DECnet OpenVMS and Cisco

[geir_2]

Hi,

I hope that someone could help. But first, some background information:

I backup up one OpenVMS Workstation, and restored it on a new workstation. Later I renamed the name, change IP and DECnet address. I have to router and tow openVMS server.

I have trouble to use NITFS1, IP seems to be 100%, but DECnet doesn't work.

Hope that somebody could help be. I have no ideas anymore.
Pleeasseeeeee :-)


Geir

[Hoff]

OpenVMS version and platform?

DECnet Phase IV or DECnet-Plus? If you are using DECnet-Plus, are you using Phase IV or OSI or IP routing?

Check your Cisco routing. Most Cisco devices can be set up to route DECnet, or to bridge it; to treat it as its own virtual LAN. You'll need to use the Cisco monitoring to determine what IP and DECnet address(es) are where, and whether this is a routed or bridged configuration. And whether DECnet is enabled in your particular (new) configuration.

Is DECnet area routing in use? If so, is the node configured into the correct area for the DECnet network it is connected into?

Are you seeing DECnet-generated errors at startup, such as IVADDR or other such? IVADDR would imply a DECnet Phase IV address collision.

Does the new DECnet name match the new SCSNODE node name?

The spots that a node or host name can exist within OpenVMS can be found in the OpenVMS FAQ; the master copy of the FAQ is over at www.HoffmanLabs.com/vmsfaq -- there are quite a few spots that can need to be addressed when cloning nodes.

HoffmanLabs and other vendors are available to troubleshoot your node configuration and DECnet network. This would not be the first Cisco DECnet configuration with routing and bridging/VLAN oddities. And DECnet is certainly familiar territory.

Stephen Hoffman
HoffmanLabs

[Volker Halle]

Geir,

this seems to be a continuation of

http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1092845

Why do you start a new topic for an old problem ?!

How is node 2.81 connected to the network ? As long as CIRCUIT EWA-0 remains in on-synchronizing state, you won't be able to communicate with that node using the DECnet protocol !

Volker.

[geir_2]

Hi,

I'm using DECnet IV, and OpenVMS V6.2. Unfortunately, it's not possible for me to upgrade the software.

The network interface is ok, since I can use it with IP to ping FBUFS1 from NITFS1. The problem in this case is DECnet.

I'm confused, so if someone could give me hints if would be nice.

Geir

[Hoff]

The "EWA-0 on -synchronizing" error (from the previous thread) usually means that the network-related wiring isn't connected or isn't activated (either activated at the switch, or activated at the DECnet LINE level), or the DECnet host node NIC and the switch have incompatible settings, or you have a bad cable (or bad NIC), or other such.

If you have re-run NETCONFIG (Phase IV) or NET$CONFIGURE (DECnet Phase V, DECnet/OSI, DECnet-Plus) after having cloned this node and you (still) see this error, then it is likely that the connectivity problem is somewhere from the NIC outwards into the network cloud.

One approach would be to transfer the node to a known-working network tap, and re-try the DECnet connection there. (This assumes compatible DECnet areas are in use at both taps.)

Here are some of the usual suspects for the On Synchronizing states:

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/wizard/wiz_1930.html

If you entered the DECnet NCP commands "hot", it's quite easy to miss a SET or a DEFINE when activating stuff. Which is why I mention the configuration tools -- those will generally get you a working configuration, at least as far as the DECnet host node configuration is concerned.

Stephen Hoffman
HoffmanLabs

[Volker Halle]

Geir,

the fact that you can ping NITFS1 seems to rule out a hardware problem, so it's most likely some DECnet config issue !

Shutdown DECnet using:

$ MC NCP SET EXE STATE SHUT

and start it again using:

$ @STARTNET

watch for (and report here) any error messages - after carefully checking the Wizard article pointed to by Hoff.

Volker.

[geir_2]

Hi,

All output tells that everything is ok, except follwing messages:

%NCP-i-NOINFO, No infrmation in database

Looks strange?? Maybe it could give some help to solve the problem??

Geir

[Volker Halle]

Geir,

the %NCP-I-NOINFO seems to be normal (compare it with your working OpenVMS system).

Do you get any OPCOM messages ($ REPLY/ENABLE) when starting DECnet ?

