Networking

Conventions

Throughout the document(s) these conventions are followed

Notation	Description
$	The dollar sign in interactive examples indicates an operating system prompt for VMS. The dollar sign can also indicate non superuser prompt for UNIX / Linux.
#	The number sign represents the superuser prompt for UNIX / Linux.
>	The right angle bracket in interactive examples indicates an operating system prompt for Windows command (cmd.exe).
`User input`	Bold monospace type in interactive examples indicates typed user input.
`<path>`	Bold monospace type enclosed by angle brackets indicates command parameters and parameter values.
`Output`	Monospace type in interactive examples, indicates command response output.
[ ]	In syntax definitions, brackets indicate items that are optional.
...	In syntax definitions, a horizontal ellipsis indicates that the preceding item can be repeated one or more times.
`dsk0`	Italic monospace type, in interactive examples, indicates typed context dependent user input.

The following definitions apply

Term	Description
Host	The system on which the emulator runs, also called the Charon server
Guest	The operating system running on a Charon instance, for example, Tru64 UNIX, OpenVMS, Solaris, MPE or HP-UX

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Introduction

To configure CHARON-VAX networking, follow these 3 steps:

Load network adapter (if required)
If you are configuring a DEQNA, DESQA, DELQA, DEUNA, DELUA, DEMNA, DEBNI or PMADAA adapter, use the "load" command as shown below. CHARON-VAX 3100/96/98 and 4000/106/108 emulations automatically load SGEC (with the name "eza") and therefore no "load" command is required.

Example:
load DELQA/DEQNA NIC
Load "packet_port" or "tap_port"
Load "packet_port" or "tap_port" to connect the SGEC, DEQNA, DESQA, DELQA, DEUNA, DELUA, DEMNA, DEBNI or PMADAA adapter to the host hardware network card (or to a virtual network interface).

Example:
load packet_port/chnetwrk NDIS interface = "eth0"
Connect the loaded "packet_port" ("tap_port") to the loaded virtual network adapter
Connect the SGEC, DEQNA, DESQA, DELQA, DEUNA, DELUA, DEMNA, DEBNI or PMADAA adapter to the "packet_port" ("tap_port") by setting the interface name.

Example:
set NIC interface = NDIS

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SGEC Ethernet Controller

The built-in SGEC controller emulator ("eza") has the following parameters that are specified with the "set" command:

Parameter

Type

Value

interface

Text String

Name of corresponding instance of "packet_port" or "tap_port" component

station_address

Text String

"station_address" provides the ability to configure the adapter’s permanent address. By default the adapter’s permanent address is read from the host system’s NIC.

Set the "station_address" when you need to configure a satellite (remotely booted) system that will run DECnet or when the migrated software uses the permanent address on the network adapter.

Format:

XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX

or

XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX

Example:

set eza station_address="AF:01:AC:78:1B:CC"

rx_fifo_size

Numeric

"rx_fifo_size" sets the receive FIFO size.

The value is specified in Kb and by default is pre-calculated from the connected port’s size of receive queue.

Typically, you do not need to change the "rx_fifo_size" parameter. It is available for extended tuning and bug hunting purposes.

Example:

load packet_port/chnetwrk EZA0 interface = "eth0"
set EZA interface = EZA0
set EZA station_address="0C:FE:35:AA:67:3B"

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DEQNA / DESQA / DELQA Ethernet Controller

CHARON-VAX Q-bus systems provide support for DEQNA, DESQA, DELQA, DEUNA and DELUA Ethernet controllers.

Use the following command to load an instance of DEQNA, DESQA, DELQA, DEUNA and DELUA Ethernet controllers:

load DEQNA/DEQNA <logical name>
load DESQA/DEQNA <logical name>
load DELQA/DEQNA <logical name>
load DEUNA/DEUNA <logical name>
load DELUA/DEULA <logical name>

Example:

load DESQA/DEQNA XQA

DEQNA, DESQA, DELQA, DEUNA and DELUA offer the following configuration parameters that can be specified with "set" command:

Parameter

Type

Value

address

Numeric

Specifies the CSR address. The address must be a valid QBUS and UNIBUS address in I/O space. Initial value is 017774440 which is the factory setting for DEQNA, DESQA and DELQA Ethernet controllers.

Use the address parameter if loading several instances of DEQNA, DESQA, DELQA, DEUNA and DELUA.

"address" parameter value must be unique for every instance of DEQNA, DESQA, DELQA, DEUNA and DELUA.

