The DECNET_MIGRATE utility provides system and network managers with
functions to ease the transition from DECnet Phase IV to DECnet-Plus.
These functions aid in:
Interphase link creation
Network configuration determination
Network path determination
NCL command creation
To obtain the list of options for any command, type a question mark (?) at
the end of the command line. This will list the available command options,
and prompt you for the desired option (if any).
1 – Invocation and Termination
The DECNET_MIGRATE utility is normally invoked using the RUN command. It
may also be invoked using a foreign command symbol. For example:
$ RUN SYS$UPDATE:DECNET_MIGRATE !Invoke the utility
$ DECNET_MIGRATE :== $SYS$UPDATE:DECNET_MIGRATE !Foreign command symbol
$ DECNET_MIGRATE !Invoke the utility
If a foreign command symbol is used, a command line may be passed directly
to DECNET_MIGRATE on the invocation command line. For example:
$ DECNET_MIGRATE EDIT NCL_COMMANDS.COM
The EXIT command will cause DECNET_MIGRATE to terminate execution. The
<Ctrl/Z> key combination may also be used.
If a command was specified on the invocation command line, the utility
will exit immediately after the command has been processed.
2 – Network Configuration Information
This function collects network configuration information on nodes that
are currently accessible in the network, and creates a report from that
information. This function consists of two steps.
The first step is to collect the information into a data file, using the
following command:
COLLECT collection-file-name -
[ROUTING_TYPE = { ALL | ROUTERS | L1_ROUTERS | L2_ROUTERS }] -
[AREAS = { ALL | LOCAL | NODE:node-name }] -
[NODES = node-list-file-name] -
[STATUS = status-report-count] -
[RETRY = connection-retry-count]
The second step is to use the collected information to generate the
desired report. This may be done multiple times for the same collected
data.
REPORT output-text-file-name
[DATA = input-data-file-name] -
[TYPES = { ALL | (node-type-list)}] -
[ROUTING_TYPE = { ALL | ROUTERS | L1_ROUTERS | L2_ROUTERS }] -
[AREAS = { ALL | LOCAL | NODE:node-name }] -
[INFORMATION = { ALL | BASIC | (info-list) }] -
[FORMAT = { FULL | BRIEF }] -
The node types that can be specified in "node-type-list" are OSI,
PHASE_IV, and PHASE_III. If more than one is specified, they must be
contained in parentheses and separated by commas.
The information types that can be specified in "info-list" are ADJACENCIES,
CIRCUITS, ROUTING, APPLICATIONS, and AREAS. If more than one is specified,
they must be contained within parentheses and separated by commas.
3 – Network Path Information
This function displays the paths that node-to-node communication may
take through the network. This allows you to determine what effect the
transition from Phase IV to DECnet-Plus has had on the network's
communication paths.
SHOW PATH -
[FROM = {node-name | osi-net | osi-area | ph4-addr | ph4-area }] -
[TO = {node-name | osi-net | osi-area | ph4-addr | ph4-area }] -
[FORMAT = { BRIEF | FULL }] -
[OUTPUT_FILE = output-file-name]
The first and last nodes in the path can be specified using either DECdns
full names, Phase IV synonym names, OSI network entity titles (NETs), OSI
network areas, Phase IV addresses, or Phase IV areas. If an area is
specified, the first node found in that area will be used.
If FROM is not specified, the first node is assumed to be the local node.
If TO is not specified, the last node is assumed to be the local node.
You must specify at least one of these (they cannot both be defaulted).
If more than one path can be found between the specified nodes, all paths
will be displayed.
4 – Interphase Link Setup
This function creates a DCL command file, with two secondary NCL command files, that may be used to create or delete interphase link entries in the reachable address table of a DECnet-Plus Level 2 Router that must route messages between a DECnet-Plus level 2 network and a DECnet Phase IV level 2 network. CREATE IPL_INITIALIZATION_FILE command-file-name FOR router-node-name Executing the resulting command file allows the target router to send routing information to Level 2 routers using either the DECnet-Plus or DECnet Phase IV routing protocols (link state and routing vector, respectively) at level 2. The target router's reachable address table will have "outbound" entries created for all areas that are reachable through the adjacent routers that are running the DECnet Phase IV routing vector protocols at level 2. The target router's reachable address table will also have "inbound" entries created for all areas that are currently reachable through the DECnet-Plus link state level 2 network. Every DECnet-Plus Level 2 Router that has interphase links should have its reachable address table updated whenever the Level 2 network configuration changes.
4.1 – Singly and Multiply Connected Subnetworks
The generally recommended network configuration for use of interphase
links is one where only one circuit exists between a subnetwork running
the DECnet-Plus link state protocols at level 2 and a subnetwork running
the DECnet Phase IV routing vector protocols at level 2. The major
disadvantage of this configuration is that it provides a single point
of failure between the subnetworks. An example of this type of
configuration might be as follows.
+--------------------+ +------------------------+
|Link State L2 router| |Routing Vector L2 router|
| Area 1 | | Area 4 |
+--------------------+ +------------------------+
| |
+--------------------+ Circuit running +------------------------+
|Link State L2 router|- - - - - - - - - -|Routing Vector L2 router|
| Area 2 | Interphase Links | Area 5 |
+--------------------+ +------------------------+
| |
+--------------------+ +------------------------+
|Link State L2 router| |Routing Vector L2 router|
| Area 3 | | Area 6 |
+--------------------+ +------------------------+
It is possible to use a configuration such as that shown below in order
to provide communication path redundancy between the subnetworks.
