[HECnet] Hoping to join HECnet

[Keith Halewood]

Hi Johnny,

I see that the multinet command to configure and create the interface doesn't preserve the port number and/or tcp vs udp protocol setting so that was an editing job.
Yeah, the 8650 is going to be a pandora's box when I finally get around to it.
As for a CI, I'm partly on the way. I know/knew MSCP well and the rudiments of its encapsulation over a CI connection. I won't be creating a star coupler or HSC (from a pdp-11 simulation), it'll just be something on the end of a network port that looks like an HSC serving discs.... this is all much more probable than getting an 8650 up and running :)

Audit is showing a few 'attempted' logins already.

I'll take area 29, thank you very much indeed.

Keith

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On Behalf Of Johnny Billquist
Sent: 23 June 2018 18:12
To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Subject: Re: [HECnet] Hoping to join HECnet

Hi, Keith.

On 2018-06-23 18:22, Keith Halewood wrote:
> Hi Johnny,
> 
> Well that seemed relatively straightforward. Multinet installed, minimal configuration, locked down externally (pretty sure anyway) and a HECnet connection to Supratim's 1.599.
> "copy known nodes" took me back all those years to when we 'illegally' ran a DECnet over a certain academic X25 network. The local instance of VMS I've hijacked for this experience was (and can be again) a full DECnet routing node.

Excellent. I can see that 1.577 is online. Nice. (And IMPVAX is 1.559, not 1.599 :-) )

> As for the 8650, I'm not sure what its state is, battery or otherwise. 
> The major issue with these machines is the power consumption. I've 
> worked hard over the past few years to lower my power footprint. If I 
> ever get it going, it'll be in the (hopefully rebuilt) garage, 
> operated during the winter months, with the hot air piped through into 
> the house.... this last part may or may not be true :)

If it's been sitting for more than 6 months without power (which I assume it has) then your batteries are going to be shot. And unless you can find new ones (doubtful), you'll have to jumper the backplane.

> I'm happy with SIMH at the moment, hosted on a range of kit... and I'll be even happier once I get a working virtual CI with an HSC server.

I have never seen anyone implement emulated CI, so don't hold your breath... Nor an HSC. I would bet on running emulated UDA50/KDA50 controllers on the machine, and have your MSCP disks attached that way. 
And any cluster you want to run, have it run over a normal network, with disks served from VMS.

> You've no idea how happy I am at the moment.

All of this is just for fun. Nice to have one more on board.
Now, you wanted your own area?
Area 29 is free. Want me to write that one up to you then?

   Johnny

> 
> Regards,
> 
> Keith
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On 
> Behalf Of Johnny Billquist
> Sent: 23 June 2018 15:38
> To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
> Subject: Re: [HECnet] Hoping to join HECnet
> 
> Hi.
> 
> On 2018-06-23 15:57, Keith Halewood wrote:
>> Hi Johnny,
>>
>> I understand the day job often spilling over into night too.
> 
> Yeah. It happens sometimes.
> 
>> I managed to get Multinet 055 via the hobbyist licence but so far I've not managed to install it. It's a job for later on today I hope.
> 
> Ok. Let us know how this progress.
> 
>> I'm located in west London, connected to the internet via symmetric VDSL2.
> 
> Hmm. In this case, it might make more sense to connect to Update then, since Update is in Sweden.
> 
>> I'll personally never have 1023 nodes but if an area number is 
>> available then it'd be fun to have one. I have the resources to keep 
>> SIMH systems up, the bandwidth to offer a few other connections and, 
>> when I get it out of storage and fixed up, a real VAX 8650 :)
> 
> We can allocate an area. That's not a problem (yet). :-) That will require that you set your machine up as an area router, though. But this is not difficult.
> 
> If you want to allow access to HECnet through your machines, that's fine. But first we need to get you up and running.
> 
> A real 8650 would be nice. That would be the second such machine on HECnet. Update have one (well, two actually) 8650 as well. They are not normally on, since they consume lots of power, and generate lots of heat. And cooling have the last few years been an issue for Update.
> 
> Have you kept the batteries charging in that machine, or do you have the documentation on the hardware fix needed to run without batteries?
> Otherwise the machine will not start up.
> The hardware fix is simple, and just require the installation of a single jumper on the backplane. I have the documentation somewhere if needed.
> 
>     Johnny
> 
>>
>> Hope that's enough,
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Keith
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On 
>> Behalf Of Johnny Billquist
>> Sent: 23 June 2018 11:45
>> To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
>> Subject: Re: [HECnet] Hoping to join HECnet
>>
>> Hi Keith.
>>
>> On 2018-06-21 18:39, Keith Halewood wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I sent a message a while back to the 'responsible person' (as stated in the HECnet webpage) but have not received a response so I thought I'd try the list.
>>> Having recently rediscovered the delights of VMS(7.3 VAX architecture), the hobbyist programme and SIMH, etc. etc. I'd like to link into HECnet. Any help appreciated. I can do DDCMP-DMC (over UDP or TCP) or use the SIMH4.x built-in bridge.
>>
>> Apologies if I missed something. Been very busy with work for a while now.
>> Anyway, I saw that Supratim offered a way to connect. How has this gone?
>> Are you online yet, or still working on it?
>> Where are you located? It might be that Supratim is a good point for you to connect to, or we might want to find someone closer. Supratim is on the US east cost, unless my memory fails me.
>>
>> As for node numbers, we might want to set aside a small range for you.
>> So my first question would be if you need a small set of numbers within an existing area, or an area of your own? Area 1 is where Supratim is in, so if you connect through him we'd allocate some numbers in this area. But we first need to establish to where you connect, and some basic needs. And then we figure out the next bits.
>>
>>      Johnny
>>
> 

-- 
Johnny Billquist                  || "I'm on a bus
                                   ||  on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se             ||  Reading murder books
pdp is alive!                     ||  tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol