Document revision date: 30 March 2001

Appendix F
Appendix F	Troubleshooting the NISCA Protocol
F.1	How NISCA Fits into the SCA
F.1.1	SCA Protocols
F.1.2	Paths Used for Communication
F.1.3	PEDRIVER
F.2	Addressing LAN Communication Problems
F.2.1	Symptoms
F.2.2	Traffic Control
F.2.3	Excessive Packet Losses on LAN Paths
F.2.4	Preliminary Network Diagnosis
F.2.5	Tracing Intermittent Errors
F.2.6	Checking System Parameters
F.2.7	Channel Timeouts
F.3	Using SDA to Monitor LAN Communications
F.3.1	Isolating Problem Areas
F.3.2	SDA Command SHOW PORT
F.3.3	Monitoring Virtual Circuits
F.3.4	Monitoring PEDRIVER Buses
F.3.5	Monitoring LAN Adapters
F.4	Troubleshooting NISCA Communications
F.4.1	Areas of Trouble
F.5	Channel Formation
F.5.1	How Channels Are Formed
F.5.2	Techniques for Troubleshooting
F.6	Retransmission Problems
F.6.1	Why Retransmissions Occur
F.6.2	Techniques for Troubleshooting
F.7	Understanding NISCA Datagrams
F.7.1	Packet Format
F.7.2	LAN Headers
F.7.3	Ethernet Header
F.7.4	FDDI Header
F.7.5	Datagram Exchange (DX) Header
F.7.6	Channel Control (CC) Header
F.7.7	Transport (TR) Header
F.8	Using a LAN Protocol Analysis Program
F.8.1	Single or Multiple LAN Segments
F.8.2	Multiple LAN Segments
F.9	Data Isolation Techniques
F.9.1	All OpenVMS Cluster Traffic
F.9.2	Specific OpenVMS Cluster Traffic
F.9.3	Virtual Circuit (Node-to-Node) Traffic
F.9.4	Channel (LAN Adapter--to--LAN Adapter) Traffic
F.9.5	Channel Control Traffic
F.9.6	Transport Data
F.10	Setting Up an HP 4972A LAN Protocol Analyzer
F.10.1	Analyzing Channel Formation Problems
F.10.2	Analyzing Retransmission Problems
F.11	Filters
F.11.1	Capturing All LAN Retransmissions for a Specific OpenVMS Cluster
F.11.2	Capturing All LAN Packets for a Specific OpenVMS Cluster
F.11.3	Setting Up the Distributed Enable Filter
F.11.4	Setting Up the Distributed Trigger Filter
F.12	Messages
F.12.1	Distributed Enable Message
F.12.2	Distributed Trigger Message
F.13	Programs That Capture Retransmission Errors
F.13.1	Starter Program
F.13.2	Partner Program
F.13.3	Scribe Program
Appendix G
Appendix G	NISCA Transport Protocol Channel Selection and Congestion Control
G.1	NISCA Transmit Channel Selection
G.1.1	Multiple-Channel Load Distribution on OpenVMS Version 7.3 (Alpha and VAX) or Later
G.1.1.1	Equivalent Channel Set Selection
G.1.1.2	Local and Remote LAN Adapter Load Distribution
G.1.2	Preferred Channel (OpenVMS Version 7.2 and Earlier)
G.2	NISCA Congestion Control
G.2.1	Congestion Caused by Retransmission
G.2.1.1	OpenVMS VAX Version 6.0 or OpenVMS AXP Version 1.5, or Later
G.2.1.2	VMS Version 5.5 or Earlier
G.2.2	HELLO Multicast Datagrams
Index
Index
Examples
7-1	Sample Commands for Creating OpenVMS Cluster Queues
7-2	Common Procedure to Start OpenVMS Cluster Queues
8-1	Sample Interactive CLUSTER_CONFIG.COM Session to Add a Computer as a Boot Server
8-2	Sample Interactive CLUSTER_CONFIG.COM Session to Add a Computer Running DECnet--Plus
8-3	Sample Interactive CLUSTER_CONFIG.COM Session to Add a VAX Satellite with Local Page and Swap Files
8-4	Sample Interactive CLUSTER_CONFIG.COM Session to Remove a Satellite with Local Page and Swap Files
8-5	Sample Interactive CLUSTER_CONFIG.COM Session to Enable the Local Computer as a Disk Server
8-6	Sample Interactive CLUSTER_CONFIG.COM Session to Change the Local Computer's ALLOCLASS Value
8-7	Sample Interactive CLUSTER_CONFIG.COM Session to Enable the Local Computer as a Boot Server
8-8	Sample Interactive CLUSTER_CONFIG.COM Session to Change a Satellite's Hardware Address
8-9	Sample Interactive CLUSTER_CONFIG.COM Session to Enable the Local Computer as a Tape Server
8-10	Sample Interactive CLUSTER_CONFIG.COM Session to Change the Local Computer's TAPE_ALLOCLASS Value
8-11	Sample Interactive CLUSTER_CONFIG.COM Session to Convert a Standalone Computer to a Cluster Boot Server
8-12	Sample Interactive CLUSTER_CONFIG.COM CREATE Session
10-1	Sample NETNODE_UPDATE.COM File
10-2	Defining an Alpha Satellite in a VAX Boot Node
10-3	Defining a VAX Satellite in an Alpha Boot Node
10-4	Sample SYSMAN Session to Change the Cluster Password
C-1	Crossed Cables: Configuration 1
C-2	Crossed Cables: Configuration 2
C-3	Crossed Cables: Configuration 3
C-4	Crossed Cables: Configuration 4
C-5	Crossed Cables: Configuration 5
C-6	CI Device-Attention Entries
C-7	LAN Device-Attention Entry
C-8	CI Port Logged-Message Entry
D-1	Portion of LAVC$FAILURE_ANALYSIS.MAR to Edit
F-1	SDA Command SHOW PORT Display
F-2	SDA Command SHOW PORT/VC Display
F-3	SDA Command SHOW PORT/BUS Display
F-4	SDA Command SHOW LAN/COUNTERS Display

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