ward@husc3.harvard.edu (05/23/91)
I have a question regarding the Cisco AGS and AGS+ routers, though the question and answer may apply to all Cisco routers. Regarding the routing of DECnet protocols, in DECnet there is a management/monitoring capability provided through a VMS program called NCP which allows one to access DECnet nodes and extract certain information such as DECnet routes. I believe that DECnet NML is used to accomplish this. I think NML is a separate DECnet protocol(s) (like MOP, LAT, etc) but I am not sure of this. With the Proteon router we have, one cannot run the VMS net management and monitoring program NCP and access a DECnet node on the other side of the Proteon router, so presumably the DECnet router cannot pass/route this (NML DECnet protocol(s)?) DECnet function. Of course the Proteon router does handle the fundamental DECnet communications protocols, but not whatever protocol(s) are used by the NCP program. The question is: how does the Cisco router(s) behave in this case, specifically the AGS and AGS+ models? I know that the Cisco routers can also process the fundamental DECnet communications protocols. But specifically regarding the VMS NCP net management/monitoring protocol(s), does the Cisco router also become a "black hole" like the Proteon does when running the VMS NCP program on a DECnet node on one side of the router while trying to access a DECnet node on the other side of the router, or can the Cisco routers handle this situation as desired? If possible send replies directly to me. Thanks, --Steven Ward ward@cfa.harvard.edu
ward@husc3.harvard.edu (05/25/91)
In an earlier message to this newsgroup I posed
some questions regarding the Cisco AGS+ router
with respect to how it handles DECnet NML
protocols (NICE protocols). I also gave an
example regarding the Proteon router we have
which may be (unintentionally) misleading.
Even though I was asking questions and expressed
my uncertainties, I want to follow up so that
my first messsage query does not mislead.
Neither the Cisco nor the Proteon respond
directly to DECnet NCP/NML communications.
The Proteon simply ignores such attempts while
the AGS+ does issue an error/rejection message.
As far as I am able to determine, both the AGS+
and the Proteon can transparently bridge (at the
protocol level) the DECnet NCP/NML NICE protocols
(and other non-routed protocols). This makes
both routers effectively transparent to the
DECnet NCP operation.
ward@cfa.harvard.edu