DEC Terminal Server Management

[Kevin Atchley]

Good Day All ...

I am posting a question to see how other members in the community deal with this issue. We have large quantity of DEC terminal servers in our company, stretched across many nodes. The models we are using range from the old DECServer 100s, 200s, and 300s, to the DECServer 90 modular series (90TL, 90L+, 90M), all the way through the 700 and 900 series.

I am trying to find out what others are using to configure devices like these. Since the locations we manage are highly distributed, we cannot use the physical console port on the device. We need something that can be used for remote administration. Also, since most of these models do not support TCP/IP, we need something the can access them via LAT (or MOP?) (even on the devices that do support TCP/IP, as we only use LAT for communication).

We are currently using Digital's TSM (Terminal Server Manager - yeah, i know it's old, but it does the trick). However, since it is retired (for some time now), it will not be ported to new versions of VMS. I know that the terminal servers can be configured through DECNet (which is how TSM does what it does), however we are looking for something a little easier. Digital/Compaq did come out with a product at one time called NetRider(?) that allowed for graphical management of TCP/IP enabled devices, and configuration of LAT devices via the use of a DECAgent90, however this is not an option in our current environment.

Anyway, I hope that give you an idea of the situation we're in, and I was just hoping to get some ideas of what other people in the community are using.

Any advice/information would be greatly appreciated.
-k

[Karl Rohwedder · Accepted solution]

We are doing it exactly as you mentioned:

- LAT based servers, DEC200/300

are managed using TSM with a menu written above it

- TCPIP based servers DS90

are managed using NETrider.

All serversettings are stored in a RDB database (with RALLY as frontend, developed on RDB 3.0 and now runnning happily with 7.1).

The controlfiles for TSM and Netrider (which are nearly identical) are created using RALLYs 3GL interface and are stored on a Pathworks share, so that the Windows based NETrider utility can access them in a consistent manner.

regards Kalle

[Alex Daniels]

>we are currently using Digital's TSM (Terminal >Server Manager - yeah, i know it's old, but it >does the trick). However, since it is retired >(for some time now), it will not be ported to >new versions of VMS.

It is still on the Freeware distro. I've been running it on VMS V8.2 for months without problem.

[Ian Miller.]

TSM uses MOP not DECnet and is available
here http://h71000.www7.hp.com/freeware/freeware60/tsm/

[Rick Dyson]

I don't know about all the models you mentioned, but DS90TL, DS90TM, DS900TM, etc. all support "Telnet" to them from anywhere and you can issue any command you want.

As others have mentioned, TSM still works but it does require protocols that sometimes are not universally avaiable if you don't control the network. :)

If your TS does not support TCPIP, you probably need newer firmware. They can even boot via TFTP and BOOTP these days...

rick

[Lawrence Czlapinski]

Kevin:
1. We still use TSM as well to manage our DECserver 200s and 700s. TSM uses MOP protocol.
2. We run a DCL procedure called CHANGECHECK.COM daily to pick up changes that TSMs have made.
3. We have a master TSMADMIN account on one node for making changes.
Lawrence

[Michael Yu_3]

Hi Kevin,

There is a product called ACCESS SERVER MANAGER, a Windows application, which can be used.

Thanks and regards.

Michael

[Chris.Brooks]

The link to TSM on the HP site is broken, is there any other place to get it, or any other software recommendation. We have a very large number of 700's we need to manage at this would be greatly helpful.

[labadie_1]

Try this link

http://www.digiater.nl/openvms/freeware/v50/tsm/

[Joseph Huber_1]

The link to TSM on the HP site is broken.

yes, and on the new HP freeware page
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/openvms/freeware/freeware_index.html

TSM is (purpously ?) also missing.

These two good guys provides it:

http://www.digiater.nl/openvms/freeware/v60/tsm/
http://www.decuslib.com/freeware/freewarev60/tsm/

[Steven Schweda]

> These two good guys provides it:

That's nice, but has anyone tried to install
it recently? On my Alpha (VMS V8.3), the
best I've gotten is:

%VMSINSTAL-E-INSFAIL, The installation of TSMECO09 V2.1 has failed.

or:

Installing Terminal Server Manager VMS Version V2.1-08...

Inavlid DECnet version installed.

The following table describes the valid DECnet/OSI & OpenVMS releases:

DECnet Release VMS Version(s)
-------------- --------------
V6.3 V6.1, V6.2
V7.0 V7.0
V7.1 V7.0,V7.1

These versions apply to both the VAX and the Alpha releases.

%VMSINSTAL-E-INSFAIL, The installation of TSMECO08 V2.1 has failed.

or:

Installing Terminal Server Manager VMS Version V2.1-07...

Inavlid DECnet version installed.

The following table describes the valid DECnet/OSI & OpenVMS releases:

DECnet Release VMS Version(s)
-------------- --------------
V6.3 V6.1, V6.2
V7.0 V7.0
V7.1 V7.0,V7.1

These versions apply to both the VAX and the Alpha releases.

%VMSINSTAL-E-INSFAIL, The installation of TSMECO07 V2.1 has failed.


I dimly recall having looked into this a few
years ago (VMS V7.3-2?), but I remember no
useful details.

ALP $ ncl show implementation

Node 0
at 2010-10-07-16:51:06.274-05:00I1.081

Characteristics

Implementation =
{
[
Name = OpenVMS Alpha ,
Version = "V8.3 "
] ,
[
Name = HP DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS ,
Version = "V8.3 ECO03 25-NOV-2008 15:49:46.19"
]
}

ALP $ ncl show version

Node 0
at 2010-10-07-16:52:30.884-05:00I1.090

Characteristics

Version = T5.0.3


Does the "T" in "T5.0.3" make it "Inavlid"?

[Hoff]

AFAIK, the TSM tool installs and works just fine - after the KITINSTAL.COM version check gets (locally) hacked.

Long version of "hacked": use BACKUP to unpack the saveset from the kit, edit KITINSTAL.COM to tweak the version check, rebuild the saveset with SPKITBLD.COM (or BACKUP), and Bob's Your Uncle.