Document revision date: 19 July 1999

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 19-SEP-1997 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 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 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 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 V7.2 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 What to Do Next

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 V7.2 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.

Enter 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 source drive is a tape device.)

Example 1

In this example a backup disk and a target disk are mounted so the BACKUP command can restore the system disk from the backup disk:

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

Example 2

In this example a backup tape and a target disk are mounted so the BACKUP command can restore the system disk from the backup tape:

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

B.5.4 What to Do Next

After you complete the restore 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.

This section describes an alternate method of performing backup and restore operations on your system disk. With this method, you install the operating system (without options) on another disk and perform your backup and restore operations on the system disk from there. Use this method under the following conditions:

• If you do not have access to the operating system CD-ROM and its menu system
• If you want to back up a shadowed system disk without disabling the shadow set

Prepare an alternate system disk as follows:

1. Log in to a privileged account on your running OpenVMS Alpha system.
2. Using the SHOW DEVICE command, identify a data disk on which you can install the operating system, with no options. This will be your target disk during that installation. Note the following:
   • You will need approximately 75,000 blocks to install the operating system with no options.
   • Existing data will remain on the disk.
3. The target disk must be mounted privately to your process. (This prevents other users from accessing this disk during the installation and backup procedures.) Therefore, if the target disk was mounted with /SYSTEM, /CLUSTER, /GROUP, or /SHARE, dismount that disk and mount it without using those qualifiers or the /FOREIGN qualifier. For example:

   $ MOUNT/OVERRIDE=IDENTIFICATION DKA200

4. Enter the following command to install the OpenVMS Alpha operating system, with no options, on the target disk:

   $ @SYS$SYSTEM:AXPVMS$PCSI_INSTALL_MIN.COM [target-disk]

   
   (The procedure will prompt you for a device name if you do not specify it on the command line.)

5. As the procedure completes the installation, the display is similar to the following:

   DEC AXPVMS OPENVMS V7.2: OpenVMS and related products platform COPYRIGHT (c) 12-SEP-1998 -- All rights reserved Compaq Computer Corporation Execution phase starting ... The following product will be installed: DEC AXPVMS VMS V7.2 Portion Done: 0%...10%...20%...30%...40%...50%...60%...70%...80%...90%...100% The following product has been installed: DEC AXPVMS VMS V7.2 . . . The installation of minimum OpenVMS Alpha is now complete. Use the following command to boot minimum OpenVMS: BOOT -FLAGS E,O <device-name> (Your system may require additional parameters to boot.)

   Caution If your system is a cluster member, Compaq recommends that you shut down the entire OpenVMS Cluster system before you back up your system disk. This will prevent you from creating a partitioned cluster and from jeopardizing the integrity of your data in any other way.

Use the alternate system disk (on which you installed the operating system with no options) to perform backup and restore operations as follows:

1. Shut down your system.
2. Boot the alternate system disk from the SYSE root. For example:

   >>> BOOT -FLAGS E,0 DKA200

   
   The system automatically logs you in to the SYSTEM account and then displays a triple dollar sign prompt ($$$).

   Note During the boot and login operations on this minimum version of the operating system, you can ignore license messages that are similar to the following:

   %LICENSE-I-NOLICENSE, no license is active for this software product

3. If your system disk is shadowed, install and load a Volume Shadowing license on this data disk. You will then be able to back up the shadowed system disk from this data disk without disabling the shadow set.

   Note Compaq recommends that you do not install any other licenses, including OpenVMS licenses, on this alternate system. You will be able to use the system only from the console.

4. Mount the system disk and any output devices you plan to use during the backup or restore operations. See Section B.5.2 for more information.
5. Perform the necessary backup and restore operations by entering the appropriate BACKUP commands. See Section B.5.3 for more information.
6. Shut down the system.
7. Boot from your original system disk.

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