getting connected - HECnet

25 May 2014

On Sun, May 25, 2014 at 7:30 AM, Mark G Thomas <Mark at misty.com> wrote:
Hi,

So now I'm connected via GRE tunnels, and assigned a decnet cost
to the local ethernet interface on my router, but I'm not quite
working yet.

1) I ran SYS$MANAGER:NET$CONFIGURE.COM, but something isn't quite right.

This is for DECnet Phase V, you can run Phase V on HECnet (I do), although most people
will tell you to use Phase IV.   Personally I don't think it makes a huge difference. 
 In the configuration it pays to used the advanced config, like so:

@sys$manager:net$configure advanced

You can accept most of the defaults, but there are a bunch of questions about Phase IV
support and DECnet over TCP/IP that do not appear in the basic configuration.   If you
need any help I'm happy to help out.

2) Once I get DECnet configured and working, what can I connect to?

I know this is real beginner stuff, but in spite of tons of
documentation about OpenVMS and DECnet, I'm not sure where to
go with this.

%%%%%%%%%%%   OPCOM   24-MAY-2014 19:18:04.52   %%%%%%%%%%%
Message from user SYSTEM on OWL
Event: Too Few Servers Detected from: Node LOCAL:.OWL DTSS,
            at: 2014-05-24-19:18:04.500-04:00Iinf
            Number Detected=0,
            Number Required=1
            eventUid    21450940-E378-11E3-8006-AA000400035C
            entityUid   94C48500-E376-11E3-8005-AA000400035C
            streamUid   90585140-E376-11E3-8004-AA000400035C

This message is about DEC DTSS, the DECnet Phase V equivalent of NTP.   I usually switch
it off as it is largely useless. Add the following to SYS$MANAGER:SYLOGICALS.COM:

$ define/system/executive net$disable_dtss true

This will switch it off at system start up.

$ show network
Product:   DECNET            Node:   OWL                           Address(es):   23.3
Product:   TCP/IP            Node:   owl.ashdown.misty.com Address(es):   10.5.27.13

r2.home>ping owl
Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 10.5.27.13, timeout is 2 seconds:
!!!!!
Success rate is 100 percent (5/5), round-trip min/avg/max = 1/2/4 ms

r2.home>ping decnet owl
Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 5, 100-byte DECnet echos to atg 0 area.node 23.3, timeout is 5 seconds:
Host unreachable+
Host unreachable+
Host unreachable+
Host unreachable+
Host unreachable+
Success rate is 0 percent (0/5)
r2.home>

If Phase IV compatibility has not been enabled then you likely won't be able to ping
from the DECnet router.   Feel free to contact me if you need any help.

Regards, Tim.