home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
Text File | 2001-10-03 | 96.6 KB | 2,225 lines |
- Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!nycmny1-snh1.gtei.net!paloalto-snf1.gtei.net!news.gtei.net!news.compaq.com!news.cpqcorp.net!not-for-mail
- Newsgroups: comp.os.vms,comp.sys.dec,vmsnet.alpha,vmsnet.misc,comp.answers,news.answers
- Distribution: world
- X-Newsreader: mxrn 6.18-32B
- References: <pkqu7.957$YP.25608@news.cpqcorp.net>
- From: hoffman@xdelta.zko.dec.nospam (Hoff Hoffman)
- Reply-To: hoffman@xdelta.zko.dec.nospam
- Followup-To: poster
- Approved: news-answers-request@mit.edu
- Expires: 2 Dec 2001 00:00:00 GMT
- References: <92irts$f4j$1@mailint03.im.hou.compaq.com>
- Subject: OpenVMS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), Part 2/5
- Summary: This posting contains answers to frequently asked questions about
- the OpenVMS operating system from Compaq Computer Corporation, and
- the computer systems on which it runs.
- Lines: 2202
- Message-ID: <qmqu7.958$YP.25685@news.cpqcorp.net>
- Date: Tue, 02 Oct 2001 21:31:02 GMT
- NNTP-Posting-Host: 16.32.80.251
- X-Complaints-To: abuse@Compaq.com
- X-Trace: news.cpqcorp.net 1002058262 16.32.80.251 (Tue, 02 Oct 2001 14:31:02 PDT)
- NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 02 Oct 2001 14:31:02 PDT
- Organization: Compaq Computer Corporation
- Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu comp.os.vms:311562 comp.sys.dec:89397 vmsnet.alpha:11482 vmsnet.misc:6280 comp.answers:47271 news.answers:216434
-
- Archive-name: dec-faq/vms/part2
- Posting-Frequency: quarterly
- Last-modified: 2 Oct 2001
- Version: VMS-FAQ-2.TXT(7)
-
- This is the OpenVMS Frequently Asked Questions Part 2/5.
- Please see Part 1/5 for administrivia, indexing, archiving, etc.
-
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT1. What is an installed image?
-
- The term "install" has two distinct meanings in OpenVMS. The first relates to
- "installing a product", which is done with either the SYS$UPDATE:VMSINSTAL.COM
- command procedure or the POLYCENTER Software Installation (PCSI) utility
- (PRODUCT command). The second meaning relates to the use of the INSTALL
- utility, which is what concerns us here.
-
- The INSTALL utility is used to identify to OpenVMS a specific copy of an
- image, either executable or shareable, which is to be given some set of
- enhanced properties. For example, when you issue the SET PASSWORD command,
- the image SYS$SYSTEM:SETP0.EXE is run. That image needs to have elevated
- privileges to perform its function.
-
- The other important attribute is /SHARED. This means that shareable parts
- of the image (typically read-only code and data) are loaded into memory
- only once and are shared among all users on a system. Executable images
- can be installed /SHARED as well as shareable library images. (The term
- "shareable" has dual meanings here, too. See the OpenVMS Programming
- Concepts Manual for further details.)
-
- It's important to note that there is no such thing as "installing a shareable
- image with privileges". The INSTALL utility will let you do it, but the
- privileges you specify will be ignored. To have a callable routine run with
- enhanced privileges that are not available to its caller, you must construct
- your routines as "user-written system services" and install the shareable
- image with the /PROTECT qualifier. See the OpenVMS Programming Concepts
- Manual for more information on user-written system services. Note also
- that in many cases the need to grant privileges to an image can be replaced
- with the use of the "Protected Subsystems" feature that grants a rights
- identifier to an image. See the OpenVMS Guide to System Security for
- information on Protected Subsystems.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT2. Are there any known viruses for OpenVMS?
-
- Viruses are very common on PCs because the PC operating systems such as MS-DOS
- and MacOS do not implement any sort of scheme to protect the operating system
- or the file system against hostile action by programs. On these operating
- systems, any running program can subvert the operating system and take over
- the hardware, at which point it can do anything it wishes, including hiding
- copies of itself in other programs or in the file system.
-
- This is unlikely on OpenVMS, Unix, and MVS for three reasons. First, the
- operating system runs in a privileged mode in memory that is protected
- against modification by normal user programs. Any old program cannot
- take over the hardware as it can on PC operating systems. Secondly,
- OpenVMS, Unix, and MVS have file systems that can be set up so that
- non-privileged programs cannot modify system programs and files on disk.
- Both of these protection schemes mean that traditional PC virus schemes
- don't work on these OSes. Third, typical applications and configurations
- tend to prevent the uncontrolled execution of untrusted code as part of
- email messages or web access.
-
- It is possible for OpenVMS, etc., to be infected by viruses, but to do so,
- the program containing the virus must be run from a user account that has
- amplified privileges. As long as the system administrator is careful that
- only trusted applications are run from such accounts (and this is generally
- the case), there is no danger from viruses.
- [Paul Winalski]
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
- To protect against viruses and other attempts at system interference or
- misuse, follow the recommendations in the "OpenVMS Guide to System Security".
- You may also want to consider optional software products which can monitor
- your system for intrusion or infection attempts. Computer Associates (CA)
- offers various products in this area.
-
- Rocksoft offers the Veracity data integrity tool (for info, send mail to
- demo@rocksoft.com).
-
- [Contributions to this list welcomed]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT3. How do I mount an ISO-9660 CD on OpenVMS?
-
- ISO-9660 support was added in the following releases:
-
- OpenVMS VAX V6.0
- OpenVMS AXP V1.5
-
- An add-on ISO-9960 kit was also available for OpenVMS VAX V5.5,
- V5.5-1, V5.5-2, and V5.5-2H4. This requires the installation
- of the F11CD kit from the InfoServer CD, from the Consolidated
- Distribution CD under the InfoServer area, Customer Support Center
- kit CSCPAT #1071012, or the F11CD ECO kit. (Upgrades to V6 and
- later are strongly recommended.)
-
- By default, OpenVMS senses the specific type of media. If you
- are working with dual-format media -- media that uses both the
- ODS-2 and ISO-9660 formats on the same CD-ROM -- then MOUNT will
- first detect and then default to the ODS-2 format. If you wish
- to override this and explicitly mount the media using ISO-9660,
- use the command:
-
- $ MOUNT/MEDIA_FORMAT=CDROM device-name[:] [volume-label]
-
- In most circumstances, you will not need nor will you want to
- include an explicit /MEDIA_FORMAT specification. For further
- information, please refer to the OpenVMS MOUNT Utility Manual.
- Particularly note the information on the MOUNT /MEDIA_FORMAT
- and /UNDEFINED_FAT qualifiers.
-
- The MOUNT /UNDEFINED_FAT qualifier is of interest because
- ISO-9660 media can be mastered on a wide variety of operating
- system platforms, and these platforms do not necessarily support
- the semantics needed for files containing predefined record formats.
- The /UNDEFINED_FAT allows you to specify the default attributes for
- files accessed from volumes using the ISO-9660 format.
-
- An example which works for most CD-ROMs is:
-
- $ MOUNT/MEDIA_FORMAT=CDROM/UNDEFINED_FAT=STREAM:2048 DUA0: FREEWARE
-
- This particular MOUNT command forces access to the CD-ROM media
- using the ISO-9660 volume structure, and the use of the MOUNT
- /UNDEFINED_FAT qualifier causes any file whose file attributes
- are "undefined" to be returned with "stream" attributes with a
- maximum record length 2048.
-
- On OpenVMS, the ISO-9660 format is (internally) considered to be
- the ODS-3 file structure, while the High Sierra extensions to
- the standard are considered to be the ODS-4 file structure. The
- Rock Ridge extensions are not currently available on OpenVMS.
-
- [Jim Dunham]
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
- For details on ODS-1 and ODS-2 file specifications, see Kirby
- McCoy's VMS File System Internals Manual (published by Digital
- Press, but potentially out of print), and see:
-
- http://pdp-11.trailing-edge.com/www/ods1.txt
- http://www.openvms.compaq.com/freeware/freeware50/ods2/
-
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT4. How do I extract the contents of a PCSI kit?
-
- A growing number of OpenVMS products are being provided in PCSI
- (POLYCENTER Software Installation) kits which are installed using the
- PRODUCT INSTALL command. These are alternatives to or replacement for
- VMSINSTAL kits which were BACKUP savesets. PCSI kits are not BACKUP
- savesets and are structured differently from VMSINSTAL kits.
-
- If you want to extract product files from a PCSI kit, create a directory
- into which the kit should be expanded and use the following command:
-
- $ PRODUCT COPY prodname /SOURCE=[where-the-kit-is] -
- /DEST=[destination-directory] /FORMAT=REFERENCE
-
- A PCSI kit file has a file specification of the following form:
-
- DEC-VAXVMS-FORTRAN-V0603-141-1.PCSI
-
- In this example, "FORTRAN" is the "prodname". PCSI will expand the kit
- files into the directory you specify and subdirectories beneath such
- as [SYSEXE], [SYSLIB], etc., reflecting the eventual destination of files
- found there. Most of the actual product files (images, etc.) will be in
- the subdirectories. In the top-level directory will be a file with the
- file type PCSI$DESCRIPTION that specifies where various files should go.
- For more details, see the POLYCENTER Software Installation Developer's
- Guide for OpenVMS, which can be found in the OpenVMS documentation on
- the Consolidated Online Documentation CD-ROM.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT5. I've forgotten the SYSTEM password - what can I do?
-
- If you need to break into an OpenVMS system because you do not have
- access to any privileged passwords, such as the password to the SYSTEM
- username, you will need physical access to the system console, and you
- will need to perform a conversational reboot. Here are the steps:
-
- 1. Halt the system. Exactly how this is done depends on the
- specific system model: Depending on the model, this can involve
- pressing the <HALT> button, entering <CTRL/P> on the console, or
- pressing the <BREAK> key on the console.
-
- 2. At the >>> console prompt, use a console command to boot into the
- SYSBOOT> utility. (SYSBOOT allows conversational changes to system
- parameters.) The syntax for the conversational bootstrap varies by
- system model -- this typically involves specifying a flag of 1, for
- example:
-
- VAX:
- B/1
- B/R5:1
- @GENBOO
-
- Alpha:
- b -flags 0,1
-
- If your system has a non-zero system root (such as root SYSE, shown
- here), you will have to use a console command such as the following:
-
- VAX:
- B/E0000001
- B/R5:E0000001
- @<console media procedure name varies widely>
-
- Alpha:
- b -flags e,1
-
- If your system has a hardware password (various systems support
- a password that prevents unauthorized access to the console), you
- will need to know theis password and will need to enter it using
- the LOGIN command at the console. If you get an "Inv Cmd" error
- trying to perform a conversational bootstrap, and you do not have
- the hardware console password for the console LOGIN command, you
- are stuck -- you will need to call for hardware service in order
- to reset the hardware console password. The syntax used for the
- console password mechanism varies.
-
- 3. Once at the SYSBOOT> prompt, request that OpenVMS read the system
- startup commands directly from the system console, that the window
- system (if any) not be started, and that OpenVMS not record these
- particular parameter changes for subsequent system reboots:
-
- SET/STARTUP OPA0:
- SET WINDOW_SYSTEM 0
- SET WRITESYSPARAMS 0
- CONTINUE
-
- 4. At the $ prompt, the system will now be accepting startup commands
- directly from the console. Type the following two DCL commands:
-
- SPAWN
- @SYS$SYSTEM:STARTUP
-
- The result of these two commands will be the normal system startup,
- but you will be left logged in on the console, running under a
- privileged username. Without the use of the SPAWN command, you
- would be logged out when the startup completes.
