OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.2 Upgrade and Installation Manual

Updated: 24 May 2001

Order Number: AA--QSE8C--TE

January 1999

This document contains step-by-step instructions for installing and upgrading the OpenVMS Alpha operating system on Alpha computers. It also includes information about booting, shutdown, backup, and licensing procedures.

Revision/Update Information: This is a new manual.

Software Version: OpenVMS Alpha
Version 7.2

Compaq Computer Corporation
Houston, Texas

January 1999

Compaq Computer Corporation makes no representations that the use of its products in the manner described in this publication will not infringe on existing or future patent rights, nor do the descriptions contained in this publication imply the granting of licenses to make, use, or sell equipment or software in accordance with the description.

Possession, use, or copying of the software described in this publication is authorized only pursuant to a valid written license from Compaq Computer Corporation or an authorized sublicensor.

Compaq Computer Corporation conducts its business in a manner that conserves the environment and protects the safety and health of its employees, customers, and the community.

The following are trademarks of Compaq Computer Corporation: AlphaServer, AlphaStation, Bookreader, CI, DEC, DECdirect, DECdtm, DECevent, DECnet, DECterm, DECwindows, DIGITAL, HSC, InfoServer, LAT, ManageWORKS, MSCP, OpenVMS, OpenVMS Cluster, PATHWORKS, POLYCENTER, RRD42, RZ, TeamLinks, TURBOchannel, UETP, VAX, VMS, XUI, and the Compaq logo.

The following are third-party trademarks:

3Com is a registered trademark of the 3Com Corporation.

Adaptec is a trademark of Adaptec, Inc.

InstallShield is a registered trademark of Stirling Technologies, Inc.

Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.

Microsoft, MS, MS--DOS, and Windows 95 are registered trademarks, and Windows NT is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

Motif is a registered trademark of the Open Software Foundation, Inc.

NetView is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.

All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

ZK6522

The OpenVMS documentation set is available on CD-ROM.

This document was prepared using VAX DOCUMENT, Version V3.2n.

Contents Index

Preface

Intended Audience

This manual is intended for anyone responsible for installing or upgrading the OpenVMS Alpha operating system and for the startup, shutdown, and backup operations required on Alpha computers running this software.

When to Use This Manual

If you received factory-installed software (FIS) with your Alpha computer, refer to that user documentation to start up your system for the first time. Use this manual if you need to install or upgrade the OpenVMS Alpha operating system software yourself or if you need to perform certain startup, shutdown, or backup operations.

Document Structure

This manual is organized as follows:

Chapter 1 defines key terms and provides information about hardware and software components. Review this chapter before performing any installation or upgrade.
Chapter 2 provides preliminary information about installing the operating system in an OpenVMS Cluster environment.
Chapter 3 describes how to install the operating system.
Chapter 4 describes the tasks you must perform after installing the operating system.
Chapter 5 describes how to prepare your system for an upgrade.
Chapter 6 supplements Chapter 5 with additional tasks you must perform before upgrading an OpenVMS Cluster system.
Chapter 7 describes how to upgrade the operating system.
Chapter 8 describes the tasks you must perform after upgrading the operating system.
Appendix A contains instructions for halting the system, booting the operating system CD-ROM and the system disk, using console commands to set system parameters, using the Writeboot utility, and invoking system shutdown procedures.
Appendix B describes how to back up and restore the system disk.
Appendix C contains supplementary information about registering licenses.
Appendix D describes how to prepare your OpenVMS system and your PC to run the OpenVMS Management Station server and client software.
Appendix E explains how to remove the OpenVMS Alpha operating system from your disk.
The Glossary defines key terms used in this manual.

Reader's Comments

Compaq Computer Corporation welcomes your comments on this manual.

Print or edit the online form SYS$HELP:OPENVMSDOC_COMMENTS.TXT and send us your comments by:

Internet openvmsdoc@zko.mts.dec.com

Fax 603 884-0120, Attention: OSSG Documentation, ZKO3-4/U08

Mail Compaq Computer Corporation
OSSG Documentation Group, ZKO3-4/U08
110 Spit Brook Rd.
Nashua, NH 03062-2698

How To Order Additional Documentation

Use the following World Wide Web address to order additional documentation:

http://www.openvms.digital.com:81/

If you need help deciding which documentation best meets your needs, call 800-DIGITAL (800-344-4825).

