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Updated: 11 December 1998

OpenVMS VAX
Version 7.2 Upgrade and
Installation Manual


Previous Contents Index


Chapter 6
Preparing to Upgrade in a VAXcluster Environment

This chapter describes how to upgrade a VAXcluster environment. Refer to OpenVMS Cluster Systems for more detailed information on VAXcluster environments.

6.1 Mixed-Version Support

If your cluster environment has both VAX and Alpha systems, also refer to Migrating an Environment from OpenVMS VAX to OpenVMS Alpha.

OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.2 and OpenVMS VAX Version 7.2 provide two levels of support for mixed-version and mixed-architecture OpenVMS Cluster systems. These two support types are warranted and migration.

Warranted support means that Compaq has fully qualified the two versions coexisting in an OpenVMS Cluster and will answer all problems identified by customers using these configurations.

Migration support is a superset of the Rolling Upgrade support provided in earlier releases of OpenVMS and is available for mixes that are not warranted. Migration support means that Compaq has qualified the versions for use together in configurations that are migrating in phases to a newer version of OpenVMS VAX or to OpenVMS Alpha. Problem reports submitted against these configurations will be answered by Compaq. However, in exceptional cases Compaq may request that you move to a warranted configuration as part of answering the problem.

Migration support will help you move to warranted OpenVMS Cluster version mixes with minimal impact on your cluster environment. Table 6-1 shows the level of support provided for all possible version pairings.

Table 6-1 VAX and Alpha OpenVMS Cluster Warranted and Migration Support
  V6.2 V7.1 V7.2
V6.2 WARRANTED Migration Migration
V7.1 Migration WARRANTED Migration
V7.2 Migration Migration WARRANTED

Note

Compaq does not support the use of Version 7.2 with Version 6.1 (or earlier versions) in an OpenVMS Cluster environment. In many cases, mixing Version 7.2 with versions prior to Version 6.2 will successfully operate, but Compaq cannot commit to resolving problems experienced with such configurations.

6.2 Types of Upgrades

There are two types of cluster upgrades: concurrent and rolling. The type of upgrade you use depends on whether you want to maintain the availability of the cluster during the upgrade and whether you have more than one system disk. Review this chapter and then perform the preliminary tasks for the upgrade procedure (concurrent or rolling) that best suits your configuration.

6.2.1 Concurrent Upgrades

During a concurrent upgrade, you must shut down the entire cluster and upgrade each system disk. No one can use the cluster until you upgrade each system disk and reboot each VAX computer. If all systems in the VAXcluster environment are booted from one system disk, you must perform a concurrent upgrade.

Note

For OpenVMS VAX Version 7.2 concurrent upgrades, all nodes in the cluster must be running at least OpenVMS VAX Version 6.1. (See Section 5.1.10 for more information.)

To perform a concurrent upgrade, go to Section 6.3.

6.2.2 Rolling Upgrades

During a rolling upgrade, you can keep some of the VAX computers in the cluster running while you upgrade others (you must have more than one system disk). The cluster runs temporarily with different versions of the operating system.

Note

For OpenVMS VAX Version 7.2 rolling upgrades, all nodes in the cluster must be running at least OpenVMS VAX Version 6.1. (See Section 5.1.10 for more information.)

To perform a rolling upgrade, go to Section 6.4.

6.3 Concurrent Upgrade

This section describes the following:

6.3.1 How a Concurrent Upgrade Works

During a concurrent upgrade, you must shut down the entire cluster and upgrade each system disk and reboot each VAX computer in the cluster. When the cluster reboots, each VAX computer will be running the upgraded version of the OpenVMS VAX operating system.

6.3.2 Preparing for a Concurrent Upgrade

To prepare for a concurrent upgrade, use the following procedure:

  1. Shut down the entire cluster by logging in to the SYSTEM account on each node locally, entering the following command, and choosing the CLUSTER_SHUTDOWN option:


    $ @SYS$SYSTEM:SHUTDOWN
    

  2. If you have only one system disk for your cluster, go to step 3.
    If you have more than one system disk, select one to upgrade.

