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"I am experiencing a weird loss of configuration data on one of the DECserver 90M+ units we have. I have properly set up the unit, and left it on the table powered on, during a time period of approximately a month, the unit lost power several times (which I guess should NOT be a problem), and after checking it today, it lost its PORT related settings, but not settings related to INTERNET ADRESS / NAME etc. only PORT settings (for all ports, not just #1, which could be explained in other ways). Therefore I have 2 questions:

1. Does the unit contain a battery that powers its memory? If it does, how can I make sure it is "dead"?
2. Is there a command that "stores" the settings permanently and if so, which one is it?

If you have any other ideas which could help explain why some (PORT related) settings get "lost", I would be most grateful. Thanks in advance."

The DECserver does not contain a battery.

The command used to configure a DECserver 90M+ will determine whether your configuration is STORED (permanent) or WORKING (temporary).

Note:

"We have several identical DECserver 732's that we would like to configure in a fail over scenario. We would like to configure one server via memory card and transfer the card and the connections in case of a failure. Can the memory cards be used to failover to another identical DECserver regardless of mac address? Simply pull the card out, transfer the connections and power up. If so is this a recommended strategy, is there documentation covering the best way to set this up in DNAS? If not is there another strategy to consider?"

The DECserver is not designed to support failover. The DECserver supports a single configuration and operation. That said, you can configure a second DECserver to have the same configuration and enable the second DECserver should the installed DECserver fail. There are two methods that are available to you to copy one DECserver's configuration to one or many other DECservers:

1. Use ASM's (Access Server Manager) Save & Restore Feature

The ASM utility program runs on any Windows box and lets you quickly save & restore each of your DECserver's configuration data. If the first DECserver fails, then the backed up configuration, saved in ASM, can be restored onto a new replacement DECserver. Selecting the option to use the complete backup, including the IP address of the original DECserver, restores a complete replacement of the operation of the original DECserver. (Note: the replacement DECserver will not restore the original MAC address). For detailed instructions on how save and restore your DECserver configuration, click here.

2. Backup DECserver Configuration to PCMCIA Flash Card

This option is only available if your DECservers are running V3.6. The complete DECserver configuration can be backed up onto a removable Flash Card, making it convenient to simply move the flash card to one or more DECservers to restore the original DECserver configuration. Note: The original IP address will not be restored and must be updated to complete the restore operation.

To save a known good configuration to a PCMCIA flash card, insert flash card and at the Local> prompt type HELP save. The DECserver will provide help details when connected as a console:

Local> HELP save

The help screen will show:

SAVE SERVER CONFIGURATION

Saves the server's configuration to a removable PCMCIA flash card.

SAVE {SERVER} CONFIGURATION

This command is valid on those servers which support the removable PCMCIA Flash Card. This command may be used to store the Server's configuration on to the Flash Card.

To copy the configuration to a backup DECserver, insert the flash card containing the known good configuration into an operational V3.6 DECserver and at the Local> prompt type HELP restore. Review the help file output before issuing the restore command:

Local> HELP restore

The help screen will show:

RESTORE SERVER CONFIGURATION

Restores the Server's configuration from a removable PCMCIA Flash Card.

RESTORE {SERVER} CONFIGURATION

This command is valid on those servers which support the removable PCMCIA Flash Card. This command may be used to restore the Server's configuration from a Flash Card.

Please note:

• This command will fail if the configuration stored on the PCMCIA Flash Card was not stored by an identical platform type to the server that is being restored.
• This command will fail if the configuration stored on the PCMCIA Flash Card was not stored using an identical version of DNAS Software as the version running on the server being restored.
• A restore will not change the IP address and subnet mask.
• After being restored the server will need to be initialized before some of the configuration settings will be used.

Other DECserver and DNAS documentation can be found here.

There were three iterations of the DECserver 90M terminal server:

1. Models: DSRVH-M* and -A* were configured without Flash RAM
2. Models: DSRVH-N* and -D* were configured with 1 MB of Flash RAM
3. Models: DSRVH-P* and -R* were configured with 2 MB of Flash RAM

All supported expanded multi-protocol connections via LAT, Telnet, SLIP, TN3270, CSLIP and PPP. Other features that were also supported: remote-node and remote control applications as well as accounting event logging and audit trails.

DSRVH-M* and -A*

These models (e.g.,DSRVH-MA, DSRVH-AA) were designed without flash and required a down line load over the network. These models cannot be upgraded.

DSRVH-N* and -D*

These models (e.g., DSRVH-NA, DSRVH-DA) were designed with 1 meg flash memory for program load and requires a compressed image that takes 5 minutes to boot. The image, MNENG2,is available for sale/download. This image contains DNAS V3.2. These models cannot be upgraded beyond V3.2

DSRVH-P* and -R*

These models (e.g., DSRVH-PA, DSRVH-RA) were designed with 2 meg flash memory for program load and requires a compressed image that takes less than 1 minute to boot. The image, MNENG3,is available for sale/download. This image contains DNAS V3.2. These models cannot be upgraded beyond V3.2

DCSRV-**

The DECserver 90M's were last built in 2002. Although not a direct replacement, the DECserver 90M+ is being used in place of the older 90M's in many applications around the world.

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The "NOTICE" feature produces a banner (an output string) to the connecting terminal/terminal emulator displaying what was entered.

Entering the banner content

Specifying NOTICE on the DECserver

The NOTICE is a quoted string of 1 to 70 characters which may be displayed on a port when a local user logs in. The default is no notice string.

CHANGE SERVER NOTICE 'Logged in to server BOB'

Configuring specific port(s) to display the banner contents

Specifying NOTICE on the Port

Determines if the Server’s notice string will be enabled/displayed on a port after a local user successfully logs in. Not all ports may require this output.

