Document revision date: 31 July 2002

This chapter provides information for all users of the OpenVMS operating system. It includes information about commonly used commands and utilities.

For information about new features included in this version of the software, refer to the OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.3--1 New Features and Documentation Overview.

3.1 SYS$PARSE Error Reporting---Change

V7.3-1

The SYS$PARSE service (unless NAM[L]$V_SYNCHK is set) accesses directories. Prior to Version 7.3-1, errors were not returned if the lowest level directory could not be accessed. As of Version 7.3-1, if a directory at any level cannot be accessed, an error such as RMS$_PRV may be returned.

3.2 Increased Memory Required for Compaq Secure Web Browser (Based on Mozilla)

V7.3-1

If you have an OpenVMS workstation and are using Compaq Secure Web Browser (CSWB), 128 Mb is the minimum memory requirement and 256 Mb is highly recommended for more robust performance.

3.3 OpenVMS Connectivity Developer Guide Title Change

V7.3-1

The OpenVMS Version 7.3-1 full documentation kit contains a new hardcopy manual named COM, Registry, and Events for OpenVMS Developer's Guide.

This manual was previously titled OpenVMS Connectivity Developer Guide. This book is included in the COM for OpenVMS kit and on the COM for OpenVMS web site at:

This section contains release notes of general interest to most users of the AlphaServer GS Series systems.

3.4.1 AlphaServer GS Series Systems Supported

V7.3-1

OpenVMS Version 7.2-2 or higher includes support for Compaq AlphaServer GS80, GS160, and GS320 systems. This support includes:

• OpenVMS support for hard and soft (Galaxy) partitions on AlphaServer GS80, GS160, and GS320 systems
• OpenVMS Resource Affinity Domain (RAD) support for applications
• OpenVMS support for CPU online replace

For complete information about using hard partitions, OpenVMS Galaxy, or the OpenVMS RAD features to manage OpenVMS workloads on the new AlphaServer GS Series systems, refer to the OpenVMS Alpha Partitioning and Galaxy Guide.

3.4.2 License with Hard and Soft Partitions---Problem Corrected

V7.3-1

Some OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.2-1H1/Version 7.3 GS80/160/320 AlphaServer systems with hard or soft partitions and a common license database (LDB) have difficulty booting up all partitions if you had modified nonsharable license PAKs to share license units among OpenVMS instances.

OpenVMS Version 7.3-1 and OpenVMS Version 7.2-2 contain the correction to the problem; if you are running one of these versions, you can go directly to Section 3.4.4.

The following patch kits contain the fix to the problem:

• The patch kit for OpenVMS Version 7.2-1H1 can be found at:
  http://ftp.support.compaq.com/patches/public/Readmes/vms/dec-axpvms-vms7 21h1_lmf-v0100--4.README
• The patch kit for OpenVMS Version 7.3 can be found at:
  http://ftp.support.compaq.com/patches/public/Readmes/vms/dec-axpvms-vms7 3_lmf-v0100--4.README

Before you install any of these kits, you must perform the following steps:

1. If you installed workarounds, remove them (See Section 3.4.3).
2. Install licenses correctly (See Section 3.4.4).

V7.3-1

OpenVMS systems that have a problem using a common license database on hard and soft partitions display the following symptoms:

• Booting OpenVMS produces OPCOM messages that state that licenses cannot be loaded.
• Logging in to OpenVMS produces an error message that states that the OPENVMS-ALPHA license cannot be loaded.

To work around the restriction on using nonshareable license PAKs in a common license database to share license units among OpenVMS instances on hard and soft partitions, Compaq recommended that you use one of the following two workarounds:

• Use a separate license database for each operating system instance running OpenVMS on AlphaServer GS80/160/320 systems.
• Use a temporary (120-day) license PAKs provided by Compaq Services.

If you used either of these workarounds, you must remove it before installing the upgrade kit.

If You Set Up Separate License Databases:

If you had set up separate license databases, you should create a common license database before installing this kit. Refer to the OpenVMS License Management Utility Manual for guidelines on setting up a common license database.

If You Installed Temporary PAKs:

If you installed temporary PAKs in the common license database, you must disable the temporary PAKs for the following licenses:

OPENVMS-ALPHA
OPENVMS-ALPHA-USER
OPENVMS-ALPHA-ADL

To see a list of temporary PAKs installed on your system, enter the following command:

$ LICENSE LIST /FULL /BEFORE /TERMINATION_DATE="-120-" - _$ OPENVMS-ALPHA, OPENVMS-ALPHA-USER, OPENVMS-ALPHA-ADL

This command displays (for the three licenses specified) the licenses that satisfy one of the following conditions:

• Have already terminated
• Will terminate within the next 120 days

Disable each of the temporary PAKs listed above with the LICENSE DISABLE command. For example:

$ LICENSE DISABLE OPENVMS-ALPHA /AUTHORIZATION=authorization-value

where authorization-value helps to identify the license, and is displayed by the LICENSE LIST command you used to find the temporary PAKs.

