[HECnet] DECnet area router configuration

[Kari Uusim ki]

gerry77 at mail.com wrote:
On Thu, 3 Dec 2009 10:53:31 -0800, you wrote:
SHOW KNOWN AREAS is showing 9 areas, which is good.   SHOW KNOWN NODES isn't showing any new nodes though.   And a TELL 1.400 SHOW KNOWN NODES isn't showing my nodes yet. (I'm area 42 if you start seeing it in the node list).
I'd have to check the docs, but IIRC the node list doesn't get transmitted
to different areas. Area routers exchange among themselves infos about their
area reachability and answer yes or not to the reachability of any node
under their scope (i.e. in their area), but do not transfer the whole area
contents to other nodes.
To see new nodes in SHOW KNOWN NODES you'll have to do a COPY KNOWN NODES
from a node that already knows the nodes you are interested in, then you'll
see all the nodes on a reachable area marked as reachable (even if the
specific node is powered off).
But do not take for granted this whole theory. :-)
G.
Usual disclaimer: Excuse my English: it's not my native language.
.

The DECnet routing works just as Gerry told.

Area routers exchange area information among themselves by sending router hello's. Endnodes inform the area routers about their existence by sending endnode hello's and L1 and L2 routers send router hello's which also the endnodes listen to.
All the routing information is sent by multicasting.
So all nodes learn the needed information from the network without any operator efforts.

That is true if the network is configured by the rules. :)


Kari