schafer@BRAZOS.RICE.EDU (Richard A. Schafer) (02/10/90)
I've heard the arguments about using NETSERV tools to update my node entry, and am not at all sure about a few things. Such as how to use them to change tags like routtab. Trying to update my routtab entry, I get told that I have more than 8 user tags (these turn out to be Inforep, Techrep, srv1id, srv1type, srv2id, tformat, tclass, cks, plus who knows what else). Since there are more than 8, NODESNAD refuses to display more than the first 8 tags, which presumably means I can't change the non-displayed tags, whatever they are. Is anyone going to update NODESNAD to recognize the newer tags? Am I using obsolete tools, and if so what should I be using? I got interested in this today when I found 3 routing tables in my reader: RICEVM1 NETINIT RICELIBR NETINIT RICE NETINIT Now I'll bet that my nodes entry for RICEVM1 and RICE don't contain :routtab. tags, which is why these were presumably generated by NETSERV. (Actually, looking at the VERS9002 NODUPD file, I find that someone has added :routtab tags saying that NETSERV is to generate the tables, and send them to me.) I've already sent in an update (too late for 9002; 9003?) to change RICEVM1 to indicate that I generate my own tables, thank you, and will also do that for RICELIBR and RICECSVM. But how on earth do I say not to generate a routing table for RICE, which is an alias of RICEVM1? This seems ludicrous, and seems to be a flaw in NETSERV's table generation process. Richard (TechRep for RICEVM1, RICECSVM, and RICELIBR. And also RICE?)
950MMCCA@UCSBVM.BITNET (Dwight M. McCann) (02/10/90)
On Fri, 9 Feb 90 22:33:46 GMT Richard A. Schafer said: >Am I using obsolete tools, and if so what should I be using? > >Richard Given that no description of what is happening with table formats, tools and ongoing errors has been sent to the TECHREP list (where such information rightfully belongs), I too would like to hear an answer to Richard's question. I am still somewhat appalled that BITNIC staff appear to be working on new programs and/or tools, the purpose of which is not clear, while there are problems (the specifics of which have still not been clearly stated) with the database. It the TECHREP list is correct, then that list should be notified about errors and re-releases of routing tables, and if it isn't correct, then I don't really care about FastRout. Dwight
PASCH@DHDIBM1.BITNET (Berthold Pasch +49 (6221) 404-242) (02/13/90)
Now I know why Netserv generates routing tables for aliases: The failure is caused by the way how Netserv processes aliases: it simply copies all attributes of the node entry to a dummy (internal) entry for the alias node and treats this entry as if it were a real node. Thus the :routtab tag is duplicated and the table is generated for the real nodeid and for the alias nodeid. This, and similar problems with aliases will disappear with the new nodes file format in which aliases are unknown. (Another good reason for dropping the alias tag.) However, to avoid the routing table problem I shall modify Netserv and suppress copying of the :routtab tag for the alias nodeid. Regards, Berthold
STEVENS@MACC.WISC.EDU (PAul STevens -- MACC) (02/14/90)
>This, and similar problems with aliases will disappear with the new >nodes file format in which aliases are unknown. (Another good reason >for dropping the alias tag.) > >Regards, Berthold Oooooooops. Has it been decided to drop all aliases? What will happen to the old alias names??? Will there automatically be an additional NODENTRY added for each node that has an alias? Or should I quickly send an ADD NODE to create a 'phantom' node with the proper name? When is this going to happen? PAul STevens stevens@wiscmacc (an alias!!)