dear all ,
i have an alpha server running openVMS , it use DECnet IV also it have the pathworks advaced server installed on it .
the problem is :
i install the client software of the pathworks on win98 so i can access my alpha server .
in past i do the following to access the shared area on the server :
start -- run -- \\myserver {myserver is the name of the alpha server }
and it was working very well
but my network was just flat network , just a switch tieing my server and clients .

now i am trying to give access to some remote users who want to pass throug routers .
my problem now is the name resolving of the remote clients , as router don't pass broadcast messages so remote clients can't resolve the ( \\myserver ).

i just want to ask , is there a file for name DECnet name resolving ??? , in TCP/IP , i can use the lmhosts file or wins server for name resolving , is there anything like that in DECnet ??

thanks for your help

It's been a while since I worked with it. But I thought, that there is a non-editable file in the local PW32 directory, something like PWNODE.DAT. You use local NCP commands to add nodes to it. These commands are more or less the same as for VMS Decnet.

It may also be, that there is extra tab in the Windows network settings, where you can add the name of the nodes. See: Start . Settings . Control Panel . Network . Configuration
Sorry my memory is a little vague, but it is more than five years ago since I worked with Pathworks/Decnet

greetings ,

smiles , yes i know it is too old technology , really i didn't have much experinces in it , but i am trying my best .
thank you so much for your kindly help , and yes there is a tab named " other nodes " you can specify decnet address and node name in it , but i tryed it and it didn't work , i really don't know why , i will try as you said trhe local ncp commands at may be it could help more :) , by the way how i can use this local ncp !!! , do you mean i just do the follwing command { c:/windows>ncp }
at dos prompt . or do you mean another way ?

thanks for your help

Dear sir
Can you guide me about pathworks software. I want to access DEC Alpha system through network. How to install pathworks. Is it to be installed at only my terminal windows98 or to dec also.
I am a novice. kindly help me

zaka

Decnet is not that old. It is actually newer than TCP/IP. And yes, there was a commandline utility on the PC. I think it was just called NCP (in C:\PW32).
Are you sure it is not a network problem ?
Can the PC's reach your server with other Decnet utilities like SETHOST ? And have you installed a license requestor on the PC's ?

Just on your network, there is no problem. It's with the routers.

The default protocol used on routers is TCPIP. They do not understand DECNet.
When you try to resolve a DECNet name, the request will NOT be routed since the router doesn't understand the syntax and jus6t ignores it.
What you need is either a router that understands DECNet protocol or install and enable PWIP - DECNet over IP - on both VMS and cleints. That requires DECNet-Plus, AKA DECNEt OSI,AKA DECNEt V.
If your external users access the system over the Internet, PWIP is a REQUIREMENT since Internet talks TCPIP only.

(BTW: TCPIP is MUCH older, and FAR LESS secure and robust than DECNet)

Willem Grooters