Document revision date: 30 March 2001

The Writeboot utility (WRITEBOOT.EXE) is copied to your system disk during the installation procedure. It allows you to create a bootable Compaq OpenVMS Alpha system disk from one that was originally created by one of the following methods:

• A nonimage backup of an Alpha system disk (possibly corrupting the boot block)
• A nonimage restore of an Alpha system disk from an image save set

The Writeboot utility also allows you to rewrite the boot block of an Compaq OpenVMS Alpha system disk to point to a new version of the Compaq OpenVMS Alpha primary bootstrap file (APB.EXE) that you have previously copied to the disk. (Note that the file must be contiguous.)

To invoke the Writeboot utility, enter the following command:

$ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:WRITEBOOT

The utility prompts you as follows:

Update VAX portion of boot block (default is Y): Update Alpha portion of boot block (default is Y):

Answer N (No) to the VAX prompt. If you answer Y (Yes) to update the Alpha boot block, the utility prompts you for the Alpha boot file:

Enter Alpha boot file:

Specify device-name:[VMS$COMMON.SYSEXE]APB.EXE in response to this prompt, where device-name: indicates the device on which the system disk is mounted.

A.3 Halt and Shutdown Operations

The following sections describe halt and shutdown operations for Alpha computers.

A.3.1 Halting the System

During installation, upgrade, and related system operations, you might need to halt your system. The methods for halting Alpha computers differ slightly with certain models, as described in the next section.

The following table summarizes the ways you can halt specific Alpha computers:

Alpha Computer	How to Halt
AlphaServer 300, 800, 1000, 1200, 2000, 2100 series	Do one of the following: Press the Halt button. Press Ctrl/P.
AlphaServer 8200, 8400 series	Press Ctrl/P.
AlphaStation 200, 400, 500, 600 series	Do one of the following: Press the Halt button (if the graphics monitor is serving as the console). Press Ctrl/P (if you are using the alternate console and port).
DEC 2000, 3000 series	Do one of the following: Press the Halt button (if the graphics monitor is serving as the console). Press Ctrl/P (if you are using the alternate console and port).
DEC 4000 series	Do one of the following: Press the Halt button. Press the Break key on the console (the default setting). Press Ctrl/P, but only after using the console command SET TTA0_HALTS n to enable this key combination, where n can be 6 (enables the Break key and Ctrl/P) or 2 (enables Ctrl/P but disables the Break key).
DEC 7000, 10000 series	Press Ctrl/P.

A.3.2 Shutting Down the System

Before you shut down the operating system, decide if you want it to reboot automatically or if you want to enter console-mode commands after the shutdown completes.

You can perform the following three types of shutdown operations:

• An orderly shutdown with SYS$SYSTEM:SHUTDOWN.COM
• An emergency shutdown with OPCCRASH.EXE
• An emergency shutdown with crash commands

If you want the system to reboot automatically after the shutdown, see Section A.2.1.

A.3.2.1 Orderly Shutdown

The SHUTDOWN.COM procedure shuts down the system while performing maintenance functions such as disabling future logins, stopping the batch and printer queues, dismounting volumes, and stopping user processes. To use the SHUTDOWN.COM command procedure, log in to the SYSTEM account, enter the following command, and press the Return key:

$ @SYS$SYSTEM:SHUTDOWN

For more information about the SHUTDOWN.COM command procedure, see the OpenVMS System Manager's Manual.

A.3.2.2 Emergency Shutdown with OPCCRASH.EXE

If you cannot perform an orderly shutdown with the SHUTDOWN.COM procedure, run the OPCCRASH.EXE emergency shutdown program. To run the OPCCRASH.EXE program, log in to the SYSTEM account, enter the following command, and press the Return key:

$ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:OPCCRASH

For more information about the OPCCRASH program, see the OpenVMS System Manager's Manual.

A.3.2.3 Emergency Shutdown with Crash Commands

Use crash commands only if the system is "hung" (stops responding to any commands) and you cannot log in to the SYSTEM account to use the SHUTDOWN.COM procedure or the OPCCRASH.EXE program.