-
- If necessary, you can skip the invocation of the system startup
- temporarily, and perform tasks such as egistering license PAKs
- or various other "single-user" maintenance operations.
-
- 5. Use the following commands to reset the SYSTEM password:
-
- SET DEFAULT SYS$SYSTEM: ! or wherever SYSUAF.DAT resides
- RUN SYS$SYSTEM:AUTHORIZE
- MODIFY SYSTEM /PASSWORD=newpassword
- EXIT
-
- These steps will change the SYSTEM password to the specified new
- newpassword password value.
-
- Reboot the system normally -- the SYSTEM password should now be set to
- the value you specified in Step 5.
-
- Some people will suggest a method using the UAFALTERNATE SYSGEN parameter.
- This approach is not always reliable and is not recommended, as there can
- easily be an alternate user authorization file configured on the system.
-
- For further information on emergency startup and shutdown, as well as for
- the official OpenVMS documentation on how to change the SYSTEM password
- from the console in an emergency, please see the OpenVMS System Manager's
- Manual in the OpenVMS documentation set.
-
- You can also use the conversational bootstrap technique shown above (the
- steps through Step 3) to alter various system parameters. At the SYSBOOT>
- prompt, you can enter new parameters values:
-
- SHOW MAXPROCESSCNT
- SET . 64
- CONTINUE
-
- The "." is a shorthand notation used for the last parameter examined.
-
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT6. How do I connect a PostScript printer via TCP/IP?
-
- Using UCX as the TCP/IP stack, it is possible to setup queues using the
- UCX$TELNETSYM in order to print to postscript printers. This assumes
- however that the printer itself can convert whatever is passed to it into
- something intelligible. As an example, if the printer has an IP address
- of 123.456.789.101 and jobs should be passed to port 9100 then :
- $ INITIALIZE/QUEUE/ON="123.456.789.101:9100"/PROCESSOR=UCX$TELNETSYM -
- my_ip_queue
-
- The port number of 9100 is typical of HP JetDirect cards but may be
- different for other manufacturers cards.
-
- As a better alternative, DCPS Version 1.4 and later support IP queues
- using either Compaq TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS software or Cisco
- Multinet for OpenVMS. The usage of this type of interface is documented
- in the Release Notes and the DCPS$STARTUP.TEMPLATE file.
-
- For general and additional (non-Postscript) IP printing information, see:
- http://www.openvms.compaq.com/wizard/ topic (1020)
- http://www.wotsit.org/
- [Steve Reece]
- [Arne Vajh°j]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT7 moved to TIME10.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT8 removed. superceded by TIME section
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT9. How do I change the node name of an OpenVMS System?
-
- The first step is to get a BACKUP of the system disk before making
- any changes -- use the system disk backup procedures as documented
- in the OpenVMS System Management Manual, making sure to use the
- procedures and commands appropriate for the system disk.
-
- Changing the node name involves a number of steps -- the node name
- tends to be imbedded in a number of different data files around the
- system.
-
- Update the SCSNODE in MODPARAMS.DAT, and then run AUTOGEN as
- far as the SETPARAMS phase. (Do not reboot yet.)
- Modify the DECnet node name. (NETCONFIG is the DECnet Phase
- IV tool, and NET$CONFIGURE is the DECnet-Plus tool.)
- Modify the IP node name. (The TCP/IP Services tool is UCX$CONFIG
- prior to V5.0, and is TCPIP$CONFIG in V5.0 and later releases.)
- Modify the host node name on the various queues in the queue
- database. (each queue has a host name, and it defaults to
- the SCS node name of the queue's host system. See the command
- INIT/QUEUE/ON=node for information.)
- Modify the node name saved in any application databases, or any
- local node-conditional operations present in the site-specific
- system startup, etc. (SEARCH for the node name, specifying
- all types of files.)
- Rename the SYS$NODE_oldnodename rightslist identifier to match
- the new name. (Do not change the binary value of this
- identifier.)
- Reset any license PAKs that are restricted to the old node name
- to the new node name.
- If the node name is part of a disk volume label, see MGMT19.
- Reboot the node or -- if in a VMScluster -- reboot the whole
- VMScluster. (This tends to catch any errors immediately.)
-
- There are likely a few other areas where the nodename will be stored.
-
- If the system is configured in a VMScluster and you change *either*
- the SCSNODE or the SCSSYSTEMID -- but *not* both values -- then you
- will have to reboot the entire VMScluster. (The VMScluster remembers
- the mapping between these two values, and will assume that a
- configuration problem has occured if a mismatched pair appears, and
- will refuse to let a node with a mismatched pair join the VMScluster.)
-
- To calculate the correct SCSSYSTEMID value, multiply the DECnet Phase
- IV area number by 1024, and add the DECnet Phase IV node number. For
- example, the SCSSYSTEMID value for a DECnet node with address 19.22 is
- 19478. ((19 * 1024) + 22 = 19478)
-
- I expect I may have missed one or two configuration tools (or more!)
- that are needed at your site -- the node name tends to get stored all
- over the place, in layered products, and in local software...
-
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT10. What is the correct value for EXPECTED_VOTES in a VMScluster?
-
- The VMScluster connection manager uses the concept of votes and quorum
- to prevent disk and memory data corruptions -- when sufficient votes are
- present for quorum, then access to resources is permitted. When sufficient
- votes are not present, user activity will be blocked. The act of blocking
- user activity is called a "quorum hang", and is better thought of as a
- "user data integrity interlock". This mechanism is designed to prevent
- a partitioned VMScluster, and the resultant massive disk data corruptions.
-
- On each OpenVMS node in a VMScluster, one sets two values in SYSGEN: VOTES,
- and EXPECTED_VOTES. The former is how many votes the node contributes to
- the VMScluster. The latter is the total number of votes expected when the
- full VMScluster is bootstrapped.
-
- Some sites erroneously attempt to set EXPECTED_VOTES too low, believing
- this will allow when only a subset of voting nodes are present in a
- VMScluster. It does not. Further, an erroneous setting in EXPECTED_VOTES
- is automatically corrected once VMScluster connections to other nodes are
- established, meaning user data is at risk of severe corruption only during
- the initial system bootstrap.
-
- One can operate a VMScluster with one, two, or many voting nodes. With
- any but the two-node configuration, keeping a subset of the nodes active
- when some nodes fail can be easily configured. With the two-node
- configuration, one must use a primary-secondary configuration (where the
- primary has all the votes), a peer configuration (where when either node
- is down, the other hangs), or (preferable) a shared quorum disk.
-
- Use of a quorum disk does slow down VMScluster transitions somewhat --
- the addition of a third voting node that contributes the vote(s) that
- would be assigned to the quorum disk makes for faster transitions -- but
- the use of a quorum disk does mean that either node in a two-node VMScluster
- configuration can operate when the other node is down.
-
- If you choose to use a quoum disk, a QUORUM.DAT file will be automatically
- created when OpenVMS first boots and when a quorum disk is specified --
- well, the QUORUM.DAT file will be created when OpenVMS is booted without
- also needing the votes from the quorum disk.
-
- In a two-node VMScluster with a shared storage interconnect, typically each
- node has one vote, and the quorum disk also has one vote. EXPECTED_VOTES
- is set to three.
-
- Using a quorum disk on a non-shared interconnect is unnecessary -- the
- use of a quorum disk does not provide any value, and the votes assigned
- to the quorum disk should be assigned to the OpenVMS host serving access
- to the disk.
-
- For information on quorum hangs, see the OpenVMS documentation. For
- information on changing the EXPECTED_VOTES value on a running system,
- see the SET CLUSTER/EXPECTED_VOTES command, and see the OpenVMS system
- console documentation for the processor-specific console commands used
- to trigger the IPC (Interrrupt Priority Level %x0C; IPL C) handler.
- The IPC handler can be used to clear a quorum hang, and to clear disk
- mount verification hangs.
-
- The quorum scheme is a set of "blade guards" deliberately implemented
- by OpenVMS Engineering to provide data integrity -- remove these blade
- guards at your peril. OpenVMS Engineering did not implement the quorum
- mechanism to make your life more difficult -- quorum was implemented to
- keep your data from getting scrambled.
-
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT11. Why doesn't OpenVMS see the new memory I just added?
-
- When adding memory to an OpenVMS system, one should check for an existing
- definition of the PHYSICALPAGES (OpenVMS VAX) or PHYSICAL_MEMORY (OpenVMS
- Alpha) parameter in the SYS$SYSTEM:MODPARAMS.DAT parameter database, use
- a text editor to reset the value in the file to the new correct value as
- required, and then perform the following command:
-
- $ @SYS$UPDATE:AUTOGEN GETDATA REBOOT FEEDBACK
-
- This AUTOGEN command will reset various system parameters based on recent
- system usage (FEEDBACK), and it will reset the value for the PHYSICALPAGES
- parameter to the new value. It will also reboot the OpenVMS system.
-
- PHYSICALPAGES and PHYSICAL_MEMORY can also be used to deliberately lower
- the amount of memory available for use by OpenVMS. This ability can be
- useful in a few specific circumstances, such as testing the behaviour of
- an application in a system environment with a particular (lower) amount
- of system memory available.
-
- PHYSICALPAGES and PHYSICAL_MEMORY can be set to -1 (on OpenVMS Alpha) or
- (better and simpler) the entry can be removed from the MODPARAMS.DAT file,
- to indicate that all available memory should be used.
-
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT12. How do I write a BACKUP saveset to a remote tape?
-
- How to do this correctly was described at DECUS a long time ago. On the
- node with the tape drive, create SAVE-SET.FDL:
-
- RECORD
- FORMAT fixed
- SIZE 8192
-
- Then create BACKUP_SERVER.COM:
-
- $ !
- $ ! BACKUP_SERVER.COM - provide remote tape service for BACKUP.
- $ !
- $ set noon
- $ set rms/network=16
- $ allocate mka500 tapedev
- $ mount/nounload/over:id/block=8192/assist tapedev
- $ convert/fdl=SAVE-SET sys$net tapedev:save-set.
- $ dismount/unload tapedev
- $ stop/id=0
-
-
- On the node where you want to do the backup, use the DCL command:
-
- $ backup -
- srcfilespec -
- node"user pwd"::"task=backup_server"/block=8192/save
-
- The only thing that doesn't completely work here is multi-reel savesets.
- Since the tape is being written through RMS and the magtape ACP, BACKUP
- won't see the reel switch and will split an XOR group across the reel
- boundary. As far as I remember, BACKUP will be willing to read such a
- multi-reel save set (directly, not over the net) since the XOR blocks
- are simply ignored on read, but it definitely wouldn't be able to do a
- recovery across the reel boundary.
-
- Unfortunately BACKUP can't read tapes over the network because the RMS
- file attributes on a network task access look wrong (variable length
- records).
