INFO-VAX Wed, 03 Jan 2007 Volume 2007 : Issue 5 Contents: Re: Announcment from OpenVMS Engineering - Daylight Saving Time changes Re: Announcment from OpenVMS Engineering - Daylight Saving Time changes Re: Connectivity to SQL Server from Existing COBOL Apps Re: Connectivity to SQL Server from Existing COBOL Apps Re: Internet Explorer 7 Released Re: US Military bans HTML in emails Re: US Military bans HTML in emails VMS 7.3, TCPIP 5.3, patches up-to-date: FINGER gives %SYSTEM-F-ROPRAND Re: vmware VMS ISO ? Re: vmware VMS ISO ? Re: vmware VMS ISO ? ZX6000 server with hung system firmware Re: ZX6000 server with hung system firmware ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 2 Jan 2007 12:10:46 -0800 From: "tadamsmar" Subject: Re: Announcment from OpenVMS Engineering - Daylight Saving Time changes Message-ID: <1167768645.883101.156460@v33g2000cwv.googlegroups.com> What does this patch do? Will it make automatic DST changes using AUTO_DLIGHT_SAVE under VMS 7.3-2 work right in 2007? What does it do on earlier versions of VMS before 7.3? I did not think those systems had any awareness of DST. Why are there patches for some versions of VMS and not others? I did not see one for 7.2-1 but there is a patch 6.2. Why? Is there some way to may AUTO_DLIGHT_SAVE work without installing this patch? Thanks! Sue wrote: > Dear Distribution Lists, > > The following announcement is from the OpenVMS Engineering group and is > also available on the VMS web site at: > > http://h71000.www7.hp.com/dst.html. > > If you need a better looking copy of this message please let me know > since I converted this to plain text. The attachment is the text at the > bottom of the message. Thanks to Sue Avery for forwarding. > > Warm Regards > Sue > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > HP OpenVMS Systems > Daylight Saving Time changes > Upcoming changes to Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. > The Energy Policy Act of 2005 will change the start and end times for > Daylight Saving Time (DST) in the U.S. starting in 2007. Beginning in > 2007, DST starts on the second Sunday in March (instead of the current > first Sunday in April). DST ends on the first Sunday in November > (instead of the current last Sunday in October). In addition, there are > a number of counties in Indiana that have changed in 2006 from the > Eastern U.S. time zone to the Central U.S. time zone. > To meet this need, HP has included the latest Time Zone information (as > of March 2006 tzdata2005m) for the world in OpenVMS version 8.3. These > time-zone changes have also been backported to the prior versions with > the automated DST change: > * OpenVMS VAX version 6.2. The backport kit is named > VAXTZ01_062.A-DCX_VAXEXE (See note below.) > * OpenVMS VAX version 7.3. The backport kit is named VAXTZ01_073. (See > note below.) > * OpenVMS Alpha version 6.2. The backport kit is named > ALPTZ01_062.A-DCX_AXPEXE (See note below.) > * OpenVMS Alpha version 7.3-2. The backport kit is named > VMS732_TZ-V0200. > * OpenVMS Alpha version 8.2. The backport kit is named VMS82A_TZ-V0100. > > * OpenVMS for HP Integrity servers version 8.2. The backport kit is > named VMS82I_TZ-V0100. > * OpenVMS for HP Integrity servers version 8.2-1. The backport kit is > named VMS821I_TZ-V0100. > All of the patch kits listed above are available from the HP IT > Resource Center (ITRC) website: http://www1.itrc.hp.com/ > NOTE: Kits VAXTZ01_062.A-DCX_VAXEXE, VAXTZ01_073, and > ALPTZ01_062.A-DCX_AXPEXE should not be installed before January 01, > 2007. If installed before that date, each of these kits will display a > warning message advising the user to install the kit on or after > January 01, 2007, and the kit installation will exit without installing > the patch. > VMS version 5.5-2 requires that you modify the system time manually. > For more information, please refer to the VMS version 5.5-2 > instructions > > There are other methods for setting the time on systems in addition to > the automated change. Starting with OpenVMS version 7.3-1, in > SYS$MANAGER there is a function UTC$TIME_SETUP that works with the > time-zone files and allows system managers to set the system time and > time zone. Additional information is available in the SYS$EXAMPLES file > DAYLIGHT_SAVINGS.COM for making manual time change adjustments. > ---------------------------------------- > How To Adjust VMS 5.5-2 System Time For Daylight-Savings > (Forward/Backward) > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > OVERVIEW: > > VMS 5.5-2 does not automatically know when daylight savings begins or > ends; you must adjust the time as described in this article. > > You can also change the time on an HSC with the command: > > SETSHO> SET DATE > > Follow these steps to change the time on a VMS version 5.5-2 system: > > 1. Enable privileges > 2. Stop processes as indicated below > 3. Set the time > 4. Restart processes > > The following discussion applies to all VMS 5.5-2 systems, whether in a > VAXcluster or not. > > > BACKGROUND: > > Some layered products and VMS components use the system time to sort > records and schedule events. These include, but are not limited to, > DECnet, the DECperformance Solution product set (DECps), VAX Software > Performance Monitor (SPM) and VAX Performance Advisor (VPA). Also > affected by system time changes are those systems running the VAX > Distributed Name Service (DNS) and the Digital Distributed Time Service > (DECdts). > > To check if a particular software application is time-dependent and > therefore should be stopped before you change the time, refer to the > documentation for that application. > > The commands for stopping and restarting DECps, SPM, and VPA are > included in this article. A separate article titled "[DECdns] Changing > System Time On DNS Server Systems" discusses changing system time on > DNS server systems. That article can be found in the DNS database. > > Systems running the Digital Distributed Time Service (DECdts), part of > DECnet-VAX Extensions, should use DECdts to change the time. You > cannot use the DCL "SET TIME" command on a system running DECdts > because DECdts disables this command and its system services. If this > is attempted, you receive the following errors: > > %SET-E-NOTSET, error modifying time > -SYSTEM-F-IVSSRQ, invalid system service request > > Please refer to the separate article in the VMS database entitled " > "SYSTEM-F-IVSSRQ" Error From DCL "SET TIME" Command" for information > about these errors and how to correctly set the time with DECdts. > > These products should be stopped even if they are not actively > collecting when you plan to change the time. For example, you may have > scheduled VPA data collections only for Monday through Friday, so it > would be inactive when you change time over the weekend. However, the > data collector still checks periodically whether it should begin its > data collections. > > Print and batch jobs submitted with /AFTER=time will be delayed an hour > if you set the time back. If you set the time forward, for example > from 2:00 to 3:00, all jobs with start times in that range will print > or execute. > > If you want to set the time forward, you do not need to stop the > processes indicated below. Verify your process privileges, and then > set the time. > > If you want to set the time back, verify your privileges, stop the > processes, and then set the time. Remember to restart the processes > after the time is set. > > > PREPARATION: > > 1. Your process must have both OPER and LOG_IO privileges to use the > SET TIME command. To check the > privileges for your process, use the command: > > $ SHOW PROCESS/PRIVILEGE > > If your process does not have these privileges but does have > SETPRV privileges, enable the > privileges with the command: > > $ SET PROCESS/PRIVILEGE=(OPER,LOG_IO) > > > 2. Stop SPM with the command: > > $ PERFORMANCE COLLECT=CAPACITY/STOP (node1,node2,...) > or > $ PERFORMANCE COLLECT=TUNE/STOP (node1,node2,...) > > You can stop collections on all nodes from any one node in the > VAXcluster with the above command > or remove the node specifications and use the command from SYSMAN > with ENVIRONMENT > set to CLUSTER. > > 3. Stop VPA with the command: > > $ ADVISE/COLLECT/STOP > > You must issue this command on each node in the VAXcluster which > is running VPA, or you can use > SYSMAN with ENVIRONMENT set to CLUSTER. > > 4. Stop the DECps data collector with the command: > > $ ADVISE COLLECT STOP/WAIT > > You must issue this command on each node in the VAXcluster which > is running the DECps Data > Collector, or you can use SYSMAN with ENVIRONMENT set to CLUSTER. > If you have other time- > dependent applications on your system, you should stop them also. > > NOTE: Some applications, such as Accounting and the Error Log, > are not immediately affected by > the time change. They will still run, but the times recorded may > result in inaccurate records. > For example, if you set