Configuring DECnet

[Rebecca Putman]

Me again. *sigh*

Okay, this is my private network behind a router on Road Runner broadband. I have two PCs and the Alphastation connected directly to the router. I have two other OpenVMS VAX systems on thinwire, going through a CentreCOM MR122T thinwire to Cat 5 converter.

I'm trying to set up DECnet Phase IV on this machine so that the three VMS machines can talk. I do have TCP/IP running on all three as well - yes, I want both, please.

On the Alphastation, I had started to try setting up DECnet before I realized I should just use sys$manager:netconfig.com to set it up. D'OH! Anyhow.... now it's complaining when attempting to set up the circuit (EWA-0). It shows with "LIST KNOWN CIRCUITS", but not in "SHOW KNOWN CIRCUITS". If I attempt to manually set it, I get "%NCP-W-UNRCMP, Unrecognized component , Circuit" and back to the NCP prompt.

How can I clean things back out, and start over again? At this point, I'm not adverse to reformatting the drives, because so far I have nothing on the system drive to lose.

And here I've been playing with VMS since about 198x... and thought I'd learned a lot.

Thanks for the assist!

[Ian Miller. · Accepted solution]

did you start to configure DECnet on a system already running TCP? DECnet has to be the first thing started. Try shutting down TCPIP then starting DECnet.

[Uwe Zessin]

Welcome back ;-)

The LIST command shows the configuration from the 'permanent database' - what is stored in files like NETCIRC.DAT. The SHOW command shows the configuration from the 'volatile database' - this is the contents from the running system (volatile, because it's gone when you cut the power ;-)

Ian has already mentioned that you need to start DECnet before TCP/IP, because DECnet Phase IV changes the MAC address of the ethernet interface. You should have received an error message when you stared DECnet.

You can try this:
$ MCR NCP SET EXECUTOR STATE OFF
$ @ SYS$MANAGER:TCPIP$SHUTDOWN

$ @ SYS$STARTUP:STARTNET
$ @ SYS$STARTUP:TCPIP$STARTUP

If that does not work, then just edit SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM and reboot the system.

Oh, and this is not Windows! You can run NETCONFIG.COM again and it will be able to PURGE your DECnet database before it starts all over.

I have been play\yalp\working with VMS since 1982 and I have learned a lot, too, but I still learn something new every day - welcome to the club!

[Antoniov.]

Based on Uwe answer:

$ MCR NCP
SET KNOWN LINE STATE OFF
SET KNOWN CIRC STATE OFF
SET EXECUTOR STATE SHUT
$ @ SYS$MANAGER:TCPIP$SHUTDOWN
$ @ SYS$MANAGER:NETCONFIG
$ @ SYS$STARTUP:TCPIP$STARTUP

Then you can test
$ MCR NCP SHOW KNON CIRC
and you have to see all circuit running on
When network run, add in SYS$MANAGER:SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM
the follow line
@SYS$MANAGER:STARTNET
(you could find it, removing remark point)

Antonio Vigliotti

[Rebecca Putman]

Ha! Thank you, DECnet is now happily running on the Alphastation, and all is well.

Not Windows??? *GASP* LMAO - yes, I'm aware of that, and most happy about it! ;) I'm just rather rusty on my VMS experience, and need to get myself back up to speed. I haven't actually *managed* a system since somewhere around 1996, and hardly played with one between 1997 and the tail end of 2002.

Now, with the phasing out of some of the older Alphastations, I'm able to become the owner of a few... and having fun with them! Heck, I even have an MicroVAX 3400 and a MicroVAX 3100... both still work, too!

[Uwe Zessin]

Ah yes, those oldies never die. I have a DEC3000-300 on my desk that is still running VMS V6.2-1H3. It is even the same physical disk where I did the install in late 1996 when I started work at my current employer.

First there was a DEC3000-600 'around' that disk, but when I came back one day from a customer visit it was 'downgraded' ...

[Rebecca Putman]

Downgraded - without your informed consent? Eeeep!

[Uwe Zessin]

Oh, well...
I was a new, little Indian without a feather and the system was needed for a project. Some time after this I was allowed to take it home for a couple of years.