Hidden Value January 1998

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Hidden Value details commands and procedures in MPE that can improve your productivity with HP 3000 systems. Get a free NewsWire HP 3000 Always Online cap – submit your MPE tip directly to us here at the NewsWire. Send your tips to rseybold@zilker.net, or fax them to 512-657-3264.

Compiled by John Burke

How can I tell when my HP 3000 was last booted? This assumes there are no jobs or sessions still running from when it was last booted.

Michael Hensley replies:
Go to www.allegro.com and click on the “UPTIME” link under “Free Software”.

Paul Christidis and Neil Harvey reply:
Print the contents of ‘LOGDCC.PUB.SYS’

Wolfgang Kinscher replies:
The creation date of the files in the group BOOTUP.SYS is the last START NORECOVERY and I think the modification date is the last START RECOVERY.

And, finally, Lars Appel replies:
SYSINFO.PRVXL.TELESUP, under the MISC option, displays the last install, last update, last start and possibly last dump. Just make sure that your SYSINFO is current and not, for example, an old MPE/V version (file code PROG). Otherwise, you could cause a system abort.

[Editor’s note: All the suggestions work, though I lean toward SYSINFO because of its completeness and presence on all systems.]

How can I dynamically control hardware compression on DDS drives?

Christopher Davey, Juan Criel, Tony Knowles and Bob Jankowski reply:
The name of the command file is ‘devctrl.mpexl.telesup’. An example:

xeq devctrl.mpexl.telesup 38;compression=disable

“help devctrl.mpexl.telesup” will display the parameters.

The full syntax (LOAD added with 5.5) is entered on a single line:

DEVCTRL.MPEXL.TELESUP dev=(ldev) eject=(enable/disable/nochange) compression=(enable/disable/nochange) load=(online/offline/nochange)

How can I set up a time constraint to a particular login or group of logins on the HP 3000?

Dave Lukenbill, Andreas Schmidt and Costas Anastassiades reply:
If you do not have a security product, you could create a UDC using OPTION LOGON, which would check the system time (ie < 6:00am OR > 7:00pm), ECHO a warning to the user, and then issue BYE. You might want to include the OPTION NOBREAK as well.

How can I restrict inbound telnet (MPE/iX 5.5) by IP address?

Christopher Boggs, Gary Biggs and Jeff Kell reply:
You can limit incoming telnets to your machine by using the INETDSEC.NET.SYS file. If you haven’t made use of this file previously, there’s a sample file – INSECSMP.NET.SYS you can copy to INETDSEC.NET.SYS and make changes from there. You will also need to link it with the Posix name using this command:

NEWLINK /usr/adm/inetd.sec, INETDSEC.NET.SYS

Details are in the “Configuring and Managing MPE/iX Internet Services” manual.

I was under the impression that doing a START NORECOVERY reset SPOOLIDs and JOB numbers, but for some reason they didn’t reset on the last restart I did on our two systems. What gives? I’m sure they’ve reset in the past. Is there a utility that allows you to reset these things without a restart?

Art Bahrs replies:
The spoolid’s don’t reset when there are spoolfiles in the OUT group of the HPSPOOL account. Do a HELP on the SETCOUNTER command to see how to control counters.

We want to move from PC-managed DTCs to host-managed DTCs. Do we have to do anything besides make the change in NMMGR? All we have on these DTCs now is a couple of printers, a couple of modems and one terminal.

John Alleyn-Day replies:
Yes. When you set the flag in NMMGR from Y to N to indicate that you are managing from the HP 3000, NMMGR uses a different set of configuration parameters that are not necessarily the same as before. I was caught once with this, so I hope I can save some aggravation for others. Check all the details of the terminal configurations after changing this flag and make sure they correspond to what you want. Apart from that, it should be very straightforward.

Our DNS resolution gets kind of goofy sometimes. One time it works, the next time it says there is no DNS entry. How can I make the resolution behave more consistently?

Mark Bixby replies:
This type of “now you see it, now you don’t” resolution problem can be a sign that your DNS servers are using an outdated list of root servers. The current list of root servers can be found at ftp://rs.internic.net/domain/name d.root. I experienced this very same problem recently. Installing the current named.root fixed things.

In the NSDIR file I had a printer Node Name configured as DRGV1.OEKV.WIEN mapped to IP Address 192.10.4.70. I then changed the mapping to 192.10.4.71, did an NETCONTROL UPDATE=ALL;NET=LAN on the HP 3000 and also changed the address in the JetDirect card for the printer. I then expected that I could print using either the IP address or the Node Name.
But what worked with the IP address did not work with the Node Name. I then used NETTOOL to look at the Node Name’s IP address and guess what? It still showed 192.10.4.71. I always thought that NETCONTROL UPDATE=ALL can change these things. Am I wrong?

Klaus Franke replies:
You were on the right track with NETTOOL. Unfortunately, you did not see the command DELNAME under NAMEADDR.

With this command, followed by the name of the node DRGV1, you can remove the entry from the cache. The network software will the get the name from the nsdir the next time it is requested. The netcontrol update was not necessary for this!

If I use Query and find/delete all entries in a dataset, is the high water mark (HWM) set to zero?

Ken Paul replies:
If you are asking about a master dataset then the HWM is always set to the capacity of the master. If you are asking about a detail dataset then when the last entry is deleted and the FreeEntryCount is equal to the capacity, DBDELETE will reset the HighWaterMark and the deleteChainHead to zero.

Does the Express 3 release include the fix for the Ping ’O Death?

HP’s Jim Hofmeister replies:
Yes, Express-3 includes the patch NSTEDR8 which includes the fix: 4701-338830 “Inhibits SA3890 due to incoming ping packet > 65507”.

