This document contains instructions for enabling and configuring DECnet networking on OpenVMS 8.4.  This example was created using OpenVMS runing on an AXPBox Alpha simulator while logged in as SYSTEM.  However, this document may be applicable to other versions of OpenVMS, and/or running on a physical AlphaServer.
This example uses the following node specific values:
DECnet Node Name: stimpy
DECnet Node Address: 1.2
DECnet Node Type: End Node
For networking examples elsewhere on this site with another Alpha VMS node, these instructions were repeated by substituting the following node specific values:
DECnet Node Name: ren
DECnet Node Address: 1.1
DECnet Node Type: End Node
Please adjust these values to whatever is appropriate for your environment.  For reference, the full example network is documented here: OpenVMS Simulator Network
1. Run DECnet Configuration command procedure
$ @sys$manager:net$configure.com
2. Configure DECnet 
        DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS network configuration procedure
    This procedure will help you create or modify the management scripts
    needed to operate DECnet on this machine. You may receive help about
    most questions by answering with a question mark '?'.
     
%NET$CONFIGURE-I-SETUPNEW, setting up for new configuration
 
     You have the option of choosing the following directory services for
     your system:
 
       Local file (LOCAL) - A local namespace that uses flat naming.
 DECdns - A distributed namespace.
 Domain - A naming service that uses DNS/BIND. 
 
     The Local file has the capability to hold 100,000 nodes, and it can even 
     scale beyond that number.  The actual number of nodes that the Local file 
     can hold depends on the space available on your system.
 
     If you choose to enter more than one directory service for your system, 
     the ordering of this list is *very important*, as the first directory 
     service entered in this list will be considered the primary directory 
     service to use on the system.  The primary directory service is considered
     the first choice to use when looking up naming information for the system.
 
     Enter an *ordered* list of the directory services you want to use on
     the system.  If you enter more than one directory service, separate them 
     by commas.
 
* Enter the directory services to use on the system [DECdns,Local,Domain] : Local,Domain
 
     Enter a node name for each directory service chosen.
 
     For the directory service Domain, you will enter a fully qualified
     host name for DNS/BIND.  The fully qualified host name includes the 
     host name part and the domain name part.  For example:
 
        Domain      -  mine.xyz.com
 
     For the directory services DECdns and Local file, you will enter a node
     full name.  The node full name is the name of your system's node object
     in the directory service.  It includes the namespace nickname, and the
     full list of directories leading to the node object name.  Examples of
     node full names for the directory services DECdns and Local file include:
 
        Local file  -  LOCAL:.mine
        DECdns      -  XYZ_CORP:.usa.west_coast.mine
 
     For the Local file, the namespace nickname LOCAL is prepended to the
     full name and is terminated with a colon (:).  The namespace nickname
     "LOCAL" means that the Local file is used.  The node object name must
     begin with a dot (.), and no element of the name  (namespace name,
     directory, or node object name) can be a null string.  Please note that
     the namespace nickname "LOCAL" is reserved, and indicates that the
     Local file will be used on this system.
 
     The Local file has the capability to hold 100,000 nodes, and it can even
     scale beyond that number.  The actual number of nodes that the Local file
     can hold depends on the space available on your system.
 
* Enter the full name for directory service LOCAL            : LOCAL:.stimpy
* Enter the fully qualified host name for DNS/BIND           : stimpy.colornet.com
 
     The node synonym is an alphanumeric character string between 1 and 6
     characters long that contains at least one alphabetic character.  If this
     system had previously been running DECnet Phase IV software, then the old
     nodename should be used as the synonym.  If this system is joining a DECnet
     network for the first time, any name can be used for the synonym, as long
     as it meets the criteria listed above, and is unique within the network.
 
* What is the synonym name for this node?              [STIMPY] : 
* What type of node (Endnode or Router)?           [ENDNODE] : 
 
     A DECnet-Plus system may or may not use a DECnet Phase IV-style node
     address.  A node address of 0.0 indicates that this DECnet-Plus system
     will be communicating with OSI systems only.  If your network contains
     some systems running DECnet Phase IV, you may want to specify a compatible
     address in order to communicate with them.  If your network consists
     solely of OSI systems, this is not required.
 
