This chapter describes all SLAT commands and gives you suggestions for using them. Commands that perform a similar functions appear in the same section. The chapter contains these sections:
 | Note: SLAT must be running on your workstation to use these commands. See “Starting and Stopping the SLAT Utility” in Chapter 2 if you need startup instructions. |
The HELP command displays the complete list of SLAT commands:
local> HELP <Enter> |
SLAT responds by displaying the command list shown below. You can enter any command in this list whenever the local> prompt appears. Your entries can contain command abbreviations and lowercase letters (see “Entering SLAT Commands” in Chapter 2 for details).
-- Commands are: BACKWARD BREAK character CONNECT service-name [NODE node-name] [DESTINATION port-name] DISCONNECT [SESSION] [session-number] EXIT (or QUIT) FORWARD HELP RESUME [SESSION] [session-number] SHOW NODES [node-name] SHOW SERVER SHOW SERVICES [service-name] SHOW SESSIONS |
SLAT provides a group of commands that allow you to display different types of information about the LAT network and your network sessions. These commands are described in detail in the remainder of this section:
SHOW SERVICES lists the names of all available services on the LAT network.
SHOW NODES displays information about the nodes on the LAT network.
SHOW SERVER displays information about your local node.
SHOW SESSIONS lists status information about your current sessions.
The SHOW SERVICES command posts a list of available LAT services. If you enter SHOW SERVICES with no arguments, it lists the names of all services available on the LAT network, the current status of the service, and a brief description identifying the service. If you enter a service_name argument with the SHOW SERVICES command, it displays information about the service you specified.
The SHOW SERVICES command has this syntax:
local> SHOW SERVICES <Enter> local> SHOW SERVICES service_name <Enter> local> S SER service_name <Enter> |
In this example, a user enters the SHOW SERVICES command with no argument to display a list of all available LAT services:
local> S SER <Enter> |
SLAT displays this information in response to the command:
Service name Status Identification Aims Available AIMS - Project dev system HDWLAB Available Hardware Lab Server Node Gorgo Available Corporate MIS machine Alpha Available IRIS graphics applications |
In this example, a user wants information about Alpha, a service listed in the previous example:
local> SHOW SERVICE alpha <Enter> |
SLAT displays this information in response to the command:
Node name Status Rating Identification Alpha Available 90 IRIS graphics applications |
Notice that the service rating for Alpha is given in this listing.
The SHOW NODES command displays information about nodes on the LAT network. In some cases, items listed by SHOW NODES also appear in SHOW SERVICES listings, and in other cases they do not. This is because a node name may or may not be the same as the name of a service it provides.
If you enter the SHOW NODES command by itself, it displays the name and status of all operating nodes in the LAT network. If you specify the name of a node as an argument to the SHOW NODES command, SHOW NODES displays information about the service node you specified.
The SHOW NODES command has this syntax:
local> SHOW NODES <Enter> local> SHOW NODES node_name <Enter> local> S N <Enter> |
In this example, a user wants to display a complete list of all service nodes on the LAT network:
local> SHOW NODES <Enter> |
SLAT displays this information in response to the command:
Node Name Status Identification Zeus Available Corporate Word Processor DevOne Available Engineering Development Machine |
In the next example, a user wishes to display information specific to a node named Bonzo. Notice that Bonzo is not shown in the previous listing.
local> SHOW NODES bonzo <Enter> |
SLAT returns the following information about node Alpha:
Node name: Bonzo LAT protocol: V5.1 Address: aa-00-04-00-28-fc Data link frame size: 1482 Identification: VAPTRO - Corporate Cluster Alias Node groups: 0 Service name Rating Identification Alpha 73 Alpha - the new beginning VAPTRO 79 VAPTRO - cluster alias |
The SHOW SERVER command allows you to display the following information about the node where you are currently running SLAT:
The SHOW SERVER command has this syntax:
local> SHOW SERVER <Enter> local> S SERVE <Enter> |
In this example, a user wants to display server information about the host where SLAT is running:
local> SHOW SERVER |
SLAT displays this information in response to the command:
Node name : Malta Node description : SessionNET Ethernet device : /dev/isc Ethernet address : aa-00-04-00-fc-ff Active sessions: 2 Break character: ^k ACL groups: 0 IDL groups: 0 |
The SHOW SESSION command displays a summary of all your sessions with LAT service nodes. The summary includes the session number, the current status of each session, and the name of the service to which you are connected.
The SHOW SESSIONS command has this syntax:
local> SHOW SESSIONS <Enter> local> S SES <Enter> |
SLAT displays this information in response to the command:
Session 1 connected to Alpha (Alpha::LAT V.5) Session 2 connected to Gorgo (Gorgo::LAT V.5) Session 3 connected to Malta (Malta::LATS01) Session 4 disconnected |
From this information, you can see that the user has established four sessions, three of which are still connected. One of the active sessions is being provided by the user's local node.
