[Info-vax] duplicated DNS domain name (was: Re: stupid network tricks)

BillPedersen pedersen at ccsscorp.com
Mon Mar 9 12:23:36 EDT 2015


On Monday, March 9, 2015 at 12:00:06 PM UTC-4, li... at openmailbox.org wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> On Mon, 9 Mar 2015 09:55:35 -0400
> Stephen Hoffman via Info-vax <info-vax at rbnsn.com> wrote:
> 
> > On 2015-03-09 13:27:13 +0000, <lists at openmailbox.org> said:
> > 
> > > Sorry for the delay. I couldn't get to this machine until now.
> > 
> > As an alternative to Info-VAX, consider visiting 
> > http://www.eternal-september.org and get a free account, and use that 
> > with a news reader for your preferred platform.  That will allow you to 
> > access comp.os.vms directly.
> 
> I prefer mailing lists and anyway I meant I couldn't get to the box where
> SIMH is running.
> 
> > 
> > > 
> > >>> My SHOW NET display seems to indicate a problem with the TCP/IP node
> > >>> name on my system.
> > > 
> > > $ SHOW NET
> > > 
> > > Product:  DECNET      Node:  MYNODE         Address(es): 1.1
> > > Product:  TCP/IP      Node:  MYNODE.EXAMPLE.COM.example.com 
> > > Address(es): aa.bb.cc.dd
> > 
> > Again, that's usually a not-FQDN entry somewhere in the configuration.
> 
> I'll try reentering it with a trailing .
> 
> Ok, shutdown/restarted TCP/IP...that did nothing. No change in SHOW NET
> output.
> 
> > Is the aa.bb.cc.dd address private or public?  (Technically, 
> > aa.bb.cc.dd is a real, public, valid IPv4 IP address, but I'm guessing 
> > you're not comfiguring OpenVMS at what's more commonly known as 
> > 170.187.204.221.)
> 
> The address is a private address on my lan.
> 
> > 
> > 
> > >> What are your settings for the BIND resolver:
> > >> 
> > >> TCPIP> sho name
> > > 
> > > TCPIP> sho name
> > > 
> > > BIND Resolver Parameters
> > > 
> > > Local domain: example.com
> > > 
> > > System
> > > 
> > >  State:    Started, disabled
> > >  Transport: UDP
> > >  Domain:
> > >  Retry:    Not defined
> > >  Timeout:  Not defined
> > >  Servers:  No values defined
> > >  Path:     No values defined
> > > 
> > > Process
> > > 
> > >  State:    Disabled
> > > 
> > >  Transport:
> > >  Domain:
> > >  Retry:
> > >  Servers:
> > >  Path:
> > 
> > That's not an expected configuration.  Looks like the baseline 
> > configuration was skipped, or maybe -- and I don't recommend using DHCP 
> > -- DHCP went sideways somewhere.
> 
> I'm using DHCP because that's what I do with all the boxes on my LAN. It's
> easier to keep track of things by their MAC and assign them an orderly
> address on my lan. Going to direct config instead doesn't fix the problem.
> 
> > You shuld see the domain and the servers listed.  Newer operating systems
> > can tend to adapt better to the network, or to configuration details.
> > With VMS, you get to tell it more of the details, and DHCP isn't
> > something that various folks have had the best outcome with.  That means
> > performing at least the entire core network configuration sequence in
> > TCPIP$CONFIG tool, if that's not already been completed.  (I'd expect
> > this is an issue, if not the issue -- I'd expect to see a domain listed in
> > the above.)
> 
> I did go through TCPIP$CONFIG several times. I don't know if I did it
> correctly since I was following a tutorial I found on the net.
> 
> > If you have not already done so, minimally complete option 1 and the 
> > core configuration, and it's generally better to use the A option and 
> > get most of the stuff you'll immediately need sort-of working:
> 
> I have several times already so another time won't hurt. I just did and
> nothing changed in SHOW NET output.
> 
> > 
> > $ @sys$manager:tcpip$config
> > 
> >         Checking TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS configuration database files.
> > 
> > ...
> > 
> >         HP TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Configuration Menu
> > 
> >         Configuration options:
> > 
> >                  1  -  Core environment
> >                  2  -  Client components
> >                  3  -  Server components
> >                  4  -  Optional components
> > 
> >                  5  -  Shutdown HP TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS
> >                  6  -  Startup HP TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS
> >                  7  -  Run tests
> > 
> >                  A  -  Configure options 1 - 4
> >                 [E] -  Exit configuration procedure
> > 
> > Enter configuration option:
> > 
> > 
> > >> TCPIP> sho config name
> > > 
> > > %TCPIP-E-CONFIGERROR, error processing configuration request
> > > -TCPIP-E-NAMERROR, error processing name service request
> > > -RMS-E-RNF, record not found
> > 
> > The baseline configuration with TCP/IP Services should have created a
> > resolver.
> > 
> > Re-invoke the core services configuration sequence within the 
> > TCPIP$CONFIG tool.
> > > 
> > >> SHOW HOST /LOCAL will show any locally-added host names.
> > > 
> > > $ SHOW HOST /LOCAL
> > > 
> > > %DCL-W-IVKEYW, unrecognized keyword - check validity and spelling
> > 
> > TCPIP> SHOW HOST /LOCAL
> 
>   LOCAL database
> 
> Host address     Hostname
> 127.0.0.1        LOCALHOST, localhost
> aa.bb.cc.dd      MYNODE.EXAMPLE.COM
> 
> 
> > 
> > >> If you don't have local DNS (BIND server or otherwise), then the BIND
> > >> resolver configuration -- above -- might be the source of the error.
> > > 
> > > There should be no BIND services.
> > 
> > Arguably, there should be DNS servers, but then OpenVMS is much more 
> > willing to run insecurely than other servers, and unfortunately less 
> > likely to notice the usual sorts of attacks.  Your call.
> 
> This system is behind a router/firewall. Right now it is not on the air. I
> can port forward if I want to let people telnet in, etc. 
> 
> I am not sure how things should look on VMS but as far as the other OS I
> have they use /etc/resolv.conf which uses my router as a nameserver.
> Now that I think of it this seems suboptimal. I seem to remember separate
> DNS entries but all it has now is the entry for my router. I will check it
> on another UNIX box later. Should be slow but should not have anything to
> do with this (famous last words).
> 
> Where do you set up DNS server addresses in OpenVMS VAX? I can't resolve
> address outside my lan, so at this this much is not setup correctly. I just
> tried adding the router address as the BIND server address and I can now
> resolve external names. But the following spits out errors and warnings
> that were not there previously:
> 
> TCPIP> show host *
> 
> Host address     Hostname
> 127.0.0.1        LOCALHOST, localhost
> aa.bb.cc.dd      MYNODE.EXAMPLE.COM
> %TCPIP-E-BIND_NOSERVERS, default servers are not available
> %TCPIP-W-NORECORD, information not found
> -TCPIP-E-BIND_NOSERVERS, default servers are not available
> 
> Is this normal when all you have is name resolution but are not serving
> services or did I just break something else by trying this?
> 
> > It's also possible that the emulator is getting in the way.  The 
> > virtual (emulated) networking implementation has been a longstanding 
> > source of weird problems with OpenVMS, and the documentation associated 
> > with various of the emulators has had large gaps, or wasn't entirely 
> > current for the version of the emulator in use.
> 
> I really don't know. I was using a bridged network to run SIMH in user mode
> and it works fine. I wondered if that was causing wierd name resolution
> (duplication) because of the bridge so I brought it up again running as
> root and no network bridging and the SHOW NET output is unchanged. So that
> wasn't it.
> 
> I believe I tried turning DHCP off before and it didn't change the SHOW NET
> display either. Just tried it now and doesn't help.
> 
> Again, the "problem" is not a functional issue, it's just that SHOW NET
> doesn't look reasonable. Otherwise the actual network functionality, given
> the box is not on the air and not in a DMZ, is fine i.e. telnet and ftp in
> and out work.
> 
> Thank you.
> 
> -- 
> Please DO NOT COPY ME on mailing list replies. I read the mailing list.
> RSA 4096 fingerprint 7940 3F02 16D3 AFEE F2F8  ACAA 557C 4B36 98E4 4D49

Do you have the log of the last run of the TCPIP$CONFIG?  It would be interesting to see what happened there.

How did you specify the host hame when you set up TCPIP?  Did you do it as a fully qualified name or as just the host name for the interface did you?  This should just be the host name without the domain name.

Bill.



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