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT13. Tell me about SET HOST/DUP and SET HOST/HSC
-
- The OpenVMS DCL commands SET HOST/DUP and SET HOST/HSC are used to connect
- to storage controllers via the Diagnostics and Utility Protocol (DUP). These
- commands require that the FYDRIVER device driver be connected. This device
- driver connection is typically performed by adding the following command(s)
- into the system startup command procedure:
-
- On OpenVMS Alpha:
- $ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSMAN
- SYSMAN> IO CONNECT FYA0/NOADAPTER/DRIVER=SYS$FYDRIVER
-
- On OpenVMS VAX:
- $ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSGEN
- SYSGEN> CONNECT FYA0/NOADAPTER
-
- Alternatives to the DCL SET HOST/DUP command include the console >>> SET HOST
- command available on various mid- to recent-vintage VAX consoles:
-
- Access to Parameters on an Embedded DSSI controller:
- >>> SET HOST/DUP/DSSI[/BUS:{0:1}] dssi_node_number PARAMS
-
- Access to Directory of tools on an Embedded DSSI controller:
- >>> SET HOST/DUP/DSSI[/BUS:{0:1}] dssi_node_number DIRECT
-
- Access to Parameters on a KFQSA DSSI controller:
- >>> SHOW UQSSP ! to get port_controller_number PARAMS
- >>> SET HOST/DUP/UQSSP port_controller_number PARAMS
-
- These console commands are available on most MicroVAX and VAXstation 3xxx
- series systems, and most (all?) VAX 4xxx series systems. For further
- information, see the system documentation and -- on most VAX systems -- see
- the console HELP text.
-
- EK-410AB-MG, _DSSI VAXcluster Installation and Troubleshooting_, is a good
- resource for setting up a DSSI VMScluster on OpenVMS VAX nodes. (This manual
- predates coverage of OpenVMS Alpha systems, but gives good coverage to all
- hardware and software aspects of setting up a DSSI-based VMScluster -- and
- most of the concepts covered are directly applicable to OpenVMS Alpha systems.
- This manual specifically covers the hardware, which is something not covered
- by the standard OpenVMS VMScluster documentation.)
-
- Also see MGMT58.
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT14. How do I install DECnet Phase IV on VMS 7.1?
-
- On OpenVMS V7.1, all DECnet binaries were relocated into separate installation
- kits -- you can selectively install the appropriate network: DECnet-Plus
- (formerly known as DECnet OSI), DECnet Phase IV, and Compaq TCP/IP Services
- (often known as UCX).
-
- On OpenVMS versions prior to V7.1, DECnet Phase IV was integrated, and there
- was no installation question. You had to install the DECnet-Plus (DECnet OSI)
- package on the system, after the OpenVMS upgrade or installation completed.
-
- During an OpenVMS V7.1 installation or upgrade, the installation procedure
- will query you to learn if DECnet-Plus should be installed. If you are
- upgrading to V7.1 from an earlier release or are installing V7.1 from a
- distribution kit, simply answer "NO" to the question asking you if you want
- DECnet-Plus. Then -- after the OpenVMS upgrade or installation completes --
- use the PCSI PRODUCT INSTALL command to install the DECnet Phase IV binaries
- from the kit provided on the OpenVMS software distribution kit.
-
- If you already have DECnet-Plus installed and wish to revert, you must
- reconfigure OpenVMS. You cannot reconfigure the "live" system, hence you must
- reboot the system using the V7.1 distribution CD-ROM. Then select the DCL
- ($$$ prompt) option. Then issue the commands:
-
- $$$ DEFINE/SYSTEM PCSI$SYSDEVICE DKA0:
- $$$ DEFINE/SYSTEM PCSI$SPECIFIC DKA0:[SYS0.]
- $$$ PRODUCT RECONFIGURE VMS /REMOTE/SOURCE=DKA0:[VMS$COMMON]
-
- The above commands assume that the target system device and system root are
- "DKA0:[SYS0.]". Replace this with the actual target device and root, as
- appropriate. The RECONFIGURE command will then issue a series of prompts.
- You will want to reconfigure DECnet-Plus off the system, obviously. You will
- then want to use the PCSI command PRODUCT INSTALL to install the DECnet Phase
- IV kit from the OpenVMS distribution media.
-
- Information on DECnet support, and on the kit names, is included in the
- OpenVMS V7.1 installation and upgrade documentation.
-
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT15. How do I change the text in a user's UIC identifier?
-
- The text translations of the numeric User Identification Code (UIC) are based
- on identifiers present in the OpenVMS rightslist. Documentation on this area
- is included in the _Guide to OpenVMS System Security_ manual.
-
- To control the identifiers shown for a user's UIC, you use AUTHORIZE. Each
- user has an associated group identifier, and an identifier specific to the
- user. And each user should have a unique UIC.
-
- To alter the text of a user or group identifier, use commands such as:
-
- $ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:AUTHORIZE
- UAF> rename/ident oldgroupid newgroupid
- UAF> rename/ident olduserid newuserid
-
- If you should find yourself missing an identifier for a particular user, you
- can add one for the user's UIC using a command such as:
-
- UAF> add/ident/value=uic=[group,user] newuserid
-
- The UIC user identifier text is assigned when the username is created, and is
- the text of the username. The UIC group group identifier is assigned when the
- first username is created in the UIC group, and the text is based on the
- account name specified for the first user created in the group. The value of
- this identifier is [groupnumber, 177777]. To add a missing group identifier,
- use an asterisk as follows:
-
- UAF> add/ident/value=uic=[group,*] newgroupid
-
- You may find cases where an identifier is missing from time to time, as there
- are cases where the creation of a UIC group name identifier might conflict
- with an existing username, or a user identifier might conflict with an
- existing group identifier. When these conflicts arise, the AUTHORIZE utility
- will not create the conflicting group and/or user identifier when the username
- is created.
-
- You can can add and remove user-specified identifiers, but you should avoid
- changing the numeric values associated with any existing identifiers. You
- should also avoid reusing UICs or identifiers when you add new users, as any
- existing identifiers that might be present on objects in the system from the
- old user will grant the same access to the new user. Please see the security
- manual for details.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT16. What are the OpenVMS version upgrade paths?
-
- Note: See "OpenVMS Alpha Terminology" section, below.
-
- OpenVMS Alpha release upgrade (or update) paths:
-
- From V1.0, one can upgrade to V1.5.
- From V1.5, or V1.5-1H1, one can upgrade to V6.1.
- From V6.1, one can upgrade to V6.2.
- From V6.1, or V6.2, one can upgrade to V7.0.
- From V6.1, V6.2, V6.2-1H(1,2,3), or V7.0, one can upgrade to V7.1.
- From V6.2, one can update to V6.2-1H1, V6.2-1H2, or V6.2-1H3.
- From V6.2, V6.2-1H(1,2,3), V7.1, V7.1-1H(1,2), or V7.2, to V7.2-1
- From V6.2, ... or V7.2, to V7.2-1H1, to 7.3
- From V7.1, one can update to V7.1-1H(1,2), ... to V7.2-1H1, to 7.3
-
- Some typical OpenVMS Alpha upgrade (or update) paths are:
- V1.0 -> V1.5 -> V6.1 -> (V6.2, V7.0, V7.1, V7.2, V7.3)
- V1.5-1H1 -> V6.1 -> (V6.2, V7.0, V7.1, V7.2, V7.3)
- V6.2 -> V6.2-1H3
- V6.2 -> V7.2-1
- V6.2 -> V7.3
- V6.2-1H(1,2,3) -> V7.1
- V6.2-1H(1,2,3) -> V7.2-1
- V7.1 -> V7.1-2
- V7.1 -> V7.2-1
- V7.1-1H(1,2) -> V7.1-2
- V7.1-1H(1,2) -> V7.2-1
- V7.2 -> V7.2-1H1
- V7.2 -> V7.3
-
- Note that OpenVMS Alpha V7.0 does not include support for hardware
- and/or configurations first supported in OpenVMS Alpha V6.2-1H1,
- V6.2-1H2, or V6.2-1H3; one must upgrade to OpenVMS VAX V7.1.
-
- One cannot update directly to a V6.2-1Hx Limited Hardware Release
- (LHR) from any release prior to the baseline V6.2 release. The
- same prohibition holds for performing updates directly to V7.1-1Hx
- from any release prior to V7.1 -- this is not supported, and does
- not produce the expected results. The LHR kits can, however, be
- directly booted and can be directly installed, without regard to
- any operating system that might be present on the target disk.
-
- OpenVMS Alpha updates for LHRs (through V7.1-1Hx) require the use
- of VMSINSTAL for the update. These LHR releases use PCSI for the
- installation, but not for the update. Non-LHR releases use PCSI
- for installs and upgrades.
-
- OpenVMS Alpha V7.1-2 and later use PCSI for LHRs and for OpenVMS
- upgrades and for all OpenVMS ECO kit installations. VMSINSTAL
- OpenVMS ECO kits are not used on OpenVMS Alpha V7.1-2 and later.
- Prior to V7.1-2, VMSINSTAL-based ECO kits are used for OpenVMS.
-
-
- OpenVMS VAX release upgrade paths:
-
- From V5.0 through V5.4-3 inclusive, one can upgrade to V5.5.
- From V5.5, V5.5-1, or V5.5-2HW, one can upgrade to V5.5-2.
- From V5.5, V5.5-1, or V5.5-2, one can upgrade to V6.0.
- From V5.5-2, V5.5-2H4, or V6.0, one can upgrade to V6.1.
- From V6.0, or V6.1, one can upgrade to V6.2.
- From V6.1, or V6.2, one can upgrade to V7.0.
- From V6.1, V6.2, or V7.0, one can upgrade to V7.1.
- From V6.1, one can upgrade to V7.3 (with VAXBACK ECO for V6.1).
-
- Some typical OpenVMS VAX upgrade paths are:
- V5.x -> V5.5 -> V6.0 -> V6.2 -> (V7.1, V7.2, V7.3)
- V5.5-2HW -> V5.5-2
- V5.5-2, or V5.5-2H4 -> V6.1 -> (V6.2, V7.0, or V7.1)
- V6.1 -> V6.1 with VAXBACK ECO -> (V7.2, V7.3)
- V6.2 -> V7.2
- V6.2 -> V7.3
-
- Note that OpenVMS VAX V6.0 does not include support for hardware
- and/or configurations first added in OpenVMS VAX V5.5-2H4, one
- must upgrade to OpenVMS VAX V6.1.
-
- Note that OpenVMS VAX V5.5-2HW is a pre-release version of V5.5-2.
- Any system running it should be upgraded to V5.5-2, or later.
-
- If you attempt a direct upgrade from OpenVMS VAX V6.1 to V7.2 or
- later without having first applied the VAXBACK ECO kit to your V6.1
- system, you will receive an error message:
-
- %BACKUP-E-INVRECTYP, invalid record type in save set
-
- and the upgrade will fail. Acquire and apply the VAXBACK ECO kit
- for OpenVMS VAX V6.1. OpenVMS VAX V6.2 and later do not require
- an application of an ECO for an upgrade to V7.2 and later.
-
-
- OpenVMS Cluster Rolling Upgrades:
-
- Rolling Upgrades require multiple system disks. Rolling upgrades
- permit the OpenVMS Cluster to remain available while individual systems
- are being upgraded to a new OpenVMS release.
-
- OpenVMS Cluster rolling upgrades for both OpenVMS VAX and OpenVMS Alpha
- may (will) have different, or additional upgrade requirements, and
- have requirements around which versions of OpenVMS can coexist
- in a OpenVMS Cluster than what is listed here.
-
- See the _OpenVMS <platform> Version <Version> Upgrade and Installation
- Manual_, and the OpenVMS Software Product Descriptions
-
- http://www.compaq.com/info/spd/
- OpenVMS typically uses SPD 25.01.xx and/or SPD 41.87.xx.
-
- for further details on the rolling upgrade, and for support information.
- The documentation for older releases of OpenVMS VAX includes various
- platform-specific manuals, manuals that include instructions that
- are specific to installing and upgrading on the platform.