    Caution

    You cannot use the system disk that you usually use as the quorum disk to hold the save sets from the distribution kit.
  3. Perform a conversational boot of a single VAX computer from the system disk you will be upgrading. For more information about the conversational boot procedure, refer to the upgrade and installation supplement for your VAX computer.
    At the SYSBOOT> prompt, use the SHOW VOTES and SHOW EXPECTED_VOTES command to display the current values of the parameters. Write these values down because you will need to restore them later. Set the VOTES and EXPECTED_VOTES values to 1 by entering the following commands:


    SYSBOOT> USE CURRENT
    SYSBOOT> SET VOTES 1
    SYSBOOT> SET EXPECTED_VOTES 1
    SYSBOOT> CONTINUE
    

  4. Upgrade the system disk, using the procedure in Chapter 7.
  5. If you have only one system disk, go to step 6.
    If you have more than one system disk, shut down the system that you just upgraded. Then repeat steps 2 through 4 to upgrade each system disk in the cluster. When you finish upgrading all of the system disks, go to step 6.
  6. Reboot each computer in the VAXcluster environment.
  7. Complete the postupgrade procedures described in Chapter 8.

6.4 Rolling Upgrade

This section describes the following:

6.4.1 How a Rolling Upgrade Works

During a rolling upgrade, you upgrade each system disk individually, allowing old and new versions of the operating system to run together in the same cluster, creating a mixed-version cluster. Because rolling upgrades allow mixed-version clusters, the systems that you are not upgrading remain available.

6.4.2 Notes and Restrictions

The following restrictions apply to rolling upgrades:

6.4.3 Preparing for a Rolling Upgrade

To prepare for a rolling upgrade, follow these steps:

  1. Check the votes and make adjustments to maintain the proper quorum so the cluster can continue to operate throughout the upgrade. (OpenVMS Cluster Systems describes this procedure in detail.)
  2. Select a system disk to upgrade.
  3. Shut down all VAX computers booting from the system disk that you are upgrading, except for the computer that you will use to apply the upgrade. VAX computers that do not boot from the system disk that you are upgrading remain available to users.
    1. Log in to the SYSTEM account on the VAX computer you are shutting down.
    2. Enter the following command:


      $ @SYS$SYSTEM:SHUTDOWN.COM
      

    3. On one of the VAX computers that is still running, enter the following command:


      $  SET CLUSTER/EXPECTED_VOTES
      

    4. Repeat steps a to c for each VAX computer requiring a shutdown.

    This procedure lets one VAX computer continue running from the system disk (assuming computers running from different system disks supply enough votes to sustain cluster quorum).
  4. If proper quorum is not maintained at any time during the upgrade procedure, the shutdown procedure will hang the cluster. If the cluster hangs during a shutdown, enter the following commands on the system console of a CPU that is still a cluster member:


    $ [Ctrl/P]
    >>> H
    >>> D/I 14 C
    >>> C
    IPC> Q
    IPC> [Ctrl/Z]
    

  5. Upgrade the system disk using the procedure in Chapter 7.

    Caution

    The upgrade procedure requires exclusive access to the drive that holds the distribution media. Do not mount the distribution media on other nodes.
  6. During phase 1 of the upgrade, the procedure asks if you are performing a rolling upgrade. If you enter Y, the procedure asks you several questions to determine if all system disks in the cluster (other than the one you are upgrading) are running at least OpenVMS VAX Version 6.2. For example:


    * Are the other system disks running OpenVMS V6.2 or higher? 
    

    All systems in the cluster must be running at least OpenVMS VAX Version 6.2 to perform the rolling upgrade. Type Y and press Return.

  7. When the upgrade has completed, reboot each VAX computer that boots from the system disk you have just upgraded.
  8. Perform the postupgrade tasks described in Chapter 8.
  9. Repeat steps 2 to 7 for each system disk you are upgrading. Once you have performed tasks a to d in step 3, you do not need to perform them again.

