ncp(1) CLIX ncp(1)
NAME
ncp - Digital Network Protocol (DNP) network control program
SYNOPSIS
ncp [command]
DESCRIPTION
The ncp program provides a set of interactive commands to configure,
control, monitor, and test a Digital Network Architecture (DNA) network to
ensure its effective operation.
Invoking ncp without command causes ncp to enter interactive mode and
display the NCP> prompt on the next line. The ncp commands are not case-
sensitive except when user-id or password is specified. Lowercase letters
are automatically converted to uppercase internally.
An ncp command consists of a command keyword, an entity, and one or more
entity options that qualifies the command by supplying additional
information. Keywords may be abbreviated as long as they are still unique
and are a minimum of three characters.
The clear, define, disconnect, set, and zero commands require super-user
privileges. All users can use the show, loop, and tell commands.
The set, clear, and show commands deal with information in the volatile
database. The define commands affect the permanent database.
TERMINOLOGY
The following defines ncp terms used here:
end node
An end node has a single circuit connecting it to the rest of the
network. An end node can send packets to any other DNP node and
receive packets addressed to itself from other Phase IV nodes. An
end node is a non-routing node. It cannot route packets.
local node
This is the local node where the user is physically located.
remote node
Remote nodes are all other nodes in relation to the local node.
executor node
The executor node is where ncp commands are executed. The executor
node is usually the local node. However, through the ncp command
set executor, any remote node can be designated as the executor
node; thus, any ncp commands issued on the local node are executed
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on the remote node.
reachable or active node
A reachable or active node is one that is available for connection
requests. A node is unreachable or inactive when it is powered
down or unavailable for connection requests.
adjacentnode
An adjacent node is connected to the local node by a single
physical line. All nodes on a single Ethernet are considered
adjacent.
node state
The node state is the operational state of the local node on the
network. This state can be controlled and is used to restrict the
operation of the node or to shut it down. When the state is set to
off, the node is unreachable. When the state is set to on, the
node is active or reachable.
circuits
Circuits are logical communications data paths between nodes. They
operate over physical lines. Ethernet circuits enable multiaccess
connection between a number of nodes on the same physical medium.
Each node is considered adjacent to every other node on the circuit
and is equally accessible. Each node is identified by an Ethernet
address.
lines Lines are physical data paths between nodes and are the lowest-
level communications path. The Ethernet line physically connects
the different nodes on the local network.
counters
Counters are performance variables that track various events in a
network. Information obtained from counters may be useful in
measuring the performance and throughput for a given circuit.
There are counters tracking performance on nodes, circuits, and
lines. Node counters are available only after a connection has
been attempted between the executor and the specified node. If no
logical link has been established between the executor and the
specified node, the show node node-id counters command returns with
the following message:
``NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE.''
node-id
Many of the commands allow a node-id to be specified. Node-id can
either be a nodename or a node address.
node-name
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Specifies a nodename. A nodename can have up to six alphanumeric
characters. At least one character of the nodename must be a
letter. A nodename is not case-sensitive. Lowercase letters are
converted to uppercase.
The address and name for the local and remote nodes are stored in
the configuration database. The configuration database for the
local node must contain information about the local node and the
remote nodes.
node-address
Specifies a node address in the following form:
[area-number.]node-number
The area-number is a group of nodes in the network that can run
independently as a subnetwork. Each area has a unique number in a
network. The area number must be an integer in the range of 1-63.
The area number defaults to the local area if none is provided.
The node-number must be an integer in the range of 1-1023. Node
numbers must be unique to the specific network area.
COMMANDS
The ncp program includes the following commands. The show commands are
described in separate subsections.
clear executor node
Reset the executor to the local node. Clear the default executor
node designation previously specified through the set executor node
command.
clear node node-id all
Identify the remote node whose parameters will be removed from the
volatile database. This command should be used with caution,
especially if links are open to the node being cleared. Before
this command is invoked, the set executor state off or disconnect
known links command should be used.
define executor all
Copies the contents of the volatile database to the permanent
database.
define known nodes all
Copies, for each of the known nodes, the contents of each volatile
database record to the permanent database.
define node-id all
Copy, for the specified node-id, the contents of the volatile
database to the permanent database. The node-id is a nodename or
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address.
disconnect link link
Disconnect a logical link's link. Use the ncp command, show known
links, to determine the link number to use for this command.
