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NODNAM is a utility that assigns node names to node numbers much faster
than NCP commands to OPR.  NODNAM is intended to be run on FRCLIN at system
startup, and whenever the node name database is updated on disk.

By default, NODNAM's database is contained in the file INI:NODNAM.INI.
If you define INI:/OVERRIDE (with PATH), you can use any file you wish.

NODNAM runs on both TOPS-10 and TOPS-20, figuring out at run-time
which OS it is running under.  The same .EXE file may be used for both.

NODNAM.INI may be formatted as OPR NCP commands, or as the output from
an NCP LIST KNOWN NODES TO NODNAM.INI command executed on VMS.
In particular, the following formats are accepted in NODNAM.INI.
	SET NODE area.node NAME name
      or
	DEFINE NODE area.node NAME name
      or
	Executor node = area.node (name)
      or
	Remote node = area.node (name)
where area. is optional, and if omitted is assumed to be the home area.

All other lines are ignored.

Besides the NODNAM.INI file, NODNAM prompts for the home area number.
This allows NODNAM to function on a phase III (7.02) DECnet system.
Under PHASE III, NODNAM only defines the nodes in the home area.
Under phase IV, NODNAM verifies that the area number specified at MONGEN
matches what is provided at runtime to ensure that the file is processed
the same way in both cases.

To assist in generating the NODNAM.INI file, additional utilities are
provided.  Because a VAX will generally be used as a level II router,
and has a permanent database, we believe that system managers are more
likely to update a VAX permanent database (with DEFINE commands) than
they are to edit NODNAM.INI.

The utility GETNODES.FOR is a VAX fortran program that reads a VMS
version 3 or 4 permanent database file (SYS$SYSTEM:NETNODES.DAT), and
produces a NODNAM.INI suitable for direct input to NODNAM.  You
NFT COPY GETNOD.FOR to the VAX, calling it GETNODES.FOR on the VAX.
Then,
	$ FORTRAN GETNODES
	$ LINK GETNODES
GETNODES must be run from an account that has access to SYS$SYSTEM:NETNODES.
DAT.  The resulting file may be copied back to INI: on the -10 or -20.


On the -10, NODNAM will DETACH and report it's status to OPR terminals if
it was run from the FRCLIN.  On the -20, and other -10 terminals, it's
typeout is on TTY:.

NODNAM may be used without the other utilities.  However, if a VAX is 
maintained anyway, the other utilities prevent much duplication of effort.

All software described in this document is officially unsupported, but is
used extensively internally.

GETNODES understands VMS 3.x and 4.0 VAX databases.  (you specify 3 or 4
at runtime)  Because VMS engineering occaisionally changes the format
of the NETNODE.DAT file, NODNAM also accepts the output of VAX NCP's
LIST KNOWN NODES TO NODNAME.INI command.  GETNODES is MUCH faster
in both CPU and wall clock time and is preferred when it works.  
The LIST KNOWN NODES option is provided to ensure that should NETNODE.DAT
change incompatibly in the future, NODNAM users will retain the ability
to get their NODNAM.INI in an automated fashion.  (Note that the LIST
KNOWN NODES output is much larger than GETNODES, and that GETNODES output
can be fed to NCP (OPR), while LIST KNOWN NODES can not.)