[Info-vax] DECnet connection problem

[RobertsonEricW]

On Oct 5, 1:56 pm, Kenneth Fairfield <ken.fairfi... at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wednesday, October 5, 2011 9:37:36 AM UTC-7, Johnny Billquist wrote:
> > On 2011-10-05 17.09, Kenneth Fairfield wrote:
> [...]
> > > For Phase V, you need to load the local database with
> > > the v5.5 system's DECnet nodename and address (wrong
> > > terminology, but I don't have a Phase V system at hand
> > > to give precise answers).
>
> > No, that is not really needed. Phase IV node names are local for each
> > machine, and do not really have any relevance for functionality. It's
> > just a nodename to node number mapping local for each machine. It has no
> > other function.
> > It's just convenient to have a somewhat unified view of nodenames across
> > the network.
>
> As you no doubt know, but to add for clarity for other readers,
> DECnet always worked off of local databases, unlike IP's DNS.
> Even though DECnet V can use TCP/IP as a transport (which we
> usually did), we still needed to enter node names in the local
> database, granted that database is in a far different format in
> Phase V than in Phase IV.
>
> But you clearly need the Phase IV DECnet node name and address
> entered in the Phase V systems database in order to reach it.
>
> There's a utility to do this in Phase V, but as I said, it's
> been a long time (about 8 years) since I've touched a Phase V
> system so I don't recall the utility.  
>
> There's a configuration in Phase V that let's you tell it
> how to resolve names.  I think there's the Phase V version
> of DNS (not called that), "real" IP DNS, and "local".  Most
> of the sites I saw didn't do the DECnet "DNS".  
>
> ISTR that there's another configuration that tells Phase V
> what protocol to use to reach another node, DECnet or TCP.
> The order they're specified is the order they're attempted.
> Best is to list DECnet first because it will fail quickly
> if the other system doesn't talk DECnet, whereas TCP has
> longer timeouts and retries, etc.
>
>    -Ken

Just to refresh the dusty memories:

SYS$SYSTEM:DECNET_REGISTER.EXE is the utility for registering phase IV
and V node information when running DECnet-P
lus (Phase V).

@SYS$MANAGER:NET$CONFIGURE.COM ADVANCED and choosing option 2 ("Change
Naming Information") allows the namespace directory services and their
search order to be reconfigured. After which you must stop and restart
DECnet-Plus (SYS$MANAGER:NET$SHUTDOWN and SYS$STARTUP:NET
$STARTUP.COM).

Eric