The disconnect link commands are used primarily to recover from
network failure. The disconnect link commands cause applications
using the specified links to fail, and should be used with caution.
disconnect known links
Disconnect all logical links. This command should be used with
caution. See the disconnect link command.
exit Exit ncp from the interactive session. Alternately, a <Ctrl-D>
sequence O can be used.
password
loop executor count count length length with blocktype user user-
id password
Test the logical links within a single node. This test is
performed by looping messages to the loopback mirror on the local
node. The options have the following meanings:
The count count parameter specifies the number of times the command
will be repeated. The default is 1 and the maximum is 65535.
The length length parameter specifies the number of bytes in the
loop message. The default value is 40 and the maximum value is 245.
The with blocktype parameter can be {zeros|ones|mixed} to specify
the test data. The default is mixed.
The user user-id parameter specifies the username to be used for
access control information in connecting to the remote mirror.
The password password parameter specifies the password that
corresponds to user-id.
password password
loop node node-id count count length length with blocktype user user-id
Tests the logical links to a remote node. The options have the
following meanings:
The node node-id parameter identifies the nodename or address.
The count count parameter specifies the number of times the command
will be repeated. The default is 1 and the maximum is 65535.
The length length parameter specifies the number of bytes in the
loop message. The default value is 40 and the maximum value is 245
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on a CLIX remote node or 1458 for another DECnet remote node.
The with blocktype parameter can specify either {zeros|ones|mixed}
to specify the test data. The default is mixed.
The user user-id parameter specifies the username to be used for
access control information in connecting to the remote mirror.
The password password parameter specifies the password that
corresponds to user-id.
set executor address node-address
Specifies a new node address for the executor node. This command
can be issued only if the state of the executor is off. It is not
possible to issue ncp commands to a remote executor node when the
state of that node is off. Therefore, it is essential, when this
command is issued, that the executor node be the local node. The
node-address specifies the node address for the local (executor)
node.
set executor all
Copies the contents of the permanent database to the volatile
database for the executor node.
set executor delay factor factor
Sets the delay factor. The factor parameter is in the 0-255 range.
This value is multiplied by one-sixteenth of the estimated round
trip delay time to determine the appropriate value for the time to
retransmit certain Network Server Protocol (NSP) messages. The
default value delay factor is 80.
set executor delay weight weight
Sets the delay weight. The weight parameter is in the 0-255 range.
NSP estimates the current delay in round trip transmission to a
node with which it is communicating. Weight is used to calculate a
new value of the estimated round trip delay. The default delay
weight is 5.
set executor inactivity timer timer
Sets the inactivity timer interval. A logical link is inactive
when no data is transmitted in either direction for a given
interval of time. The inactivity timer regulates the frequency
with which CLIX tests the viability of an inactive link. The
inactivity timer parameter is used to specify the maximum duration
of inactivity before the local CLIX node tests the viability of the
link. When the timer expires, CLIX generates artificial traffic to
test the link. The default inactivity timer value is 10.
set executor name node-name
Specifies node-name as the new executor nodename.
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set executor node node-id userid user-id password password
Specifies the local or remote node as the executor for all
subsequent ncp commands.
The node-id parameter identifies the local or remote nodename or
address.
The user-id parameter identifies the user-id on the remote system
for the connection.
The password parameter specifies the password associated with
user-id.
If a user is not specified, the default account on the target node
is used. The clear executor node command resets the executor to
the local node.
set executor retransmit factor factor
Sets the retransmit factor. The factor specifies the number of
times a packet may be retransmitted before a link is declared
broken. The value of the retransmit factor regulates the number of
times the NSP layer reattempts a transmission when its
retransmission timer expires for a logical link. A number in the
0-65535 range should be used for this value. The default
retransmit factor is 10.
set executor segment buffer size size
Specifies, in bytes, the maximum size of transmit buffers for the
executor node. Size is in the 255-1458 range. The default value
is 1458.
When a logical link is established between two nodes, the nodes
exchange their segment buffer sizes. The smaller of the two
sizes is used as the negotiated segment buffer size for the
link. Two end nodes may agree on a segment buffer size but have an
intermediate router with a smaller segment buffer size (such as a
router handling both DDCMP and Ethernet circuits). The end nodes
can communicate unless one of them transmits a packet that exceeds
the router's segment buffer size. When this happens, the router
truncates the packet and the logical link is broken.
set executor state {on|off}
Turn the state of the node off and on. When the node state is on,
the node is reachable from other network nodes; that is, new
logical links to that node can be created. When the node state is
off, the node is unreachable.
The on state allows creation of new logical links. The on state is
the normal operational state of a node.