What do the LINE and CIRCUIT counters say (MC NCP SHOW KNO {LINE|CIRCUIT} COUNTER ?

WHich protocols are running on EWA0 ?
$ ANAL/SYS
SDA> SHOW LAN

SDA> SHOW LAN/FULL/DEV=EWA0 - has the Physical Address been set to the DECnet MAC address (AA-00-04-00-51-08) ?

Volker.

[geir_2]

Hi,

The outputs from the command is attached below.

Geir

PS:
Hope it helps :-)

[Volker Halle]

Geir,

did you notice, that the EWA-0 LAN interface NEVER was able to send ANY packet -> all sends failed with Carrier Check failure. Check the interface, the cable and whatever is at the other end of the cable.

I would doubt VERY MUCH, that your - apparently successful - IP PING tests actually reach that LAN interface. The DECnet LINE counters should show the same values as the LAN interface counters shown in SDA> SHOW LAN/DEV=EWA/COUNT - do you see any successful transmits there ?

Volker.

[geir_2]

Hi again,

Thanks again :-)
The network cavle is 100% ok, and the IP protocols also seems to be ok. Why DECnet does not work is mysterious.

The router coluld also see the OpenVMS workstation, but the Workstation could noe see the router. Why?

Thanks Geir

[Volker Halle]

Geir,

the LAN interface called EWA0 did NEVER successfully send any packets. All send attempts failed with 'carrier check failure'.

Are you running IP over the same interface (UCX SHOW INT) ?

If you do SDA> SHOW LAN/COUNT you can see the counters for each protocol unit. Do the counters for IP show any packets sent ?

Volker.

[geir_2]

Volker,


Are you running IP over the same interface (UCX SHOW INT) ?


I see that IP use EWA2 and DECnet use EWA1 if i use SDA> SHOW LAN/COUNT. Mabye I should try to rename the circuit on DECnet??

I'm not so familiar with DECnet

Thanks


Geir

[Volker Halle]

Geir,

no, that's o.k. - EWA0 represents the physical interface, the EWAn units each represent one network protocol. Another LAN adapter would be called EWB (in OpenVMS, EWA-1 in DECnet IV).

And SDA> SHOW LAN only shows (1 station) ?!

The counters shown for EWA0 (the physical interface) are cumulative for all protocols. I cannot believe, that IP can send packets, which do not show up in the EWA0 counters in SDA.

Volker.

[Hoff]

Either put the two DECnet nodes into the same DECnet area and try your connectivity tests again, or ensure that there are DECnet area routers configured and available for both of the areas involved (1.* and 2.*), and that the DECnet area routers are adjacent.

You cannot ever connect from DECnet area 1.* into an area 2.* DECnet address without also having intervening DECnet area routers.

[Volker Halle]

Geir,

I also see that you've configured NITFS1 to be an AREA router. Do you have an appropriate DECnet routing license loaded ? It's not necessary to run this node as an area router, an end node would be fine, if the adjacent CISCO acts as an area router for area 2.

Volker.

[geir_2]

Hi again,

I have license for the OpenVMS host. At the beginning the VMS node was configured as a end node, and the cisco router have been configured as an area router.

Maybe It's not legal to use area 1 and area 2, when these router er connected together via a IP-tunnel??

Geir

PS:
I also tried to configure both router and VMS node in the same area as remote site, with no effect. It must be something else.

Geir

[Hoff]

Please post the NCP executor settings from each of the four nodes involved. The far-end node, the far-end DECnet router, the near-end DECnet router (Cisco) and the near-end node.

The DECnet routers should be able to see the end-nodes, too.

My most current suspicion is that the near-end box cannot reach the local DECnet (area?) router. This could be addressing, or Cisco-level or a matter of (dis)connectivity otherwise.

[geir_2]

Hi Hoff,

It's only four node/router involved. The topology is:

FBUFS1(Openvms, 1.81)
|
|
FBURTR1 (Cisco Area Router, 1.1)
|
| (IP Tunnel ======)
|
NITRTR1 (Cisco Area Router, 2.1)
|
|
NITFS1(OpenVMS, 2.81)

DECnet
FBUFS1 can ping FBURTR1, NITRTR1
FBURTR1 can ping FBUFS1,NITRTR1
NITRTR1 can ping FBURTR1, FBUFS1

If i run show decnet neighbour on NITRTR1 the router seeS(?) NITFS1, but NITFS1 cannot see NITRTR1.

