DECnet config problem?

[Imre Molnar]

Last day our Alphaserver was rebooted.
After the startup we can't log in with telnet or set host, although nothing was modified in the system.
The show /network command shows only tcp/ip.
We can use the telnet and set host to connect
other machines but this one is unreachable.
I can't figure out why.
Please help me!
Thanks.

[Bob Blunt]

If you're using Phase IV, then it MUST, absolutely be the FIRST protocol started. Check with:
$ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT F$GETSYI("DECNET_VERSION")
If the result is "00040000" you have Phase IV.

For Phase IV you should also check to see if you have more than one line/circuit defined in the database. In some cases it's not sufficient to have the extra line/circuits defined as "off," you still need to actually remove them from the database completely.

For either version, you might need to check to see if you have an error condition that's occurring during startup. If one of the command procedures that is part of the startup process fails with an error, components of startup can be skipped. You might need to include a "$ SET NOON" at the top of SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM.

It would also help to have the version of OpenVMS, DECnet, which TCPIP stack and it's version. If you have output from that startup, either electronically or printed, it would be good to review that information. There are tools that can be used if you notice a problem or failure that can help isolate the cause.

bob

[Volker Halle]

Imre,


We can use the telnet and set host to connect
other machines but this one is unreachable


are you saying that you can TELNET and SET HOST to other nodes FROM your rebooted AlphaServer, but you cannot connect TO it ?

For TCPIP, start with:

$ TCPIP SHOW INT - any interfaces ? non-zero Rcv and Send packet counters ?

For DECnet - it depends on whether you're running DECnet Phase IV (MC NCP SHO KNO LINE COUNT) or DECnet-Plus (MC NCL SHOW CSMA-CD STAT * ALL COUNT).

Volker.

[Imre Molnar]

To Bob Blunt:
We've got a Phase IV. I stopped/restarted the DECnet to see if there is any problem with it or it's startup procedure. Worked smoothly.

To Volker Halle:
Yes, you read it correctly, connection to out works, -in- doesn't work.
Counters seems to be fine...

[Volker Halle]

Imre,

how about $ SET HOST 0 and TELNET localhost ? What happens ? Error message ?

How about PING IP-address from another node to your rebooted AlphaServer ?

Volker.

[Imre Molnar]

Volker, SET HOST 0 put me back to the local machine with the "returned to ALPHA" message.
From a remote machine the ping has answer "alpha1 live".
The local telnet wasn't tried until this time...

Now i try to restore our system disk from an old save. So, please everybody cross his/her fingers and say short pray for us... :)

Now, the question is just theoretical, because i made an image backup of the spoiled system disk, but i don't want to restore and try in real the advices.

Thanks for the community if any useful hint will arrive in this thread.

[Volker Halle]

Imre,

you don't seem to have a DECnet config problem, it's something deeper...

E.g. have a look at

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/support/asktima/operating_systems/009ED521-4029741E-1C0062.html

If SET LOGIN/INTER=... fails during startup, it will create this kind of symptom.

When you boot your restored system disk, make sure to capture all messages during system startup by connecting something to the console terminal (e.g. notebook with terminal emulator), just in case something doesn't work...

Volker.

[Imre Molnar]

Volker, your thought is really exciting.
You've right i should examine the login limit... :((

The link is also very good.
Thanks

[Imre Molnar]

My colleague reported he checked the login limit, that was 64

[Lawrence Czlapinski]

Imre, you said show network only shows TCP/IP. Telnet requires DECNET.
Ensure that DECNET is started prior to TCPIP.
For some reason your DECnet failed to start. DECNET must be started before TCP/IP because it changes some addresses (not good but that's what it does).
Option 1. (Not Applicable to your situation since it appears DECNET did not startup successfully. Unless it failed after it started up successfully.)
If DECnet was working correctly, you might try:
$ START/NETWORK DECnet
Since TCP/IP is up this may not work.

Option 2.
Schedule maintenance and from console:
$ STOP/NETWORK TCP/IP
$ START/NETWORK DECNET
$ START/NETWORK TCP/IP

Option 3.
Reboot. This won't help unless you figure out why DECNET didn't successfully start up.
Lawrence

[Imre Molnar]

I am not happy. The restored system has the same symptome.
I tailored the startup, so the tcp,apache and so on aren't load in boot time.
I got the messages "Circuit up", and "DECnet started" after the reboot.
But SHO NETWORK says no network...
I can see many network processes and i can use the DECnet to work with remote machines,
but the SET HOST 0, and log in from other machines doesnt work.

[Volker Halle]

Imre,

what do you mean with 'I see many network processes' ? SHOW SYS/NET ?

You didn't tell us the VMS version.

Did you try @SYS$STARTUP:SYS$NET_SERVICES ?

Also try $ REPLY/ENABLE before SET HOST 0 - any OPCOM messages ?

Volker.