However, this may produce problems under some circumstances.
+--------------------+ Circuit running +------------------------+
|Link State L2 router|- - - - - - - - - -|Routing Vector L2 router|
| Area 1 | Interphase Links | Area 4 |
+--------------------+ +------------------------+
| |
+--------------------+ Circuit running +------------------------+
|Link State L2 router|- - - - - - - - - -|Routing Vector L2 router|
| Area 2 | Interphase Links | Area 5 |
+--------------------+ +------------------------+
| |
+--------------------+ +------------------------+
|Link State L2 router| |Routing Vector L2 router|
| Area 3 | | Area 6 |
+--------------------+ +------------------------+
This type of configuration can result in looping data. For example, if
the lowest cost path from area 1 to area 5 is through area 4, and the
circuits connecting area 4 to area 5 go down, messages from area 1 to
area 5 will still be sent to area 4. This is because area 1 cannot
detect the loss of connectivity between areas 4 and 5. The result will
be that area 1 will send these messages to area 4 (lowest cost path to
area 5), and area 4 will send them back to area 1 (only path to area 5).
The messages will continue to loop between areas 1 and 4, using up
bandwidth and network resources, until their lifetimes expire.
This problem can be minimized by providing redundant or highly reliable
paths between the areas within each subnetwork.
4.2 – Simple Configurations
The simplest configuration that combines DECnet-Plus link state subnetworks connected to DECnet Phase IV routing vector subnetworks is one in which only two subnetworks are connected, with only one area in each subnetwork. For example: +----------+ Interphase +--------------+ |Link State| Link circuit|Routing Vector| |L2 router |- - - - - - -|L2 router | |in Area 1 | |in Area 2 | +----------+ +--------------+ In this case, no interphase links are required, since adjacent areas will automatically configure to each other. If either subnetwork contains more than one area, or if multiple subnetworks are interconnected, then interphase links must be created to provide routing information about the non-adjacent areas.
4.3 – Complex Configurations
If your network configuration consists of multiple DECnet Phase IV
routing vector subnetworks connected by DECnet-Plus link state
subnetworks, you must run the CREATE IPL function multiple times on
each DECnet-Plus link state level 2 router that needs interphase links.
An example of this type of configuration might be:
+--------------+ Interphase +----------+ +--------------+
|Routing Vector| Link circuit|Link State| |Routing Vector|
|L2 router |- - - - - - -|L2 router | |L2 router |
|in Area 1 | |in Area 3 | |in Area 5 |
+--------------+ +----------+ +--------------+
| | |
+--------------+ +----------+ Interphase +--------------+
|Routing Vector| |Link State| Link circuit|Routing Vector|
|L2 router | |L2 router |- - - - - - -|L2 router |
|in Area 2 | |in Area 4 | |in Area 6 |
+--------------+ +----------+ +--------------+
If you use the CREATE IPL command only once for each target router, in
area 3 first and area 4 second, the area 1 router will only be given
routing information about areas 4 and 6, and not about area 5 (the area 1
router will already have information about areas 2 and 3). This is
because area 3 does not yet have information about area 5, since this is
a non-adjacent area. The area 6 router will, however, be given
information on all areas in the network, because the area 4 router will
have already been given information about area 2 from the area 3
interphase links.
To rectify this, you must use the CREATE IPL command on the area 3
router a second time, so that it can pick up the new information that
area 4 now has about area 5.
The same is true for configurations that consist of multiple DECnet-Plus
link state subnetworks connected by DECnet Phase IV routing vector
subnetworks. For example:
+----------+ Interphase +--------------+ +----------+
|Link State| Link circuit|Routing Vector| |Link State|
|L2 router |- - - - - - -|L2 router | |L2 router |
|in Area 1 | |in Area 3 | |in Area 5 |
+----------+ +--------------+ +----------+
| | |
+----------+ +--------------+ Interphase +----------+
|Link State| |Routing Vector| Link circuit|Link State|
|L2 router | |L2 router |- - - - - - -|L2 router |
|in Area 2 | |in Area 4 | |in Area 6 |
+----------+ +--------------+ +----------+
Because there are many ways these types of configurations can be
arranged, the simplest way to guarantee that all target routers have all
required interphase links is to:
1) Use the CREATE IPL command on each router in turn, waiting
approximately 15 minutes between using the resulting command file
to create interphase links on one target router, and executing
the CREATE IPL command against the next target router. The waiting
period is intended to help guarantee that routing information
resulting from the newly created interphase links is fully propagated
throughout the network. A period of 15 minutes should be sufficient
for even very large networks.
2) Do step 1 "n" times, where "n" is the number of routers that are
to have interphase links created.
5 – NCL Command Creation
This allows you to convert NCP commands to the closest equivalent NCL
commands, or to edit NCL commands using language sensitive editing
capabilities.
CONVERT DCL_FILE ncp-file [TO ncl-file]
CONVERT NCP_FILE ncp-file [TO ncl-file]
CONVERT COMMAND "ncp-command"
EDIT ncl-file
When converting commands, the conversion will generally not be complete,
due to the differences between NCP and NCL. Some additional editing will
be required before the NCL commands may be used. This is particularly true
for entity names which may change between DECnet Phase IV and DECnet-Plus.
These functions are provided mainly to help facilitate training in the use
of NCL.