SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST DECnet in an IPonly World

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SURVIVAL OF THE FITTESTDECnet in an IP-only World

• John MarshallRiverwillow Pty Ltd

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What Problem Are We Trying to Fix?

• Company relies upon DECnet for Client/Server and
  Peer-to-Peer Applications across its WAN
• Addition of IP systems and applications means
  that the company either has multiple WAN circuits
  or runs multi-protocol WAN circuits
• Management wants to reduce network costs and
  standardize on an IP-only WAN

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What Happens to Our DECnet Applications?

• Re-write to use IP protocols?
• Can you find the source code? the programmer?
• Replace (all) with IP-capable applications?
• Centralize all DECnet hosts onto a single LAN?
• Configure DECnet to use the IP transport?
• No need to touch applications!

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DECnet Is?

• DECnet-Plus
• DECnet Transport
• OSI Transport
• IP Transport

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DECnet Is?
Application Layer
Presentation Layer
Session Layer
Transport Layer
Transport Layer
Network Layer
Network Layer
DECnet
IP
Data Link Layer
Data Link Layer
Physical Layer
Physical Layer
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DECnet Session Control Applications

• FAL (17)
• MAIL (27)
• PHONE (29)
• NOTES (33)
• CTERM (42)
• and others
• All still work!

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What Do We Need?

• DECnet-Plus
• TCP/IP Services (Compaq or other vendor)
• Must include PWIP driver
• (Examples in following slides use)
• OpenVMS VAX V7.1
• DECnet-Plus V7.1 ECO 6
• UCX V4.2 ECO 4

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How Do We Get Started?

• SYSMANAGERUCXCONFIG.COM
• 4 Optional Components
• Configure PWIP Driver (for DECnet-Plus and
  PATHWORKS)
• SYSMANAGERNETCONFIGURE.COM
• 2 Change Naming Information
• Include DOMAIN Directory Service
• Supply IP FQDN and Address
• 4 Configure Transports
• Configure OSI Transport
• Run OSI Applications over TCP/IP
• Run DECnet over TCP/IP

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How Do We Make It Transparent?

• Resolve Addresses from Simple Names
• Resolve Addresses to Simple Names
• Add new UAF PROXY records

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DECnet Name Resolution

• Common Directory Interface (CDI)
• Interface between DECnet Session Control and any
  configured Directory Services
• DECdns
• LOCAL
• DOMAIN

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DECdns Directory Service

• DEC Distributed Name Service
• DECnet and OSI Name/Address/Synonym
• Implemented via DECdns Servers
• Maintained via DECNET_REGISTER.EXE
• Full Name DECUSOZ.syd.vms01
• Node Synonym VMS01
• DECnet Address 62.606
• type DECUSOZ.syd.vms01PUBLICfred.txt
• type VMS01PUBLICfred.txt
• type 62.606PUBLICfred.txt

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LOCAL Directory Service

• LOCAL Name Service
• DECnet and OSI Name/Address/Synonym
• Implemented via per-node/cluster database
• Maintained via DECNET_REGISTER.EXE
• Full Name LOCAL.vms01
• Node Synonym VMS01
• DECnet Address 62.606
• type LOCAL.vms01PUBLICfred.txt
• type VMS01PUBLICfred.txt
• type 62.606PUBLICfred.txt

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DOMAIN Directory Service

• Internet Name Service (DNS/BIND)
• Internet Name/Address
• Implemented via DNS Servers/Local Host Files
• Maintained via UCX or text editors (edt/tpu/vi)
• Full Name DOMAIN.vms01.syd.decusoz.com
• IP Address 123.123.4.51
• type DOMAIN.vms01.syd.decusoz.comPUBLICfred.
  txt
• type 123.123.4.51PUBLICfred.txt

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CDI Search Path Templates

• Allow us to query directory services using simple
  names
• Session Control

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CDI Search Path Templates

• Applying
• vms01
• to the template
• LOCAL.
• Will lookup LOCAL.vms01 and return DECnet
  address 62.606

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CDI Search Path Templates (DOMAIN)

• Applying
• vms01
• to the template
• .syd.decusoz.com
• Will lookup vms01.syd.decusoz.com and return IP
  address 123.123.4.51

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CDI Search Path Templates

• DOMAIN (Reverse) Lookup of 123.123.104.52
• Results in vms02.mel.decusoz.com
• If we have the DOMAIN template .mel.decusoz.com
  in the CDI Search Path, CDI will return the
  simple name vms02 to DECnet

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CDI Search Path Templates

• Default DOMAIN templates supplied by
  NETCONFIGURE will include the DNS domain of the
  local host
• Custom templates can be added via
  NETSEARCHPATH_LOCAL.NCL(in SYSMANAGER)

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CDI Search Path Templates

• With valid CDI Search Path templates
• type vms01PUBLICfred.txt
• Will return a network address from the directory
  service with the first match
• Will connect to DECnet on the remote node via the
  corresponding transport

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IP Local Host File

• If a node is defined in the IP Local Host file
  with a simple-name alias, CDI will use the simple
  name even if there is no corresponding DOMAIN
  template maskUCXgt set host vms02.mel.decusoz.com
  /address123.123.104.52 /aliasvms02
• Useful if your network does not have a DNS server
  or if you have DECnet systems in many different
  IP subdomains

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If DOMAIN Directory Service is Not Configured

• Connection is still possible but via IP address
  onlyNo DOMAIN Directory Service

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How Do We Make It Transparent?

• Resolve Addresses from Simple Names
• Resolve Addresses to Simple Names
• Add new UAF PROXY records

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UAF PROXY Records

• Specify the Full Name of the Remote Host
• UAFgt add/proxy vms02.mel.decusoz.comjohn
  john/default
• Incoming connections do not use cluster alias IP
  address
• Need to add PROXY entries for individual nodes in
  remote cluster

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Can DECnet Applications Tell the Difference?

• No
• Unless you are not resolving to simple names
• Or unless you explicitly test SYSREM_NODE_FULLNAM
  E

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Can I Tell the Difference?

• If youre keen!Transport Discovery 1Transport
  Discovery 2

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What Tools Do We Have?

• CDITRACE.EXECDI Trace
• DECNET_REGISTER.EXEDECnet Register
• NCL
• DCL
• UCX

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What are the Obstacles?

• Fear of DECnet-Plus
• Fear of NCL
• Fear of IP
• Your companys DNS subdomain structure

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Beware!

• Troubleshooting can be difficult if you forget
  that CDI maintains a cache.
• To Flush the CDI Naming Cache
• NCLgt flush session control naming cache entry
• CDITRACE.EXE is your friend ?CDI Trace

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QUESTIONS?
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Useful Links

• http//www.compaq.com/info/spd/
• http//www.openvms.compaq.com/doc/index.html
• mailtoJohn.Marshall_at_riverwillow.com.au

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• NCPgt set executor state shut