DECnet-RSX Network Management Concepts and Procedures

This manual serves as a comprehensive guide for network managers responsible for building, maintaining, and managing DECnet-RSX nodes within a DECnet network, including systems equipped with the RSX-11 Packetnet System Interface (PSI) for X.25 communication with Packet Switching Data Networks (PSDNs).

The document is structured into eight chapters and several appendices, covering:

• Network Management Overview: Introduces DECnet-RSX, its configurations (local area, wide area, area routing for larger networks), and the core management utilities: Configuration File Editor (CFE) for permanent database, Network Control Program (NCP) for volatile database, and Virtual Network Processor (VNP) for the system image file. Other tools like Console Carrier Requester (CCR), Event File Interpreter (EVF), Host Task Loader (HLD), KMS-11 Microcode Dump Analyzer (KDA), Network Crash Dump Analyzer (NDA), Network Display Program (NTD), Queue Manager Utility (QUE), and X.25 Trace Interpreter Task (TRI) are also introduced.
• Network Management Components: Details the configuration parameters for various network elements including nodes, routing components (areas, node types, costs, timers), objects, lines (DDCMP, PCL, Ethernet, PSI), and circuits. It also describes event logging and counter mechanisms.
• Operating DECnet-RSX/PSI Nodes: Provides procedures for starting up and shutting down local DECnet-RSX and DECnet-RSX/PSI nodes, and methods for monitoring network activity.
• Testing the Network: Explains various loopback tests (node, circuit, X.25 line level) for fault isolation and troubleshooting, along with the PSI Trace utility and KMS-11 microcode dump analyzer.
• DECnet-RSX Host Services: Describes how a DECnet-RSX node can act as a host, offering down-line system loading, up-line memory dumping, and remote console facilities for other nodes.
• Choosing Network Buffer Parameters: Guides users on allocating and optimizing system buffer parameters (large, small, and communications control buffers) for performance.
• Area Routing Guidelines: Offers recommendations and strategies for configuring multiple-area networks and addresses potential integration issues with Phase III nodes.
• A Component View of DECnet-RSX/PSI: Provides an architectural overview of the software components comprising a DECnet-RSX/PSI system.

The appendices summarize commands for CFE, NCP, and VNP, list object type codes, event classes, and network counters, and detail PSI component states and state transitions.