                          Software           Product            Description   M           ___________________________________________________________________   G           PRODUCT NAME:  DECnet for OpenVMS VAX and Alpha, Version 6.2             SPD 48.48.03  N           Note: This Software Product Description covers DECnet for OpenVMS onI           VAX and Alpha platforms. Unless explicitly noted, the features  K           described apply to both platforms. Licenses and Part Numbers are  N           platform specific and are noted in the Ordering Information section            of this SPD.             DESCRIPTION   P           DECnet for OpenVMS on VAX and Alpha allows a suitably configured Open-M           VMS system to participate as an end node or, on VAX systems only, a M           routing node in DECnet computer networks. With proper network plan- N           ning, DECnet networks can contain up to 1,023 nodes per network area)           and up to 63 areas per network.   I           DECnet for OpenVMS end node and full (VAX) or Extended (Alpha)  M           function products are licensed separately for OpenVMS systems. The  K           DECnet for OpenVMS License Product Authorization Key (PAK), when  I           registered on an OpenVMS system, enables communication between  -           systems using the DECnet protocols.   M           DECnet for OpenVMS has been implemented in accordance with Phase IV O           of the Digital Network Architecture (DNA). product. It ships with the O           OpenVMS operating system and is separately licensed. DECnet for Open- M           VMS is warranted only for use with Phase IV and DECnet/OSI products 5           supported by Digital Equipment Corporation.   M           DECnet for OpenVMS offers task-to-task communications, file manage- P           ment, downline system and task loading, network command terminals, andI           network resource sharing capabilities using the Digital Network M           Architecture (DNA) protocols. DECnet for OpenVMS communicates with  A           adjacent and nonadjacent Phase IV and DECnet/OSI nodes.   M                                         DIGITAL                      May 1995   B                                                                              L           DECnet for OpenVMS VAX and Alpha, Version 6.2         SPD 48.48.03    P           OpenVMS programs written in MACRO and native mode high-level languages6           can use DECnet for OpenVMS VAX capabilities.  N           The network functions available to a DECnet for OpenVMS user depend,I           in part, on the configuration of the rest of the network. Each  P           (DECnet product offers its own subset of Digital Network Architecture L           (DNA) functions and its own set of features to the user. Networks P           consisting entirely of DECnet for OpenVMS Phase IV nodes have all the N           functions described in this Software Product Description (SPD). The P           functions available to users on mixed networks can be determined by a E           comparison of the SPDs for the appropriate DECnet products.   N           Routing capabilities are offered on OpenVMS VAX systems only. A FullM           Function DECnet for OpenVMS VAX License PAK must be registered on a N           node in order for that node to operate as a routing node. For a nodeM           to operate as an end node, either the Full Function or the End Node M           DECnet for OpenVMS VAX License PAK must be registered on that node. O           Full Function DECnet for OpenVMS VAX software allows a node to be set O           up as either a routing node or as an end node. See Appendix A of this O           Software Product Description for more information on routing capabil- 2           ities in DECnet for OpenVMS VAX systems.  2           Standard DECnet for OpenVMS Capabilities  $           Task-to-Task Communication  M           For most applications, task-to-task communication can be programmed L           in a transparent manner where the remote task is treated as a fullO           duplex, record-oriented device. Transparent operation is provided via O           the following interfaces: System Service calls, RMS calls (OPEN, GET, L           PUT, and CLOSE) and high-level language I/O statements (which are F           mapped to RMS calls). A nontransparent mode of task-to-task L           communication is offered by means of the System Service interface P           that extends the capabilities provided by the transparent mode. These K           capabilities include support for interrupt messages and multiple  #           inbound connect requests.           ,                                            2           L           DECnet for OpenVMS VAX and Alpha, Version 6.2         SPD 48.48.03    P           Using DECnet for OpenVMS an OpenVMS program can exchange messages withM           other user programs. The two user programs can be on the same node, M           on adjacent Phase IV or DECnet/OSI nodes, or on any two nonadjacent M           Phase IV or DECnet/OSI nodes in the same network connected by Phase O           IV or DECnet/OSI routing nodes. DECnet for OpenVMS imposes no special 3           data formatting requirements on the user.   !           