The CONNECT command establishes a connection to a LAT service. It takes these arguments:
the service name only
the service name and a specific service node
the service name, a specific service node, and a destination port
The CONNECT command has this syntax:
local> CONNECT service_name <Enter> local> CONNECT service_name service_node <Enter> local> CONNECT service_name service_node destination_port_id <Enter> local> C service_name <Enter> |
The CONNECT command takes these arguments:
| service_name | name of the advertised service that you want to use | |
| service_node | name of the service node offering the service | |
| destination port_id |
|
In this example, a user wants to establish a connection to a service named finance:
local>C finance <Enter> |
Once the connection is established, the user might be required to log into the system offering the finance service. A login is not required for all services, however.
If the service you want is on a service node that requires a user password, you are allowed three attempts to correctly log into the service node. At the third incorrect attempt, an error message displays and the SLAT prompt reappears.
SLAT allows you to connect to multiple service sessions, but only one session can be active at a time. To establish multiple sessions, you must first suspend the active session. Suspending a session keeps your connection to the service open. When you are ready, you can return to the suspended session without reconnecting to it.
These SLAT commands manage multiple sessions:
The break sequence suspends an active session temporarily.
The RESUME command returns you to a suspended session.
The FORWARD command returns you to the session whose number is one greater than the session you last worked on.
The BACKWARD command returns you to the session whose number is one less than the session you last worked on.
You can leave a LAT session without disconnecting from it by entering the break sequence. When you enter the break sequence, it suspends the connection you are working on and automatically returns you to the SLAT prompt. Once the SLAT prompt appears, you can connect to another service or enter any other SLAT command. To return to the session you left, enter the RESUME command (see “The RESUME Command” for details).
To suspend the finance session that was established in the previous example, enter the break sequence by pressing the k key while holding down the <Ctrl> key. After your entry, the SLAT prompt is displayed:
$ <Ctrl-k>
local>
The default break sequence is <Ctrl> k, but you can redefine the sequence to use different keys.
The RESUME command allows you to return to a session that you previously left by using the break sequence. If you enter RESUME by itself, SLAT returns you to the last session you worked on. If you enter a session number argument with the RESUME command, SLAT returns you to the session that you specified.
The RESUME command has this syntax:
local> RESUME SESSION session_number <Enter> local> R SESSION session_number <Enter> local> R session_number <Enter> |
The FORWARD and BACKWARD commands allow you to move between established sessions without specifying a session number. The FORWARD command returns you to the session whose number is one more than the last session you worked on. The BACKWARD command returns you to the session whose number is one less than the last session you worked on.
In this example, a user has three established sessions, sessions 1, 2, and 3 and is working in session 2. To leave session 2 and move to session 3, the user enters these commands:
% <Ctrl-k> local> FORWARD <Enter> |
In this example the user has three established three outbound sessions; session 1, session 2, and session 3. While working in session 2, the user decided to leave it to return to session 1. To accomplish this, th user enters the break sequence and is returned to the SLAT prompt. At the SLAT prompt, the user enters the abbreviation for the BACKWARD command. Upon issuing the BACKWARD command, the user was automatically placed within session 1.
% <Ctrl-k> local> B <Enter> $ |
The DISCONNECT command ends your session with a LAT service. If you enter the DISCONNECT command alone, the session you most recently worked in is disconnected. If you enter the DISCONNECT command with a session number, only the session whose number you specified is disconnected. If you enter the DISCONNECT command with the all argument, all of your LAT sessions are disconnected.
The DISCONNECT command has this syntax:
local> DISCONNECT session_number <Enter> local> DISCONNECT all <Enter> local> D <Enter> |
In this example, a user is working in session 4 and decides to disconnect from it. The user enters the break sequence and is returned to the SLAT prompt. At the SLAT prompt, th user disconnects from the session.
% <Ctrl-k> local> D 4 <Enter> local> |
SLAT responds by disconnecting session number 4 and returning the user to the SLAT prompt. At this point the user can enter another SLAT command.
The BREAK command allows you to redefine the sequence of keys that you use to break from a LAT session. As shipped, 4DLT software uses the break sequence <Ctrl-k> (press the k key while holding down the <Ctrl> key). However, you can define the break sequence to be any of these key combinations:
any single alphanumeric key, followed by <Enter>
<Ctrl> with any alphanumeric key, except 1, 2, 9, or 0
<Ctrl> with any of the following non-alphanumeric keys: <Backspace>, forward slash ( /), backward slash ( \), left parenthesis ((), right parenthesis ()), or single quote ( `)
<Shift> with any alphanumeric key, or with <Backspace>
The break sequence you define remains active until you exit the SLAT utility. When you exit SLAT, the break sequence reverts to the default, <Ctrl-k>.
Use key combinations like these to define a break sequence:
local> B <Enter> local> <Ctrl-6> local> <Ctrl> <Backspace> local> <Shift-5> |
In this example, the user wishes to change the break sequence from the default, <Ctrl-k> to <Shift> <Backspace>:
local> BREAK <Shift> <<Backspace key> <Enter> |
When you press the <Shift> and <Backspace> keys, you see this message:
local> break ^X |
To view the current break sequence, enter the SHOW SERVER command.