6.5 Adding an OpenVMS VAX Version 7.2 Supported CPU

If you need to add a new CPU supported by OpenVMS VAX Version 7.2 to an existing Version 6.2 VAXcluster, Compaq supports two options, listed in the following preferred order:

  1. Upgrade the entire cluster to OpenVMS VAX Version 7.2 and bring the new CPU in as a member.
  2. If you need to keep some systems in the cluster at OpenVMS VAX Version 6.2, you must upgrade a system disk in the cluster to Version 7.2 using the rolling upgrade procedure and then boot the new CPU into the cluster using that system disk.


Chapter 7
Upgrading the OpenVMS VAX Operating System

This chapter explains the procedure for upgrading a single OpenVMS VAX system disk, including:

You must complete each phase of the upgrade procedure. On most VAX computers, the upgrade procedure continues automatically from phase to phase. Read the screen displays carefully and, if you need to reboot your VAX computer manually, refer to the upgrade and installation supplement for your VAX computer and Appendix C of this manual.

The time required to complete an upgrade varies depending on your hardware configuration and on the distribution media you are using. In most cases, magnetic tapes and tape cartridges require more time than compact discs.

Before you begin the upgrade procedure, read the overview of the upgrade procedure described in Chapter 1 and complete the preupgrade tasks described in Chapter 5. If you are upgrading a VAXcluster, you must also read Chapter 6.

7.1 Preparing to Boot from [SYSF]

During the upgrade procedure, you are asked to boot the system from the [SYSF] directory on the system disk. The [SYSF] directory is a root directory created on the system disk by the upgrade procedure. It temporarily holds the system files used in the upgrade until the procedure moves the files to their permanent location. The upgrade procedure then removes the [SYSF] directory from the system disk.

If you do not know how to boot from [SYSF], read the upgrade and installation supplement for your VAX computer and Appendix C of this manual.

Ignore any error messages after the first reboot that indicate an invalid dump header version. These messages are normal and are to be expected.

7.1.1 Modifying Boot Command Procedures

Some VAX computers require a special command procedure to boot from [SYSF]. If you are performing an upgrade on one of the following VAX computers, you must modify the boot command procedures, DEFBOO and dddGEN before beginning the upgrade procedure:

To modify the boot command procedures, exit from the OpenVMS VAX operating system (but do not shut it down) and enter the appropriate console mode. Make copies of DEFBOO and dddGEN before you modify them. Name the copies DEFBOO.SAV and dddGEN.SAV.

The upgrade and installation supplement for your VAX computer describes the procedures for copying and modifying DEFBOO and dddGEN. Use these procedures to modify DEFBOO and dddGEN so that they specify [SYSF] as the directory from which to boot.

In DEFBOO, change the DEPOSIT command that sets boot flags in register 5 (R5) as follows:


DEPOSIT R5=F0000000 

In dddGEN, change the DEPOSIT command as follows:


DEPOSIT R5 F0000001 

7.1.2 VAX 8200, 8250, 8300, and 8350 Computers

If you are upgrading a VAX 8200, 8250, 8300, or 8350 computer, you must create a boot command procedure that allows you to boot from the [SYSF] directory before beginning the upgrade. The upgrade and installation supplement for your VAX computer describes how to create this boot command procedure.

7.1.3 Configuring Devices

Because you rebooted your system with minimum startup, the system did not automatically configure all devices. However, you might need access to some of the devices to perform the upgrade.

To make sure you can access the devices that might be needed for the upgrade, run SYSGEN to reconfigure the devices on the system and run STARTUP CONFIGURE by entering the following commands:


$ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSGEN
SYSGEN> AUTOCONFIGURE ALL
SYSGEN> EXIT
$ @SYS$SYSTEM:STARTUP CONFIGURE

7.2 Performing the Upgrade

This section describes how to start the upgrade procedure using VMSINSTAL. You can type a question mark (?) for help at any time while running VMSINSTAL.

