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INTERR
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	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:
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Bruce R. Mitchell
Machine Intelligence and Industrial Magic
PO Box 601
Hudson, Wisconsin
54016
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	Attempted phone calls and in-person visits will be politely rejected.
