Tips & Tricks

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DECnet usage.

In case DECnet is used it is important to understand that a DECnet address change forces a change of the MAC-address of your Ethernet adapter. On an Alpha computer OpenVMS takes care of this immediately, but in the case of the Alpha Emulator this task is performed by the operating system of the host platform. This creates a difference between the Alpha operating system expectations and the actual situation. Therefore  a reboot of the emulator is required after a DECnet address change has been applied. If you do not reboot unpredictable problems can occur.

Configuring a VT-terminal emulator

Mentioned products may not reside on your standard Windows system, please check and install before trying to invoke them in the Alpha Emulator setup.

To use Hyperterm (comes standard with Windows)

#OPA0.type="telnet"
#OPA0.port=":20003"
#OPA0.command='"C:\Program Files\Windows NT\hypertrm.exe"/t localhost :20003'

To use Powerterm (with default Setup=VT100, Auto Connect, TELNET localhost :10000)

OPA0.type = "telnet"
OPA0.port = ":10000"
OPA0.command = "C:\PTW525\PT525.EXE"

Configuring a different VT-terminal emulator

You may prefer to use another terminal emulator than the one that is standard incorporated in the installation process of the emulator. here you find configuration instructions for a series of VT-emulators that can be used:

To use Hyperterm (comes standard with Windows)

  • Open HyperTerm: Start / All Programs / Accessories / Communications / Hyper Terminal
  • Enter name of the connection (e.g. alpha) in <Name>
  • Select <TCP/IP (Winsock)> from the <Connect using> pull down menu
  • Enter <localhost> or host name (TCP/IP address) in <Host address>
  • Enter port number in <Port number> (equal to TCP/IP port number you have specified in the Alpha  Emulator Configuration File
  • Click <OK>, ignore the message that follows and click <OK> again
  • Select <Properties> from the <File> menu and select the <Settings> tab
  • Set <Backspace key sends> to <Del> and <Emulation> to VT100, then click <OK>
  • Click <Save As..> and select the directory you want to save these settings into

To use KEA!

  • Open KEA!: Start / All Programs / KEA! VT/ KEA!
  • Select VMS and click <Next>
  • Select <Telnet> and click <Next>
  • Enter <localhost> or host name (TCP/IP address) in <Host name or Ip address>
  • Enter the port number you specified in the Alpha Emulator Configuration File into the <Telnet port> box
  • Click <Advanced> and set <Pair carriage return CR with> to <null (NUL)>
  • Click the <Next> button
  • Set <VT100> as terminal type and click <Next>
  • Select <FTP> as file transfer ptotocol and click <Next>
  • Click <Finish>
  • Click <Save Session as..> and select the directory you want to save these settings into

To use Powerterm

  • Open Powerterm: Start / All Programs / Pathworks Powerterm 525 / Powerterm
  • Select <Telnet> in <Session type>
  • Enter <localhost> or host name (TCP/IP address) in <Host Name>
  • Enter the port number you specified in the Alpha Emulator Configuration File into the <Port Number> box.
  • Save session in <save Terminal setup> from the <File> menu item

To use Reflection

  • Start Reflection: Start / All Programs / Reflection / Host UNIX & Digital
  • Enter <localhost> or host name (TCP/IP address) in <Connection> <Connection Setup>
  • Select <More Settings> and enter the port number you specified in the Alpha Emulator Configuration File into the <TCP Port> box.
  • Enter <VT100> in <Terminal type>
  • Select <OK>
  • Select <Setup> <Terminal setup>
  • Enter desired terminal (VT102) in <Terminal type>
  • Enter desired terminal (VT102) in <Emulation> <Terminal ID>
  • Enter <OK>
  • Save session in <File> <Save Settings>

Setting up a Virtual Network inside the Emulator Host system

This section describes how to create an Ethernet connection within 1 computer system without using physical Ethernet adapters. This capability is useful when you want to setup a network link between two software entities within 1 computer (but it is only effective on Windows XP and Windows 2003). For example when linking an X-Windows emulator with the Alpha Emulator.

Host connection without using a physical network card
Instead of using 2 NIC's to create a connection between VMS and the host system you can install 2 Microsoft loopback adapters and bridge these together:

  • Install the Microsoft Loopback Adapters
  • Go to ‘Start” / “Control Panel” / “Add Hardware”.
  • In the introductory dialog box, click “Next”.
  • Select “Yes, I Have Already Connected the Hardware”, and click “Next”.
  • Scroll to the bottom of the Installed Hardware list box, select “Add a New Hardware Device”, and click “Next.
  • Select the “Install The Hardware That I Manually Select From A List (Advanced)” option and click “Next”.
  • Under “Hardware Types”, select “Network Adapters”, and click “Next”.
  • Under “Manufacturer”, select “Microsoft”.
  • Under Network Adapter, select Microsoft Loopback Adapter.
  • Click Next twice, and click Finish.
  • Set up the Bridge connections
  • Open Network Connections (Go to “Start” / “Settings” / “Network Connections”).
  • Under “LAN or High-Speed Internet”, hold down the CTRL key, and then click 2 adapters to include in the bridge (one of them should be Loopback adapter, the 2nd adapter can be removed from the bridge after it has been created).
  • Right-click one of the connections that you have selected, and then click “Bridge Connections”.
    If you do not see the Bridge Connection option, it’s means what network bridging is disabled in the Administrative Templates in Group Policy. So, open the Group Policy Management, then select "Small Business server client computer", and disabled the policy "Prohibit installation and configuration of Network Bridge on your DNS domain network".
  • Configure the Bridge
  • Configure the IP address of the Mac Bridge and set it up with a different IP and subnet than your physical network card. E.g. 192.168.2.100 (setup VMS with something like 192.168.2.x).

Configure the configfile

  • Configure in the configuration file "MAC Bridge Miniport" as network adapter and add the parameter mapping mode with "shared"
  • In the configuration file this will look like this :

 

EWA0.iface="MAC Bridge Miniport"
EWA0.mapping_mode="shared"
EWA0.macaddr="00-04-00-00-10-12" (just a mac address to start with, you need to specify one)
 


Test the system

  • Install on the host computer X-Server product (Exceed, eXcursion or something else) and start X-server application.
  • Start the Alpha Emulator and load the OpenVMS environment.
  • In VMS configure the (dummy) Ethernet adapter with an IP address in the same subnet as the Mac Bridge.

 

Create/set DISPLAY (in the example below the host computer IP address used):

SET DISPLAY/CREATE/TRANSPORT=TCPIP/NODE=192.168.2.100
Start TCP/IP (if not started automatically):
@SYS$STARTUP:TCPIP$STARTUP

Check that networking connection established properly:

UCX PING 192.168.2.100

Run any X-Windows application (should be visible on the host computer screen):

RUN DECW$CLOCK