ajp@hpopd.pwd.hp.com (Andy Pearce) (01/21/91)
Earlier this month I posted a request for information on products that
supply TCP/IP for VMS systems wanting to connect to IEEE 802.3
standard networks. In this summary, I've tried to steer away from
product comparisons, but I have summarised the opinions expressed
in the responses.
Thanks to everyone who responded to the request. I had a total of 28
responses from users of various VMS TCP/IP solutions, as well as
from suppliers.
The general consensus was that TGV Multinet is the most popular product
around right now (recommended by over half of those who expressed a
preference). As well as TCP/IP services it has an NFS server and
client option available, and implements Sun's RPC interface. The
service and support are highly acclaimed. No-one complained about it.
There is a good review of Multinet in Dec10, 1990 Digital review.
A little under a quarter of the preferees said they were quite
satisfied with Wollongong's product - WIN/TCP. But there were also
complaints about its reliability (most from those who had switched to
Multinet). As well as TCP/IP it also has NFS server and client
components, and it's RPC interface complies with the HP/Apollo NCS
standard being adopted by OSF.
NRC Fusion product was mentioned by a number of people who had tried
it, but nobody expressed a firm preference. It's apparently good, but
has or had SMTP bugs, and many respondents preferred Multinet. Its
RCP interface also complies with NCS.
DEC has its own TCP/IP product called "VMS/Ultrix", "Ultrix connection",
more commonly known as "UCX". As well as TCP/IP there is an NFS server
available, but no NFS client. It also has an RPC interface which
fully complies with the OSF NCS. Some users complained about lack of
features, installation, and reliability. Distributors claim many of
these problems have been solved in the latest version.
CMU-TEK TCP/IP was recommended by a few users. This is from a group
at Carnegie Mellon University, is cheap and offers good support.
Rockwell CMC has TCP/IP Ethernet, and a TCP/IP for VMS Ethernet
interface card. I had no user responses for this product.
Process Software Corp do TCPWare for VMS. As well as TCP/IP this has
NFS server and client, and implements Sun's RPC interface. Again, no
user responses.
There is an Excelan EXOS ethernet board available for single processor
machines, together with TCP/IP and NFS software. No user response for
these products. Novell took over Excelan's line of networking products
and now support them.
DECnet for HPUX by Control Data Corporation gives you DECnet on an
HP9000, and may be what you need if you're just connecting a few
HP9000's into a VAX/VMS shop running DECnet.
HP's NS/VAX is not recommended for TCP/IP networking requirements.
It provided NS and telnet between VMS and HP using an HP proprietary
networking protocol (not TCP/IP).
Disclaimer: The above information is what was given to me - I'm just
passing it on. If any of it is incorrect then please
post corrections. Also, if I've missed out a product
that you can recommend, I'm sure people would like to
know.
--ajpraj@hpindwa.cup.hp.com (Rick Jones) (01/22/91)
Since corrections were solicited ;-) >HP's NS/VAX is not recommended for TCP/IP networking requirements. >It provided NS and telnet between VMS and HP using an HP proprietary >networking protocol (not TCP/IP). This is incorrect - TCP/IP *IS* the protocol used by NS/VAX and NS anything else HP. What *is* nonstandard about it is its use of the Probe protocol for NAME->IP and IP->LAN address resolution. At the time of its introduction, Probe was the only thing going on HP3000s. The other point of non-standardness is it's use (to the 3K's at least) of what is sometimes refered to as 802.HP encapsulation for IP packets. NS pre-dates the birth of SNAP, and uses the IEEE assigned 802.2 sap for IP (it also is really early in the development of ARP, hence the use of Probe...). The rest of the world went with SNAP, so our use of a 'standard' standard became percieved as being non-standard ;-) more after the signature for those interested... rick jones ___ _ ___ |__) /_\ | Richard Anders Jones | MPE/XL Networking Engineer | \_/ \_/ Hewlett-Packard Co. | But is IS TCP/IP - Honest! ;-) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Being an employee of a Standards Company, all Standard Disclaimers Apply $further developments Since MPE/V V-Delta5, and MPE/XL Release 2.2, the 3000s have supported Ethernet encapsulation in addition to 802.3/HP. ARP has also been added. One other common misconception is that 3000s cannot communicate with the rest of the world because the interface to TCP is NetIPC. They forget the meaning of the word "interface" and assume it is the same as "protocol." There is no reason why a NetIPC application cannot communicate with a BSD Sockets application. I know of at *least* two examples of this. The first is FTP/XL (shipped for Release 2.2 and later). The second I cannot mention here but it is along similiar lines. $ return to normal programming