Networking

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 "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:
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:

The interface name can be either "(disabled)" for a disabled interface or "<network interface name>"

Examples:

Network booting is supported with exception of VAX6xxx models.

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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:

interface

Parameter	interface
Type	Text String
Value	Name of corresponding instance of "packet_port" or "tap_port" component

station_address

Parameter

station_address

Type

Text String

Value

"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

Parameter

rx_fifo_size

Type

Numeric

Value

"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:

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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:

address

Parameter

address

Type

Numeric

Value

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

Parameter	interface
Type	Text String
Value	Name of corresponding instance of "packet_port" or "tap_port" component

station_address

Parameter

station_address

Type

Text String

Value

"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 QNA station_address="AF:01:AC:78:1B:CC"

rx_fifo_size

Parameter

rx_fifo_size

Type

Numeric

Value

"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:

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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:

xmi_node_id

Parameter

xmi_node_id

Type

Number

Value

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

Parameter	interface
Type	Text String
Value	Name of corresponding instance of "packet_port" or "tap_port" component

station_address

Parameter

station_address

Type

Text String

Value

"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 EXA station_address="AF:01:AC:78:1B:CC"

rx_fifo_size

Parameter

rx_fifo_size

Type

Numeric

Value

"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:

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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:

vax_bi_node_id

Parameter	vax_bi_node_id
Type	Number
Value	Specifies the VAXBI slot in which the virtual DEBNI controller is placed.

interface

Parameter	interface
Type	Text String
Value	Name of corresponding instance of "packet_port" or "tap_port" component

station_address

Parameter

station_address

Type

Text String

Value

"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 EXA station_address="AF:01:AC:78:1B:CC"

rx_fifo_size

Parameter

rx_fifo_size

Type

Numeric

Value

"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:

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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:

interface

Parameter	interface
Type	Text String
Value	Name of corresponding instance of "packet_port" or "tap_port" component

station_address

Parameter

station_address

Type

Text String

Value

"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 ECA station_address="AF:01:AC:78:1B:CC"

rx_fifo_size

Parameter

rx_fifo_size

Type

Numeric

Value

"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:

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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.

interface

Parameter

interface

Type

Text string

Value

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

Parameter

port_enable_mac_addr_change

Type

Boolean

Value

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_retry_on_tx

Parameter

port_retry_on_tx

Type

Numeric

Value

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

Parameter

port_pending_rx_number

Type

Numeric

Value

"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_tx_number

Parameter	port_pending_tx_number
Type	Numeric