The off state prevents creation of new logical links, terminates
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existing links, and shuts down the node. Setting the state off
terminates any active links to the node and could result in loss of
data.
set known nodes all
Copies the contents of the permanent database to the volatile
database for all nodes in the database.
set node node-id address node-address name node-name
Specifies remote nodename and address when building the executor's
volatile configuration database.
The node-id parameter identifies the local node and can be a name
or an address.
The node-address parameter specifies the address of the node to be
included in the configuration database.
The node-name parameter specifies the name of the node to include
in the configuration database. Only one name can be assigned to a
node address. Duplicate nodenames are not permitted.
set node node-id all
Copies the contents of the permanent database to the volatile
database for a single node node-id.
tell node-id command
Identifies the executor for a particular ncp command. The node-id
is set for only one ncp command.
zero executor counters
Resets all counters to zero on the executor node.
zero known circuit counters
Resets circuit counters to zero for all known circuits.
zero known line counters
Resets line counters to zero for all known lines.
zero known nodes counters
Resets node counters to zero for all known nodes.
zero node node-id counters
Resets node counters to zero for the specified node-id, which is
the name or address of a local or remote node.
Show Characteristics Commands
The following lists the available show characteristics commands:
show executor characteristics
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show node node-id characteristics
show active nodes characteristics
show known nodes characteristics
Displays static node information for the executor, a specified
node-id, all active nodes, or all known nodes. The following
information is included in the display:
⊕ Identification
⊕ Management Version
⊕ NSP Version
⊕ Maximum Links
⊕ Delay Factor
⊕ Delay Weight
⊕ Inactivity Timer
⊕ Retransmit Factor
⊕ Routing Version
⊕ Type
⊕ Maximum Address
⊕ MaxBroadcast Nonrouters
⊕ Segment Buffer Size
Show Counters Commands
The following describes the available show executor commands:
show executor counters
show node node-id counters
show active nodes counters
show known nodes counters
Displays information about the user traffic between the executor
and the specified node. The following information is included in
the display:
⊕ Seconds since last zeroed
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⊕ User data bytes received
⊕ User data bytes sent
⊕ User data messages received
⊕ User data messages sent
⊕ Connects received
⊕ Connects sent
⊕ Response timeouts
⊕ Received connect resource errors
⊕ Packet format errors
Show Status Commands
The following describes the available show status commands.
show executor status
Display executorstatus information. This consists of the nodename
and address, state, and Ethernet physical address.
show node node-id status
show active nodes status
Displays the status of node-id or all nodes. The node-id is a
nodename or address. The display consists of the following
information:
⊕ Node address and name
⊕ Routing state
⊕ Number of active logical links associated with the node
⊕ Delay timer to set the retransmission
⊕ Node type
Show Summary Commands
The following describes the available show summary commands:
show executor summary
show node node-id summary
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show active nodes summary
show known nodes summary
Displays summary information. The display includes the following
information:
⊕ Node address and name
⊕ Routing state
⊕ Number of active logical links associated with the node
⊕ Delay timer to set the retransmission
⊕ Node type
Show Circuit Commands
show known circuit characteristics
Displays circuit characteristics. The following information is
included in the display:
⊕ State
⊕ Designated router
⊕ HELLO timer
⊕ Type
⊕ Adjacent node
⊕ Listen timer
show known circuit counters
Displays circuit counters. The following information is included
in the display:
⊕ Seconds since last zeroed
⊕ Data blocks sent
⊕ Data blocks received
⊕ Bytes sent
⊕ Bytes received
show known circuit status
Displays circuit status. The following information is included in
the display:
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⊕ Circuit ID
⊕ Circuit current state
⊕ Address and name of adjacent nodes on that circuit
⊕ Adjacent node ID
⊕ Block size
show known circuit summary
Displays circuit summary. The following information is included in
the display:
⊕ Circuit ID
⊕ Circuit current state
⊕ Address and name of adjacent nodes on that circuit
⊕ Adjacent node-id
⊕ Block size
Show Line Commands
The following describes the show line commands.
show known line characteristics
Displays line characteristics. The display includes the line's
protocol and hardware address.
show known line counters
Displays line counters. The display includes the following
information:
⊕ Seconds since last zeroed
⊕ Data blocks received
⊕ Data blocks sent
⊕ Blocks sent, multiple collisions
⊕ Collision-detect check failure
⊕ System buffer unavailable
show known line status
Displays line status. The display includes the line and state.
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show known line summary
Displays line summary. The display includes the line and state.
Show Links Command
show known links
Displays information for all known links connected to the local
node.
RELATED INFORMATION
Digital Network Protocol (DNP) Network Manager's Guide
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