[Imre Molnar]

I mean REMACP, LANACP, and so on...
The VMS version is 7.3 with the all ECO updates.
Now i tried the mentioned @SYS$STARTUP:SYS$NET_SERVICES but it hasnt result. The status stays the same.
Naturaly the REPL/ENAB is alive.
It is a little new piece to the mosaic, the DECnet copy is working from a remote machine to the ALPHA.

[Volker Halle]

Imre,

so you're having an 'interactive Login' problem of some sort. Does the system run LAT, can you login via LAT ?

Volker.

[Imre Molnar]

LAT service name was visible from PC-s,
but connection wasnt possible.

the facts:
Alphaserver
OpenVMS 7.3
Decnet IV
node decnet address is 1.9

set host 0 : did not work
set host other_node : ok

From other node, NCP tell command was ok.
For example, "mc ncp tell 9 sh exe char" did work!
Decnet copy between nodes was also working.
The interactive login limit is 64.

By executing "set host 9" from other node, I do not get the Username: prompt (as I would normally get it even if the interactive logins are disabled), control immediately returns with %REM-S-END, control returned to node xxx
"set host 0" did the same on the problematic machine...

[Lawrence Czlapinski]

Imre, %REM-S-END means you got logged out from the system you were trying to access.
In NCP, SH EXEC CHAR should have
DEFAULT ACCESS = incoming and outgoing
which it probably is.
Do you have more than one line on 1.9?
Lawrence

[Volker Halle]

Imre,

this problem is NOT related to DECnet, as
your test with LAT has shown. And I bet it's the same with TCPIP, i.e. TELNET localhost will not get you the username prompt, as well as TELNET ip-of-your-alpha from remote, whereas DIR/FTP from remote will probably work.

You seem to be able to login interactively from the console. Is login also possible from one of the other local COM ports (TTA0) ?

The 'common' failure seems to be in attempting to login as an interactive remote user using DECnet, LAT and probably also TCPIP.

Is logfail auditing enabled ? SET AUDIT/ALARM/ENA=LOGFAIL

What's the setting of RJOBLIM ?

Volker.

[Sylvain Haex]

Imre,

Check the protection of the announce.txt file.
Look at the SYS$ANNOUNCE logical to locate the file.

Suc6

Syl

[Antoniov.]

Hi Imre,
Welcome to vms forum :-)

Because before reboot your system worked fine I guess some configuration did not stored in permanent memory.
The facts are:

[System]
Alphaserver OpenVMS 7.3
Connection to out works, -in- doesn't work.
The interactive login limit is 64.

[DecNet]
DecNet IV. Started manually worked smoothly.
set host 0 : did not work
set host other_node : ok
From other node, NCP tell command was ok.
Decnet copy between nodes was also working.

[LAT]
LAT service name was visible from PC-s,
but connection wasnt possible.

[Telnet]
We can use the telnet and set host to connect
other machines but this one is unreachable.

The evidence is your is your network is working but your system cannot accept interactive login. I'm with Volker, you may see audit alarm (for example):
$ ANAL/AUDIT/SINCE=YESTER/EVENT=LOGFAIL
Then you have to see in SYSUAF the SYSTEM user: you could see primary access locked.
Then you can submit a little command procedure using a different user from SYSTEM and check if worked.

After the check for audit, sysuaf and batch report the results.

Waiting for your information.
Antonio Vigliotti

[Imre Molnar]

New day, new hopes.
I check now the advices made since last evening. Thanks and I try to look up the sysannounce and sysuaf and all others.
I'll report here when done.

[Imre Molnar]

Well...
The protection and privilege are OK at SYS$WELCOME, SYSUAF.
The SET AUDIT with /ALARM/Enab=logfail=all
was set. Plus /enab=login, /enab=logout, access=all

I tried to run a little batch with other non-priv user, it was OK.

But SET HOST 0, and SET HOST, telnet from remote machine wasnt work.

Every AUDIT entry says normal + succesful, even the login wasnt successful.

For example SET HOST 0 resulted 5 entries;
RTPAD, LIBOTS, LIBRTL, RTPAD, SHRIMGMSG all with success.

I compared our VAX and ALPHA DECnet database and found the SMISERVER isnt in the list at the side of ALPHA when i run the MC NCP SHOW KNO OBJ.

[Volker Halle]

Imre,

it's not RJOBLIM being 0, as this will still casue TELNET localhost to work and cause DECnet SET HOST 0 to return %SYSTEM-F-REJECT

I would suggest that you reboot the system and capture all of the output in a file, then look for everything with -W- -E- or -F- and try to fix the problem.

You can capture the startup log by setting STARTUP_P2 = "D" and then checking SYS$SYSTEM:STARTUP.LOG

Volker.

[Antoniov.]

Imre,
in SYSUAF your user have no access restrictions?

Antonio Vigliotti

[Imre Molnar]

Before i get the Username prompt the system can't decide what user entry should use from SYSUAF. So what user entry should check for access restriction?
And situation is that as wrote:
Nobody can't log in, and we can't see the Username: prompt...

[DICTU OpenVMS]

Maybe someone tampered with you SYSUAF logical ?