3.4.4 Installing Licenses

V7.3-1

Before you upgrade to Version 7.3-1, you should perform the following steps to ensure that the common license database can share license units among hard and soft partitions:

1. Calculate required units.
   • Load the base OpenVMS license.
   • Load the SMP licenses.
   • Use the following command to verify that you have the correct number of license units:

     $ SHOW LICENSE /UNIT_REQUIREMENTS /CLUSTER

   Note The base OpenVMS license allows you to have only one interactive user login per physical system (not per partition). (However, you can always log in from OPA0: in each partition.) For additional interactive users, you will require additional license units. See your Compaq representative to determine your needs.

2. Add your licenses to the common license database. For example:

   $ LICENSE REGISTER license-name /ISSUER=DEC - _$ /AUTHORIZATION=USA123456 - _$ /PRODUCER=DEC - _$ /UNITS=1050 - _$ /AVAILABLITY=H - _$ /OPTIONS=(NO_SHARE) - _$ /CHECKSUM=2-BGON-IAMA-GNOL-AIKO

   
   Note that you cannot use the /INCLUDE qualifier with the LICENSE REGISTER command to override the NO_SHARE attribute of the license.

3. Modify the license to override the NO_SHARE attribute of the PAKs with the command LICENSE REGISTER /INCLUDE=(node-name-list). For example:

   $ LICENSE MODIFY OPENVMS-ALPHA /INCLUDE=(NODEA, NODEB, NODEC)

4. To make OpenVMS Alpha license units available to the instance of OpenVMS running in each partition, you must ensure that SRM environment variable SYS_SERIAL_NUM is the same in each partition. To do so, perform the following steps:
   1. From the master console of each partition (usually on console line 0), use the SHOW SYS_SERIAL_NUM command to display the system serial number. For example:

      $ ^P halted CPU 0 halt code=1 operator initiated halt PC = ffffffff9c0a0aa8 P00>>>SHOW SYS_SERIAL_NUM sys_serial_num G2A105

      
      If the value of SYS_SERIAL_NUM is blank, use the SHOW SYS_ SERIAL_NUM command from the master console in each of the other partitions to check for a nonblank system serial number.

      Note If all partition consoles show a blank value for SYS_SERIAL_NUM, you must create a nonzero value of up to 16 characters. Ensure that the system serial number that you create is not used on any other AlphaServer GS80/160/320 on this OpenVMS Cluster.

   2. Once you have determined the system serial number, use the SET SYS_ SERIAL_NUM command from the master console of each partition to change SYS_SERIAL_NUM to the correct value. For example:

      $ ^P halted CPU 0 halt code=1 operator initiated halt PC = ffffffff9c0a0aa8 P00>>>SET SYS_SERIAL_NUM G2A105

      
      You must do this in every hard partition and in every soft partition.

5. In order for the OpenVMS Cluster license database to be updated correctly, Compaq recommends that you completely shut down and reboot all OpenVMS Cluster common nodes. A rolling upgrade type of boot does not correctly update the common license database.

For partitionable machines that are sharing NO_SHARE licenses across partitions, it is possible to see the following error text on system bootup.

%LICENSE-E-NOAUTH, DEC OPENVMS-ALPHA use is not authorized on this node -LICENSE-F-EXCEEDED, attempted usage exceeds active license limits -LICENSE-I-SYSMGR, please see your system manager Startup processing continuing...

This error text can be safely ignored. The text is displayed when someone has logged into a system that is sharing the OPENVMS-ALPHA PAK and they are then in use. This will be fixed in a future release.

3.4.5 OpenVMS Galaxy License Enforcement

V7.3

In an OpenVMS Galaxy computing environment, the OPENVMS-GALAXY license units are checked during system startup and whenever a CPU reassignment between instances occurs.

If you attempt to start a CPU and there are insufficient OPENVMS-GALAXY license units to support it, the CPU will remain in the instance's configured set but it will be stopped. You can subsequently load the appropriate license units and start the stopped CPU while the system is running. This is true of one or more CPUs.

3.4.6 Device Restriction on AlphaServer GS80/160/320 Systems

V7.3

Only one set of the following devices found on the legacy bus adapter is configured and supported per partition in OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.3 or higher. These devices include:

• Serial ports COM1 and COM2
• Parallel port
• Keyboard
• Mouse

If multiple legacy bus adapters exist, only the adapter that includes the console port is configured and supported.

