Johnny
>>
>> On 2021-11-18 23:33, R. Voorhorst wrote:
>>> Yes, but they are async lines and these are indeed character based
>>> with
>> software determining the protocol, not so the sync liness. Async
>> decnet ddcmp behaves slightly differently from sync decnet ddcmp in
>> number of characters used. Look at the packet contents in used
>> characters and in between.
>>>
>>> Reindert
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-
>> hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On
>>> Behalf Of Johnny Billquist
>>> Sent: Thursday, 18 November, 2021 23:23
>>> To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
>>> Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) -->
>>> should be Ddcmp --Re
>>>
>>> Well... RSX for example can talk DDCMP over DZ11 or DL11 lines just
>>> as well,
>> which are plain simple serial lines existing in simh.
>>> Hopefully such lines can be connected with interfaces doing DDCMP in
>> hardware (simulated in simh of course), and it should all work.
>>>
>>> And any software running in RSX just have an interface that gives
>>> the
>> DDCMP packet layer. The actual serial lines are not accessible as
>> such by any other software than the DDCMP driver.
>>>
>>> Johnny
>>>
>>> On 2021-11-18 23:01, R. Voorhorst wrote:
>>>> Point in this case is that the ddcmp is handled in Simh and not in
>>>> system
>> software so software can only deal with packets/messages; there is
>> need for a simh sync line where the software itself will be able to
>> communicate in bytes/characters and synthesize the packets/messages
>> as the next higher organization.
>>>>
>>>> Reindert
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-
>> hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On
>>>> Behalf Of Johnny Billquist
>>>> Sent: Thursday, 18 November, 2021 22:39
>>>> To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
>>>> Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) -->
>>>> should be Ddcmp
>>>>
>>>> Well, a serial line over which DDCMP is running is purely a packet
>>>> based
>> interface.
>>>>
>>>> Johnny
>>>>
>>>> On 2021-11-18 21:46, R. Voorhorst wrote:
>>>>> Indeed it is Ddcmp, but the meaning is the difference between
>>>>> packet/message oriented and character oriented and the latter
>>>>> should
>> also exist.
>>>>>
>>>>> Reindert
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-
>> hecnet at Update.UU.SE]
>>>>> On Behalf Of Robert Armstrong
>>>>> Sent: Thursday, 18 November, 2021 21:11
>>>>> To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
>>>>> Subject: RE: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet)
>>>>>
>>>>>> Paul Koning <paulkoning at comcast.net> wrote:
>>>>>> They speak DDCMP, yes, but not DECnet. Any protocol layered over
>>>>>> DDCMP
>>>>> should work.
>>>>>
>>>>> Indeed, and we just proved that with ANF10 which uses the
>>>>> DMCs and DUPs but is not DECnet.
>>>>>
>>>>> Bob
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>> --
>> Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
>> || on a psychedelic trip
>> email: bqt at softjar.se || Reading murder books
>> pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
>
>
--
Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
|| on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se || Reading murder books
pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
That other thread is getting out of hand so I'll start a new one.
I've started getting this error:
Exception in thread https:
Traceback (most recent call last):
?File "/usr/lib/python3.8/threading.py", line 932, in _bootstrap_inner
???self.run()
?File "/usr/lib/python3.8/threading.py", line 870, in run
???self._target(*self._args, **self._kwargs)
?File
"/usr/local/lib/python3.8/dist-packages/decnet-1.0.592-py3.8.egg/decnet/http.py",
line 103, in serverstart
???httpd = DECnetMonitor (server_addr, DECnetMonitorRequest,
?File
"/usr/local/lib/python3.8/dist-packages/decnet-1.0.592-py3.8.egg/decnet/http.py",
line 126, in __init__
???self.socket = source_addr.create_server ()
?File
"/usr/local/lib/python3.8/dist-packages/decnet-1.0.592-py3.8.egg/decnet/host.py",
line 399, in create_server
???sock = self.bind_socket (self.listen_family)
?File
"/usr/local/lib/python3.8/dist-packages/decnet-1.0.592-py3.8.egg/decnet/host.py",
line 387, in bind_socket
???sock.bind (self.sockaddr)
OSError: [Errno 98] Address already in use
Neither lsof nor netstat show that port in use. Doesn't matter if I use
the default 8000 or set something different, I get that every time.
I didn't always though. This was running fine before I tried adding the
circuit for ethernet access.
Thoughts?
-brian
Well, that leaves 0,01% chance to see that assumption defeated so why not test it?
I'll see next week if that can be tested if a software testbed can be found to support the single Dup11 that wise: VMS at least does not in the Decnet corner but Vax Psi may be different. Maybe Rsx-11M+ would be a suitable testbed?
Reindert
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On Behalf Of Mark Pizzolato - Info Comm
Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 05:19
To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Subject: RE: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) --> should be Ddcmp --Re3
I have not followed the details of this conversation, BUT I'm 99.99% sure that a PDP11 can be configured with just a DUP with DECnet using that interface, and that DUP can be "wired" to another simulator which has a DUP, KDP/DUP or a DMC and DECnet can be spoken just fine.