Original material copyright 1998, The 3000 NewsWire. All rights reserved.




		Click here for TSG sponsor message

		Hidden Value details commands and procedures in MPE that can improve your productivity with HP 3000 systems. Get a free NewsWire HP 3000 Always Online cap – submit your MPE tip directly to us here at the NewsWire. Send your tips to rseybold@zilker.net, or fax them to 512-657-3264. Compiled by John Burke How can I tell when my HP 3000 was last booted? This assumes there are no jobs or sessions still running from when it was last booted. Michael Hensley replies: Go to www.allegro.com and click on the “UPTIME” link under “Free Software”. Paul Christidis and Neil Harvey reply: Print the contents of ‘LOGDCC.PUB.SYS’ Wolfgang Kinscher replies: The creation date of the files in the group BOOTUP.SYS is the last START NORECOVERY and I think the modification date is the last START RECOVERY. And, finally, Lars Appel replies: SYSINFO.PRVXL.TELESUP, under the MISC option, displays the last install, last update, last start and possibly last dump. Just make sure that your SYSINFO is current and not, for example, an old MPE/V version (file code PROG). Otherwise, you could cause a system abort. [Editor’s note: All the suggestions work, though I lean toward SYSINFO because of its completeness and presence on all systems.] How can I dynamically control hardware compression on DDS drives? Christopher Davey, Juan Criel, Tony Knowles and Bob Jankowski reply: The name of the command file is ‘devctrl.mpexl.telesup’. An example: `xeq devctrl.mpexl.telesup 38;compression=disable` “`help devctrl.mpexl.telesup`” will display the parameters. The full syntax (LOAD added with 5.5) is entered on a single line: `DEVCTRL.MPEXL.TELESUP dev=(ldev) eject=(enable/disable/nochange) compression=(enable/disable/nochange) load=(online/offline/nochange)` How can I set up a time constraint to a particular login or group of logins on the HP 3000? Dave Lukenbill, Andreas Schmidt and Costas Anastassiades reply: If you do not have a security product, you could create a UDC using OPTION LOGON, which would check the system time (ie < 6:00am OR > 7:00pm), ECHO a warning to the user, and then issue BYE. You might want to include the OPTION NOBREAK as well. How can I restrict inbound telnet (MPE/iX 5.5) by IP address? Christopher Boggs, Gary Biggs and Jeff Kell reply: You can limit incoming telnets to your machine by using the INETDSEC.NET.SYS file. If you haven’t made use of this file previously, there’s a sample file – INSECSMP.NET.SYS you can copy to INETDSEC.NET.SYS and make changes from there. You will also need to link it with the Posix name using this command: `NEWLINK /usr/adm/inetd.sec, INETDSEC.NET.SYS` Details are in the “Configuring and Managing MPE/iX Internet Services” manual. I was under the impression that doing a START NORECOVERY reset SPOOLIDs and JOB numbers, but for some reason they didn’t reset on the last restart I did on our two systems. What gives? I’m sure they’ve reset in the past. Is there a utility that allows you to reset these things without a restart? Art Bahrs replies: The spoolid’s don’t reset when there are spoolfiles in the OUT group of the HPSPOOL account. Do a HELP on the SETCOUNTER command to see how to control counters. We want to move from PC-managed DTCs to host-managed DTCs. Do we have to do anything besides make the change in NMMGR? All we have on these DTCs now is a couple of printers, a couple of modems and one terminal. John Alleyn-Day replies: Yes. When you set the flag in NMMGR from Y to N to indicate that you are managing from the HP 3000, NMMGR uses a different set of configuration parameters that are not necessarily the same as before. I was caught once with this, so I hope I can save some aggravation for others. Check all the details of the terminal configurations after changing this flag and make sure they correspond to what you want. Apart from that, it should be very straightforward. Our DNS resolution gets kind of goofy sometimes. One time it works, the next time it says there is no DNS entry. How can I make the resolution behave more consistently? Mark Bixby replies: This type of “now you see it, now you don’t” resolution problem can be a sign that your DNS servers are using an outdated list of root servers. The current list of root servers can be found at ftp://rs.internic.net/domain/name d.root. I experienced this very same problem recently. Installing the current named.root fixed things. In the NSDIR file I had a printer Node Name configured as DRGV1.OEKV.WIEN mapped to IP Address 192.10.4.70. I then changed the mapping to 192.10.4.71, did an NETCONTROL UPDATE=ALL;NET=LAN on the HP 3000 and also changed the address in the JetDirect card for the printer. I then expected that I could print using either the IP address or the Node Name. But what worked with the IP address did not work with the Node Name. I then used NETTOOL to look at the Node Name’s IP address and guess what? It still showed 192.10.4.71. I always thought that NETCONTROL UPDATE=ALL can change these things. Am I wrong? Klaus Franke replies: You were on the right track with NETTOOL. Unfortunately, you did not see the command `DELNAME` under `NAMEADDR`. With this command, followed by the name of the node DRGV1, you can remove the entry from the cache. The network software will the get the name from the nsdir the next time it is requested. The netcontrol update was not necessary for this! If I use Query and find/delete all entries in a dataset, is the high water mark (HWM) set to zero? Ken Paul replies: If you are asking about a master dataset then the HWM is always set to the capacity of the master. If you are asking about a detail dataset then when the last entry is deleted and the FreeEntryCount is equal to the capacity, DBDELETE will reset the HighWaterMark and the deleteChainHead to zero. Does the Express 3 release include the fix for the Ping ’O Death? HP’s Jim Hofmeister replies: Yes, Express-3 includes the patch NSTEDR8 which includes the fix: 4701-338830 “Inhibits SA3890 due to incoming ping packet > 65507”. Original material copyright 1998, The 3000 NewsWire. All rights reserved.