topic Re: Decnet Phase V sample command to add a node in Operating System - OpenVMS

Decnet Phase V sample command to add a node

Art Wiens — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:28:05 GMT

I never learned the Phase V commands because I had no need ... I have all Phase IV in my realm. A remote site Phase V node needs to talk to some "new" Alpha's in my data center.

Could someone please give the sample command(s) to add a reference to a Phase IV node in a Phase V system? The parttime mgr at the remote site also isn't familiar with the syntax.

Many will feel tempted to tell me to RTFM ... my brain is too small to absorb info that I don't require on a day to day basis (especially on a Friday), and surely at least one person actually switched to Phase V and knows how it works. ;-)

Cheers,
Art

Re: Decnet Phase V sample command to add a node

Steven Schweda — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 19:15:52 GMT

I normally do:

mcr DECNET_REGISTER.EXE

(And then start guessing.)

> Many will feel tempted to tell me to RTFM
> [...]

Not I. I'd tell you to tell the other guy to
do it.

Re: Decnet Phase V sample command to add a node

P Muralidhar Kini — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 01:40:34 GMT

Hi Art,

Yes. I also use the "$MCR DECNET_REGISTER" to add the remote node's
decnet information in the current node.

Refer the following link -
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/73final/6499/6499pro_004.html
->"5.3 Managing DECdns and Local Namespace Information with decnet_register"

>> surely at least one person actually switched to Phase V and knows
>> how it works. ;-)
No problem. Once you complete the Phase V configuration, it would be 2
people who would know it!

Good luck with the configuration.

Regards,
Murali

Re: Decnet Phase V sample command to add a node

Art Wiens — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 01:56:57 GMT

Would love to give you 10 points for that, but you're making me R TM FM ;-)

The section of interest is: 5.3.4 http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/73final/6499/6499pro_005.html#select_five_two

Unfortunately it doesn't give a clear example of what a Phase IV entry would be (example shown is a LocalFile add). Under "Address Towers" what is the syntax for / signifigance of "Specify one of the following transports: TP4, TP4=tsel, or NSP."? P4 = Phase IV? tsel = ?!?!

Anyone with a Phase V test box that can give me a screen shot of what it looks like for Phase IV add so I can relay those details?

Thanks,
Art

Re: Decnet Phase V sample command to add a node

P Muralidhar Kini — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 02:17:08 GMT

Hi Art,

>> Would love to give you 10 points for that, but you're making me R TM FM ;-)
Ahh.

>> Anyone with a Phase V test box that can give me a screen shot of what it
>> looks like for Phase IV add so I can relay those details?
I have attached the screen shots of steps to using decnet_registe to add a
remote node details. Check the attachment.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Murali

Re: Decnet Phase V sample command to add a node

Art Wiens — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 03:00:47 GMT

First attempt at a reply bombed ...

Ok I'll give you 10 points. I got permission from the remote admin to try the decnet_register program. Added the references ... works!

You'll have that second hat in no time! I passed this knowledge on to two folks at the other end so know at least 5 people in the world have some Decnet Phase V experience (thanks Steven ... reply back, we'll get you a few more deserved points).

Attached is a "real life" example.

Cheers,
Art

Re: Decnet Phase V sample command to add a node

P Muralidhar Kini — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 03:30:05 GMT

Hi Art,

>> Ok I'll give you 10 points
As you have alerady realized, Steven also deserves more points.

>> You'll have that second hat in no time!
Thank you. Through this forum, being able to help a customer is a very good
feeling indeed.

>> I passed this knowledge on to two folks at the other end
There you go, the new decnet phase V expert is speaking now!

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Murali

Re: Decnet Phase V sample command to add a node

Art Wiens — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 15:32:55 GMT

ps. FYI, because it's an inline screen shot of the program executing, when the "The first six towers for "vmsta2" are:" is displayed, item 1) also says none until you enter the Address and Transport and then it updates that item.

The other "interesting" thing, this is a two node cluster, I ran decnet_register on the one node and "magically" the definitions were available on the other node. Do they share a database, or did one node inform the other to update it's config as well?

Cheers,
Art

Re: Decnet Phase V sample command to add a node

Bill Hall — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 16:07:11 GMT

Art,

The default local namespace is SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE]NET$LOCAL_NAME_DATABASE.DAT, so cluster common when their is a common system disk in the cluster. The file can be relocated using the logical name NET$LOCAL_NAME_DATABASE.

Bill

Re: Decnet Phase V sample command to add a node

Art Wiens — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 16:23:53 GMT

Ok, so they didn't stray tooo far from Phase IV where the names are in "NETNODE_REMOTE" = "SYS$SYSTEM:NETNODE_REMOTE.DAT" although by default I believe each node keeps it's own version of that.

Cheers,
Art

Re: Decnet Phase V sample command to add a node

Hoff — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 16:27:11 GMT

And in all seriousness, RTFM? Who has those around? Who writes those? Everybody's using Google or DuckDuckGo or Dogpile or other search engines... And brain too small? Welcome to humanity. Not since the medieval renaissance has any person's memory been arguably sufficient to hold all knowledge, after all. But I digress.

Database sharing in a cluster? Can happen, yes. Depends on the cluster configuration. And on the DECnet Phase V configuration.

Phase V? Unless you need DECnet over IP or connections with some site running the OSI stack, I'd tend to downgrade to IV, and continue to migrate to TCP/IP. OSI is a dead-end protocol, and Phase V is heavy-weight and it's arcane to manage and maintain.

Other folks are proponents of Phase V. I'm (obviously) not.

If you do need DECnet over IP, then I'd suggest moving away from the DECdns DNS stuff (if that's in use) and to the local database (for a few key hosts) and to to BIND (IP DNS) for your (other) host name translations. Your networking folks can manage the BIND stuff, and you get that data "for free".

Here's a quick write-up and history of DECnet:

http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/61

I recall there being a DECnet "folklore" document around, but can't immediately locate that. The "problem solving" manual that's linked from the above article is probably the closest thing. There are various other introductions to Phase V posted around the network. Of which Google and DDG and Dogpile can find for you.

Re: Decnet Phase V sample command to add a node

P Muralidhar Kini — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 02:01:52 GMT

Hi Art,

>> Do they share a database, or did one node inform the other to
>> update it's config as well?
As Bill has rightly pointed, looks like the 2 node cluster that you have is booted
from the same system disk. In such cases, one node will be able to see the
decnet configuration changes done by another node.

This is the reason why the decnet configuration settings that you had done on
one node was shown by default on another node's decnet_register.

Regards,
Murali