Second NIC added

[Mario_APM]

We are actually running a AlphaServer 4100 5/533, OpenVMS 7.2, DecNet IV.

We have several applications using FTP and DecNet om this server.

Everything was working fine until we added a secondary NIC since we need to communicate this server on 2 different TCP/IP networks.

The problems are related with DecNet running slow, takes like 30 seconds to login to this server from a remote system using DecNet, also FTP started sending information at very low speed causing several processes to slow down taking a lot of time to finish and some times terminating due to time outs.

I just disabled that secondary NIC to be used by DecNet by deleting the circuit at MCR NCP, but don't know what to do with FTP....

This is a server running 4 CPU's

Any Ideas???

[Steven Schweda]

What kind of card(s)? Connected to what?

You could have hardware problems (speed or
duplex mismatches). There are normally
console variables which control these, and
there's also LANCP.

The TCP/IP problems could be related to
routing, but I wouldn't expect that to affect
DECnet, too.

LANCP == "$ SYS$SYSTEM:LANCP.EXE"
lancp show device /characteristics

[Mario_APM]

One Card is a DE450 and the second one is a DE500, each one is connected to a different Ethernet segment having different IP address.

I have been looking around LANCP and UCX without finding anything that can show me a way to find the problem.

FTP speed is lower than 10 Kbps, that is really slow considering that before installing the second ethernet card the speed used to be above 200 Kbps.

I have checked the parameters for this cards at LANCP and they are exactly the same as they were before, also checked the routing tables.

The strange thing is that just affect FTP and DECNet......

[Thomas Ritter]

One thing to watch with decnet is combinations of fullduplex 100mbit v half duplex combinations. This is the configuration from the switch to the NIC. Where IP will work over just about anything Decnet will not.
Decnet circuits also have an attribute call Cost. Lowest cost is the preferred path.
$ MC NCP sh circ eia-0 char.

Because this problem started by adding the second nic, make sure decnet does not use it through config until the reason for it being slow is found.

Post the results of

$ mc ncp sh kn line char
$ mc ncp sh kn circ char

[Mario_APM]

mc ncp sh kn line char:

Known Line Volatile Characteristics as of 19-OCT-2006 17:55:37

Line = EWA-0

Receive buffers = 10
Controller = normal
Protocol = Ethernet
Service timer = 4000
Hardware address = I deleted the
MAC address from
this line for
posting here
Device buffer size = 1498


mc ncp sh kn circ char:

Known Circuit Volatile Characteristics as of 19-OCT-2006 17:57:58

Circuit = EWA-0

State = on
Service = disabled
Cost = 4
Maximum routers allowed = 33
Router priority = 64
Hello timer = 15
Type = Ethernet


EWA-0 is the first NIC and the one used for DecNet, I just disabled the second one by using mc ncp set circ EWA-1 state OFF and then use the same but with DEFINE command to never active EWA-1 for DecNet since I don't need it for the second NIC.

[Steve-Thompson]

Hi Mario

Next time you can shutdown and haver acessto the console, check this!

>>> sho ew*mode* (ie. ewa0_mode)

check the characteristics of the network cards.
You MUST set here the "FULL DUPLEX" characteristic of the interface. Check it for both interfaces. I must admit I have'nt used a DE450 for quite a few years, but it should probably respond to this solution.
The difference with this card, I believe is you have to set the media chacteristic. Ie. "twisted" refers to the coax connection, and not the RJ45 one.
You'll only get 10Mb/s theoretical max out of this one. An FTP on this card should get to around 600-800Kb/s (If I remember rightly).

ONCE you've set the "mode" correctly.
SWITCH OFF the Alpha....
Switch it on anc check the characteristics again, to make sure it's done!

Then you HAVE to fix the ports on the ETHERNET SWITCH to the right combination...
Ie.... 100FD for the DE500 and 10FD for the DE450. You CANNOT use "auto", it will give you a slow and failing FTP .....

Next...

Have you set up BOTH routes in TCPIP?
You obviously need a minimum of 2 routes to the 2 areas specified...



Good luck

[Volker Halle]

Mario,

you should be able to check and change the characteristics (speed, duplex) on the second NIC with LANCP in the running system. Once you've set the right characteristics, either use LANCP DEFINE or (prefered) set them at SRM level next time you shut down the system.

Consider to not only SET/DEFINE EWA-1 line and circuit to STATE OFF, but also CLEAR/PURGE them from the DECnet database. Are both LAN connected/bridged ? Note that DECnet Phase IV will change the MAC address of both NICs to the DECnet MAC address of the node - this could cause severe problems in the network and the switches.

With the badly performing FTP, which IP address are you using (old or new NIC) ?

Any errors seen with MC LANCP SHO DEV/COUNT EWA or EWB ?

Volker.

[Richard Brodie_1]

The outputs of MC LANCP SHOW DEV/CHAR and MC LANCP SHOW DEV/COUNT would be good information to start with. Generally, I find starting at the bottom of the network stack and working up to be best.

One note: depending on the vagaries of bus scan order and PCI slot number, the second Ethernet card you add may be configured EWA0 or EWB0. Adding a second card can thus easily mess up the configuration of the first card, even if nothing is connected to it.

[Mario_APM]

Thank you guys....

I'm in the way of catching the right time to do the changes you suggested, since this Alpha is controlling a production line in a steel mill is hard to get the chance of testing....

It is really hard to deal with this old equipment but since we have special applications tied to certain special hardware plugged into this Alpha we can not upgrade without spending big $$$.

The good thing about this servers is that once they work properly it is for sure they will continue working great unless something really bad happens!!! specially when not using windows....lol....

Thanks guys....I will do feedback to you soon...

[David Jones_21]

Are these 2 separate TCP/IP networks actually physically separate networks, or VLAN based isolation, or just different IP subnets on the same subnet?

DECnet IV wants to change the hardware address of the ethernet to encode the DECnet address, which can cause trouble if both interfaces are on the same network. I'd set the line state to off for the second NIC, not just the circuit.

Does 7.2 have LANCP? If so "$ MCR LANCP show dev/char" will show the current LAN addresses each NIC is set to.