Conference netcad::hub_mgnt

    Roger,
    
    The blinking Network OK # led means that the 900FP is not connected to
    the DEChub 900 dedicated backplane thinwire segment. By default,
    barring any prior HUBwatch intervention, the hub manager should
    automatically place a repeater on the backplane thinwire segment. Only
    firware versions 3.0 or greater of the hub manager will do this for the
    DECrepeater 900FP.  Check the hub manager firmware version. It may need
    to be upgraded.
    
    Regards,
    
    Rich

    Do you have the latest Hub Manager firmware?  It should be V3.0.0 for
    900FP support.   
    
    The default behaviour should be for it to be added to the Thinwire.
    

    re: last 2
    
    
    I am having the customer check that for me right now. I should know the
    revision soon and will post if there is still a question... Thanks for
    the information.
    
    
    Roger

    Rich.
    
    I had the customer check the firmeware of the backplane.
    
    H/W - F
    S/W - 2.2.1
    
    I have to assume that the s/w version should be 3.0 for support of hte
    900FP.. I have two questions.
    
    
    1) If the software is not the correct version to recognize the 900FP
       how come the display on the 900 backplane recognizes the module 
       correctly as a 900FP?
    
    2) assuming this is the problem. How do I get my hands on the correct
       version of firmware? how do I do the upgrade? is it a downline load
       from my notebook to the backplane and thats it?
    
    Thanks again in advance for all help.
    
    Roger

To answer your questions:

>>    1) If the software is not the correct version to recognize the 900FP
>>       how come the display on the 900 backplane recognizes the module 
>>       correctly as a 900FP?

I suspect that the code to automatically connect a module to the Thinwire is
something new (or fixed) in V3.0.0.  The code that recognizes modules has been
working for quite some time, and the 900FP was probably "known" back in the days
of V2.2.1.

>>    2) assuming this is the problem. How do I get my hands on the correct
>>       version of firmware? how do I do the upgrade? is it a downline load
>>       from my notebook to the backplane and thats it?

All of the DEChub firmware is available as a single installation kit, known as
the DEChub Consoldated Firmware Kit.  Check out
NETCAD::PROJ$722:[ONEHUB.RELEASE.FIRMWARE.V1_0].  There's a DOS and VMS
directory, so pick your platform.  The DOS directory has a $$README.TXT file
that contains information on how to build installation diskettes.  The VMS
directory contains release notes which describe how to install the DCF010 kit.
Specifically, you are looking for DMHUB300.BIN in the kit.  That's the hub
manager V3.0.0 code.

...Roger...

    A thousand thankyous..
    
    I will give this a try.
    
    
    regards
    
    roger

    
    The 'recognition' of the module (putting its name on the LCD) in the
    case of the 900 modules (any module that uses CSNMP on the management
    channel rather than the original 'LH' protocol of the DEChub 90) is
    just reading a string from the module.  Support for the various
    features of the module is _not_ based on the module identity, but on
    information about the feature communicated separately.
    
    My guess is that the backplane management code in the V2.2.1 MAM
    doesn't like something in the newer DEFMM (it supports some backplane
    features not supported in that MAM release), and gave up on the module. 
    
    The newer MAM does the right thing (connects the thinwire in the
    absence of other configuration).

    I hate to ask an obviously stupid question but I need help here. I
    finally managed to load the firmware onto my notebook. (for some reason
    it was more difficult than expected. I had a heck of a time getting the
    files to copy over properly with the correct size. If they weren't the
    size specified in the doc's then it would not install.)
    
    Anyway, that part is done. my stupid question is - what is DECndu and
    where am I supposed to get it. The doc's say that I should use DECndu
    Plus to downline load the firmware to the backplane. Can someone point
    me in the correct direction please
    
    I had thought that I could use procomm or some other terminal program
    and the DH900 configuration menu to load the software. I am confused...
    
    
    regards
    
    Roger

    thanks again
    
    Roger