-
-
- OpenVMS and Layered Products -- Support Information:
-
- For information on Prior Version Support (PVS) and Mature
- Product Support (including information on support end dates
- for OpenVMS and various layered products), please see:
-
- http://www.compaq.com/services/software/ss_mature.html
- http://www.compaq.com/services/software/ss_pvs_se_amap.html
- http://www.compaq.com/services/software/ss_mps_pvs_eur.html
-
- For information on supported versions of layered products, and
- minimum required layered product versions, see:
-
- http://www.openvms.compaq.com/openvms/os/swroll/index.html
-
- For information on the release history of OpenVMS, including
- information on the code names of various releases and the
- major features:
-
- http://www.openvms.compaq.com/openvms/os/openvms-release-history.html
-
- Additional release history information, as well as a variety of
- other trivia, is available in the VAX 20th anniversary book:
-
- http://www.openvms.compaq.com/openvms/20th/vmsbook.pdf
-
- OpenVMS Alpha Terminology:
-
- update: Typically used for Limited Hardware Releases (LHR)
- releases. Performed via VMSINSTAL. Applies only
- to the OpenVMS release that the LHR is based on,
- or to an intermediate LHR. (eg: V7.1-1H2 applies only
- to V7.1-1H1 and to V7.1, not to any other releases.)
- LHRs within a series are cumulative, containing all
- files and features of previous LHRs in the same series.
-
- upgrade: Performed via PCSI. Upgrades can typically be applied
- to a release-specific (and documented) range of prior
- OpenVMS releases.
-
- install: Performed via PCSI. With an installation, no existing
- version of the operating system is assumed present, nor
- are any files from any copy of the operating system might
- be present preserved, and the entire contents of the target
- disk are destroyed via a disk initialization.
-
- preserve: Performed via PCSI. Otherwise similar to an installation,
- this option skips the disk reinitialization. User files
- on the target disk are preserved. Any existing operating
- system files on the target disk are clobbered.
-
- LHR: Limited Hardware Release. LHRs are specific to and are
- targeted at new hardware configurations, and are not
- shipped to customers with support contracts. At least
- one LHR kit must be specifically acquired when purchasing
- new hardware, new hardware that is not (yet) supported by
- any mainline (non-LHR) release. LHRs have an "H" in the
- OpenVMS version string, indicating a "Hardware" release.
-
-
- For minimum OpenVMS versions for various platforms, see VMS13.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT17. Why do I have negative number in the pagefile reservable pages?
-
- Seeing a negative number in the reservable pages portion of the SHOW
- MEMORY/FULL command can be normal and expected, and is (even) documented
- behaviour. A pagefile with a negative number of reservable pages is
- overcommitted, which is generally goodness assuming that every process with
- reserved pages does not try to occupy all of the reserved pagefile space at
- the same time.
-
- To understand how the pagefile reservation process works, think about how a
- traditional bank operates when accepting customer deposits and making loans.
- It's the same idea with the pagefile space. There is less money in the bank
- vault than the total deposits, because much of the money has been loaned out
- to other customers of the bank. And the behaviour parallels that of the
- pagefile down to the problems that a "run on the bank" can cause for banking
- customers. (Though there is no deposit insurance available for pagefile
- users.)
-
- If all of the running applications try to use the reserved space, the system
- manager will need to enlarge the pagefile or add one or more additional
- pagefules.
-
- To determine if the pagefile is excessively overcommitted, watch for "double
- overcommitment" -- when the reservable space approaches the negatation of the
- available total space -- and watch that the total amount of free space
- available in the pagefile remains adequate. If either of these situations
- arises, additional pagefile storage is required.
-
- Additional pagefile information: Additional pagefiles can typically be
- created and connected on a running OpenVMS system. New processes and new
- applications will tend to use the new pagefile, and existing applications can
- be restarted to migrate out of the more congested pagefiles. Pagefiles are
- generally named PAGEFILE.SYS, and multiple pagefiles are generally configured
- on separate disk spindles to spread the paging I/O load across the available
- disk storage. When multiple pagefiles are present on recent OpenVMS
- versions, each pagefile file should be configured to be approximately the
- same total size as the other pagefiles.
-
- For additional information on pagefile operations and related commands, see
- the system management and performance management manuals in the OpenVMS
- documentation set.
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT18. Do I have to update layered products when updating OpenVMS?
-
- The Software Public Rollout Reports for OpenVMS list the current and future
- availability of Compaq's software products shipping on the Software Products
- Library kits (CDROM consolidations) for OpenVMS Alpha and OpenVMS VAX.
- Specifically, the required minimum versions for product support are listed.
-
- Comprehensive Public Rollout Information, listing previous product versions as
- well as currently shipping versions, has been compiled into a separate set of
- reports. The product information is grouped to show Operating System support.
-
- You may or may not be able to use older versions of local applications,
- third-party products, and various Compaq layered products with more recent
- versions of OpenVMS. User-mode code is expected to be upward compatible.
- Code executing in a privileged processor mode -- typically either executive or
- kernel mode -- may or may not be compatible with more recent OpenVMS versions.
-
- These reports are updated monthly.
-
- Please see:
- http://www.openvms.compaq.com/openvms/os/swroll/index.html
-
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT19. How do I change the volume label of a disk?
-
- Dismount the disk, and mount it privately. If the disk is mounted by
- more than one node in an OpenVMS Cluster, dismount it from all other
- nodes. If this disk is an OpenVMS system disk, shut down all other
- nodes that are bootstrapped from this disk.
-
- Issue the SET VOLUME/LABEL command, specifying the new label.
-
- On OpenVMS V6.0 and later, issue the following PCSI command:
-
- $ PRODUCT REGISTER VOLUME <old-label> <device>
-
- To reset the label information stored in the PCSI database to reflect
- the new disk volume label.
-
- Locate any references in the system startup (typically including the
- disk MOUNT commands) and any DISK$label references in application files,
- and change the references appropriately.
-
- If this is a system disk (for the host or for a satellite), also check
- the DECnet MOP or LANCP boot database, as well as any references to the
- disk created by CLUSTER_CONFIG*.COM.
-
- Remount the disk appropriately.
- [Stephen Hoffman]
- [John E. Malmberg]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT20. How do I fix a corrupt BACKUP saveset?
-
- BACKUP savesets can be corrupted by FTP file transfers and by tools
- such as zip (particularly when the zip tool has not been asked to
- save and restore OpenVMS file attributes or when it does not support
- OpenVMS file attributes), as well as via other means of corruptions.
-
- If you have problems with the BACKUP savesets after unzipping them
- or after an FTP file transfer, you can try restoring the appropriate
- saveset attributes using the tool:
-
- $ @RESET_BACKUP_SAVESET_ATTRIBUTES.COM
-
- This tool is available on the OpenVMS Freeware (in the [000TOOLS]
- directory). The Freeware is available at various sites -- see the
- Freeware location listings elsewhere in the FAQ -- and other similar
- tools are also available from various sources.
-
- In various cases, a SET FILE/ATTRIBUTES command can also be used.
- As the parameters of this command must be varied as the target BACKUP
- saveset attributes vary, this approach is not recommended.
-
- Also see the "SITE VMS", /FDL, and various other file-attributes options
- available in various FTP tools. (Not all available FTP tools support
- any or all of these options.)
-
- Browser downloads (via FTP) and incorrect (binary or ascii FTP transfer
- modes) are notorious for causing RMS file corruptions and particularly
- BACKUP saveset corruptions. You can sometimes help encourage the browser
- to select the correct FTP transfer type code (via RFC1738):
-
- ftp://host/urlname.ext;type=i ! request ftp image/binary transfer
- ftp://host/urlname.ext;type=a ! request ftp ascii/text transfer
-
- You can also often configure the particular web browser to choose the
- appropriate transfer mode by default, based on the particular file
- extensions, using a customization menu available in most web browsers.
- You can select that the specific file extentions involved use the FTP
- binary transfer mode, which will reduce the number of corruptions seen.
-
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT21. How can I set up a shared directory?
-
- To set up a shared directory -- where all files created in the directory
- are accessable to the members of specified group of users -- you can use
- an access control list (ACL) and an identifier.
-
- The following also shows how to set up a resource identifier, which further
- allows the disk resources to be charged to the specified identifier rather
- than each individual user. (If you don't want this, then omit the
- attributes option on the identifier creation and omit the entry added
- in the disk quota database.
-
- Add an identifier using AUTHORIZE:
- ADD/IDENTIFER/ATTRIBUTES=RESOURCE groupidentifier
-
- Grant the identifier to each user in the group using AUTHORIZE:
- GRANT/IDENTIFIER groupidentifier username
-
- If disk quotas are in use, add an entry via SYSMAN for each disk:
- DISKQUOTA ADD groupidentifier/PERMQUOTA=pq/OVERDRAFT=od/DEVICE=ddcu:
-
- Set the shared directory to have an ACL similar to the following using the
- SET SECURITY (V6.0 and later) or SET ACL (versions prior to V6.0) command:
- (DEFAULT_PROTECTION,S:RWED,O:RWED,G,W)
- (IDENTIFIER=groupidentifier,OPTIONS=DEFAULT,ACCESS=READ+WRITE+EXECUTE+DELETE)
- (IDENTIFIER=groupidentifier,ACCESS=READ+WRITE+EXECUTE+DELETE)
- (CREATOR,ACCESS=READ+WRITE+ACCESS+DELETE)
-
- If there are files already resident in the directory, set their protections
- similarly. (The OPTIONS=DEFAULT, DEFAULT_PROTECTION, and CREATOR ACEs apply
- to directories.)
-
- The default protection mask is used to establish the default file protection
- mask, this mask does not prevent the users holding the specified
- groupidentifier from accessing the file(s), as they can access the file via
- the explicit identifier granting access that is present in the ACL.
-
- For further information, see the OpenVMS Guide to System Security Manual,
- specifically the sections on ACLs and identifiers, and resource identifiers.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT22 relocated to SUPP3
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT23. Why do I get extra blank pages on my HP Printer?
-
- For information on configuring telnet print symbiont, on device control
- libraries such as SYSDEVCTL.TLB, and for ways of dealing with the extra
- blank pages that can arise on various HP printers, please see the OpenVMS
- Ask The Wizard area, starting particularly with topic (1020):
-
- http://www.openvms.compaq.com/wizard/
-
- There are a variety of discussions of this and of related printing topics
- in the Ask The Wizard area.
-
- Also see MGMT51.
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT24. Configure ELSA GLoria Synergy or PowerStorm 300/350 graphics?
-
- On OpenVMS Alpha V7.1-2, V7.2, and V7.2-1, acquire the appropriate
- GRAPHICS PCSI kit, and all prerequisite OpenVMS ECO kits:
-
- VMS712_GRAPHICS-V0300 or later
- VMS72_GRAPHICS-V0100 or later
- VMS712_GRAPHICS-V0300 or later
-
- ----
-
- The ELSA GLoria Synergy is the PBXGK-BB.
-
- On OpenVMS Alpha V7.2-1, the files necessary for this graphics
- controller are located in the distribution CD-ROM directory:
-
- DISK$ALPHA0721:[ELSA.KIT]
-
- Also check for any available (later) ECO kits.
-
- An earlier kit (ALP4D20T01_071) (for V7.1, V7.1-1H1, and V7.1-1H2)
- was once available, but has been superceded and is not recommended.
- Use of V7.1-2 or later (and use of one the above GRAPHICS kits as
- required) is typically the best approach.
-
- OpenVMS V7.2-1H1 and later should directly support the controller.
-
- Additional information:
- http://www.openvms.compaq.com/wizard/ topics (3419), (5448).
