MultiNet can be used to provide transport services for an OpenVMS IP cluster on Alpha and Integrity systems running OpenVMS V8.4 or higher. Users should first follow the directions in the Cluster over IP section in the OpenVMS Guidelines for Cluster Configurations manual. VMS configuration is done with SYS$MANAGER:CLUSTER_CONFIG_LAN.COM.
When MultiNet is installed on a system with IP clustering enabled, the MultiNet images will be copied to the appropriate system directories such that upon reboot the MultiNet images will be used instead of the TCP/IP Services images. MultiNet determines that the system is configured for IP clusters by checking the version of OpenVMS (8.4 or later) and the SYSGEN parameter NISCS_USE_UDP. MultiNet will still need to be configured as the configuration is not copied from the TCP/IP Services files. The TCP/IP Services images are duplicated in the system directories with the extension .TCPIP_EXE and .TCPIP_STB before copying the MultiNet images. This allows for returning to the TCP/IP Services images should there be a problem with MultiNet.
The following line will be displayed during installation if the system is configured for IP Clustering:
%MULTINET-I-IPCLUSTER, Updating IP Cluster images
On systems that do not have IP clustering enabled when MultiNet is installed follow the steps below.
1. Configure TCP/IP Services and IP clustering as documented in the OpenVMS Guidelines for Cluster Configurations manual. This will create the following files:
SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSEXE]TCPIP$CLUSTER.DAT
SYS$SYSTEM:PE$IP_CONFIG.DAT
2. Execute MULTINET:SET_MULTINET_IP_CLUSTER.COM with the parameter INITIAL to enter the MultiNet files in the correct directories for VMS to find at boot time. This procedure will preserve the current TCP/IP Services image and copy the MultiNet images to the system directories with the appropriate names. The images are copied to the specific directories, not the common directories, so it will be necessary to manually move the images or do this on each system in the IP cluster that uses this boot disk. The following text will be displayed:
$ @multinet:set_multinet_ip_cluster
initial
Saving HP's TCPIP$INTERNET_SERVICES.EXE as
SYS$LOADABLE_IMAGES:TCPIP$INTERNET_SERVICES.TCPIP_EXE
Updating sys$loadable_images:tcpip$internet_Services.exe with current MultiNet
image
Saving HP's TCPIP$BGDRIVER.EXE as SYS$LOADABLE_IMAGES:TCPIP$BGDRIVER.TCPIP_EXE
updating sys$loadable_images:tcpip$bgdriver.exe with current MultiNet image
3. Use SYSGEN to verify that the system parameter NISCS_USE_UDP is set to 1 in the CURRENT set.
4. Reboot the system. The system boot process will say that it is loading TCP/IP Services, but there will also be a MultiNet initialization message on the console. After the reboot is complete use the standard MultiNet startup procedure to finish starting MultiNet; this will install the remaining network communication pseudo-devices, define logicals, install images and start the MultiNet master server and necessary ancillary processes for full network functionality.
The following set of commands will verify that the MultiNet configuration and the IP cluster configuration agree. Any differences encountered will be displayed.
$ MULTINET
CONFIGURE/NETWORK
MultiNet Network Configuration Utility 5.6
[Reading in configuration from MULTINET:NETWORK_DEVICES.CONFIGURATION]
NET-CONFIG> CHECK
If the MultiNet KRNNOTFOUND failed to locate MultiNet kernel message is displayed while attempting to start MultiNet and the BG device exists, then the most likely problem is that TCP/IP Services is being used instead of MultiNet. Use the MultiNet command procedure MULTINET:SET_MULTINET_IP_CLUSTER.COM to make sure that the MultiNet files are in the correct places.