CHANGE PORT 4 NOTICES ENABLE

Server Notice

From the DNAS Command Guide Page 4-127:

Syntax

{SET/DEFINE/CHANGE} SERVER NOTICE "TEXT" {ENABLED/DISABLED}

Description: This privileged command specifies a brief description which may be displayed on a port when a local user logs in. (default: no text string). The text string value is a string of 1 to 70 ASCII characters. You must enclose the string in quotation marks ("text-string"). To clear a text string, enter the command with a quoted null string (" ").

• ENABLED enables the Server’s notice string to be displayed.
• DISABLED disables the Server’s notice string from being displayed.

Port Notices

From the DNAS Command Guide Page 4-59:

Description: A privileged option that determines if the Server’s notice string will be displayed on a port.

• ENABLED enables the Server’s notice string to be displayed.
• DISABLED disables the Server’s notice string from being displayed.

The Server’s notice is set via the SET/DEFINE/CHANGE SERVER NOTICE command. The default is PORT_n, where n is the port number. This command accepts a port-list or ALL as a parameter for the PORT keyword.

Questions? Leave a comment.

The event logging feature, called Accounting, stores information about significant user events (for example, logins) in an accounting log file. Instructions on how to configure it are available in Chapter 26 in the DNAS Management Guide.

Since the access server offers limited mass storage, preserving the accounting information requires the use of the console logging feature or a “harvester” application running on a management station. This blog entry describes the user interface commands you can use to manage the accounting feature.

What DECserver Events Are Logged?

The following list shows the events that are logged in each accounting log entry type:

• Port Login
• Port Logout
• Session Connect Attempt
• Session Disconnect
• Kerberos Password Fail
• Privilege Password Fail
• Maintenance Password Fail
• Login Password Fail
• Remote Password Fail
• SNMP Community Fail
• Privilege Password Modified
• Maintenance Password Modified
• Login Password Modified
• User Privilege Level Modified
• SNMP Community Modified
• Remote Password Modified

Accounting Log File

The size of the log file is defined by the administrator and if it's set to zero, no logging will occur. The maximum size of the log file is 512Kb/s. The log file can be viewed as a circular buffer with entries added in chronological order. When the end of the buffer is reached, a newly created entry will overwrite the oldest existing entry.

Examples of Event Log Entries

User logged into port 1 and set user status to 'Privileged'

Local> show account log

Accounting Log:

Event: Login                                     Time:   0 00:01:04         
   Port: 1            Access:    Local
   Username: LAB

Event: User Privilege Level Modified             Time:   0 00:01:41         
   Port: 1
   Username: LAB

Log entry after attempting to contact a non configured telnet port:

Local> show account log

Accounting Log:

Event: Login                                     Time:   0 00:01:04         
   Port: 1            Access:    Local
   Username: LAB

Event: User Privilege Level Modified             Time:   0 00:01:41         
   Port: 1
   Username: LAB

User tried to log into a telnet listener that was not configured

Local> show account log

Accounting Log:

Event: Session Connect Attempt                   Time:   0 00:03:42         
   Port: 1     Sessid: 1       Protocol: TELNET     Access: Local
   Username: LAB
   Peer: 0 LAT_08002BB03B0B 2010

Event: Session Disconnect                        Time:   0 00:03:42         
   Port: 1    Sessid: 1        Protocol: TELNET
   Reason: Error  TX: 0 bytes    RX: 0 bytes
   Username: LAB

User connected to a DECserver through the remote port (port 17 on a 16 port DECserver)

Local> show account log

Accounting Log:

Event: Session Connect Attempt                   Time:   0 00:01:42         
   Port: 17     Sessid: 1       Protocol: TELNET     Access: Remote
   Username: REMOTE CONSOLE
   Peer: 10.0.0.117 3323

Event: Login                                     Time:   0 00:01:49         
   Port: 17            Access:    Local
   Username: sd

Event: User Privilege Level Modified             Time:   0 00:02:23         
   Port: 17
   Username: sd

User logging into remote port but causes password failure

Local> show account log

Accounting Log:

Event: Login                                     Time:   0 02:15:23
   Port: 17            Access:    Local
   Username: tester

Event: Privileged Password Failure               Time:   0 02:16:08
   Port: 17
   Username: tester

Event: User Privilege Level Modified             Time:   0 02:16:12
   Port: 17
   Username: tester

Telnet Remote View of the Accounting Log

When console logging is enabled, the accounting component displays the accounting events on the server console as they occur. This can be useful for viewing events on a console terminal or printer. It is also possible to view (and log to a file) the console events remotely. If you place a loopback connector on the access server console port and associate a Telnet listener with this port, you can connect to the port and view the console messages remotely.

The following example shows the commands necessary to remotely view the accounting log via Telnet with a loopback connector on port 16:

Local> CHANGE PORT 16 ACCESS REMOTE
Local> CHANGE TELNET LISTENER 2001 PORT 16
Local> CHANGE TELNET LISTENER 2001 CONNECTION ENABLE
Local> CHANGE SERVER CONSOLE 16
Local> CHANGE PORT 16 AUTOBAUD DISABLED SPEED 57600

From a remote UNIX/LINUX system, the command is (replace x.x.x.x with your server’s IP address):

# TELNET x.x.x.x 2001

This will cause the accounting events to be displayed on the remote screen. To log the events to a file, type the following command (replace x.x.x.x with your server’s IP address):

# TELNET x.x.x.x 2001 > ACCT.LOG

See Chapter 26 in the DNAS Management Guide for more details. Questions? Leave a comment.