-
- ----
-
- PowerStorm 300 : PBXGD-AC
- PowerStorm 350 : PBXGD-AE
-
- For support of the PowerStorm 300 and PowerStorm 350 graphics
- controllers, acquire and install the following available ECO kits:
-
- For OpenVMS Alpha V7.1-2:
- DEC-AXPVMS-VMS712_P350-V0100--4 or later
- DEC-AXPVMS-VMS712_GRAPHICS-V0300--4 or later
-
- For OpenVMS Alpha V7.2-1:
- DEC-AXPVMS-VMS721_P350-V0100--4 or later
- DEC-AXPVMS-VMS721_GRAPHICS-V0300--4 or later
-
- ----
-
- PowerStorm 3D30, PowerStorm 4D20:
- http://www.openvms.compaq.com/wizard/ topic (2041).
-
- ----
-
- Support for the ELSA GLoria Synergy and the PowerStorm 300 and 350
- controllers is expected to be integrated in the OpenVMS Alpha V7.3
- and later releases.
-
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT25. How do I acquire OpenVMS patches, fixes, and ECOs?
-
- You can acquire and download kits containing OpenVMS fixes (ECOs) for various
- releases via:
-
- http://search.service.digital.com/
- ftp://ftp.support.compaq.com/public/vms/
- (formerly ftp://ftp.service.digital.com/public/vms/)
- http://ftp.digital.com.au/pub/ecoinfo/
- http://ftp/digital.com.au/cgi-bin/grep/
-
- You can subscribe to an email notification list at:
-
- http://www.support.compaq.com/patches/mailing-list.shtml
-
- A quarterly distribution is also available on CD-ROM:
-
- QT-3CQAA-C8 OpenVMS Alpha
- QT-3CRAA-C8 OpenVMS VAX
-
- For a list of OpenVMS ECO kits recently released, you can use:
-
- http://Eisner.DECUS.org/conferences/OpenVMS-patches_new_1.HTML
-
- You can also sign up for ECO kit email notifications (Digest or
- individual notifications) directly from Compaq at:
-
- http://www1.service.digital.com/patches/mailing-list.html
-
- Examples and ECO kit installation instructions are included in the
- cover letter. For available ECO kits, cover letters and other
- associated documentation, look in:
-
- ftp://ftp.service.digital.com/public/vms/axp/...
- ftp://ftp.service.digital.com/public/vms/vax/...
-
- Do NOT attempt to install a VMSINSTAL-based OpenVMS ECO kit on OpenVMS
- Alpha V7.1-2 and later. While VMSINSTAL itself remains available, it
- is not used for OpenVMS Alpha ECO kits starting in OpenVMS Alpha V7.1-2.
- OpenVMS Alpha V7.1-2 and later use PCSI for OpenVMS ECO kits.
-
- See MGMT46 for information on ECO kit checksums.
-
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT26. How do I rename a DSSI disk (or tape?)
-
- If you want to renumber or rename DSSI disks or DSSI tapes, it's
- easy -- if you know the secret incantation...
-
- From OpenVMS:
-
- $ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSGEN
- SYSGEN> CONNECT FYA0/NOADAPTER
- SYSGEN> ^Z
- $ SET HOST/DUP/SERV=MSCP$DUP/TASK=PARAMS <DSSI-NODE-NAME>
- ...
- PARAMS> STAT CONF
- <The software version is normally near the top of the display.>
- PARAMS> EXIT
- ...
-
- From the console on most 3000- and 4000-class VAX system consoles...
- (Obviously, the system must be halted for these commands...)
-
- Integrated DSSI:
-
- >>> SET HOST/DUP/DSSI[/BUS:[0:1]] dssi_node_number PARAMS
-
- KFQSA:
-
- >>> SET HOST/DUP/UQSSP port_controller_number PARAMS
-
- For information on how to get out into the PARAMS subsystem, also see
- the >>> HELP at the console prompt for the SET HOST syntax, or see the
- HELP on SET HOST /DUP (once you've connected FYDRIVER under OpenVMS).
-
- Once you are out into the PARAMS subsystem, you can use the FORCEUNI
- option to force the use of the UNITNUM value and then set a unique
- UNITNUM inside each DSSI ISE -- this causes each DSSI ISE to use the
- specfied unit number and not use the DSSI node as the unit number.
- Other parameters of interest are NODENAME and ALLCLASS, the node name
- and the (disk or tape) cluster allocation class.
-
- Ensure that all disk unit numbers used within an OpenVMS Cluster disk
- allocation class are unique, and all tape unit numbers used within an
- OpenVMS Cluster tape allocation class are also unique.
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT27. How do I move the queue manager database?
-
- To move the location of the queue database, the SYS$QUEUE_MANAGER.QMAN$QUEUES
- and SYS$QUEUE_MANAGER.QMAN$JOURNAL files, to a disk that is fast(er), has
- plenty of free space, and that is not heavily used. If the queue database
- is on a (busy) OpenVMS system disk, you can and probably should move it
- off the system disk to another disk spindle.
-
- To move the queue database:
-
- 0. Checkpoint the journal file. This reduces the file size to the in-memory
- database size. This will cause the noted delay.
-
- $ mcr JBC$COMMAND
- JBC$COMMAND> DIAG 0 7
-
- 1. Stop the queue manager
-
- $STOP/QUEUE/MANAGER/CLUSTER
-
- 2. Backup the .QMAN$QUEUES and .QMAN$JOURNAL files from the present location
- for safety.
-
- $ backup SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE]SYS$QUEUE_MANAGER.QMAN$* DISK:[DIR]
-
- 3. Create a new directory for the queue database. Insure that this disk is
- accessible to all nodes that can run the queue manager. If the /ON list
- for the queue manager is "/ON=(*)", the disk must be available to all
- nodes in the cluster
-
- $ CREATE/DIR fast_disk:[qman]
-
- 4. Copy the .QMAN$QUEUES and .QMAN$JOURNAL files to the new directory
-
- $ copy SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE]SYS$QUEUE_MANAGER.QMAN$* fast_disk:[qman]
-
- 5. Delete the old queue database.
-
- $DELETE SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE]SYS$QUEUE_MANAGER.QMAN$*
-
- 6. Restart the queue manager pointing to the new location
-
- $START/QUEUE/MANAGER fast_disk:[qman]
-
- [Dave Sweeney]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT28. How do I set a default IP route or gateway on OpenVMS?
-
- If you have TCP/IP Services, then use the command:
-
- For TCP/IP Services V5.0 and later:
-
- $ TCPIP SET ROUTE/GATE=x.x.x.x/DEFAULT/PERMANENT
-
- For earlier TCP/IP Services versions:
-
- $ UCX SET ROUTE/GATE=x.x.x.x/DEFAULT/PERMANENT
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT29 relocated to ALPHA21
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT30. How do I delete an undeletable/unstoppable (RWAST) process?
-
- "Undeleteable" jobs are usually "undeleteable" for a reason -- this
- can track back to insufficient process quotas, to a kernel-mode error
- in OpenVMS or a third-party device driver, or to other odd problems.
-
- These undeletable jobs typically become of interest because they are
- holding onto a particular resource (eg: tape drive, disk drive,
- communications widget) that you need to use... If the particular
- device supports firmware, ensure that the device firmware is current
- -- TQK50 controllers are known for this when working with old firmware.
- (That, and the infamous "MUA4224" firmware bug.) If this device has a
- driver ECO kit available, acquire and apply it... If the particular
- relevent host component has an ECO, acquire and apply it.
-
- Useful tools include SDA (to see what might be going on) and DECamds
- (which increase and thus potentially fix quota-related problems).
- (nb: Applications with quota leaks will obviously not stay fixed.)
-
- If the stuck application is BACKUP, ensure you have the current
- BACKUP ECO and are directly following the V7.1 or (better) V7.2
- process quota recommendations for operator BACKUP accounts.
-
- If the firmware and ECO levels are current, the best approach is to take
- a system crashdump, and pass a copy of the dump file it along to whomever
- is maintaining the device driver for the particular device/widget/driver
- involved, with any details on how you got into this situation. (The reboot
- involved with taking the crashdump will obviously clear the problem.)
-
- There was some kernel-mode code (typically for OpenVMS VAX) that can
- reset the device ownership field, but that is rather obviously only an
- interim solution -- the real fix is avoiding the loss of the IRP, the
- process quota leak, or whatever else is "jamming up" this particular
- process...
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT31. How do I reset the error count(s)?
-
- The system reboot is the only supported approach, but it is obviously
- undesirable in various situations -- there is presently no supported
- mechanism to reset error counts once the error(s) have been logged.
-
- As for an unsupported approach -- and be aware of the potential for
- causing a system crash...
-
- To reset the error count, one needs to determine the system address of
- the error count field. For a device, this is at an offset within the
- device's UCB structure. On VAX, the field is at an offset symbolically
- defined as UCB$W_ERRCNT. On Alpha, this field's offset is symbolically
- defined as UCB$L_ERRCNT. The former is a word in size; the latter is
- a longword. (Could it be that Alpha devices are more error prone? ;)
-
- You now need to locate the system address of the UCB$%_ERRCNT field of
- the device you wish to reset. Enter SDA. In the following, you will
- see designations in {} separated by a /. The first item in braces is
- to be used on the VAX and the second item should be used on an Alpha.
- (ie. {VAX/Alpha})
-
- $ ANALYZE/SYSTEM
- SDA> READ SYS${SYSTEM/LOADABLE_IMAGES}:SYSDEF.STB
- SDA> SHOW DEVICE <ddnc:> ! device designation of device with error
- SDA> EVALUATE UCB+UCB${W/L}_ERRCNT
- Hex = hhhhhhhh Decimal = -dddddddddd UCB+offset
-
- Record the hexadecimal value 'hhhhhhhh' returned.
-
- You can now exit from SDA and $ RUN SYS$SHARE:DELTA or do what I prefer
- to do, issue the following:
-
- SDA> SPAWN RUN SYS$SHARE:DELTA
-
- On both VAX and Alpha, the DELTA debugger will be invoked and will ident-
- ify itself. On Alpha, there will be an Alpha instruction decoded. For
- those unfamiliar with DELTA, it does not have a prompt and only one error
- message -- Eh? (Well, for sake of argument, there might be another error
- produced on the console if you're not careful -- aka. a system crash!)
-
- If you are on a VAX, enter the command: [W
- If you are on Alpha, enter the command: [L
-
- These set the prevailing mode to word and longword respectively. Remem-
- ber the UCB${W/L)_ERRCNT differences?
-
- Now issue the command 1;M
- DELTA will respond with 00000001
-
- You're now poised to ZAP the error count field. To do so you need to en-
- ter the system address and view its contents. The format of the command
- to do this is of the form:
-
- <IPID>:<hhhhhhhh>/
-
- For an IPID, use the IPID of the SWAPPER process. It is always: 00010001
-
- Thus, to ZAP the error count, you would enter:
-
- 00010001:hhhhhhhh/
-
- When you enter the / SDA will return the content of the address hhhhhhhh.
- This should be the error count (in hexadecimal) of the device in question.
- If it is not, you did something wrong and I'd suggest you type a carriage
- return and then enter the command EXIT to get out of DELTA. Regroup and
- see where your session went awry.
-
- If you entered your address correctly and the error count was returned as
- in the following example, you can proceed.
-
- 00010001:80D9C6C8/0001 ! output on VAX 1 error
-
- 00010001:80D9C6C8/00000001 ! output on Alpha 1 error
-
-
- You can now ZAP the error count by entering a zero and typing a carriage
- return. For example:
-
-
- 00010001:80D9C6C8/0001 0<cr> ! output on VAX 1 error
- 00010001:80D9C6C8/00000001 0<cr> ! output on Alpha 1 error
-
- Now type the command EXIT and a carriage return.