Example:

load DEQNA/DEQNA XQA address=017774440
load DEQNA/DEQNA XQB address=017764460

interface

Text String

Name of corresponding instance of "packet_port" or "tap_port" component

station_address

Text String

"station_address" provides the ability to configure the adapter’s permanent address. By default the adapter’s permanent address is read from the host system’s NIC.

Set the "station_address" when you need to configure a satellite (remotely booted) system that will run DECnet or when the migrated software uses the permanent address on the network adapter.

Format:

XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX

or

XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX

Example:

set eza station_address="AF:01:AC:78:1B:CC"

rx_fifo_size

Numeric

"rx_fifo_size" sets the receive FIFO size.

The value is specified in Kb and by default is pre-calculated from the connected port’s size of receive queue.

Typically, you do not need to change the "rx_fifo_size" parameter. It is available for extended tuning and bug hunting purposes.

Example:

load DESQA/DEQNA QNA interface = QNA0
set QNA station_address="0C:FE:35:AA:67:3B"

load packet_port/chnetwrk QNA0 interface = "eth0"

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DEMNA Ethernet Adapter

CHARON-VAX/66X0 systems provide support for the DEMNA Ethernet controller.

Use the following command to load an instance of the DEMNA Ethernet controller:

load DEMNA/DEMNA <logical name>

Example:

load DEMNA/DEMNA EXA

DEMNA Ethernet controller offers the following configuration parameters that can be specified with "set" command:

Parameter

Type

Value

xmi_node_id

Number

Specifies the XMI slot in which the virtual DEMNA controller is placed.

For CHARON-VAX/66X0 a free slot between 10 (A) and 14 (E) must be chosen.

interface

Text String

Name of corresponding instance of "packet_port" or "tap_port" component

station_address

Text String

"station_address" provides the ability to configure the adapter’s permanent address. By default the adapter’s permanent address is read from the host system’s NIC.

Set the "station_address" when you need to configure a satellite (remotely booted) system which will run DECnet or when the migrated software uses the permanent address on the network adapter.

Format:

XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX

or

XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX

Example:

set eza station_address="AF:01:AC:78:1B:CC"

rx_fifo_size

Numeric

"rx_fifo_size" sets the receive FIFO size.

The value is specified in Kb and by default is pre-calculated from the connected port’s size of receive queue.

Typically, you do not need to change the "rx_fifo_size" parameter. It is available for extended tuning and bug hunting purposes.

Example:

load DEMNA/DEMNA EXA xmi_node_id = 11 interface = EXA0
set EXA station_address = "0C:FE:35:AA:67:3B"

load packet_port/chnetwrk EXA0 interface = "eth0"

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DEBNI Ethernet Adapter

CHARON-VAX/63X0 systems provide support for the DEBNI Ethernet controller.

Use the following command to load an instance of the DEBNI Ethernet controller:

load DEBNI/DEMNA <logical name>

Example:

load DEBNI/DEMNA EXA

DEBNI Ethernet controller offers the following configuration parameters that can be specified with "set" command:

Parameter

Type

Value

vax_bi_node_id

Number

Specifies the VAXBI slot in which the virtual DEBNI controller is placed.

interface

Text String

Name of corresponding instance of "packet_port" or "tap_port" component

station_address

Text String

"station_address" provides the ability to configure the adapter’s permanent address. By default the adapter’s permanent address is read from the host system’s NIC.

Set the "station_address" when you need to configure a satellite (remotely booted) system which will run DECnet or when the migrated software uses the permanent address on the network adapter.

Format:

XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX

or

XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX

Example:

set eza station_address="AF:01:AC:78:1B:CC"

rx_fifo_size

Numeric

"rx_fifo_size" sets the receive FIFO size.

The value is specified in Kb and by default is pre-calculated from the connected port’s size of receive queue.

Typically, you do not need to change the "rx_fifo_size" parameter. It is available for extended tuning and bug hunting purposes.

Example:

load DEBNI/DEMNA EXA vax_bi_node_id = 11 interface = EXA0
set EXA station_address = "0C:FE:35:AA:67:3B"

load packet_port/chnetwrk EXA0 interface = "eth0"

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PMAD-AA TurboChannel Ethernet Adapter

The CHARON-VAX VAXstation 4000 Model 90 system provides support for a PMAD-AA TurboChannel Ethernet controller (in addition to the preloaded SGEC "EZA").

Use the following command to load an instance of a PMAD-AA Ethernet controller:

load PMADAA/PMADAA <logical name>

Example:

load PMADAA/PMADAA EXA

PMAD-AA TurboChannel Ethernet controller offers the following configuration parameters that can be specified with "set" command:

Parameter

Type

Value

interface

Text String

Name of corresponding instance of "packet_port" or "tap_port" component

station_address

Text String

"station_address" provides the ability to configure the adapter’s permanent address. By default the adapter’s permanent address is read from the host system’s NIC.