To force your processor to fail, do the following:

1. Halt the system by entering Ctrl/P or by pressing the Halt button. (See Section A.3.1 for more information about how to halt your Alpha computer.)
2. To examine processor registers, enter the following commands and press the Return key:

   >>> E -N F R0 >>> E PS

   
   The system displays the contents of the registers. Write down these values if you want to save information about the state of the system.

3. Enter the following commands and press the Return key:

   >>> D PC FFFFFFFF00000000 >>> D PS 1F00

   
   By depositing these values, you cause the system to write a memory dump to the system dump file on the disk.

4. Enter the following command and press the Return key:

   >>> CONTINUE

   
   This causes the system to perform a bugcheck.

5. After the system reboots, log in to the SYSTEM account.
6. To examine the dump file, enter the following commands and press the Return key after each one:

   $ ANALYZE/CRASH SYS$SYSTEM:SYSDUMP.DMP SDA> SHOW CRASH

   
   For more information about the System Dump Analyzer (SDA) utility, see the OpenVMS Alpha System Dump Analyzer Utility Manual¹

A.4 Troubleshooting Procedures

The following sections describe procedures that you can follow if you encounter problems with your system.

A.4.1 If the System Does Not Boot

If the system does not boot because a hardware problem occurs, a question mark (?) usually precedes the error message displayed on the console terminal. An example of a hardware problem is a read error on a disk or tape cartridge drive.

A.4.1.1 For Hardware Problems

If you suspect a hardware problem, do the following:

1. Consult the hardware manual for your Alpha computer.
2. Contact a Compaq support representative.

When the operating system is loaded into memory, a message similar to the following appears on the terminal screen:

SYSTEM job terminated at 27-MAY-2001 15:05:03.17

If the system does not display this message, a software problem has probably occurred. Do the following:

1. Turn off the system. Turn it back on and try to reboot.
2. Perform a conversational boot using the default system parameters or try one of the emergency boot procedures.
3. If the system boots, run the AUTOGEN procedure. For more information about the AUTOGEN procedure, see the OpenVMS System Manager's Manual.

If your system exhibits unexpected behavior, note the following:

• If the system displays a bugcheck message on the console terminal and shuts itself down, it means the system encountered a problem that made further operation impossible or dangerous. Reboot the system as explained in Section A.1.2, or let it reboot automatically as explained in Section A.2.1.
• If the system stops responding to your commands (that is, the system "hangs"), there is a possible failure in a system software or hardware component or a possible power failure.
• If the system exhibits erratic behavior (it does not respond according to specifications), it indicates a possible failure in a system software or hardware component.

To determine if the failure is a system problem:

• Be sure that you did not press the F1 key (the Hold Screen key). The Hold Screen light goes on when you press either F1 or enter Ctrl/S.
• Enter Ctrl/T to check the status of your process. A status line should appear, indicating the name of the program that is executing and other information. If the status line does not appear, the program you are executing might be stalled or "hung." (If you have disabled Ctrl/T by entering the command SET NOCONTROL=T or have set the terminal to NOBROADCAST mode by entering the command SET TERMINAL/NOBROADCAST, this procedure does not work.)
• Make sure the cable connecting the terminal or monitor to the system is secure.

If you determine that you have a system problem:

1. Force an exit from a stalled or "hung" program by entering Ctrl/Y. Note that when you enter Ctrl/Y, any work performed by the program and not saved on disk is lost.
2. If the system is still unresponsive, halt it by entering Ctrl/P or by pressing the Halt button. (See Section A.3.1 for more information about how to halt your Alpha computer.)
3. Note in detail the sequence of events that caused the problem and notify a Compaq support representative.

This appendix describes how to perform backup and restore operations on the system disk. You perform these tasks by entering commands from a specialized backup environment. You access this environment through the menu that is displayed when you boot the Compaq OpenVMS Alpha operating system CD-ROM or through an alternate method that does not require the CD-ROM.

This specialized backup environment is required because it allows you to create an exact copy of the system disk. You cannot create an exact copy in a standard operating system environment because the OpenVMS Backup utility saves only what is on the disk at the moment the BACKUP command is executing, excluding portions of open files contained in memory or data about files not yet written back to the disk (cache).

For more information about backup operations, including procedures for backing up and restoring files and directories, see the OpenVMS System Manager's Manual.

B.1 Reasons for Backing Up the System Disk

The primary reason why you should have a backup copy of the system disk is so you can fully restore your system in response to any hardware or software problem that affects the integrity of your original system disk or your ability to access it. For example, you would need to use the backup copy to restore your system under the following conditions:

• When a problem occurs during an Compaq OpenVMS Alpha upgrade or update, or during the installation of other software products. If you backed up the system disk before you attempted any of those procedures, you could restore the system disk and attempt the procedure again.
• When a system file that is accidentally deleted renders the system disk inoperable. If you backed up the system disk after you installed or upgraded the Compaq OpenVMS Alpha operating system and any other software products, you could restore the system disk.
• When the drive that holds the system disk malfunctions. If you have a backup copy of the system disk, you can restore it to a functioning disk and continue to use the system.

Another reason for backing up the system disk is to eliminate disk fragmentation, which occurs when files are stored noncontiguously on the disk. The BACKUP/IMAGE command creates a copy on which files are stored contiguously.

B.2 Suggested Procedures

Compaq recommends the following:

• The preferred method for performing system disk backup and restore operations is to boot the operating system CD-ROM, choose the DCL option from menu, and then enter the appropriate backup commands. The detailed procedures are described in Section B.4 and Section B.5.
  However, if you do not have access to the compact disc or if you want to back up a shadowed system disk without disabling the shadow set, you can use a different procedure, described in Section B.6.
• Store the backup media in a safe place.
• If you have an OpenVMS Cluster environment with more than one system disk, be sure the volume label on each system disk and backup copies of system disks are unique. Use the SET VOLUME/LABEL command to change a volume label, if necessary.

If any nodes except the node used to run BACKUP are booted during the backup operations described in this appendix, your cluster will become partitioned, where nodes in the existing cluster divide into two or more independent clusters. This condition can cause data file corruption.

In addition, these backup environments do not restrict your use of DCL commands to the BACKUP command only, which further increases your risk of accidentally destroying or corrupting data on a disk. Therefore, to avoid jeopardizing the integrity of your data in any way, Compaq recommends that you shut down the entire OpenVMS Cluster system before you back up your system disk.

B.4 Backing Up the System Disk

The following sections describe how to back up the system disk.

B.4.1 Getting Started

Before you back up the system disk, do the following:

1. In an OpenVMS Cluster environment, dismount the system disk from all systems in the cluster that have the disk mounted as a data disk (rather than as the system disk).
2. Shut down all systems booted from that disk.
3. Boot the operating system CD-ROM locally or from the InfoServer (as described in Appendix A).
4. Choose the DCL option (7) from the menu. For example:

   **************************************************************** You can install or upgrade the OpenVMS Alpha operating system or you can install or upgrade layered products that are included on the OpenVMS Alpha operating system CD-ROM. You can also execute DCL commands and procedures to perform "standalone" tasks, such as backing up the system disk. Please choose one of the following: 1) Install or upgrade OpenVMS Alpha Version x7.3-76H 2) Display products and patches that this procedure can install 3) Install or upgrade layered products and patches 4) Show installed products 5) Reconfigure installed products 6) Remove installed products 7) Execute DCL commands and procedures 8) Shut down this system Enter CHOICE or ? for help: (1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/?) 7

5. At the triple dollar sign prompt ($$$), enter the SHOW DEVICES command.
6. Examine the list of devices so you can determine which device is the source drive (the system disk you want to back up) and which device is your target drive (the supported disk or tape device that will hold the backed up files).

When you have determined which devices will be the source drive and target drive, mount those devices (and any other output devices you plan to use) before you perform any backup operations. Enter the MOUNT commands in the following format:

$$$ MOUNT/OVERRIDE=IDENTIFICATION source-drive $$$ MOUNT/FOREIGN target-drive

Note the following conventions:

• source-drive is the name of the drive holding the system disk
• target-drive is the name of the drive that will hold the backup files

When the system disk and output devices are mounted, back up the system disk by entering the BACKUP command in the following format:

$$$ BACKUP/IMAGE/VERIFY source-drive: target-drive:

(You must also include the save-set name and the /SAVE_SET qualifier if the target drive is a tape device.)

Example 1

In this example the system disk and a target disk are mounted so the BACKUP command can create a backup disk. (You can use a backup disk as a system disk.)

$$$ MOUNT/OVERRIDE=IDENTIFICATION DKA200 $$$ MOUNT/FOREIGN DKA300 $$$ BACKUP/IMAGE/VERIFY DKA200: DKA300:

Example 2

In this example the system disk and a target tape device are mounted so the BACKUP command can create a backup tape.

$$$ MOUNT/OVERRIDE=IDENTIFICATION DKA200 $$$ MOUNT/FOREIGN MKA300 $$$ BACKUP/IMAGE/VERIFY DKA200: MKA300:APR_06_BACKUP.BCK/SAVE_SET

B.4.4 Changing the CLUSTER_SIZE Parameter

The BACKUP command creates a system disk that includes a set of volume parameters provided by Compaq, including a CLUSTER_SIZE (disk access scheme) that is appropriate for your system. (The CLUSTER_SIZE refers to the way files are stored on the disk, not to cluster environments.) You can change most volume parameters later with the SET VOLUME command.

However, to change the CLUSTER_SIZE, you must back up the system disk to a disk that has been previously initialized with the CLUSTER_SIZE that you want. For more information about initializing a disk and using the BACKUP command, see the OpenVMS System Manager's Manual and the OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference Manual, and see the description of the INITIALIZE and BACKUP commands in the OpenVMS DCL Dictionary.

B.4.5 Logout, Shutdown, and Reboot

After you complete the backup operation:

1. Enter the LOGOUT command to exit from the DCL environment and return to the menu.
2. Choose the shutdown option (8).
3. After the shutdown completes, boot from the system disk.

The following sections describe how to restore the system disk.

B.5.1 Getting Started

Before you can restore the system disk:

1. Shut down the system.
2. Boot the operating system CD-ROM locally or from the InfoServer (as described in Appendix A).
3. Choose the DCL option (7) from the menu. For example:

   **************************************************************** You can install or upgrade the OpenVMS Alpha operating system or you can install or upgrade layered products that are included on the OpenVMS Alpha operating system CD-ROM. You can also execute DCL commands and procedures to perform "standalone" tasks, such as backing up the system disk. Please choose one of the following: 1) Install or upgrade OpenVMS Alpha Version x7.3-76H 2) Display products and patches that this procedure can install 3) Install or upgrade layered products and patches 4) Show installed products 5) Reconfigure installed products 6) Remove installed products 7) Execute DCL commands and procedures 8) Shut down this system Enter CHOICE or ? for help: (1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/?) 7

4. At the triple dollar sign prompt ($$$), enter the SHOW DEVICES command.
5. Examine the list of devices so you can determine which device is the source drive (the drive holding the backed up files you want to restore) and which device is your target drive (the disk on which you want the files restored).

When you have determined which devices will be the source drive and target drive, mount those devices (and any other output devices you plan to use) before you perform any restore operations. Enter the MOUNT commands in the following format:

$$$ MOUNT/OVERRIDE=IDENTIFICATION source-drive $$$ MOUNT/FOREIGN target-drive

Note the following conventions:

• source-drive is the device holding the files you want to restore
  (Note, however, that you must use the MOUNT/FOREIGN command if the source drive is a tape device.)
• target-drive is the destination

	privacy and legal statement
6629PRO_013.HTML