Network Resource Access   K           File Access - File access is supported to and from remote DECnet  N           systems using RMS. User programs can sequentially read, create, and (           delete files on a remote node.  P           Record Access - User programs can perform record level operations suchM           as GET, PUT, UPDATE, DELETE, FIND, and REWIND to access and modify  M           files residing on a remote OpenVMS node. In addition to sequential  O           access to a file, several other access methods are supported through  O           RMS using DECnet for OpenVMS. These methods include random access by  O           relative record number, random access by key value, random access by  K           Record File Address (RFA), and block I/O access by virtual block             number.              Proxy Access  O           Remote users can have access to up to 15 proxy accounts on a specific N           remote system. One proxy account should be designated as the default-           proxy account on the remote system.   *           Command Language File Management  M           Most OpenVMS Digital Command Language (DCL) commands can be used to L           perform network file operations. These commands include: ANALYZE, L           APPEND, BACKUP, CLOSE, CONVERT, COPY, CREATE, DELETE, DIFFERENCES,O           DIRECTORY, DUMP, OPEN, PRINT, PURGE, READ, SEARCH, SUBMIT, TYPE, and  K           WRITE. The operation of these commands is transparent except for  F           commands that invoke processing on a specific system (i.e., M           SUBMIT/REMOTE and PRINT /REMOTE). Only a node name added to a file  O           specification is required to invoke the network capabilities via one             of these commands.        ,                                            3           L           DECnet for OpenVMS VAX and Alpha, Version 6.2         SPD 48.48.03    O           Using the COPY command, a user can transfer sequential, relative, and P           indexed-sequential (ISAM) files between DECnet nodes that support com-M           patible file structures and record formats. Sequential or relative  L           files with fixed length, variable length, or variable length with M           fixed control field records can be transferred between two OpenVMS  N           systems. Similarly, multikeyed indexed files with variable or fixed '           length records are supported.   M           The SUBMIT/REMOTE command allows command files residing on a remote M           node to be submitted for execution at the remote node. The command  J           file must be in the format expected by the node responsible for P           execution. DECnet for OpenVMS also allows OpenVMS command files to be 3           received from other systems and executed.   N           The DCL command EXCHANGE/NETWORK, allowing for the transfer of filesM           to or from heterogeneous systems, is available. This command gives  N           users the option to transfer file types between MS-DOS[R] or ULTRIX M           systems and OpenVMS systems regardless of record semantics. Unlike  P           the COPY command, which preserves file and record organization during L           a file transfer, this command enables the user to modify file and 1           record attributes during file transfer.   !           Downline System Loading   O           DECnet for OpenVMS allows for the loading of an unattended system us- O           ing the services provided by the Maintenance Operations Module (MOM). L           MOM provides a set of maintenance operations over various types ofI           circuits by using the Maintenance Operations Protocol (MOP). A  M           loadable system is a system that has a load device enabled for MOP  L           service functions and for which a properly formatted load file is I           supplied. Downline loading involves transferring a copy of the  J           properly formatted load file image of a remote node's operating I           system from an OpenVMS node to the unattended target node. For  P           example, DECnet for OpenVMS permits the user to load routing software O           from the OpenVMS node downline to the target node. Load requests can  M           come from the local DECnet for OpenVMS operator or from the target  K           node. Downline loading is supported for Digital server products.  J           However, this facility is not supported over asynchronous lines.      ,                                            4           L           DECnet for OpenVMS VAX and Alpha, Version 6.2         SPD 48.48.03               Downline Task Loading   P           Initial task images for loadable systems can be stored on OpenVMS fileO           system devices and loaded into remote nodes. Programs already execut- N           ing on loadable remote systems can be checkpointed to the host Open-O           VMS file system and later restored to main memory in the remote node. N           These features simplify the operation of network systems that do not$           have mass storage devices.  A           This facility is not supported over asynchronous lines.              Upline Dumping  O           Memory images of adjacent nodes connected by DECnet can be written or K           dumped into a file on an OpenVMS system. This facility helps the  P           system manager in fault isolation on a remote system. This facility is5           also supported for Digital server products.   