[Info-vax] DECnet use in today's world, was: Re: Tangent about DECnet versions.

[Kerry Main]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Info-vax <info-vax-bounces at rbnsn.com> On Behalf Of Johnny
> Billquist via Info-vax
> Sent: May 20, 2018 5:34 AM
> To: info-vax at rbnsn.com
> Cc: Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se>
> Subject: Re: [Info-vax] DECnet use in today's world, was: Re: Tangent
> about DECnet versions.
> 
> On 2018-05-19 22:20, Simon Clubley wrote:
> > On 2018-05-19, Grant Taylor <gtaylor at tnetconsulting.net> wrote:
> >>
> >> I'm curious, does anybody have any idea how prevalent any of the
> >> following DECnet phases are these days?  Are there any production
> shops
> >> still using any version of DECnet?  Or is it relegated to
hobbyists?
> >>
> >> DECnet Phase I / II / III
> >
> > Hopefully, these are now obsolete.
> >
> > I think all the PDP-11 operating systems got DECnet Phase IV, but
did
> > the PDP-10 operating systems ever convert to DECnet Phase IV or
> were
> > they stuck on DECnet Phase III ?
> 
> Yes, both Tops-10 and TOPS-20 can talk Phase IV. There are both
Tops-10
> and TOPS-20 systems on HECnet.
> 
> As for security, there are indeed many issues. In addition the
protocol
> insecurity you do indeed also have the risk of bugs in the
> implementations. I know of at least one in LAT for RSX... Not exactly
> DECnet, but in RSX, LAT and DECnet are combined.
> 
>    Johnny
> 

While I am sure most will agree that the native DECnet protocol does
have issues related to security, most sites running DECnet have taken
steps to mitigate the risks e.g. closed networks and even additional
security steps at the network switch/router layers via access lists.

>From 2011 Cisco guide (IOS 15 - not sure if this applies to current
Cisco IOS versions, but as I understand it, the way Cisco works is that
the latest version depends on the actual device in question):
<https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/ios/decnet/configuration/guide/15
_0s/dec_15_0s_book/overview_decnet.html>
Quote:" Cisco IOS software gives you additional security options through
access lists."


Regards,

Kerry Main
Kerry dot main at starkgaming dot com