Conference 7.286::digital

4321.0. "WATN Q & A --Update" by STOWOA::WATNFEEDBACK () Tue Dec 12 1995 15:34

                  I N T E R O F F I C E   M E M O R A N D U M

                                        Date:     30-Nov-1995 01:58pm EST
                                        From:     WATNFEEDBACK @OGO
                                                  WATNFEEDBACK
                                        Dept:     
                                        Tel No:   



Subject: Answers to WATN Questions                                   

    
    Answers to WATN Project Questions
    
    This communications is intended to provide answers to some of the 
    most common questions raised regarding the WATN Migration Project.
    
    Question: Describe the proposed WATN restructure.
    Answer:   Although remote dial-in access will continue, the 
              methodology to access applications across Digital sites 
              will be changed.  Site to site communications will be
    	      directed to gateway machines that will place the traffic 
              onto the EASYnet or Extended LAN LAT services.  This new 
              service will be called NETWAY.
    
    	      As NETWAY is deployed, WATN changes will be made in the 
              number and type of access ports due to the transfer of 
              Digital site traffic to the EASYnet and XLAN services.
    
    Question: What is NETWAY?
    Answer:   The NETWAY acronym represents a is a digital intersite 
              network gateway.  NETWAY's purpose is to redirect terminal 
              access traffic to legacy applications, across the various 
              local area network extended LANs, using the EASYnet 
              backbone and/or LAT services. 
    
    Question: When will this WATN restructure occur?
    Answer:   The NETWAY deployment schedule is currently under review.
    	      The existing WATN is not going away in December. WATN 
              service will not change until after NETWAY begins 
              deployment.
    
    	      Preliminary plans for deployment of the NETWAY services 
              will begin sometime in the February time frame.  Prior to 
              deployment, GPS Advisory Communications will be issued to 
              notify people at the affected sites.
    
    Question: What impact will NETWAY have on my service?
    Answer:   With the deployment of NETWAY services, the WATN 
              site-to-site methods to access legacy applications via "C 
              WATN" and " Site *WATN" will be eliminated.  All users at 
              Digital facilities that use VT terminals to access 
              applications will use "C NETWAY".  Once within a NETWAY 
              host, the user will be able to specify either the LAT 
              CONNECT command, as before, or choose the TCP/IP TELNET 
              command to access applications that are not on or know to 
              their local site.  Appropriate instructions will be issued 
              to all users at sites converting from WATN to NETWAY 
              according to the implementation schedule.
    
    Question: Will WATN for log in or dial-up from home, or other remote 
              locations be impacted?
    Answer:   No, remote WATN login will not be impacted. Only site to 
              site WATN will be impacted (except as described in the 
              first question.) 
    
    Question: Will dial in service be turned off?
    Answer:   No, dial in service will not be turned off.
    
    Question: Will FX (foreign exchange) lines be impacted by this 
              project?  
    Answer:   The FX lines are not being addressed by the WATN 
              project.  
    
    Question: Will the site modem pools be upgraded?  What is RAS?
    Answer:   Some portion of the existing remote access modem pools will 
              be upgraded to 28.8kbs speed beginning in January.  These 
              modems will be upgraded to support the emerging client 
              server applications.  
    
    	      NT RAS (Remote Access Servers) will provide authenticated 
              secure access into Digital's EASYnet environment through 
              upgraded modems beginning in February 1996.  Non client 
              server applications (VT terminal access to VAX hosts) will 
              continue to be served through existing modem pools and 
              dial-up WATN.  Most of these connections will run at speeds 
              of 14.4kbps or less. 	
    
    

    If you do eliminate "C WATN" from the site, please figure out a way so
    as we can at least access the WATN password change utility from the site.
    The WATN forces periodic password changes done by the cost center
    manager and expecting her to log in from home over realt WATN just to
    change the WATN password is not a viable solution.
    
    - Vikas

    Is there someplace - anyplace - that I can get a clear, concise
    explanation of how to actually *use* this new setup?  Like:
     
    1. What numbers I can call that are local to Bolton, Mass.
    2. What baud rates each number supports.
    3. What I have to do, once I establish a connection, to log
       into a particular computer system in the company (in my
       case, in Marlboro).
    
    I've seen scads of generalities but amazingly little specific
    information.  (It may be available, I may just not know where
    to look.  If so, please help me out.)

Steve,

I doubt that you CAN find a single list since once you connect to a site, all
are a little different.  However, for a start, enable logging and then connect
to WATN with a username of HELP.  There is a menu item that allows you to list
out EVERY access number, complete with its characteristics, for any state or
country you can think of.  I printed out the US list before I took a cross
country vacation early last summer.  I suggested logging the session since
the US list is, or at least was when I copied it, over 2600 lines long.

Obviously, tha is only half the battle.  Once you make the modem link to WATN,
the rest of thee connection procedure is host site specific.  For example,
when I worked in TWO, once I entered the USERNAME:host#;password string to WATN,
I was logged in to the site LAT.  Conversely, here in LKG, I get a "#" prompt
at which I need to enter a site specific password before the LAT login process
starts.

Hope that helps,

Mike J.

    
    	The NETWAY (WATN) 24 Hour Hotline # is 1-800-336-0149. You should
    be able to obtain phone #'s from them. I don't use NETWAY since I live
    local to my site. Logging in should be just like WATN. Your CC manager
    should have your NETWAY account/password. Which should then connect you
    to your site. Once at your site, follow your site login process. You
    should need a password here. Your site support network group should
    be able to tell you the exact process/passwords.
    
    Ron 

    Thanks, folks!
    

    To all concerned users -  please do not confuse remote dial-in services
    using WATN which is really MCI Data Network Services previously known
    as TYMNET. The new NETWAY Service is only to be used to provide network
    access for users at DIGITAL office locations. The object of this change
    is to move network traffic from a moderately expensive service to an
    existing backbone EASYnet and XLAN LAT service. Remote dial-in service
    thru WATN will continue to exist using the same phone numbers and
    call-in/log-in procedures as exists now. To find out information about
    the current WATN network, dial-up numbers, etc., you can use VTX WATN
    which will present you with a menu of information to browse. 

    The new NETWAY service is not yet available for use. It should be ready
    in the February/March, 1996 timeframe at selected sites based upon the
    rollout plan being developed. Further details will be forthcoming as
    deployment begins.