A           This facility is not supported over asynchronous lines.   "           Network Command Terminal  O           The DCL command SET HOST allows a terminal user on one DECnet node to M           establish a logical connection to another DECnet node that uses the M           Command Terminal Protocol (CTERM). This connection makes the termi- M           nal appear physically connected to the remote system and the opera- M           tor can use all the standard system and network utilities supported J           by that remote node. This capability is particularly useful for L           doing remote program development and allows the terminal users on N           smaller application-oriented systems to use the resources of larger '           development-oriented systems.              OpenVMS MAIL Utility  O           The OpenVMS MAIL utility allows transmission of text messages between N           users of a standalone system. The DECnet for OpenVMS software allowsK           users to send and receive OpenVMS MAIL to or from users of other  >           systems that operate within the same DECnet network.    ,                                            5           L           DECnet for OpenVMS VAX and Alpha, Version 6.2         SPD 48.48.03             OpenVMS PHONE Utility   I           The OpenVMS PHONE utility allows users to send and receive data M           interactively from one user's terminal to another user's terminal.  O           DECnet increases the scope of OpenVMS PHONE to allow active users on  H           different systems in the same network to exchange information.             Cluster Alias   O           DECnet supports the ability to access some or all nodes in a VMSclus- N           ter using a separate alias node address, while retaining the abilityL           to address each node in the cluster individually. Not all network O           objects may be accessed using this mechanism. More than 64 nodes can  M           operate within a cluster, but the maximum number of nodes that are  M           allowed to participate in the cluster alias is 64. Refer to the VAx P           VMScluster Software Product Description (SPD 29.78.xx) or to the AlphaM           VMScluster Software Product Description (SPD 42.18.xx) for relevant            restrictions.   O           DECnet and DECnet/OSI nodes can coexist in the same cluster. However, J           DECnet and DECnet/OSI must have separate system disks, and they .           cannot share the same cluster alias.  M           The DECnet for OpenVMS VAX cluster alias requires that at least one L           node in the VMScluster be a VAX system licensed as a Full Function            node.  O           The DECnet for OpenVMS Alpha cluster alias requires that at least one J           node in the VMScluster be licensed as an Extended Function node.  M           Refer to the DECnet/OSI documentation for details on configuring a  #           DECnet/OSI cluster alias.              Network Management  M           The Network Control Program (NCP) performs three primary functions: L           displaying statistical and error information, controlling network P           components, and testing network operation. These functions can be per-P           formed locally or executed at remote Phase IV nodes that support theseO           functions. NCP allows for planning, building, tuning, and controlling P           DECnet networks. NCP can be used to create and manage networks includ-O           ing local node operation, remote node operation, circuits, lines, and            objects.  ,                                            6           L           DECnet for OpenVMS VAX and Alpha, Version 6.2         SPD 48.48.03    O           An operator can display the status of DECnet activity at any Phase IV P           node in the network. The user can choose to display statistics relatedN           to the node itself or the communication lines attached to that node,O           including traffic and error data. The local operator can also perform M           many network control functions such as starting and stopping lines, B           activating the local node, and downline loading systems.  M           DECnet provides network event logging to a terminal device or disk  N           file. Any logged event can be used to monitor, diagnose, and tune a O           network. The NCP utility can be used to enable and disable the event             logging facility.   M           NCP can also be used to test components of the network. NCP enables O           transmission and reception of test messages over individual lines ei- O           ther between nodes or through other controller loopback arrangements. O           The messages can then be compared for possible errors. NCP allows the M           performance of a logical series of tests that will aid in isolating            network problems.              Integrated Interfaces   N           DECnet interfaces are standard parts of the OpenVMS operating systemN           for use on local, standalone systems. Users can develop programs andL           procedures based upon these interfaces for such functions as file P           access and task-to-task communication on individual systems. Since theM           DECnet interfaces stay the same, the programs and procedures devel- L           oped on an individual system can be used in a network environment !           