DECnet for OpenVMS Networking Manual

This "DECnet for OpenVMS Networking Manual" (May 1993) provides comprehensive conceptual and practical usage information for managing and operating DECnet on OpenVMS systems (supporting both AXP Version 1.5 and VAX Version 6.0).

The document is intended for:

• Network Managers: Those who need to configure, control, monitor, and test DECnet for OpenVMS.
• OpenVMS Users/Developers: Individuals who perform operations over the network, such as remote file access or task-to-task communications.

Key areas covered in the manual include:

1. Overview and Concepts: Introduces basic networking concepts, the DECnet interface with the OpenVMS operating system, various network configurations (Ethernet, FDDI, DDCMP, CI), and core components like nodes, circuits, lines, routing (routers and end nodes), and logical links.
2. Network System Management: Details the use of the Network Control Program (NCP) to build and maintain the DECnet configuration database. It covers commands and parameters for managing nodes, circuits, lines, logical links, and network objects. This section also explains logging mechanisms and various levels of network access control, as well as host services like downline loading and upline dumping of unattended systems.
3. Configuration, Installation, and Testing: Provides step-by-step procedures for configuring and installing a DECnet network, including prerequisites and example configurations. It also outlines methods for testing network operations at both node and circuit levels.
4. Network User Operations: Describes how users can interact with the network, including retrieving status information, establishing communication with remote nodes, accessing files on remote systems, and performing transparent and nontransparent task-to-task communications, with examples for DCL, RMS, and system service calls.
5. Multivendor File Operations: A specialized section detailing file access restrictions and considerations when communicating between OpenVMS and various other operating systems (e.g., IAS, RSTS/E, RSX, RT-11, TOPS-10, TOPS-20, MS-DOS, ULTRIX, IBM).

In essence, this manual serves as a detailed technical guide for anyone involved in setting up, maintaining, or using DECnet capabilities on OpenVMS systems of its era.