- Mark
On Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 3:35 PM, Reindert wrote:
>
> No, the Dup is only simulated as Kdp/Dup combo, hence the Ddcmp
> characteristics of the pair.
>
>
> Reindert
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner- hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On
> Behalf Of Johnny Billquist
> Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 00:31
> To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
> Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) --> should
> be Ddcmp --Re2
>
> Fair enough.
>
> But DUP11 is a sync character based interface. So that one too
> requires that you do DDCMP in software. But I didn't think simh simulated a DUP11?
>
> Johnny
>
> On 2021-11-18 23:33, R. Voorhorst wrote:
> > Yes, but they are async lines and these are indeed character based
> > with
> software determining the protocol, not so the sync liness. Async
> decnet ddcmp behaves slightly differently from sync decnet ddcmp in
> number of characters used. Look at the packet contents in used
> characters and in between.
> >
> > Reindert
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-
> hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On
> > Behalf Of Johnny Billquist
> > Sent: Thursday, 18 November, 2021 23:23
> > To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
> > Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) -->
> > should be Ddcmp --Re
> >
> > Well... RSX for example can talk DDCMP over DZ11 or DL11 lines just
> > as well,
> which are plain simple serial lines existing in simh.
> > Hopefully such lines can be connected with interfaces doing DDCMP in
> hardware (simulated in simh of course), and it should all work.
> >
> > And any software running in RSX just have an interface that gives
> > the
> DDCMP packet layer. The actual serial lines are not accessible as such
> by any other software than the DDCMP driver.
> >
> > Johnny
> >
> > On 2021-11-18 23:01, R. Voorhorst wrote:
> >> Point in this case is that the ddcmp is handled in Simh and not in
> >> system
> software so software can only deal with packets/messages; there is
> need for a simh sync line where the software itself will be able to
> communicate in bytes/characters and synthesize the packets/messages as
> the next higher organization.
> >>
> >> Reindert
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-
> hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On
> >> Behalf Of Johnny Billquist
> >> Sent: Thursday, 18 November, 2021 22:39
> >> To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
> >> Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) -->
> >> should be Ddcmp
> >>
> >> Well, a serial line over which DDCMP is running is purely a packet
> >> based
> interface.
> >>
> >> Johnny
> >>
> >> On 2021-11-18 21:46, R. Voorhorst wrote:
> >>> Indeed it is Ddcmp, but the meaning is the difference between
> >>> packet/message oriented and character oriented and the latter
> >>> should
> also exist.
> >>>
> >>> Reindert
> >>>
> >>> -----Original Message-----
> >>> From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-
> hecnet at Update.UU.SE]
> >>> On Behalf Of Robert Armstrong
> >>> Sent: Thursday, 18 November, 2021 21:11
> >>> To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
> >>> Subject: RE: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet)
> >>>
> >>>> Paul Koning <paulkoning at comcast.net> wrote:
> >>>> They speak DDCMP, yes, but not DECnet. Any protocol layered over
> >>>> DDCMP
> >>> should work.
> >>>
> >>> Indeed, and we just proved that with ANF10 which uses the
> >>> DMCs and DUPs but is not DECnet.
> >>>
> >>> Bob
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >
>
> --
> Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
> || on a psychedelic trip
> email: bqt at softjar.se || Reading murder books
> pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
Yes, my idea as well and sync idle could probably be simulated with a 1
character sync packet (Udp?) every 10 sec. or so to determine (dead) line
timeouts. So a certain simh standard for simulation for this should first
be defined.
Nice job for the creative programmers amongst us ...
Reindert
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On Behalf
Of Paul Koning
Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 01:12
To: hecnet at update.uu.se
Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) --> should be
Ddcmp --Re3
It seems like a very simple matter to simulate it as a basic character
device, separate from the KMC pairing. The only real question is how you
represent a sync data stream in a simullated device. Is it just the byte
stream over a TCP connection? That would be easy for synchronous character
mode. If you also want to simulate HDLC sync devices, that's a different
matter entirely; there isn't an obvious way to do that.
In other words, if someone wants this, just design how it communicates and
do the code, it doesn't sound hard.
paul
> On Nov 18, 2021, at 6:35 PM, R. Voorhorst <R.Voorhorst at swabhawat.com>
wrote:
>
> No, the Dup is only simulated as Kdp/Dup combo, hence the Ddcmp
characteristics of the pair.
>
>
> Reindert
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On
Behalf Of Johnny Billquist
> Sent: Friday, 19 November, 2021 00:31
> To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
> Subject: Re: [HECnet] ANF10 network --> DN200 (RJE, Decnet) --> should be
Ddcmp --Re2
>
> Fair enough.
>
> But DUP11 is a sync character based interface. So that one too requires
that you do DDCMP in software. But I didn't think simh simulated a DUP11?
>
> Johnny