without being modified.               Communications Options  N           DECnet for OpenVMS uses Ethernet and FDDI communications controllers0           to interface with other network nodes.  &           DECnet for OpenVMS Operation  P           DECnet for OpenVMS VAX is implemented under the OpenVMS operating sys-O           tem as an Ancillary Control Process (ACP) and a network device drivereM           with executive-level components and user-level programs supplied bys           Digital.  ,                                            7 l  o      L           DECnet for OpenVMS VAX and Alpha, Version 6.2         SPD 48.48.03    N           The normal OpenVMS protection has been incorporated in the operationM           of DECnet for OpenVMS For example, incoming connects including fileeM           access and file transfer requests are protected by the normal Open- M           VMS login and file protection mechanisms. Outgoing connects includ-nN           ing file access and file transfer requests can include user passwordJ           information that is implicitly specified via NCP, or explicitly D           specified by the user for verification on the remote node.  :           DECnet for OpenVMS Configuration and Performance  O           The process of configuring a DECnet node is based primarily on trade- L           offs of cost, performance, and functionality while satisfying the K           user's application requirements. It can be expected that network  O           applications will range from low-speed, low-cost situations to those eO           of relatively high performance and functionality. The performance of iH           a given DECnet for OpenVMS node is a function not only of the M           expected network traffic and resultant processing, but also of the EL           amount of concurrent processing specific to that node. Thus, node 8           performance depends on many factors including:             o  CPU typer  F           o  Number and type of devices attached to the particular CPU  6           o  Number of device interrupts per unit time  2           o  Communication line(s) characteristics  '           o  Number and size of buffers   7           o  Message size and frequency of transmission               o  Applications in use  H           o  Size and frequency of route-through traffic (on DECnet for ,              OpenVMS VAX routing nodes only)  P           It is important to note that the rate at which user data can be trans-P           mitted (throughput) over a communications line can sometimes approach,N           but will never exceed, the actual line speed. The reason is that theM           actual throughput is a function of many factors, including the linet  ,                                            8 s  s      L           DECnet for OpenVMS VAX and Alpha, Version 6.2         SPD 48.48.03    N           quality, protocol overhead, topology, and network application(s), as4           well as the factors cited in this section.               INSTALLATION  M           For the first installation of this product, Digital recommends the eM           purchase of Digital's Installation Services. These services providepM           for installation of the software product by an experienced Digital n           Software Specialist.  #           Customer Responsibilities   E           Before Digital can install the software, the customer must:d  L           o  Ensure that the system meets the minimum hardware and software >              requirements (as specified in the relevant SPDs).  O           o  Prior to installing Digital hardware or software, obtain, install, K              and demonstrate as operational any modems and other necessary hO              customer equipment or facilities to which Digital's communication P/              hardware or software will connect.g  M           o  Designate one adjacent node to verify installation/connectivity.a  O           o  Make available for a reasonable period of time, as mutually agreed J              upon by Digital and the customer, all hardware communication N              facilities and terminals that are to be used during installation.  M           Delays caused by any failure to meet these responsibilities will be E           charged at the then prevailing rate for time and materials.G  L           Installation for DECnet for OpenVMS will consist of the following:  M           o  Verification that all components of DECnet for OpenVMS have been               received.  M           o  Verification that the necessary versions of the OpenVMS softwarel-              and documentation are available.     ,                                            9 m  a      L           DECnet for OpenVMS VAX and Alpha, Version 6.2         SPD 48.48.03    ?           o  Verification of the appropriate SYSGEN parameters.V  N              Note: Should a Digital Software Specialist be required to modify N              the previously installed operating system parameters, a time and )              materials charge will apply.s  B           o  Create any necessary DECnet accounts and directories.  I           o  Enable software via License Product Authorization Key (PAK) o              registration.  <           o  Define and create a local node DECnet database.  M           o  Modify the system's startup command procedure to include startupe/              of the DECnet for OpenVMS network.   