All nodes also run TCP/IP, and everone ping ping each other.

Geir

PS:
Is it necessary to configure both OpenVMS workstation as a area router. How's is it done. I tried follong commands:

ncp> define exec type area

and next time I reboot the computer the type is still configured as non-routing node. Hope you can help me.

Regards Geir

[Volker Halle]

Geir,

to run the VMS node as a DECnet area router, you need a DECnet routing license (DVNETRTG). A DVNETEND license would just allow a DECnet endnode.

I would generally trust the NCP LINE counters and the EWA0 counters shown by SDA, which indicate, that node NITFS1 can not successfully send ANY packets through the EWA LAN interface. All sends fail with 'carrier check failure'.

As you've cloned this node from the other VMS system, please check the counters on FBUFS1 as well. If you also see no packets sent and only carrier check failures, I would tend to a software bug in the counter display, but I can't believe this...

You still have not shown the EWA2 (IP protocol) counters from NITFS1:

SDA> SHOW LAN/DEV=EWA2/COUNT

How about disconnecting the network cable and trying to ping NITFS1 with IP ? Does it still 'work' ?

Volker.

[geir_2]

Volker,

If I removed the cable, the ping command doesn't get any aswer from remote nodes/hosts.

Following licenses is installed on the AlphaServer NITFS1: DVNETEXT and DVNETEND. It's the same as FBUFS1. The license is different(other Authorization number at each sites.

If I use following commands I got followings messages/output

$ show network

Node Links Cost Hops Next hop to Node
2.81 NITFS1 2 0 0 (Local) -> 2.81 NITFS1
2.81 NITFS1 2 0 0 (Local) -> 2.81 NITFS1
2.81 NITFS1 2 0 0 (Local) -> 2.81 NITFS1
2.81 NITFS1 2 0 0 (Local) -> 2.81 NITFS1
....
.....
2.81 NITFS1 2 0 0 (Local) -> 2.81 NITFS1
2.81 NITFS1 2 0 0 (Local) -> 2.81 NITFS1


Looks like a loop. But I dont' know why
Any comments??? Hope so :-)

[John Travell]

A point no-one has picked up, and possibly not relevant, is that you told us about name, IP and DECnet addresses changes, but you did NOT explicitly mention (sysgen param) SCSSYSTEMID.
In DECnet4 this is related to the DECnet address, and a conflict just might stop DECnet working.
JT:

[geir_2]

Hi,

Thnaks for the answer. I configured follwong values in sysgen (according to docs)

NITFS1 2.81
SCSSYSTEMID=> 2x1024+81=2129
SCSNODE=NITFS1

At end I run autogen.

Thnaks for input

Regards Geir


PS:
If I run debug on the cisco router, I can see level-2 hello packets from the OpenVMS hosts.

[Volker Halle]

Geir,

sorry for not responding earlier, but I've been on the road for a couple of days. Paying customers are getting serviced first ;-)

If you want me to help you through this forum, you need to provide the information I'm asking for, otherwise I can't do systematic troubleshooting.

My major concern is the fact, that the EWA LAN interface counters on NITFS1 indicate, that this interface does not successfully send any packets. Theoretically, this could be a counter display problem, so I asked you to check SDA> SHOW LAN/COUNT on the other OpenVMS node, from which you've cloned NITFS1. Do you see the same carrier check failures and 0 packets sent on that node as well ?

Also after disconnecting the network cable to NITFS1, I thought about trying to ping that node's IP address from the Cisco router. Being unable to ping other nodes FROM NITFS1 with a disconnected network cable is expected to not work. But I was interested in the fact, if you would still get a ping response when pinging the IP address of NITFS1 with the network cable disconnected, indicating that something else responded to those pings and also supporting the NITFS1 EWA LAN counters about NOT sending any packets at all...

Volker.

[geir_2]

Hi,

Thanks for the answer. I have done what you asked me to do (attached document).

I'm obviously not a DECnet expert, the DECnet host is running DECnet IV, maybe the router is confused about it, and should be configured as Level IV area router

Geir