- [Brian Schenkenberger]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT32. How do I find out if the tape drive supports compression?
-
- For various SCSI-based MK-class magnetic tape devices:
-
- $ Devdepend2 = F$GETDVI("$n$MKcxxx:","DEVDEPEND2")
- $ Comp_sup = %X00200000
- $ Comp_ena = %X00400000
- $ IF (Devdepend2.AND.Comp_sup).EQ.Comp_sup THEN -
- WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "Compression supported"
- $ IF (Devdepend2.AND.Comp_ena).EQ.Comp_ena THEN -
- WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "Compression enabled"
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT33. Can I copy SYSUAF to another version? To VAX? To Alpha?
-
- The format of the SYSUAF.DAT, RIGHTSLIST, and associated files
- are upward-compatible, and compatible across OpenVMS VAX and
- OpenVMS Alpha systems. (This compatibility is a a basic
- requirement of mixed-version OpenVMS Cluster configurations
- and OpenVMS upgrades -- for specific support information, please
- see the OpenVMS Cluster rolling upgrade and mixed-version
- requirements.) That said, it's the contents of the SYSUAF and
- RIGHTSLIST files that will make this more interesting.
-
- The same basic steps necessary for moving RIGHTSLIST and SYSUAF
- files to another node are rather similar to the steps involved
- in merging these files in an OpenVMS Cluster -- see the appendix
- of the OpenVMS Cluster documentation for details of merging files.
- (You might not be merging the contents of two (or more) files, but
- you are effectively merging the contents of the files into the
- target system environment.)
-
- Considerations:
-
- o applications often hold SYSUAF or RIGHTSLIST open, meaning
- a system reboot is often the best way to activate new files.
-
- o the meanings of the RESTRICTED and CAPTIVE flags settings
- on the UAF entries have changed over time.
-
- o the new NET$PROXY.DAT file that is initially created based
- on the contents of the NETPROXY.DAT during the OpenVMS VAX
- V6.1 upgrade and during the OpenVMS Alpha V6.2 upgrade.
- This file is maintained in parallel with NETPROXY.DAT.
-
- o the RIGHTSLIST identifier values and UIC values that end
- up scattered around the target system must be rationalized
- with the contents of the new RIGHTSLIST and SYSUAF files.
-
- The lattermost case -- resolving the identifier values -- is
- often the most interesting and difficult part. If you find
- that an identifier value (or identifier name) from the source
- RIGHTSLIST collides with that of an identifier existing on the
- target system, you must first determine if the two identifiers
- perform the same function. In most cases, they will not. As
- such, you will have to find and chance all references to the
- identifier value(s) (or name(s)) to resolve the "collision".
-
- If you encounter a collision, changing both of the identifier
- binary values (or names) involved in the collision to new and
- unique values can prevent security problems if you should miss
- a couple of identifiers embedded somewhere on the target system
- during the whole conversion process -- rather than the wrong
- alphanumeric value for the identifier being displayed, you'll
- simply see the binary format for the identifier displayed, and
- no particular access will be granted. And any DCL commands or
- such that reference the old alphanumeric name will fail, rather
- than silently (and potentially erroneously) succeeding.
-
- Similar requirements exist for UIC values, as these too tend
- to be scattered all over the system environment. Like the
- binary identifier values, you will find UIC values associated
- with disks, ACLs, queues, and various other structures.
-
- For a list of the various files shared in an OpenVMS Cluster
- and that can be involved when relocating an environment from
- one node to another (or merging environments into an OpenVMS
- Cluster), please see the SYLOGICALS.TEMPLATE file included in
- OpenVMS V7.2 and later releases.
-
- Procedures to extract the contents of a (potentially corrupt)
- queue database are provided on the OpenVMS Freeware (V5) and
- can be used to combine two queue databases together while
- shuffling files between OpenVMS Cluster hosts.
-
- For related discussions of splitting a cluster into two or for
- removing a node from cluster (political divorce, etc), see:
- http://www.openvms.compaq.com/wizard/ topics (203), (767), (915).
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT34. How do I delete (timeout) idle processes?
-
- There is no such command integrated within OpenVMS, though there are
- (optional) timers available within certain terminal servers and similar
- devices, and there is an integrated time-of-day mechanism that provides
- control over when a user can access OpenVMS.
-
- As for available tools, there are DECUS, freeware, and third-party tools
- known variously as "idle process killers" (IPK) or terminal timeout"
- programs. Examples include: Saiga Systems Hitman, Watchdog, MadGoat
- Watcher (via the MadGoat site or the OpenVMS Freeware), Kblock, the
- Networking Dynamics tool known as Assassin, and the Zap tool.
-
- A related package (for DECwindows sessions) is xtermlock.
-
- If the forgetful users are in an application menu environment, the menu
- can potentially be extended to provide this capability.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT35. Why isn't BACKUP/SINCE=BACKUP working?
-
- If you are seeing more files backed up than previously, you are seeing
- the result of a change that was made to ensure BACKUP can perform an
- incrementation restoration of the files. In particular, if a directory
- file modification date changes, all files underneath it are included in
- the BACKUP, in order to permit incremental restoration should a directory
- file get renamed.
-
- Why has OpenVMS gone through the agony of this change?
-
- When a directory is renamed, the modified date is changed. When the
- restoration needs to restore the directory and its contents, and the
- restoration should not result in the restoration of the older directory
- name when a series of incremental BACKUPs are restored. Thus an
- incremental BACKUP operation needs to pick up all of the changes.
-
- What can you do to improve BACKUP performance?
-
- Use the documented commands in the manual for performing incremental
- BACKUPs. Use the documented incremental procedures. Don't try to use
- incremental commands in a non-incremental context.
-
- Also consider understanding and then using /NOALIAS, which will likely
- be a bigger win than will anything to do with the incremental BACKUPs,
- particularly on system disks and any other disks with directory aliases.
-
- Can you get the old BACKUP behaviour back?
-
- Yes, please see the /NOINCREMENTAL qualifier available on recent
- OpenVMS versions (and ECO kits). Use of this qualifier informs BACKUP
- that you are aware of the limitations of the old BACKUP behaviour around
- incremental disk restorations.
-
- Consider performing an incremental restoration, to test the procedures.
- Attempting this is how we found out about the problem that was latent
- with the old scheme -- the old incremental BACKUP scheme would have
- missed restoring any files under a renamed directory. Hence the change.
-
- See the OpenVMS V6.2 release notes for additional details.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT36. How can I set up reverse telnet (like reverse LAT)?
-
- Though it may seem obvious, Telnet and LAT are quite different -- with
- differing capabilities and design goals.
-
- Please see the documentation around the TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS
- TELNET command CREATE_SESSION. This command is the equivilent of the
- operations performed in LTLOAD.COM or LAT$SYSTARTUP.COM. There is no
- TELNET equivilent to the sys$qio[w] control interface for LTDRIVER (as
- documented in the I/O User's Reference Manual) available, though
- standard sys$qio[w] calls referencing the created TN device would
- likely operate as expected.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT37. Do I need a PAK for the DECevent (Compaq Analyze) tool?
-
- DECevent and Compaq Analyze are avalable to customers with support
- contracts. The PAK is required only for the advanced functions of
- DECevent, the basic bits-to-text translation of the error log does
- not require a license PAK. Ignore the prompt, in other words.
- (The PAK should be available to you if you have a hardware support
- contract or warrantee, and the PAK enables the use of the advanced
- error analysis and notification capabilities within DECevent.)
-
- Please see the DECevent FAQ for additional details:
-
- http://www.support.compaq.com/svctools/decevent/DECevent_FAQ.html
-
- The current version of the DECevent (Compaq Analyze) tool can
- be downloaded from:
-
- http://www.support.compaq.com/svctools/st-download.html
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT38. INITIALIZE ACCVIO and ANSI tape label support?
-
- A change was made (back in 1988) to (as it was then known) VAX/VMS
- V5.1-1 that added support for the then-new ANSI X3.27-1987 magnetic
- tape label standard. Prior to the ANSI X3.27-1987 standard, the date
- field in the ANSI HDR1 record permits dates only as far as the end of
- Year 1999. With ANSI X3.27-1987, dates through Year 1999 and dates
- from Years 2000 to 2099 are permitted.
-
- Versions of INIT.EXE and MTAACP.EXE from VAX/VMS releases prior to
- V5.1-1 will potentially have problems properly processing ANSI
- magnetic tapes when Y2K and later dates are involved -- the DCL
- INITIALIZE command is known to encounter access violation (ACCVIO)
- errors.
-
- The available solutions include upgrades, or setting the date back.
- Direct initialization of the tape with the new headers (via $qio) is
- also clearly possible, though the limitation within the old MTAACP.EXE
- magtape ACP image is not nearly so easy to bypass.
-
- [Hoffman, Dachtera]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT39. How do I recover from INSVIRMEM errors?
-
- Prior to OpenVMS Alpha V7.0 and on all OpenVMS VAX releases,
- VIRTUALPAGECNT and PGFLQUOTA limit the amount of virtual address
- space that is available to each process.
-
- Further limiting the amount of address space is the size of system
- space (S0 and S1 space). On OpenVMS Alpha versions prior to V7.0
- and on all OpenVMS VAX releases, VIRTUALPAGECNT and MAXPROCESSCNT
- together determine the size of the page table data structures that
- occupy large tracts of system space. When no system virtual address
- space is available for the stuff that needs it -- this includes the
- page tables, non-paged pool, and various other structures -- then
- the values of VIRTUALPAGECNT and MAXPROCESSCNT cannot be increased.
-
- In OpenVMS Alpha V7.0 and later, the page table data structures have
- been moved out of S0 and S1 space and into page table space. In
- OpenVMS Alpha V7.2 and later, certain large data structures found
- in non-paged pool (eg: lock management structures) have been moved
- into 64-bit space, thus freeing up room in non-paged pool and in
- S0 and S1 space (where non-paged pool resides) while also permitting
- much larger data structures.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT40. How can I prevent a serial terminal line from initiating a login?
-
- In SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM, issue the command:
-
- SET TERMINAL/NOTYPEAHEAD/PERMANENT ddcu:
-
- This will prevent any unsolicited terminal input on ddcu:, and
- this unsolicited input is what triggers JOB_CONTROL to start up
- LOGINOUT on the terminal. Once LOGINOUT starts up on the serial
- line, you can see interesting behaviour (eg: audits, process
- creations, etc) as LOGINOUT tries to "chat" with whatever device
- is hooked onto the remote end of the serial terminal line.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT41. How does PCSI use the image BUILD_IDENT field?
-
- The (undocumented) build ident field in an OpenVMS Alpha image header is
- 16 bytes long, and is used as a counted string of 0-15 characters (ie, a
- an .ASCIC string with count in byte 0) and was originally introduced to
- provide information for use by VMSINSTAL patch kits to determine whether
- an image should be replaced or not.
-
- Starting with OpenVMS Alpha V7.1-2, OpenVMS Engineering uses the PCSI
- utility to package and install ECO kits for OpenVMS. PCSI uses the
- generation attribute (a 32-bit unsigned integer) specified for files in
- the product description file (PDF) of a PCSI kit as the basis for performing
- file conflict detection and resolution. When a product is installed,
- PCSI modifies the build ident field of Alpha image headers to store an
- encoded form of the generation number. It also looks at the build ident
- field of previously installed images to obtain the generation information
- for those files as input to the file conflict processing algorithm. (Only
- images have this field, obviously.)
-
- PCSI interprets the build ident field of a previously installed image as
- follows:
-
- - if the string length is 15, the 5th character is a hyphen, and the
- last ten characters are a ten digit number with leading zeros, then
- the last ten characters are treated as a valid generation number.