N           o  Verify the proper installation of DECnet for OpenVMS by running aG              series of tests to show connectivity to a designated node.s  M           Connectivity to all other nodes within the network is the responsi-l!           bility of the customer.G             HARDWARE REQUIREMENTSR  M           Refer to the OpenVMS Operating System Software Product Description IJ           (SPD 25.01.xx) for hardware requirements and processor support. J           Reference can be made to the configuration charts listed in the I           OpenVMS Operating System SPD. For general device or controller aO           descriptions, please refer to the Networks and Communications Buyers ,           Guide.             CLUSTER ENVIRONMENT   O           DECnet for OpenVMS is fully supported when installed on any valid andtN           licensed VMScluster configuration without restrictions. The HARDWAREM           REQUIREMENTS section of the OpenVMS Operating System Software Prod-mN           uct Description (SPD 25.01.xx) details any special hardware required+           or not supported by this product.d        -                                            10c a         L           DECnet for OpenVMS VAX and Alpha, Version 6.2         SPD 48.48.03    K           VMScluster software provides a distributed computing environment ,P           across a highly integrated set of VAX, Alpha, and/or MicroVAX systems M           that operate as a single environment. VMScluster members can share  K           many resources such as disk and tape storage, CPU resources, and eF           system management operations. Within this highly integrated J           environment, systems retain their independence because they use O           local, memory-resident copies of the OpenVMS operating system. Thus, eO           members can boot and fail independently while benefiting from common t           resources.  J           VMScluster configurations are fully described in the VMScluster P           Software Product Description (29.78.xx) and include CI, Ethernet, and ,           Mixed Interconnect configurations.             SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTSe  4           DECnet for OpenVMS requires the following:  1           o  OpenVMS Operating System Version 6.2.  :           Only the Base OpenVMS Kit component is required.             OPTIONAL SOFTWAREp  M           DEC X.25 Client for OpenVMS Alpha Systems allows a suitably config-aM           ured DECnet for OpenVMS Alpha system to make logical connections tocM           Packet Switched Data Networks (PSDN) via one or more X.25 connector P           nodes on the same Local Area Network. Refer to the DEC X.25 Client forN           OpenVMS Alpha System Software Product Description (SPD 46.37.xx) for           further details.  N           The TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS software can be installed to provideN           a TCP/IP environment on an OpenVMS system. TCP/IP Services for Open-O           VMS systems include capabilities such as file transfer (FTP), TELNET,oN           Virtual Terminal support, and more. Refer to the TCP/IP Services forO           OpenVMS VAX Software Product Description (SPD 25.A4.xx) or the TCP/IPhP           Services for OpenVMS Alpha Software Product Description (SPD 46.46.xx)           for more information.         -                                            11  a  n      L           DECnet for OpenVMS VAX and Alpha, Version 6.2         SPD 48.48.03               GROWTH CONSIDERATIONSv  N           The minimum hardware/software requirements for any future version ofM           this product may be different from the requirements for the current            version.             DISTRIBUTION MEDIA  G           DECnet for OpenVMS VAX is distributed on the following media:i              o  TK50 streaming tape  %           o  9-track 1600 BPI Magtape              o  CD-ROMr  <           DECnet for OpenVMS Alpha is distributed on CD-ROM.             ORDERING INFORMATION  D           DECnet for OpenVMS software is shipped on the OpenVMS Kit.  N           DECnet for OpenVMS licenses also include the right to use DECnet/OSI           for OpenVMS.  P           Base License Option Numbers for DECnet for OpenVMS VAX are as follows:  -           End Node                QL-D04A*-AA   -           Full Function           QL-D05A*-AA   -           End Node to Full        QL-D09A*-AAy           Function Upgrade  G           Base License Option Numbers for DECnet for OpenVMS Alpha are:r  -           End System              QL-MTFA*-AA8  -           Extended Function       QL-MTGA*-AA   -           End System to Ex-       QL-MTHA*-AAc           tended Functione           Upgraded  '           *  Denotes processor variant.m  -                                            12o s  e      L           DECnet for OpenVMS VAX and Alpha, Version 6.2         SPD 48.48.03               SOFTWARE LICENSING  O           The DECnet for OpenVMS License provides the right to use the softwaretN           product on a single CPU and includes the delivery of a License Prod-L           uct Authorization Key (PAK) to enable DECnet for OpenVMS software.  