Set the "station_address" when you need to configure a satellite (remotely booted) system which will run DECnet or when the migrated software uses the permanent address on the network adapter.

Format:

XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX

or

XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX

Example:

set eza station_address="AF:01:AC:78:1B:CC"

rx_fifo_size

Numeric

"rx_fifo_size" sets the receive FIFO size.

The value is specified in Kb and by default is pre-calculated from the connected port’s size of receive queue.

Typically, you do not need to change the "rx_fifo_size" parameter. It is available for extended tuning and bug hunting purposes.

Example:

load PMADAA/PMADAA ECA interface = ECA0
set ECA station_address = "0C:FE:35:AA:67:3B"

load packet_port/chnetwrk ECA0 interface = "eth0"

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Packet Port

The CHARON-specific "packet_port" interface establishes a connection between an Ethernet adapter in the Linux host system and a network adapter in the virtual VAX system.

For every virtual adapter instance loaded, one dedicated host Ethernet physical adapter is required.

To create instances of "packet_port", use the “load” command in the configuration file as follows:

load packet_port/chnetwrk <instance-name>

Example:

load packet_port/chnetwrk pp_1

"packet_port" offers several configuration parameters controlling its behavior.

Parameter

Type

Value

interface

Text string

This parameter Identifies an Ethernet adapter of the host system dedicated to CHARON-VAX.

Syntax:

set <name> interface="<adapter>"

Example:

set pp_1 interface="eth0"

port_enable_mac_addr_change

Boolean

If "true" is specified, CHARON sets the appropriate Ethernet address automatically.

If "false" is specified, set the Ethernet address manually. The default value is "true".

Example:

set pp_1 port_enable_mac_addr_change=false

port_ignore_on_rx

Numeric

The "port_ignore_on_rx" parameter provides the ability to shutdown the port when a specified number of sequential "on receive" errors is exceeded.

Typically, errors on receive indicate serious (unrecoverable) errors.

By default, the value is set to the value of the "port_pending_rx_number" parameter. Value of ‘0’ means infinite.

Example:

set pp_1 port_ignore_on_rx=16

port_retry_on_tx

Numeric

The "port_retry_on_tx" parameter controls the number of times the port will attempt to transmit the packet before giving up.

By default, the value is 3.

Increasing this value may introduce problems in carrier loosing logic because not all NIC drivers support carrier status query.

Typically, you do not need to increase the value.

Example:

set pp_1 port_retry_on_tx=8

port_pending_rx_number

Numeric

"port_pending_rx_number" parameter sets the number of pending receive buffers.

The default value is 63. The maximum value allowed is 195.

You may want to increase the "port_pending_rx_number" when you have very busy networking and experience problems like losing connections not related to the carrier loss.

Typically, you do not need to change this parameter.

Example:

set pp_1 port_pending_rx_number=128

port_pending_rx_number

Numeric

"port_pending_tx_number" parameter sets the number of buffers the port uses to transmit.

The default value is 62.

You may want to increase the "port_pending_tx_number" value if the log file indicates dropped TX packets due to TX queue overflow.

Typically, you do not need to change this parameter.

Example:

set pp_1 port_pending_rx_number=128

suspend_msg_on_mac_change

Boolean

To avoid confusion arrising from non critical errors during MAC address change, by default, logging is suppressed (default value is "true").

To enable tracing during MAC address change set this parameter to "false"

Example:

set pp_1 suspend_msg_on_mac_change=false

"tap_port" parameters are the same as "packet_port" ones

Example:

load DEQNA/DEQNA XQA

load packet_port/chnetwrk XQA0 interface="eth0"

set XQA interface=XQA0

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Supported Ethernet Q-bus Adapters for DECnet OSI (DECnet Plus)

The only supported Q-bus device is the DELQA adapter model.

During DECnet OSI installation or DECnet OSI interface reconfiguration, DEQNA and DESQA models are not recognized as valid devices. (DECnet OSI SPD).

The integrated SGEC Ethernet "EZA" on MicroVAX 3100 & VAX 4000-106/108 is supported by DECnet OSI.

The integrated ESA (AMD Lance 7990) device is not currently implemented in Charon-VAX.

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Ethernet Q-bus Adapter and Cluster configuration rules

In a VMS Cluster using VMS V 5.5 and above, use only DELQA and DESQA Ethernet adapters that are supported (VMS Cluster SPD).

The default DEQNA device is not supported for SCS Cluster protocol and the emulated VAX will fail with a CLUEXIT Bugcheck.

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