- - for V7.1-2 through V7.2-1, inclusive, if the above test fails, the
- information is obtained from the PCSI product database.
- - in releases after V7.2-1 and with current PCSI ECO kits, if the above
- test fails, an invalid generation number is treated as 0000000000 so
- that the ECO kit will simply replace the image rather than assuming
- á the PCSI database is in error.
-
- So, what will you see in the image identification displayed via the
- ANALYZE/IMAGE command?
-
- For an image that has been built as part of an OpenVMS Engineering
- system build, you will generally see a build ID string in the format
- "X6TE-SSB-0000" -- X6TE is the build number for the OpenVMS Alpha
- V7.2-1 release. This id format is used within the OpenVMS system
- build, and can generally only be seen associated with images that
- have not yet been processed via PCSI.
-
- During the installation of V7.2-1, PCSI will modify the image header to
- have a build ident string of "X6TE-0050120000". During installation of
- an ECO kit containing this image with a generation number of 50130052,
- for example, PCSI would determine that 50130052 is greater than 50120000,
- and will replace the existing image on the target disk with the version
- of the image included in the ECO kit.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT42. How to configure allocation classes and Multi-Path SCSI?
-
- The HSZ allocation class is applied to devices, starting with OpenVMS V7.2.
- It is considered a port allocation class (PAC), and all device names with a
- PAC have their controller letter forced to "A". (You might infer from the
- the text in the "Guidelines for OpenVMS Cluster Configurations" that this
- is something you have to do, though OpenVMS will thoughtfully handle this
- renaming for you.)
-
- You can force the device names back to DKB by setting the HSZ allocation
- class to zero, and setting the PKB PAC to -1. This will use the host
- allocation class, and will leave the controller letter alone (that is,
- the DK controller letter will be the same as the SCSI port (PK) controller).
- Note that this won't work if the HSZ is configured in multibus failover
- mode. In this case, OpenVMS requires that you use an allocation class
- for the HSZ.
-
- When your configuration gets even moderately complex, you must pay careful
- attention to how you assign the three kinds of allocation class: node, port
- and HSZ/HSJ, as otherwise you could wind up with device naming conflicts
- that can be painful to resolve.
-
- The display-able path information is for SCSI multi-path, and permits the
- multi-path software to distinguish between different paths to the same
- device. If you have two paths to $1$DKA100, for example by having two
- KZPBA controllers and two SCSI buses to the HSZ, you would have two UCBs
- in a multi-path set. The path information is used by the multi-path
- software to distinguish between these two UCBs.
-
- The display-able path information describes the path; in this case, the SCSI
- port. If port is PKB, that's the path name you get. The device name is no
- longer completely tied to the port name; the device name now depends on the
- various allocation class settings of the controller, SCSI port or node.
-
- The reason the device name's controller letter is forced to "A" when you
- use PACs is because a shared SCSI bus may be configured via different ports
- on the various nodes connected to the bus. The port may be PKB on one node,
- and PKC on the other. Rather obviously, you will want to have the shared
- devices use the same device names on all nodes. To establish this, you will
- assign the same PAC on each node, and OpenVMS will force the controller
- letter to be the same on each node. Simply choosing "A" was easier and
- more deterministic than negotiating the controller letter between the
- nodes, and also parallels the solution used for this situation when DSSI
- or SDI/STI storage was used.
-
- This information is also described in the Cluster Systems and Guidelines
- for OpenVMS Cluster Configurations manuals.
- [John Croll]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT43. How can I tell what software (and version) is installed?
-
- There is unfortunatly no consistent nor single way to make this
- determination -- this is one of the reasons that a move to PCSI
- installations is underway.
-
- On OpenVMS Alpha, you can use VMSINSTAL.HISTORY and PRODUCT SHOW
- PRODUCT to determine what packages have been installed via the
- VMSINSTAL and PCSI tools, respectively.
-
- To see which OpenVMS Alpha ECO kits have been applied, look in
- VMSINSTAL.HISTORY on OpenVMS Alpha prior to V7.1-2, and use
- PRODUCT SHOW PRODUCT/FULL on OpenVMS Alpha V7.1-2 and later.
-
- On OpenVMS VAX, you can use PRODUCT SHOW PRODUCT and (for
- software that is installed via VMSINSTAL on V7.3 and later)
- in VMSINSTAL.HISTORY.
-
- For products installed on OpenVMS VAX prior to V7.3 using
- VMSINSTAL, there is no reliable way to determine what products
- have been installed. If the product provides a RELEASE_NOTES
- file (as many do), you can look for the list of these files
- via DIRECTORY SYS$HELP:*.RELEASE_NOTES. Again, this approach
- is NOT reliable: some kits do not provide release notes, some
- system managers will install only the release notes, some system
- managers will delete release notes, and release notes for multiple
- versions can be present.
-
- On most packages, you can generally use ANALYZE/IMAGE on one of the
- core images, looking at the image identification area. Some of the
- product-specific mechanisms available are:
-
- DQS DQS$VERSION logical name
- C CC/VERSION
- C++ CXX/VERSION
-
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT44. Where can I get Fibre Channel Storage (SAN) information?
-
- http://www.openvms.compaq.com/openvms/fibre/index.html
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT45. How can I split up an OpenVMS Cluster?
-
- Review the VMScluster documentation, and the System Management
- documentation. The following are the key points, but are likely
- not the only things you will need to change.
-
- OpenVMS Cluster support is directly integrated into the operating system,
- and there is no way to remove it. You can, however, remote site-specific
- tailoring that was added for a particular cluster configuration.
-
- First: Create restorable image BACKUPs of each of the current system
- disks. If something gets messed up, you want a way to recover, right?
-
- Create standalone BACKUP kits for the OpenVMS VAX systems, and create
- or acquire bootable BACKUP kits for the OpenVMS Alpha systems.
-
- Use CLUSTER_CONFIG or CLUSTER_CONFIG_LAN to remove the various system
- roots and to shut off boot services and VMScluster settings.
-
- Create as many architecture-specific copies of the system disks as
- required. Realize that the new systems will all likely be booting
- through root SYS0 -- if you have any system-specific files in any
- other roots, save them.
-
- Relocate the copies of the VMScluster common files onto each of the
- new system disks.
-
- Reset the console parameters and boot flags on each system for use
- on a standalone node.
-
- Reset the VAXCLUSTER and NISCS_LOAD_PEA0 parameters to 0 in SYSGEN
- and in MODPARAMS.DAT.
-
- Clobber the VMScluster group ID and password using SYSMAN.
-
- Reboot the systems seperately, and run AUTOGEN on each.
-
- Shut off MOP services via NCP or LANCP on the boot server nodes.
-
- Permanent seperation also requires the duplication of shared files.
- The following files are typically shared within a cluster:
-
- Filename: default directory (in common root) and file type:
- SYSUAF SYS$SYSTEM:.DAT
- SYSUAFALT SYS$SYSTEM:.DAT
- SYSALF SYS$SYSTEM:.DAT
- RIGHTSLIST SYS$SYSTEM:.DAT
- NETPROXY SYS$SYSTEM:.DAT
- NET$PROXY SYS$SYSTEM:.DAT
- NETOBJECT SYS$SYSTEM:.DAT
- NETNODE_REMOTE SYS$SYSTEM:.DAT
- QMAN$MASTER SYS$SYSTEM: (this is a set of related files)
- LMF$LICENSE SYS$SYSTEM:.LDB
- VMSMAIL_PROFILE SYS$SYSTEM:.DATA
- VMS$OBJECTS SYS$SYSTEM:.DAT
- VMS$AUDIT_SERVER SYS$MANAGER:.DAT
- VMS$PASSWORD_HISTORY SYS$SYSTEM:.DATA
- NETNODE_UPDATE SYS$MANAGER:.COM
- VMS$PASSWORD_POLICY SYS$LIBRARY:.EXE
- LAN$NODE_DATABASE SYS$SYSTEM:LAN$NODE_DATABASE.DAT
-
- Information on changing node names is included in MGMT9.
-
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT46. What file checksum tools are available for OpenVMS?
-
- The undocumented DCL command CHECKSUM is the usual means, and provides
- a rather simple-minded checksum suitable to detect basic file corruptions.
- For information and an OpenVMS version of the MD5 checksum tool, see:
-
- http://www.service.digital.com/svctools/decevent/md5-instructions.html
-
- The OpenVMS Alpha ECO (patch) kit checksums available at the ECO website
- are determined using the following DCL command sequence:
-
- CHECKSUM kitname.pcsi-dcx_axpexe
- SHOW SYMBOL CHECKSUM$CHECKSUM
-
- See MGMT25 for information on acquiring OpenVMS ECO (patch) kits.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT47. Configuring Cluster SCS for path load balancing?
-
-
- SCS: Systems Communication Services. The protocol used to communicate
- between VMSCluster systems and between OpenVMS systems and SCS-based
- storage controllers. (SCSI-based storage controllers do not use SCS.)
-
- PORT: A communications device, such as DSSI, CI, Ethernet or FDDI. Each
- CI or DSSI bus is a different local port, named PAA0, PAB0, PAC0 etc.
- All Ethernet and FDDI busses make up a single PEA0 port.
-
- VIRTUAL CIRCUIT: A reliable communications path established between a
- pair of ports. Each port in a VMScluster establishes a virtual circuit
- with every other port in that cluster.
-
- All systems and storage controllers establish "Virtual
- Circuits" to enable communications between all available pairs of ports.
-
- SYSAP: A "system application" that communicates using SCS. Each SYSAP
- communicates with a particular remote SYSAP. Example SYSAPs include:
-
- VMS$DISK_CL_DRIVER connects to MSCP$DISK
- The disk class driver is on every VMSCluster system.
- MSCP$DISK is on all disk controllers and all VMSCluster
- systems that have SYSGEN parameter MSCP_LOAD set to 1
-
- VMS$TAPE_CL_DRIVER connects to MSCP$TAPE
- The tape class driver is on every VMSCluster system.
- MSCP$TAPE is on all tape controllers and all VMSCluster
- systems that have SYSGEN parameter TMSCP_LOAD set to 1
-
- VMS$VAXCLUSTER connects to VMS$VAXCLUSTER
- This SYSAP contains the connection manager, which manages
- cluster connectivity, runs the cluster state transition
- algorithm, and implements the cluster quorum algorithm.
- This SYSAP also handles lock traffic, and various other
- cluster communications functions.
-
- SCS$DIR_LOOKUP connects to SCS$DIRECTORY
- This SYSAP is used to find SYSAPs on remote systems
-
- MSCP and TMSCP
- The Mass Storage Control Protocol and the Tape MSCP servers
- are SYSAPs that provide access to disk and tape storage,
- typically operating over SCS protocols. MSCP and TMSCP
- SYSAPs exist within OpenVMS (for OpenVMS hosts serving
- disks and tapes), within CI- and DSSI-based storage
- controllers, and within host-based MSCP- or TMSCP storage
- controllers. MSCP and TMSCP can be used to serve MSCP and
- TMSCP storage devices, and can also be used to serve SCSI
- and other non-MSCP/non-TMSCP storage devices.
-
- SCS CONNECTION: A SYSAP on one node establishes an SCS connection to its
- counterpart on another node. This connection will be on ONE AND ONLY ONE
- of the available virtual circuits.
-
- ----
-
- When there are multiple virtual circuits between two OpenVMS systems
- it is possible for the VMS$VAXCLUSTER to VMS$VAXCLUSTER connection to
- use any one of these circuits. All lock traffic between the two systems
- will then travel on the selected virtual circuit.
