[Info-vax] DECserver/LAT across DECnet areas?

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2023-07-24 05:54, terry-... at glaver.org wrote:
> On Saturday, July 22, 2023 at 7:53:21 PM UTC-4, Robert A. Brooks wrote:
>> In the olden days, a terminal server needed a DECnet address in order to be MOP
>> downline-loaded.
> 
> The DECnet address is also used for OPCOM messages which are
> emitted in the standard Phase IV format.
> 
> DECservers can specify a an image file they want, or they can expect
> the load host to send them the right image based on their Ethernet
> address. Some can go either way, some insist on one or the other.
> "Serve image based on MAC address" was added for the DECserver
> 500/550 because the configuration is bundled into the load image as
> the 11/53 processors in those systems only had a few dozen bytes
> of available non-volatile memory - nowhere near enough to store the
> config.
> 
> 30+ years ago (Yikes!) Digital Canada paid me to write a MOP imple-
> mentation for RSTS/E. Since the system programming language on
> RSTS/E is Basic-Plus 2, that's what it is written in (except for a tiny
> piece of Macro-11 needed to enable multicast reception). It is com-
> pletely standalone. As long as the RSTS/E version supports Ethernet,
> it will work. Doesn't need a DECnet license or anything like that. It
> faithfully minics the OPCOM messages on VAX/VMS:
> 
>           Event type 0.3, Automatic line service
>           Occurred 06-Jul-90 02:48 AM on node 3.4 (SPC11D)
>           Circuit UNA-0, Load, Successful, Node = 2.6 (LT2006)
>           File = PR0801ENG.SYS, Operating system
>           Ethernet address = 08-00-2B-0A-FD-30

In RSX, it is reported like this:

01:21:24   Event type 0.3, Automatic service
           Occurred 18-OCT-05 01:21:24 on node 1.15 (PONDUS)
           Circuit QNA-0
           Service type = Load
           Status = Requested
           File =  DU0:[5,54]PR0801ENG, Software type = System
           Source ethernet address =  08002B068B3D
01:21:28   Event type 0.3, Automatic service
           Occurred 18-OCT-05 01:21:28 on node 1.15 (PONDUS)
           Circuit QNA-0
           Service type = Load
           Status = Successful
           File =  DU0:[5,54]PR0801ENG, Software type = System
           Source ethernet address =  08002B068B3D

So, no DECnet address. Just the MAC address of the host requesting the 
boot image.

But you can also register a DECnet node for the whole thing, and I 
suspect with a DECserver 500, you would have to.

> I did get a "bug" report. A customer tried it on a LAN that also had a
> VAX 8978. The poor little 11/23+ with its MOP written in BP2 was
> answering before the big, bad VAX. I had to add a delay option to the
> configuration file so the RSTS/E system would wait a second or so
> before servicing the request, to give the VAX time to get around to
> it.

Ah yes. Same "problem" with RSX. It is way faster than VMS was/is at 
responding.

> I threw in an implementation of "NCP CONNECT NODE" for free, too.
> 
> You can find it at https://www.glaver.org/ftp/tmk-software/mop-server
> Give that server a little time to respond - it is hauling a virtual Alpha
> out of the freezer to serve those files.

That is really cool. Something to spread to the RSTS/E managers on HECnet...

   Johnny