Conventions

VMScluster systems are now referred to as OpenVMS Cluster systems. Unless otherwise specified, references to OpenVMS Clusters or clusters in this document are synonymous with VMSclusters.

In this manual, every use of DECwindows and DECwindows Motif refers to DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS software.

The following conventions are also used in this manual:

Ctrl/ x A sequence such as Ctrl/ x indicates that you must hold down the key labeled Ctrl while you press another key or a pointing device button.

[Return] In examples, a key name enclosed in a box indicates that you press a key on the keyboard. (In text, a key name is not enclosed in a box.)
In the HTML version of this document, this convention appears as brackets, rather than a box.

... A horizontal ellipsis in examples indicate one of the following possibilities:

Additional optional arguments in a statement have been omitted.
The preceding item or items can be repeated one or more times.
Additional parameters, values, or other information can be entered.

.
.
. A vertical ellipsis indicate the omission of items from a code example or command format; the items are omitted because they are not important to the topic being discussed.

( ) In command format descriptions, parentheses indicate that you must enclose the options in parentheses if you choose more than one.

[ ] In command format descriptions, brackets indicate optional elements. You can choose one, none, or all of the options. (Brackets are not optional, however, in the syntax of a directory name in an OpenVMS file specification or in the syntax of a substring specification in an assignment statement.)

{ } In command format descriptions, braces indicate required elements; you must choose one of the options listed.

bold text This text style represents the introduction of a new term or the name of an argument, an attribute, or a reason.

italic text Italic text indicates important information, complete titles of manuals, or variables. Variables include information that varies in system output (Internal error number), in command lines (/PRODUCER= name), and in command parameters in text (where dd represents the predefined code for the device type).

UPPERCASE TEXT Uppercase text indicates a command, the name of a routine, the name of a file, or the abbreviation for a system privilege.

Monospace text Monospace type indicates code examples and interactive screen displays.
In the C programming language, monospace type in text identifies the following elements: keywords, the names of independently compiled external functions and files, syntax summaries, and references to variables or identifiers introduced in an example.

- A hyphen at the end of a command format description, command line, or code line indicates that the command or statement continues on the following line.

numbers All numbers in text are assumed to be decimal unless otherwise noted. Nondecimal radixes --- binary, octal, or hexadecimal --- are explicitly indicated.

Chapter 1
Getting Started

This chapter defines key terms and describes preliminary procedures you must perform before an installation or upgrade.

1.1 Key Terms

The following are a few key terms you need to know before you install or upgrade the system:

Term Definition

Operating system CD-ROM The CD-ROM containing the OpenVMS Alpha operating system.

HS x device A self-contained, intelligent, mass storage subsystem that lets computers in an OpenVMS Cluster environment share disks. The disk on which you install or upgrade the operating system can be connected to one of these systems (for example, an HSC or HSD).

InfoServer A general-purpose disk storage server that allows you to use the operating system CD-ROM to install the operating system on remote client systems connected to the same local area network (LAN).

Local drive A drive, such as an RRD42 CD-ROM drive, that is connected directly to an Alpha computer. If you have a standalone Alpha computer, it is likely that all drives connected to the system are local drives.

Source drive The drive that holds the operating system CD-ROM during the upgrade or installation.

System disk The disk that contains (or will contain) the OpenVMS Alpha operating system. The installation or upgrade procedure transfers the OpenVMS Alpha operating system from the operating system CD-ROM on the source drive to the system disk.

Target drive The drive that holds the system disk during the upgrade or installation.

1.2 Examining Software and Hardware Components

Before beginning an installation or upgrade, be sure you have all the required hardware and software components, as described in the following sections.

1.2.1 Hardware Components

Before you begin an installation or upgrade, do the following:

Be sure the hardware has been installed and checked for proper operation. For detailed information, see the hardware manuals you received with your Alpha computer.
Be sure you know how to turn on and operate the components of your system, including the system unit, console, monitor, drives, terminals, and printers. If necessary, read the hardware manuals that came with these components.
Set up your system to record the installation procedure on either a hardcopy terminal or a printer attached to the console terminal. (See your hardware manuals for more details about connecting those components to your system.) If you do not do this, the screen messages will be lost. You will need a transcript in case there is a problem during the installation.