3.4.7 Booting an AlphaServer GS140

V7.3-1

If you are booting an AlphaServer GS140 system with a Fibre Channel HSG80 system disk using Alpha Firmware Version 5.7, the system fails to reboot when the system is set to boot automatically. Enter the following command to show whether the system has been set to boot automatically:

SHOW AUTO_ACTION

Compaq recommends the following workaround:

After a failed power-cycle or INIT boot startup, enter a BOOT command at the console and press Return.

OpenVMS shutdown and reboot commands will perform as expected.

Compaq recommends using Alpha Firmware Version 6.2 with OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.3-1 (see Section 1.4). This problem, however, might still occur with Version 6.2.

3.4.8 Galaxy Single Instance Not Supported on ES45 AlphaServer

V7.3-1

The OpenVMS Alpha Partitioning and Galaxy Guide states that any Alpha system can be used as a single instance Galaxy. This feature is not supported on the ES45 AlphaServer.

If you attempt to create a single instance Galaxy on an ES45 AlphaServer, you get a normal display from the GCU showing all the CPUs, along with an indication that this is not a Galaxy instance. You will not be queried as to whether you want to create a Galaxy instance because ES45 is a special case. The GCU does not try to create a configuration tree on the ES45 since it already has one.

This problem may be fixed in a future release.

3.5 OpenVMS Alpha On-Board Gigabit Ethernet Boot Support for the AlphaServer DS25

V7.3-1

OpenVMS Alpha Gigabit Ethernet boot support (maintenance operation protocol booting) using the on-board 10/100/1000 Ethernet port is not supported at the initial release of the AlphaServer DS25. Support will be supplied in a remedial kit. If Gigabit boot support is required for booting into a cluster, use the on-board 10/100 Ethernet port.

3.6 Distributed Interrupts

V7.3-1

The distributed interrupt functionality does not work on AlphaServer 4100-series processors. It works only on the AlphaServer GS Series systems and DS20, ES40, and ES45 systems (because these are the systems with the requisite hardware for the feature).

3.7 Booting OpenVMS V7.3-1 on a Personal Workstation with IDE Controllers

V7.3-1

If you are using the Compaq Personal Workstation 433au, 500au, and 600au series systems, you can boot OpenVMS Version 7.3-1 from an IDE CD-ROM if the controller chip is a Cypress PCI Peripheral Controller. You cannot boot OpenVMS on a Compaq Personal Workstation au series system from an IDE CD-ROM with an Intel Saturn I/O (SIO) 82378 chip in your configuration. You must use a SCSI CD-ROM, if the Intel SIO chip is present.

To determine which IDE chip you have in your configuration, enter the following SRM console command:

SHOW CONFIGURATION

If you see Cypress PCI Peripheral Controller, you can boot OpenVMS.

If you see Intel SIO 82378, you will need to use and boot from a SCSI CD-ROM.

3.8 OpenVMS Freeware CD-ROMs

V7.3-1

Included in the OpenVMS Version 7.3-1 CD-ROM kit are the OpenVMS Freeware Version 5.0 CD-ROMs. The Freeware CD-ROMs contain free software tools and utilities for creating applications and managing OpenVMS systems.

To mount the Freeware CD-ROMs, insert a CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive and enter the following commands appropriate to the freeware volume being mounted. For additional information on the freeware, refer to the FREEWARE_README.TXT files.

Freeware CD-ROM 1

$ MOUNT ddcu:FREEWARE50_1 $ TYPE DISK$FREEWARE50_1:[000000]$FREEWARE_README.TXT

Freeware CD-ROM 2

$ MOUNT ddcu:FREEWARE50_2 $ TYPE DISK$FREEWARE50_2:[000000]$FREEWARE_README.TXT

In the previous commands, the u in ddcu is the unit number of the CD-ROM device on your system. If you do not know the name of the CD-ROM drive on your system, use the following command:

$ PIPE SHOW DEV DK/FULL | SEARCH SYS$INPUT RRD

Once the appropriate CD-ROM disk is mounted, use the following command to display the menu:

$ @DISK$FREEWARE:[FREEWARE]FREEWARE_MENU

This chapter contains information that applies to system maintenance and management, performance management, and networking.

For information about new features included in this version of the software, refer to the OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.3--1 New Features and Documentation Overview.

4.1 Extended File Cache (XFC)

V7.3-1

The problems that led to the requirement to disable XFC in Version 7.3 have been addressed for Version 7.3-1. Issues have been corrected that could lead to data corruption and system hangs, and XFC performance has also been improved. Compaq recommends reenabling XFC.