the time back, a user may have an > Accounting record with a logout time > earlier than the login time. > > You are now ready to reset the time. > > > PROCEDURE: > > First, reset the time. Follow the instructions indicated for your type > of system configuration. The formats for date and time are documented > in the "VMS DCL Concepts Manual". > > o Non-clustered system: > > 1. Change the time with the two commands: > > $ SET TIME=hh:nn:ss.cc > > If you need to change the date as well as the time, you can > include that information in the same command: > > $ SET TIME=dd-mmm-yyyy:hh:nn:ss.cc > > 2. Restart processes as indicated below. > > > o VAXcluster: > > 1. Use the SYSMAN Utility to set the time for all nodes. Issue > the following command from any one cluster node: > > $ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSMAN > SYSMAN> SET ENVIRONMENT/CLUSTER > SYSMAN> SET PROFILE/PRIVILEGE=(LOG_IO,SYSLCK) > SYSMAN> CONFIGURATION SET TIME hh:mm:ss.cc > SYSMAN> EXIT > > 2. Restart processes as indicated below. > > > > RESTART PROCESSES: > > 1. Restart SPM: > > $ PERFORMANCE COLLECT=CAPACITY/START (node1,node2,...) > or > $ PERFORMANCE COLLECT=TUNE/START (node1,node2,...) > > You can issue one command to start SPM on all nodes with the above > command or eliminate the node > specification and issue the command from SYSMAN with ENVIRONMENT > set to CLUSTER. > > 2. Restart VPA: > > $ ADVISE/COLLECT/START > > You must start VPA from each node in the VAXcluster, or issue the > command from SYSMAN with > ENVIRONMENT set to CLUSTER. > > 3. Restart the DECps Data Collector: > > $ ADVISE COLLECT START > > You must start the DECps Data Collector from each node in the > VAXcluster, or issue the command > from SYSMAN with ENVIRONMENT set to CLUSTER. > > 4. Restart any other applications. > > > REFERENCES: > > For additional information, please refer to the: VAX/VMS Internals and > Data Structures Manual, the VMS DCL Concepts Manual, the VMS DCL > Dictionary, the VMS SYSMAN Utility Manual, DECnet-VAX: DECdts > Management, the VAX SPM Reference Manual, and the VAX Performance > Advisor User's Guide. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Jan 2007 15:33:08 -0600 From: koehler@eisner.nospam.encompasserve.org (Bob Koehler) Subject: Re: Announcment from OpenVMS Engineering - Daylight Saving Time changes Message-ID: In article <1167768645.883101.156460@v33g2000cwv.googlegroups.com>, "tadamsmar" writes: > > What does it do on earlier versions of VMS before 7.3? I did not think > those systems had any awareness of > DST. Define "earlier". VMS 1.6 on our VAX 11/780 certainly didn't know about DST. IIRC the 6.2 C RTL (which was also useable on 6.0 and 6.1 VMS) was the first to know about time zones and DST. > Why are there patches for some versions of VMS and not others? I did > not see one for 7.2-1 but there > is a patch 6.2. Why? 6.2 is under prior version support; 7.2-1 is no longer supported, you need to upgrade that to 7.3 (VAX) or later (non-VAX). IIRC 5.5-2 is also still under prior version support, but has no knowledge of DST or time zones. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Jan 2007 16:21:27 -0800 From: "Tracy" Subject: Re: Connectivity to SQL Server from Existing COBOL Apps Message-ID: <1167783687.652820.284390@k21g2000cwa.googlegroups.com> Jan-Erik, Thanks for the information. I'm a bit confused, because I hear you saying that it's not possible, and then you describe a scenario where you're doing it in Oracle. Is the process you describe a way to make this happen in Oracle? And if so, can you give me a detailed account of how you made that happen? I really appreciate the help Thanks, Tracy Jan-Erik S=F6derholm wrote: > Tracy skrev: > > We have a set of existing COBOL apps on an OpenVMS server and would > > like to know if it is possible to redirect the database calls to an > > equivalent SQL Server database running on Windows. As a first step > > toward porting our apps away from VMS we'd like to recreate the > > database on Windows. We have already acquired the ODBC Rdb drivers and > > are able to port the database metadata and data to Windows. That part > > is solved. But is there a simple way to just "point" the Rdb calls to > > the new SQL Server database? Thanks for your help > > > > Some time ago, when "Microsoft SQL Server" more or less was the > same thing as "Sybase SQL Server for NT", I guess that the > "Rdb Transaparent Gateway for Sybase" could have worked. > > I know of no other product