In large networks of Digital Equipment Corporation computers
using DEC's DECnet networking software, it is often desirable to
have a method of automatically reconfiguring the network to
adjust to changing conditions.
In large DECnets, change is constant; new nodes enter the
network, old nodes are removed, partitioned subnets are started,
and node names are changed. This information is usually
distributed to the various nodes by transferring a file
containing node assignment information for all the nodes; but
this is slow, error-prone, wasteful of expensive programmer time
and effective only if the network is relatively small. When a
network becomes much larger than 50 machines, the effort required
to update network configuration information on all machines
simultaneously becomes prohibitive.
It is possible to avoid this problem by assigning a central
node as a record-keeper for the entire network. If this is done,
when a node enters the network all it needs to do is interrogate
the record-keeping node about the current network configuration.
This has the advantages of updating each node's configuration
information whenever the node is restarted and of centralizing
the network configuration information.
INTERR is a program which interrogates the Network
Management Listener / Network Information and Control Executor
(NICE/NML) on a central node to obtain node numbers and node
names for the current network configuration. When it has
obtained this information, it spawns NCP SET commands to the
local host to set this information locally. An additional
advantage of INTERR is that, for networks which are partitioned
into subnets, it is possible to interrogate a node in the local
subnet for information rather than a globally known node which
would not know about the subnetwork nodes.
To build INTERR, invoke the build command file, INTGEN.
INTGEN should normally build the task (on an M V4/M-Plus V2 or
later system) without significant intervention.
More documentation is available in INTERR.RNO. Direct all
other inquiries, comments and suggestions - IN WRITING ONLY - to:
Bruce R. Mitchell
Machine Intelligence and Industrial Magic
PO Box 601
Hudson, Wisconsin
54016
Attempted phone calls and in-person visits will be politely
rejected.