[Info-vax] DECnet Phase IV and VMS code comments

[johnwallace4 at yahoo.co.uk]

On Saturday, 26 November 2016 02:58:10 UTC, Robert A. Brooks  wrote:
> On 11/25/2016 1:38 PM, johnwallace4 at yahoo.co.uk wrote:
> 
> > It might be nice if there was a reasonably recent SPD
> > for OMNI/OSAP readily accessible.
> 
> I suspect the code has not changed much in the past decade; what
> would you like to know about OMNI and/or OSAP?
> 
> -- 
>                   -- Rob (who will be the VSI OMNI/OSAP maintainer)



Thanks for volunteering!

When I last touched OMNI/OSAP and the correspoding automation
kit, it was a decade and a half ago; apologies for any errors
in my memory.

Back in those days, an OSI transport (for OSAP) and an full 7
layer OSI network (for OMNI) were required. Not because DEC 
evangelists wanted people to use them, but because that's what
the automation equipment in the picture was using. 

In the early days VOTS and OSAK provided that connecivity,
later to be replaced by DECnet Phase V's OSI stack.

Back in those days, it was irrelevant that there was an
option to use OSI protocols over an IP LAN, because aiui
you need *both* ends to talk the same language, and the
automation kit (and its assoiated network) didn't
understand IP, and a retrofit/rewrite may not have been
practical when you need the factory running continuously
and trustworthily and cost-effectively for building cars,
bottling drinks, etc. 

Does that description sound vaguely correct (albeit much
oversimplified), and is it still the case?


All input gratefully received.