Wich internet devices are supported in VMS 9.2-2?

[joukj]

Hi all,

For almost a year I'm very happy with my OpenVMS V9.x virtual machine based on qemu/KVM on a Fedora host. I managed to configure one of the physical internet cards to be used by OpenVMS. It works fine.

Now I wanted to do that also for a friend, but I did not succeed to be able to see the internet device in OpenVMS (No device starting with an E).

The difference between my machine and the new one is the type of the graphical card
-in my machine : I210 Gigabit network connector (INtel)
-in the new machine : Ethernet Connection I217-LM (Intel)

So I came to wonder which adaptors will work for OpenVMS and which not. I could not find this in the release notes.

Jouk

[pocketprobe]

From my insistence on playing with bare metal...
Didn't Work
Intel I217
Intel i340 (even with overriding the config database in SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSEXE]SYS$CONFIG.DAT to tell it to attach to the i340)
Partial
Intel x520-T2 (Decnet doesn't seem to route, but last time i looked it may have been my fault so i will have to retest, on bare metal, the interface working if booted while plugged in isn't reliable.)
Works Fine
Intel i350
Intel i210
Broadcom BCM95719A1094G (Dell P/N 0HY7RM)

That config database should give clues for things that may work. You will need to check that the drivers it's looking for are actually present on the machine. As per usual, most of these aren't validated for full and reliable functionality.

[sms]

Code: Select all

> [...] which adaptors will work for OpenVMS [...]

   Is that a question about VMS or about your VM?

> [...] internet device [...]

   Note: We'd normally call that an Ethernet device.  Whether you use it
for DECnet or Internet or whatever else is a different question.


> Intel i340 (even with overriding the config database in
> SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSEXE]SYS$CONFIG.DAT to tell it to attach to the i340)

   "overriding" _how_, exactly?

   "SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSEXE]SYS$CONFIG.DAT"?  That would be the file that
says the following?:

!
!               ***     DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE   ***
!
!       This file is reserved for use by VSI, and may be
!       replaced by upgrades and patches.  Third party and customer
!       configuration should be provided in:
!
!               SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE]SYS$USER_CONFIG.DAT
!

[joukj]

> is that a question about VMS or about your VM?

About VMS because my VM gives VMS access to the bare metal network card.

[pocketprobe]

I should have elaborated further.

By overriding, I mean opening it, editing it, and in some cases of experimentation regenerating the memory disk used for booting. This is imperative for disk drivers, but wasn't necessary for trying to use an Intel I340 earlier.

There does also exist SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSEXE]SYS$USER_CONFIG.DAT which was originally intended for 3rd party device (driver) vendors to show VMS how to load drivers for their devices. You can add additional things here, but even then most of the drivers bundled with 9.2-2 wall not attach to arbitrary devices.

[cct]

Admittedly I use a bridged device, but as in the instructions on setting up KVM/QEMU I have is the definition

<interface type='network'>

<model type='e1000'/>

Works for me!

[sms]

Code: Select all

> [...] I managed to configure one of the physical internet cards to be
> used by OpenVMS. It works fine.

   I use VMware Fusion (Player Version 13.5.1) on a Mac Pro (2013),
which has two built-in Ethernet interfaces (called "Ethernet 1" and
"Ethernet 2").  "Ethernet 1" is used by macOS.  I configured a VMware
"Bridged Networking" Network Adapter using "Ethernet 2".

   On a Mac Mini (2019), which has only one built-in Ethernet interface
("Ethernet"), I added a USB-connected Ethernet interface ("USB
10/100/1000 LAN"), and configured that the way I did "Ethernet 2" on the
Mac Pro.

   In both cases, VMS sees a virtual device, not the underlying real
hardware.  For example, on the Mac Pro:

V87 $ show devi /full eia0

Device EIA0:, device type i8254x, is online, network device, error logging is
    enabled, device is a template only.
[...]
Operating characteristics: Link up, Full duplex, Autonegotiation, Jumbo frames.

    Speed (Mbits/sec)           1000    Adapter  Intel i82545 VBOX/VMware (Eth)
    Def. MAC addr  00-0C-29-3F-23-DC    Current MAC addr      AA-00-04-00-B8-04

   On the Mini, it's essentially the same:

[...]
Operating characteristics: Link up, Full duplex, Autonegotiation, Jumbo frames.

    Speed (Mbits/sec)           1000    Adapter  Intel i82545 VBOX/VMware (Eth)
    Def. MAC addr  00-0C-29-9C-07-8F    Current MAC addr      AA-00-04-00-D5-04

   In these cases, the real hardware differs, but the virtual hardware
is the same.


> About VMS because my VM gives VMS access to the bare metal network
> card.

   That'd be different from my stuff.

[joukj]

pocketprobe: thanks for the answer.
So I was just lucky, when I tried the I210 first ......

Brridged network is no option, since the network does not allow 2 MacAddresses on the same port.

So I probably have to look for some other internet cards.

regards
Jouk

[pocketprobe]

Funnily enough, the i210 was the NIC on the board of the cancelled atom project.