Conference azur::mcc

	Please see note 603 and contact the people listed in note 603.1

	JCE

>    <<< Note 669.1 by BSYBEE::EGOLF "John C. Egolf LKG2-2/T02 x226-7874" >>>
>
>	Please see note 603 and contact the people listed in note 603.1
>
>	JCE

Thanks for the intro, John.  I think I'll reply here rather than mail (mostly
for posterity, I suppose...).

>I just received this memo and I am looking for additional information
>and help from anyone out in the DECmcc world.  Can someone answer the 
>questions that Dan is asking?

    I'll give it a shot.  I'm Doug and I'm the engineer assigned to work
    with Vitalink on their AM.

>     I was also hoping to be able to monitor a vitalink. I'm
>currently running a dual t-1 configuration, bridging lat, decnet
>and routing IP traffic between two different locations. The
>vitalink product is the transpath product, not the normal 
>translan product, normally used. If I can't get MCC to monitor
>the links on the vitalink, then I would opt to go to vitalink
>and get the package they have released to do the monitoring.

    The Transpath is manageable via SNMP (at least it was at InterOp '90). 
    I'm pretty sure the SNMP AM will be able to manage it.  

    In addition to some restrictions regarding the current s/w rev on the
    box,  there's an *outside* chance the AM will be able to manage
    Transpaths as well as Translan boxes.  The jury is still out on this
    one.  (It is currently being billed as a TransLAN AM.)

>     I eventually want to get it to notify me via pager should
>a link take "X" hits or errors. I have spoken with Brad Woodcock,
>who I understand is doing some field test with the product, possibly
>for the ESC, but was not able to verify that MCC's could indeed
>work with the different protocols that the vitalink is running.

    In general, DECmcc is far and away the most flexible platform that
    you're going to find.   So... once your basic DECmcc system and
    management modules are in place and operational and you decide that
    "oh, by the way" you need your management system to perform some *new*
    incremental function (like paging someone), the odds of getting that
    added in a clean, timely, manageable fashion are enormously better
    with DECmcc:  you just write a small FM to do the job.  Try getting
    Vitalink (or whomever) to add features to your system as you need them
    (without paying through the nose).    BTW:  You get DECmcc internally
    for nada.  Zip. Goose egg.  The big null.

    DECmcc also happens to be developed and manutactured by Digital, the
    company for which you and I both work, so (personally) I would be
    mortified if you went to Vitalink for a solution to this management
    problem.  Please contact  me directly before you decide to go with an 
    outside vendor solution.  

>      I would like to verify that MCC will or will not be able 
>to monitor the ip/decnet/lat links.
>

    Without sounding evasive, I'd like to hear a little more definition
    around what you mean by "...monitoring a <insert protocol> link".    
    This sounds to me like capability that would need to be supplied by
    some additional FMs in DECmcc, separate, distinct and in addition to
    the Translan AM.

>     My manager (Phil Spiro who you may have heard of) has the money allocated 
>for the vitalink monitor system and software. Its around 30K and, of course,
>that's real dollars which we don't want to spend if MCC will do the 
>trick.
> 	The notes file spoke of Vitalinks, but didn't speak about
>Transpath vs. Translan software. If you know, I sure could use the
>info, else I'll keep monitoring the notes file and try to get Phil
>to leave the money in the budget, until I can give him a definitive
>answer.						

    You'll need to better define exactly what it is you want your
    management system to do for you.   I've got a strong feeling that some
    combination of SNMP AM,  Viatlink AM (under construction) and the
    V1.1-V1.2  MCC 'stuff' will do what you need.

    regards, 
    doug

    One more quick thing to note, you can get MCC to do the paging now
    if you have a paging system that can be called from DCL. To do this
    now simply set-up a Rule to monitor the attribute or event you are
    interested in, and then set-up the action procedure for when the
    rule fires to call your paging system.
    
    BTW: I have seen this done, if you are interestedin more details
    on how we did I would suggest speaking to Anil Navkal; he was the
    one I believe who set the demo up for us.
    
    

	It is very easy to interface to DECalert from DECmcc.

	As Jill  stated,  you  add  one  DCL  command line to your rule
	command proceedure that invokes DECalert.

	DECalert will then  page  you at home and DECtalk will tell you
	the problem condition.   This  linkage has been demonstrated at
	DECworld and other shows.

	JCE

    First I'd like to thank all for their respones, and clear some things
    up. Doug, you mentioned that transpath is manageable via snmp and then
    go on to say that there's an "outside" chance the AM will be able to
    manage Transpaths as well as Translan boxes. I confused on that.
    Here's the layout (not the best graphics, so don't laugh).
    
    		________ t-1 routing ip             ________
       lan 1    |      |____________________________|      |
      __________|tp350 |____________________________| tp350|--------lan 2
                |______| t-1 bridging lat/decnet    |______|
               
    Can I monitor errors, circuit downs and utilization of both
    links on the same box, even though one link is routing ip
    and the other bridging lat/decnet?  I am currently running 
    V 11.1.4 transpath software on both, which is the latest Vitalink
    has out. Sure hope we can spend the money elsewhere.       Dan

Hi Dan.   Sorry it's taken so long to reply.  

>        Doug, you mentioned that transpath is manageable via snmp and then
>    go on to say that there's an "outside" chance the AM will be able to
>    manage Transpaths as well as Translan boxes. I confused on that.

   Don't  be  confused.  As  time  goes  by  and  we  get  deeper into the 
   development,  it  looks  like it (the TransLan AM) will only be able to 
   support  just  that:  Translans.  The  Translan  AM  uses only the RBMS 
   protocol  to  manage  bridges. If that changes I'll be sure and let you 
   know.  Therefore,  I  suggest  that you pursue the SNMP AM for managing 
   your Transpath boxes.

>   Can I monitor errors, circuit downs and utilization of both
>   links on the same box, even though one link is routing ip
>   and the other bridging lat/decnet?  I am currently running 
>   V 11.1.4 transpath software on both, which is the latest Vitalink
>   has out. Sure hope we can spend the money elsewhere.      

   Now that we're talking SNMP, the amount that you can monitor/control on
   your Transpath depends on three things. Are the things you want to see
   defined as: 
        1) MIB 1 attributes
        2) MIB 2 attributes
        3) Vitalink private extensions to MIB 1 or 2

   If (1) then you can manage the Transpath right now with the SNMP AM we
   have.  

   If (2), then you should be able to manage it with the next version of
   the SNMP AM.  (Someone else will have to respond to "when?".)

   If (3), then the extent to which you can manage it will depend on
   either how closely Vitalink chooses to work with Digital to get their
   MIB extensions included OR the extent to which the next SNMP AM will
   lend itself to including "ad-hoc" vendor extensions.  Again, someone
   else will need to answer additional questions regarding the SNMP AM et
   al.

   That should about cover it.

   regards, 
   /doug