The instructions refer to the source drive and the target drive, where:

7.2.1 Loading Distribution Media

Place the distribution compact disc or tape in the source drive. If your OpenVMS VAX distribution kit contains several tapes, put the first one in the drive. The paper labels on the tapes indicate the order in which you use them.

If you are not using an InfoServer device, go to Section 7.2.3.

If you are using an InfoServer device, proceed to the next section.

7.2.2 Upgrading from the InfoServer

If upgrading from an InfoServer device, perform the following steps:

  1. Start the InfoServer Client software by entering the following command:


    $ @SYS$STARTUP:ESS$STARTUP CLIENT
    

    The CLIENT parameter loads the client driver, ESS$DADDRIVER.EXE, and the InfoServer transport driver, ESS$LASTDRIVER.EXE.

  2. As the startup procedure executes, it displays the following messages:


    %LASTCP-I-VERSION, LASTDRIVER X1.5 is stopped 
    %LASTCP-I-ADAINIT, Initializing adapter xxx for LASTDRIVER 
    %LASTCP-I-STARTED, LASTDRIVER X1.5 started on node yyy 
    

  3. After you start the InfoServer Client software, you must make the compact disc drive accessible to your system by completing the following steps:
    1. Insert the distribution compact disc in the compact disc drive connected to the InfoServer.
    2. Enter the following commands:


      $ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:ESS$LADCP
      LADCP> BIND/CONNECT/SYSTEM VAXVMS072
      %LADCP-I-BIND, service bound to logical unit DAD$VMS072 (_DADn:) 
      LADCP> EXIT
      


    Make note of the device name _DADn: in the previous display. You will have to specify this device name during the upgrade.

7.2.3 Starting VMSINSTAL

To start VMSINSTAL, use the following procedure:

  1. Log in to the SYSTEM account.
  2. Enter the following command:


    $ @SYS$UPDATE:VMSINSTAL
    

VMSINSTAL displays a message similar to the following, depending on which version of the operating system is currently running on your system:


 
        OpenVMS VAX Software Product Installation Procedure V7.2 
 
It is 13-NOV-1998 at 10:08. 
 
Enter a question mark (?) at any time for help. 

VMSINSTAL checks your system's account quotas. If it finds account quotas that are less than it expects, VMSINSTAL displays a message similar to the following:


%VMSINSTAL-W-LOWQUOTA, The following account quotas may be too low. 
-VMSINSTAL-W-LOWQUOTA, If you want to modify these account quotas, type NO to 
-VMSINSTAL-W-LOWQUOTA, the next question, modify the appropriate quotas, log out 
-VMSINSTAL-W-LOWQUOTA, then log back in and restart this procedure. 
 
         BYTLM: currently 32512; minimum expected 32768 
         
* Do you want to continue anyway [NO]? 

You should have verified that your SYSTEM account quotas were sufficient before beginning the upgrade. (See Section 5.5.8 for the minimum required values and for instructions for modifying quotas and limits.)

To modify the account quotas now, do the following:

  1. Type No and press Return.
  2. Modify the account quotas you want to change.
  3. Log out of the SYSTEM account; then log back in so that the new quotas will be in effect.
  4. Restart VMSINSTAL.

To continue the upgrade without modifying the account quotas, type Yes and press Return.

7.2.4 Backing Up the System Disk

The procedure displays the following message:


* Are you satisfied with the backup of your system disk [YES]? 

If you have made a standalone BACKUP of the system disk, press Return and go to Section 7.2.5.

If you have not made a standalone image backup of the system disk, do the following:

  1. Type N (for No) and press Return. VMSINSTAL ends and the dollar-sign prompt ($) is displayed.
  2. Back up the system disk as described in the upgrade and installation supplement for your VAX computer.
  3. After you have made a backup of the system disk, start the upgrade procedure again.

Note

If the upgrade procedure fails and you do not have a current backup of the system disk that you are upgrading, you may not be able to recover to the previous version of the operating system.


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