     The DECnet Phase IV node address consists of an area number (between 1
     and 63), and a node number within the area (between 1 and 1023).  
 
* Enter PhaseIV Address                                [1.2] : 
%NET$CONFIGURE-I-SCANCONFIG, scanning device configuration - please wait
 
%NET$CONFIGURE-W-NOPWIP, DECnet over IP requires the PWIP driver to be enabled
%NET$CONFIGURE-I-CREDEFOSITEMPLATE, created default OSI templates
%NET$CONFIGURE-I-EVDDEFAULT, providing default Event Dispatcher configuration
%NET$CONFIGURE-I-MAKEACCOUNT, this procedure creates user account CML$SERVER
 
By default, MOP is not started by NET$STARTUP.  In order to make
this system service MOP requests, NET$STARTUP_MOP must be defined
to signal NET$STARTUP to load the MOP software.  This symbol is
normally defined in SYS$STARTUP:NET$LOGICALS.COM.
 
Answering YES to the following question will modify
SYS$STARTUP:NET$LOGICALS.COM for you, to enable MOP service on 
this system.  Answering NO will remove the logical name definition
from SYS$STARTUP:NET$LOGICALS.COM.  Note that this will have no
effect if the NET$STARTUP_MOP is defined elsewhere.
 
* Load MOP on this system?                              [NO] : 
 
Summary of Configuration
 
 Node Information:
 
Directory Services Chosen:LOCAL,DOMAIN
Primary Directory Service:LOCAL
Local Full name:LOCAL:.STIMPY
Fully Qualified Host Name:STIMPY.COLORNET.COM
Node Synonym:REN
Phase IV Address:1.2
Phase IV Prefix:49::
Session Control Address Update Interval:10
Routing Node Type:ENDNODE
Autoconfiguration of Network Addresses:Enabled
Routing ESHello Timer:600
Routing ES Cache Size:512
 
 Device Information:
 
Device: EWA0 (DExxx/TULIP):
Data Link name:CSMACD-0
Routing Circuit Name:CSMACD-0
 
 Transport Information:
 
NSP Transport:                    Configured
           Maximum number of logical links:     200
           Maximum Transmit and Receive Window: 20
           Maximum Receive Buffers:             4000
           Flow Control Policy:                 Segment Flow Control
 
OSI Transport:                    Configured
           Maximum number of logical links:     200
           Maximum Transmit and Receive Window: 20
           Maximum Receive Buffers:             4000
           OSI applications over TCP/IP:        Enabled
           DECnet applications over TCP/IP:     Enabled
           DECnet/OSI over TCP/IP interface(s): ALL
 
Congestion Avoidance Disabled
 
 Event Dispatcher Configuration:
 
Sinks:            local_sink
Outbound Streams: local_stream
Phase IV Relay:   Enabled
 
* Do you want to generate NCL configuration scripts?   [YES] :
%NET$CONFIGURE-I-CHECKSUM, checksumming NCL management scripts
* Do you want to start the network?                    [YES] : 
 
...
 
%NET$STARTUP-I-OPERSTATUS, DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS operational status is RUNNING-ALL
%NET$CONFIGURE-I-CONFIGCOMPLETED, DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS configuration completed
 
No more NCP to define nodes; to configure DECnet nodes using menus:
 
$ run sys$system:decnet_register
 
or
 
$ netreg :== $sys$system:decnet_register
3. Register DECnet Nodes in Local Directory
$ netreg :== $sys$system:decnet_register
$ netreg register node local:.ren directory local tower {1.1}
Directory Service: Local name file
Registering the node: LOCAL:.REN
$ netreg register node local:.stimpy directory local tower {1.2}
Directory Service: Local name file
Registering the node: LOCAL:.STIMPY
$ netreg register node local:.George directory local tower {1.3}
Directory Service: Local name file
Registering the node: LOCAL:.GEORGE