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Conference 7.286::fddi

Title:	FDDI - The Next Generation

Moderator:	NETCAD::STEFANI

Created:	Thu Apr 27 1989
Last Modified:	Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	2259
Total number of notes:	8590

422.0. "what protocols on FDDI? Appletalk?" by AUNTB::DAVISST () Tue Dec 17 1991 09:53

    Customer has following questions (prompted from the text in Buyer's
    Guide about DECbridges translating Appletalk and form doc with bridge
    about it being a "translating bridge."
    
    1.  Assume that a 6000 has ONLY the FDDI connection.  Can it serve as
    PATHWORKS server and NFS server, etc fro other systems on BOTH FDDI and
    Ethernet.  Specifically, can it handle the following protocols for
    other systems on both FDDI and Ethernet:
         DECnet
         LAT
         LAD
         LAST
         TCP/IP
         Appletalk Phase II  (this is the one they are most concerned
    about)
         LAVC
         any other protocol we should have thought of ...
    
    2.  If a 6000 has multiple connections (FDDI and Ethernet) to same
    extended LAN, DECnet can only be active on one of adapters (note 416). 
    Which protocols take care of handling the two controllers and which
    must be used on only one controller?  On protocols that can use either
    adapters, how is it decided which is used when?
    
    3.  What does being a "translating bridge" mean in practice?  Does it
    change addresses or translate protocols (rather than encapsulate)?  Is
    this significantly different than encapsulation?  (May be related to
    question 1.)
    
    Thanks.

T.R Title User Personal
Name Date Lines

422.1 KONING::KONING Paul Koning, NI1D Tue Dec 17 1991 11:06 21

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
422.1		KONING::KONING	Paul Koning, NI1D	`Tue Dec 17 1991 11:06`	21
	You'll have to check with the SPDs of the specific protocols to make sure of each one. Be sure to get the latest one. In general the answer should be "no problem" -- the FDDI driver makes it look just like an Ethernet driver, so in principle any software that's capable of dealing with yet another LAN device name should work. DECnet, LAT, and LAVC definitely will work. Multiple adapters: same comment. LAVC handles that (in the latest release) and I believe LAT as well -- check that. For the others, check the SPD or the documentation. Transparent bridge: this is VERY different from (and much better than) an encapsulating bridge. (In particular, encapsulating bridges ONLY allow you to use the FDDI as a backbone; you cannot have nodes directly connected to it. Therefore in your configuration an encapsulating bridge would be TOTALLY UNUSEABLE.) There are probably notes that go into this in detail earlier in this file; if not, look in the FDDI Primer and/or the DTJ article about bridging. paul

You'll have to check with the SPDs of the specific protocols to make sure
of each one.  Be sure to get the latest one.  In general the answer should
be "no problem" -- the FDDI driver makes it look just like an Ethernet
driver, so in principle any software that's capable of dealing with yet
another LAN device name should work.

DECnet, LAT, and LAVC definitely will work.

Multiple adapters: same comment.  LAVC handles that (in the latest release)
and I believe LAT as well -- check that.  For the others, check the SPD
or the documentation.

Transparent bridge: this is VERY different from (and much better than) an
encapsulating bridge.  (In particular, encapsulating bridges ONLY allow
you to use the FDDI as a backbone; you cannot have nodes directly connected
to it.  Therefore in your configuration an encapsulating bridge would be
TOTALLY UNUSEABLE.)  There are probably notes that go into this in detail
earlier in this file; if not, look in the FDDI Primer and/or the DTJ article
about bridging.

	paul