N           To use this software product on additional CPUs, users must purchase3           a Single-Use License Option for each CPU.t  M           The DECnet for OpenVMS VAX End Node and the DECnet for OpenVMS End tN           System License grants the right to use all the DECnet features with M           the exception of cluster alias support. The DECnet for OpenVMS VAX  K           Full Function and the DECnet for OpenVMS Alpha Extended Function D8           license is required for cluster alias support.  N           This software is furnished under the licensing provisions of DigitalJ           Equipment Corporation's Standard Terms and Conditions. For more P           information about Digital's licensing terms and policies, contact your           local Digital office.e  -           LICENSE MANAGEMENT FACILITY SUPPORTy  H           This product supports the OpenVMS License Management Facility.  O           License units for this product are allocated on a CPU capacity basis.s  O           For more information on the License Management Facility, refer to thepN           OpenVMS Operating System Software Product Description (SPD 25.01.xx)M           or the License Management Facility manual of the OpenVMS operating O#           system documentation set.r  #           SOFTWARE PRODUCT SERVICESr  L           A variety of service options are available. For more information, ,           contact your local Digital office.            -                                            13a A  a      L           DECnet for OpenVMS VAX and Alpha, Version 6.2         SPD 48.48.03               SOFTWARE WARRANTYu  M           Warranty for this software is provided by Digital with the purchasetK           of a license for the product as defined in the Software Warranty             Addendum of this SPD.   P           The above information is valid at time of release. Please contact yourC           local Digital office for the most up-to-date information.o  4           Appendix A: DECnet for OpenVMS VAX Routing  -           Routing Capabilities on OpenVMS VAXi  M           A DECnet for OpenVMS VAX node must function as a routing node when- N           ever multiple circuits are used by that node. Routing nodes maintainM           information on the paths to other nodes in the network. DECnet for eK           OpenVMS VAX end nodes provide all the capabilities of DECnet for  M           OpenVMS VAX routing nodes with the exception that end nodes cannot eL           route messages on behalf of other nodes in the network. Since end L           nodes do not route messages, they do not need to maintain routing N           information. Consequently, end nodes initiate less overhead message M           traffic than routing nodes and, therefore, consume less processing l#           power than routing nodes.V  O           Adaptive Routing is the mechanism that routing nodes use to ``adapt''bP           or choose other physical paths if the physical paths the routing nodes-           are using fail or change line cost.t  O           In addition to adaptive routing, DECnet for OpenVMS VAX supports areanN           routing. Area routing is a method by which DECnet can send and routeM           messages between the nodes in different areas of the network. Up to L           63 areas with up to 1,023 nodes per area are allowed. The network P           manager has the option of separating a network into areas. Area-based O           DECnet networks are hierarchical networks and some restrictions apply M           to communications from nodes in one area to nodes in another area. eN           However, it is not required that all nodes in the network be DECnet M           for OpenVMS VAX or even Phase IV nodes. Proper network planning is cK           essential when using area routing or configuring large networks. nB           Valid topologies are the responsibility of the customer.    -                                            14S X  d      L           DECnet for OpenVMS VAX and Alpha, Version 6.2         SPD 48.48.03    N           Note: Only 32 routers (dedicated and/or host based) are supported on           an extended LAN.  M           A DECnet for OpenVMS VAX node has the ability to communicate with a M           remote node over multiple circuits simultaneously, as long as thoseaO           circuits are all of equal cost and provide the lowest cost path. DEC-iO           net for OpenVMS VAX routing nodes will split transmission of a packet M           load to a destination node via multiple paths if those paths are of M           equal lowest cost. This capability is called Equal Cost Path Split- M           ting. This feature can increase throughput of data by using all the H           best available paths. In order to take full advantage of this N           capability, all intermediate routing nodes should also support this M           feature and all destination nodes must support out-of-order packet g           caching.  .            1995 Digital Equipment Corporation              All rights reserved.  I           [R]  MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.   E           [TM] The DIGITAL logo, CI, DECnet, Digital, DNA, Ethernet, tL                MicroVAX, OpenVMS, VAX, VMScluster, VAX MACRO, and ULTRIX are;                trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation.s                                      -                                            15s                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      