The minimum amount of memory that XFC allocates has been increased from about .25MB to about 3.2MB; the latter is the same as the default for VIOC.

An XFC kit for OpenVMS Version 7.3 will shortly be released. This kit will contain all the XFC corrections that are included in OpenVMS Version 7.3-1.

If you have an OpenVMS Cluster system that contains earlier versions of OpenVMS Alpha or OpenVMS VAX and you want to use XFC with OpenVMS Version 7.3 or higher, you must install remedial kits on the systems that are running the earlier versions of OpenVMS. See Section 4.22.8 for information on the required kits.

V7.3-1

Customers utilizing the Compaq X.25 for OpenVMS Alpha systems software must upgrade to X.25 version 1.6 prior to upgrading to OpenVMS 7.3-1. Failure to upgrade will result in 7.3-1 system crashes during boot, with an SPLINVIPL bugcheck.

4.3 BACKUP Utility---/[NO]ALIAS Qualifier Restriction

V7.3-1

Compaq recommends that you do not use the /ALIAS or /NOALIAS qualifier with the BACKUP/IMAGE command. The current default behavior is correct in nearly every situation. Only when restoring very old savesets from OpenVMS Version 6.2 or earlier, could the /ALIAS qualifier possibly be of use.

The warnings in the description of BACKUP/IMAGE with /ALIAS in the Version 7.3-1 OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference Manual: A--L are incorrect and will be corrected in the next update of the documentation.

If you are in doubt about using the /[NO]ALIAS qualifier with the BACKUP/IMAGE command, contact your Compaq support representative.

4.4 CDRECORD.COM Restrictions

V7.3-1

Several restrictions exist when using the new CDRECORD.COM program to write to a CD-R disk. The following sections explain each restriction and, if possible, provide a workaround. On the Open Source Tools for OpenVMS CD-ROM, a revised version of CDRECORD.COM is shipped that resolves the restrictions in Section 4.4.3 and Section 4.4.4.

Note that the OpenVMS System Manager's Manual states that the CDRECORD sources and the applicable GNU Public License could be found at the Compaq OpenVMS Freeware Web page. This is incorrect. The OpenVMS CDRECORD sources are currently available only on the Open Source Tools CD, which is shipped with the OpenVMS Version 7.3-1 kit.

4.4.1 No Way to Initialize a Target CD-R Disk

You cannot initialize a CD-R disk other than to write to it with CDRECORD.COM. You see the following error message when you mount an uninitialized CD-R disk:

$ MOUNT/OVERRIDE=ID DQA0 %MOUNT-I-OPRQST, volume is not software enabled

4.4.2 CDRECORD.COM Supported on Local Drives Only

Writing to a CD-R disk is supported only on a local drive. However, if you attempt to write to a nonlocal CD-R or CD-RW drive, no error is reported. The write operation might or might not work.

4.4.3 Problem Specifying a Device Name in a Cluster System

CDRECORD.COM does not accept an allocation class (or a node name) in a device name. In an OpenVMS Cluster system, a device name that includes an allocation class causes the program to select a local drive that matches the specified device name. However, if you specify a device name without an allocation class, all matching devices in the cluster are allocated during the program's execution. To work around this problem, define a logical name for the target device, as follows.

To specify a device name that includes a node name, use the DEFINE command in the following format:

$ DEFINE DQcu NODE$DQcu

To specify a device name that includes an allocation class, use the DEFINE command in the following format:

$ DEFINE DQcu $2$DQcu

In both cases, c is the controller ID and u is the unit number. For example:

$ DEFINE DQA0 $2$DQA0

CDRECORD.COM expects a DQ device type for the target CD-R drive and an LD device type for a logical drive.

4.4.4 Problem Specifying the Record Speed and the Process Priority

A problem exists when specifying the record speed or the process priority on the CDRECORD command line. There are two workarounds. You can let CDRECORD prompt you for these parameters, or you can define symbols, as follows.

The syntax for the CDRECORD WRITE command is:

$ @SYS$MANAGER:CDRECORD WRITE filename LDAn: DQnn: laser speed priority

If priority is not zero, you are asked whether you want to reset the priority after the write operation.

To override the default values for speed or priority you must first define them as symbols. You must also specify the original priority value, if you want to reestablish the original priority after the write operation. For example:

$ SPEED = 66 $ PRIORITY = 5 $ CUR_PRIORITY = F$GETJPI("","PRI") $ @SYS$MANAGER:CDRECORD WRITE SMALL.DSK LDA6 DQA0 0 66 5

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