-
- Each port has a "LOAD CLASS" associated with it. This load class helps
- to determine which virtual circuit a connection will use. If one port
- has a higher load class than all others then this port will be used.
- If two or more ports have equally high load classes then the connection
- will use the first of these that it finds. Normally all CI and DSSI
- ports have a load class of 14(hex), the Ethernet/FDDI port has a load
- class of A(hex).
-
- For instance, if you have multiple DSSI busses and an FDDI, the
- VMS$VAXCLUSTER connection will chose the DSSI bus as this path has the
- system disk, and thus will always be the first DSSI bus discovered when
- the OpenVMS system boots.
-
- To force all lock traffic off the DSSI and on to the FDDI, an adjustment
- to the load class value is required, or the SCS port must be disabled.
-
- Note that with PE ports, you can typically immediately re-enable the path,
- permitting failover to occur should congestion or a problem arise -- a
- running average of the path latency is checked when the virtual circuit
- is formed, and at periodic intervals (circa every three seconds), and when
- a problem with a virtual circuit arises.
-
- In the case of PEDRIVER, the driver handles load balancing among the
- available Ethernet and FDDI connections based on the lowest latency
- path available to it. Traffic will be routed through that path until
- an event occurs that requires a fail-over.
-
- In all OpenVMS versions, you can use the tools:
-
- SYS$EXAMPLES:LAVC$STOP_BUS
- SYS$EXAMPLES:LAVC$START_BUS
-
- These tools permit you to disable or enable all SCS traffic on the
- on the specified paths.
-
- You can also use a prefered path mechanism that tells the local MSCP
- disk driver (DUDRIVER) which path to a disk should be used. Generally,
- this is used with dual-pathed disks, forcing I/O traffic through one
- of the controllers instead of the other. This can be used to implement
- a crude form of I/O load balancing at the disk I/O level.
-
- Prior to V7.2, the prefered path feature uses the tool:
-
- SYS$EXAMPLES:PREFER.MAR
-
- In OpenVMS V7.2 and later, you can use the following DCL command:
-
- SET PREFERED_PATH
-
- The prefered path mechanism does not disable nor affect SCS operations
- on the non-prefered path.
- [Kevin Jenkins, Verell Boaen, John Croll]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT48. What (and where) is the OpenVMS Management Station?
-
- For information and current kits for the OpenVMS Management Station
- (OMS), a PC-based tool that permits you to manage an OpenVMS system,
- please see:
-
- http://www.openvms.compaq.com/openvms/products/argus/
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT49. How to determine current disk fragmentation level?
-
- The Compaq OpenVMS Disk File Optimizer (DFO) defragmentation package
- provides a fragmentation monitoring tool, and a DFO product authorization
- key (PAK) is not required for the fragmentation reporting tool:
-
- $ DEFRAG SHOW/VOLUME ddcu:
-
- The DFU tool available on the OpenVMS Freeware can generate a report
- on the disk fragmentation:
-
- DFU> REPORT ddcu:
-
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT50. SYSBOOT-I-FILENOTLOC, Unable to locate SYS$CPU_ROUTINES?
-
- A message at the OpenVMS bootstrap such as the following:
-
- %SYSBOOT-I-FILENOTLOC, Unable to locate SYS$CPU_ROUTINES_1C02.EXE
- %SYSBOOT-E-LDFAIL, failed to load execlet, status = 00000910
-
- indicates that the particular OpenVMS release does not contain
- support for the target platform. In this case, OpenVMS does
- not recognize Alpha family 1C member 02 as a supported platform.
- A later version of OpenVMS might support the platform, or there
- might be no support on any release.
-
- The execlet load failure and other similar bootstrap status values
- can often be decoded using either of the following techniques:
-
- $ exit %x910
- %SYSTEM-W-NOSUCHFILE, no such file
- $
-
- $ x = f$message(%x910)
- $ show symbol x
- X = "%SYSTEM-W-NOSUCHFILE, no such file"
- $
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT51. How can I customize the DCPS device control for a new printer?
-
- To customize DCPS for an otherwise unsupported printer, you can try
- the following sequence:
-
- o Extract the most closely-associated setup modules from the existing
- device control library, DCPS$DEVCTL.TLB. (For instance, you can
- probably extract and use the HP LaserJet 4000 series definitions
- for the HP LaserJet 4050 series. Each printer will vary, please
- consult the printer documentation for specifics and requirements.)
-
- o rename each extracted setup module to a corresponding:
- LPS$$UNRECOGNIZED_*
-
- o Insert all of the above-renamed setup modules into a newly-created
- device control library specific to the new printer:
- $ LIBRARY/TEXT/CREATE -
- SYS$COMMON:[SYSLIB]HP4050_DEVCTL.TLB
- LPS$$UNRECOGNIZED*
-
- The above assumes the filename HP4050_DEVCTL.TLB, alter as required.
-
- o Set up your DCPS startup procedures to include a search-list logical
- name such as:
-
- $ DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE DCPS_HP4050_LIB -
- SYS$LIBRARY:HP4050_DEVCTL.TLB, -
- SYS$LIBRARY:DCPS$DEVCTL.TLB
-
- o Supply DCPS_HP4050_LIB as the library parameter in the queue startup
- for this printer, this is the P3 parameter to the command procedure
- SYS$STARTUP:DCPS$EXECUTION_QUEUE.COM.
-
- o The HP4050_DEVCTL library may/will need to be recreated and modules
- re-edited and replaced with each DCPS upgrade, particularly if any
- modules are updated in the original library. You will also want to
- determine if the upgraded version of DCPS directly supports the
- particular printer.
-
- o To customize the processing of file extensions within DCPS (to
- enable or disable graybar output, for instance), use the information
- available in:
-
- SYS$LIBRARY:DCPS$FILE_EXTENSION_DATA_TYPE.DAT_DEFAULT
-
- to create your own site-specific:
-
- SYS$LIBRARY:DCPS$FILE_EXTENSION_DATA_TYPE.DAT
-
- Also see MGMT23.
- [Ken Fairfield, with typos
- introduced by Stephen Hoffman]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT52. Why do $GETDEV MOUNTCNT and SHOW DEVICE mount counts differ?
-
- MOUNTCNT returns the local mount count, while SHOW DEVICE returns
- the cluster-wide mount count.
-
- [Stephen Hoffman]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT53. What software is needed for Postscript printers?
-
- The NorthLake PrintKit (http://www.nls.com/) and DECprint Supervisor
- (DCPS; http://www.openvms.compaq.com/openvms/Print/print_sw_prods.html)
- are common choices for support of Postscript printers on OpenVMS.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT54. Does volume shadowing require a non-zero allocation classes?
-
- Yes, use of host-based volume shadowing requires that the disk(s)
- involved be configured in a non-zero allocation class.
-
- Edit SYS$SYSTEM:MODPARAMS.DAT to include a declaration of an
- non-zero allocation class, such as setting the host allocation
- class to the value 7:
-
- ALLOCLASS = 7
-
- Then AUTOGEN the system, and reboot.
-
- You should now be able to form the shadow set via a command such
- as the following:
-
- MOUNT dsa1007: /SHADOW=($7$dkb300:,$7$dkb500:) volumelabel
-
- When operating in an OpenVMS Cluster, this sequence will typically
- change the disk names from the SCSNODE prefix (scsnode$dkann) to
- the allocation-class prefix ($7$dkannn). This may provide you with
- the opportunity to move to a device-independent scheme using logical
- name constructs such as the DISK$volumelabel logical names in your
- startup and application environments; an opportunity to weed out
- physical device references.
- [Veli Korkko]
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT55. section duplicated MGMT28
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT56. How do I remove a PCSI-installed patch (ECO) kit?
-
- You cannot PRODUCT REMOVE a PCSI patch (ECO) kit.
-
- In order to do this, PCSI would have to have copies of all the other
- version of the files from all other patches and products that previously
- were installed. This can clearly involve a large number of files and
- a large archive of old file versions and a substantial quantity of
- disk space. While removal is clearly theoretically possible, it is
- not currently implemented.
-
- The following is the supported mechanism to remove a PCSI patch kit.
-
- (1) Execute a PRODUCT SHOW PRODUCE <product-name. /FULL command.
- The "MAINTENANCE" column (132 col width) shows the patches that
- have been installed. Keep a copy of this.
-
- (2) Re-install the prior FULL version of the product. This will
- remove all patch kits, setting to product back to "original"
- condition.
-
- (3) Re-install all the patches in the list from step 1, *EXCEPT*
- those which you have determined you do not want.
-
- The above information also applies to PCSI PARTIAL kits.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT57. SYSINIT-E, error mounting system device, status=0072832C
-
- This message can arise during an OpenVMS system bootstrap...
-
- %MOUNT-F-DIFVOLMNT, different volume already mounted on this device
-
- For details and further information, use the DCL command:
-
- $ HELP/MESSAGE /STATUS=%X72832C
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT58. Performing SET HOST/MOP in DECnet-Plus?
-
- First, do MCR NCL SHOW MOP CIRCUIT *
-
- Let's say you have a circuit known as FDDI-0.
- Here is an example of the SET HOST/MOP command syntax:
-
- $ SET HOST/MOP/ADDRESS=08-00-2B-2C-5A-23/CIRCUIT=FDDI-0
-
- Also see MGMT13.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------
- MGMT59. Resolving License PAK Problems?
-
- The PAK release date, the PAK termination date, and the PAK version
- are the usual culprits when a license product authorization key (PAK)
- check failure occurs.
-
- The PAK termination date is the date when the license PAK will expire.
-
- The PAK release date is the date of the most recent release date of the
- software package that will be permitted by the particular license PAK.
- (The release date check is analogous to a product version check.)
- The PAK version indicates the most recent product version that is
- permitted by the license.
-
- Having multiple license PAKs registered (and active) can also cause
- problems if an expired PAK gets loaded. You will want to DISABLE
- license PAKs you do not wish to have loaded.
-
- Other problems include a failure to register each PAK in all license
- databases throughout a multiple-system-disk cluster, with a consistent
- set of /INCLUDE lists specified across each of the duplicated PAKs.
-
- Additionally, you could have an invalid LMF$LICENSE logical name defined.
- (If no LMF$LICENSE logical name is defined, the standard license database
- named SYS$SYSTEM:LMF$LICENSE.LDB will be used.)
-
- You can display license failures by defining the following logical name:
-
- DEFINE/SYS/EXEC LMF$DISPLAY_OPCOM_MESSAGE TRUE
-
- Enable your terminal as a license operator (REPLY/ENABLE=LICENSE), define
- the LMF$DISPLAY_OPCOM_MESSAGE logical name, and then try the failing
- operation again. You should see one or more OPCOM messages displayed.
-
- If you have the LMF$DISPLAY_OPCOM_MESSAGE logical name defined, you can
- (will?) see spurious license check failures -- various products will
- check for multiple licenses, and a few products will check for PAKs that
- either have not yet been or will not be issued. Once you figure out which
- license has failed, you will want to deassign this logical name.
-
- Note: that there is no license check failure does NOT indicate that
- the particular product or operation is permissible per the license.
-
- To register a license PAK on a DECwindows system when DECwindows cannot
- start (because of an expired license or other licensing problem), follow
- the steps outlined in section MGMT5 up through step 4 (inclusive). Using
- the console -- analogous to what is done in step 5 to access the OpenVMS
- AUTHORIZE utility -- use the console to register the license PAKs.
-
-
-
- [End of Part 2/5]
-
- --------------------------- pure personal opinion ---------------------------
- Hoff (Stephen) Hoffman OpenVMS Engineering hoffman#xdelta.zko.dec.com
-
-