From: CRDGW2::CRDGW2::MRGATE::"SMTP::CRVAX.SRI.COM::RELAY-INFO-VAX" 27-JUL-1989 20:08 To: MRGATE::"ARISIA::EVERHART" Subj: Review of DECUS Library Material - NETSTAT Message-Id: <8907280004.AA01744@crdgw1.ge.com> Received: From KL.SRI.COM by CRVAX.SRI.COM with TCP; Thu, 27 JUL 89 14:44:25 PDT Received: from AAMRL.AF.MIL by KL.SRI.COM with TCP; Thu, 27 Jul 89 14:19:26 PDT Received: from FALCON by AAMRL.AF.MIL; Thu, 27 Jul 89 17:12 EDT Date: Thu, 27 Jul 89 17:14 EST From: Ted Nieland <@AAMRL.AF.MIL:TNIELAND@FALCON> Subject: Review of DECUS Library Material - NETSTAT To: info-vax@kl.sri.COM X-Vms-To: IN%"info-vax@kl.sri.com" The DECUS U.S. Chapter Library Committee has begun a process by which items in the DECUS Library are reviewed by DECUS members with the resulting written review published in the DECUS U.S. Chapter Newsletters publication. The items reviewed are available from the DECUS Library for a minimal charge. If you wish to order the item in this review, contact the DECUS Library and request the item by the reference number in the review title. The DECUS Library can be contacted within the United States at: The DECUS Library 219 Boston Post Road BP02 Marlboro, MA 01752-1850 Phone: 508 480-3418 People who would like to volunteer to help with the DECUS Library review project should contact the Review Coordinator, Ted Nieland. Mr. Nieland can be contacted on DCS at NIELAND. NETSTAT - V00360 Review by Daniel J. Graham DECUS Library Abstract for NETSTAT V00360 NETSTAT Version: E1.1, November 1988 Submitted by: Digital Equipment Corporation Operating System: MicroVMS V4.6, V5.1, VAX/VMS V4.6, V5.1 Source Language: VAX BASIC Software Required: VAX GKS V2.0 or higher, TSM V1.2, RBMS V1.1, VAX BASIC V3.0 or higher. Hardware Required: Color ReGIS Graphics Terminal Keywords: Networking Abstract: These DECnet network monitoring programs are essentially the same displays shown at DECWORLD '87 in Boston, MA. There are several data collection programs as well as display programs which monitor a DECnet network, as well as terminal servers and LAN bridges. The set of tools is called NETSTAT. The DECnet event processor program and the DECnet area and node polling program gathers reachability information and stores it in shared data structures. The area and node display programs periodically read these data structures and update the graphical display boxes by shading them either red for an alarm condition or green for reachable. The terminal server polling program uses TSM V1.2 (Terminal Server Manager software) to interrogate all known terminal servers on the Ethernet LAN. This information is stored in a shared data structure. The terminal server status display program operates in the identical manner as does the node display program described above. The bridge server polling command procedure uses RBMS V1.1 (Remote Bridge Management software) to interrogate all known LAN bridges on the extended Ethernet LAN. This information is stored in a shared data structure. The bridge status display program operates in the identical manner as does the node display program described above. Each display program is independent of the other so only those displays that are of interest to the user need be run. The graphical display programs use VAX BASIC V3.0 (or higher) and the associated graphics commands. This requires VAX GKS V2.0 or higher. Release Notes are distributed with each order. Notes: Operating system VAX/VMS V4.6 or higher is required. This package contains a collection of several tools some of which can be used independently. Changes and Improvements: Bug fixes, enhanced documentation, minor functionality enhancements. Media (Service Charge Code): 600' Magnetic Tape (MA) Format: VMS/BACKUP REVIEW: Encapsulated review (rating scale 1-5 with 5 being excellent) Ease of Installation: 5 Documentation: 5 Intended Audience: Network Managers Ease of use: Usefulness: 4 Sources: Full source is included in BASIC Objects Supplied: Yes. Other Required software: GKS, TSM, RBMS NETSTAT is a program designed to give information on many aspects of network communications. It deals with DECnet connections, LAT Ethernet terminal server connections and Ethernet bridges. It provides a detailed graphics display on the screen of any or all the mentioned subsystems. When I first downloaded the tape to a directory, I was more than a little daunted. There were well over a hundred files. After recovering and looking more closely, I saw that there were sources, documentation, objects and executables. There are a number of programs, thus, there are three files per program. Not so bad after you look at it in the right way. All of the source is in VAX BASIC, so objects and even executables are included for those without a BASIC compiler. This is polite, I wish more would follow this practice. The documentation details which version of VMS the program was linked under. If you are using a different version, I strongly suggest relinking. Intended Audience: This program is for anyone in system or network management. Personally, I wouldn't make it available to the general user community, simply because it uses a fair amount of resources. This usage is more than justified for a manager, but wouldn't be for a few curious users. Installation: The installation is remarkably simple. I thought, from the large number of files, that it would be a bear, but the instructions are very well prepared and following them is very easy. Basically, you just move the executables to the proper directories, set a few logicals, and you're off. Documentation: NETSTAT is very well documented. I have seen few DECUS programs that have this good a doc set. All aspects are clearly explained, and most every question one could ask is answered before you get a chance to ask it. Unfortunately, this is where my review must end. This program requires three products which I do not have on any machine available to me. TSN, RBMS and GKS graphics are required. The first two gather information on the LAT and bridge environment, the GKS is to display the entire package. I cannot even fire it up because without the GKS graphics, I cant even run the first screen. However, if the rest of the program is as good as the installation and the documentation, it should be very good indeed.