1.2.2 Software Components

Before you begin an installation or upgrade, do the following:

Be sure you have all the items listed on the bill of materials in the distribution kit. If your distribution kit is incomplete, notify your Compaq support representative and request priority shipment of any missing items.
Before installing the OpenVMS Alpha operating system software, review all cover letters and release notes.

1.2.3 Operating System CD-ROM

Included in your kit is the OpenVMS Alpha operating system CD-ROM, which you use to install or upgrade the operating system, or to perform operations such as backing up the system disk. The CD-ROM is labeled similar to the following:

CD-ROM Label: OpenVMS Alpha V7.2
Operating System

Volume Label: ALPHA072

Note

The volume label is the machine-readable name that the OpenVMS Alpha operating system and InfoServer systems use to access the CD-ROM.

1.2.4 Firmware Revision Checking

OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.2 provides enhanced firmware checking for systems during a boot operation. When you boot the OpenVMS Alpha operating system CD-ROM, the system automatically checks the version of console firmware, which includes PALcode, that is running on your computer. The system also provides more explicit information about how to upgrade the firmware. Previously, only the PALcode version was checked and the informational messages were less specific.

If you do not have the required version of console firmware, the system displays a message similar to the following:

%SYSBOOT-F-FIRMREV, Firmware rev. nnn is below the absolute minimum of nnn. Please update your firmware to the recommended revision nnn, which can be found on the firmware CD labeled: Alpha AXP Systems Firmware Update nnn.

If you do not have the recommended version of console firmware, the system displays a message similar to the following:

%SYSBOOT-W-FIRMREV, Firmware rev. nnn is below the recommended minimum of nnn. Please update your firmware to the recommended revision, which can be found on the firmware CD labeled: Alpha AXP Systems Firmware Update nnn.

The latest console firmware CD-ROM is included with your kit.

Note

Once you install this version of the OpenVMS Alpha operating system, the firmware check (similar to the previous PALcode check) will occur each time you reboot the system.

1.2.5 Device Naming Conventions

When you perform specific operations, you are asked to specify device names for the source drive and target drive. When specifying those device names, note the following naming conventions:

When the source drive is a local CD-ROM drive, the device name is similar to the following:
DKA400
When the source drive is a CD-ROM drive connected to the InfoServer, the device name is always the following:
DAD1
When the target drive is a local disk, the device name is similar to the following:
DKA0:
Note the following conventions:
- DK is the device code of the boot device.
- A is the boot device controller designation.
- 0 is the unit number of the boot device.
On Alpha systems configured in certain OpenVMS Cluster or HSx environments, the device naming convention is similar to the following:
DUA20.14.0.2.0
The values you specify identify components such as the boot device, controller, unit number of the boot device, HSx controller node number, and channel numbers. Because these values vary depending on your specific hardware configuration, refer to the owner, operator, and technical service manuals that came with your computer for detailed information.

1.3 Using the Operating System CD-ROM

The following sections describe how you use the operating system CD-ROM to install, upgrade, and modify your system disk.

1.3.1 Using the Menu

The OpenVMS Alpha operating system CD-ROM includes a menu system that allows you to easily upgrade or install the operating system and to perform related operations such as backing up the system disk, installing layered products, and removing or reconfiguring products. This command procedure starts automatically when you boot the OpenVMS Alpha operating system CD-ROM, displaying a menu from which you choose options to perform the following tasks:

Install or upgrade the operating system from the CD-ROM.
Display a list of products that can be installed from the CD-ROM.
Install or upgrade layered products from the CD-ROM.
Show which products are installed on your system.
Reconfigure layered products installed on your system.
Remove products.
Enter a DCL environment from which you can perform preinstallation or maintenance tasks such as mounting or showing devices and backing up or restoring files on the system disk.
Shut down the system.

Review the following sections to understand how the menu works. You will then be prepared to choose appropriate menu options when you are asked to do so before, during, and after an installation or upgrade.

Contents

Index