NAME

netroute − Set up host names, addresses, and machine types

SYNOPSIS

netroute  [options]

OPTIONS

[none]Print out the kernel’s route table. 

−h host
The host to operate upon. Either a hostname or Sprite ID.

−f file
Use given file for the Sprite host database.

−g file
Use given file for the Sprite gateway database.

−favor net
Try to establish routes across networks of type net. 

−disfavor net
Try not to establish routes across networks of type net. 

−ether ff:oo:oo:bb:aa:rr@aa.bb.cc.ddEstablish a route to a host with these ethernet and internet addresses. 

−ultra hh/ii@aa.bb.cc.ddEstablish a route to a host with these ultranet and internet addresses. 

−fddi qq:ww:ee:rr:tt:yy@aa.bb.cc.ddEstablish a route to a host with these fddi and internet addresses. 

−pPrint routes. 

−iInstall routes. This is the default operations if no operations are given. 

−d routeID
Delete the route with the given ID.

−m machine_type
Host’s machine type, where the host is specified by the -h option. 

−vVerbose. 

−nPrint actions instead of doing them.  Not fully supported yet. 

INTRODUCTION

This command is used to access the kernel’s internal route table.  This route table is used to determine routes for sending RPC packets between the hosts. The route table has nothing to do with user-level network communication via TCP/IP or similar protocols.  Normally netroute is invoked during the boot script to install routes to all the hosts found in /etc/spritehosts (/etc/spritehosts.new during the transition period to the new spritehosts file format).  The /etc/spritehosts file contains the spriteID of the host, a network type and address (i.e. ethernet), an internet address, a machine type, and a name plus optional aliases.  The spriteID is used internally for RPC communication between Sprite hosts.  The network type and network address are used to map the Sprite ID to the correct local network address.  The internet address is used for the internet protocols.  The machine type is used when expanding the string “$MACHINE” inside pathnames.  The file server must know its clients machine types in order to do this correctly.  The names are used to make console error messages contain a human understandable host name, and are also used with the internet library routines. 

USAGE

There are three operations that can be performed on routes.  One is to print them, another is to install them, and the last is to delete them.  These operations are specified with the p, i and d options. 
 

INSTALLING ROUTES

For installing hosts, the information is normally taken from a host database file.  A host can be installed from scratch by specifying its name (hR option), machine type (mR option), and network addresses.  The network addresses are specified using the etherR, ultra, and fddi options.  The strings passed to these options must be of the form net_address@inet_address because each network interface has both a network address and an internet address.  At least one must be specified. 

Routes to hosts can be installed only over one network type.  When they are installed, netroute uses a list of types to check in a predefined order (use the v option to find this order.)  It will try to establish a route using the first network type; if that fails, it will try the next, etc.  This list can be changed dynamically using the favor and disfavor options to either favor one network type most or one network type the least, respectively.  Both options can be used at the same time. 

For example, normally routes are installed over ethernet.  To change it so that fddi routes are installed where possible, use: % netroute -i -favor fddi This will install fddi routes to those machines that support fddi routes, and ethernet routes to the remainder.

When new routes are installed successfully, the previous route is removed. 
 

DELETING ROUTES

Routes are deleted by specifying a route ID using the d option. 
 

PRINTING ROUTES

When routes are printed, the following information is given about each route: the Sprite ID of the host to which the route goes; the hostname and the machine type of that host; a description of the route from the kernel; the route ID, and the route ID shifted by right by 16 places; the network type of the route;  the network address of the interface from which the route sends packets;  the protocol that the route serves; the route flags; a reference count to the route; min and max packet sizes over the route; min and max RPC sizes over the route; and the network address of the destination host to which packets are sent. 
 

FILES

/etc/spritehostsContains the old host database /etc/spritehosts.new Contains the new host database. 

KEYWORDS

ethernet, ultranet, fddi, internet, net, route, $MACHINE

Sprite version 1.0  —  June 23, 1992