that would take standard Rdb-calls > and direct them to another database product with the same ease. > > At a client I've been helping with setting up "Rdb Transparent > Gateway for Oracle" running on an DS20 with VMS 8.2 and the > latest Rdb version against an AIX system with some Oracle 7 or 8 > database. Using COBOL embedded SQL and the standard Rdb pre-compilers. > Completely transparent access to Oracle (both read and write) > to the code. During development/testing a real local Rdb database > is used, then with a change of a logical name, the accesses are > switched over to the Oracle database on the AIX system. > > Over 10 years ago I also used the Sybase gateway, just to get a > decent interactive SQL interface instead of the lousy Sybase tools... >=20 > Jan-Erik. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Jan 2007 20:19:57 -0800 From: davidc@montagar.com Subject: Re: Connectivity to SQL Server from Existing COBOL Apps Message-ID: <1167797997.531450.256200@48g2000cwx.googlegroups.com> Tracy wrote: > We have a set of existing COBOL apps on an OpenVMS server and would > like to know if it is possible to redirect the database calls to an > equivalent SQL Server database running on Windows. As a first step > toward porting our apps away from VMS we'd like to recreate the > database on Windows. We have already acquired the ODBC Rdb drivers and > are able to port the database metadata and data to Windows. That part > is solved. But is there a simple way to just "point" the Rdb calls to > the new SQL Server database? Thanks for your help One thing that might be possible: Can you update the COBOL to use ODBC? If so, then you can use the unixODBC library with FreeTDS and have the OpenVMS applications talk to Windows SQL Server. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 13:55:35 -0500 From: "Chong" Subject: Re: Internet Explorer 7 Released Message-ID: CRAP CRAP CRAP "Downloadhub" wrote in message news:1166547053.969005.200000@73g2000cwn.googlegroups.com... > Click Here To download : > http://downloadhub.uni.cc/category/detail.php?id=5953 > > The long expected final version of Internet Explorer 7 is here. After > the beta versions, Microsoft Corp. have released on the market a truly > competitive Web browser. > > With enhanced security features designed to provide a high degree of > security during any Web surfing experience, a newly implemented > 'Windows Customer Service Experience Improvement Program' and many more > useful features, Internet Explorer 7 appears to be a very good > alternative to Mozilla Firefox or Opera. > > Let's have a look at the user interface: tabbed design, customizable > toolbar, 'Favorites Center' containing history and RSS feeds, 'Windows > Live' search engine included by default. All the open tabs can be > displayed in thumbnail mode (Quick Tabs), the search engine section can > be customized by adding or removing search providers and setting your > favorite search engine as default. > > The help section has been improved: you can take a quick tour of IE7's > features, send feedback and get online support. The tools in IE7 > provide a safer browsing or online shopping: the pop-up blocker filters > help you allow or block all pop-ups or pop-ups from selected Websites. > You can also build a list of exceptions. The phishing filter improves > your online security level: phishing filter settings can be manually > changed, you can report phishing Websites or check a Website. Now you > can manually manage IE7 add-ons and ActiveX controls by enabling and > removing them. As for cryptographic protection, SSL 2.0 and 3.0 and TLS > 1.o protocols are used by IE7 in order to provide authentication and > communications privacy over the Internet. > > Among other features, I must mention the 'Auto-complete' feature, > accessibility options, customizable security level for browsing, > content advisor, multilanguage support. > > Pluses: Enhanced security features, support for Google and Yahoo! > toolbars, quick browsing experience, session restore feature, > import/export wizard (this feature allows you to import and export > Favorites, RSS feeds or Cookies to other applications or files which > can be saved on your computer). > > A nice thing I noticed, after I installed this new version of Internet > Explorer, was that it can be set to use ClearType fonts. This kind of > font improves the readability of text on LCD displays. I also saw that > my Yahoo! Messenger windows were also using ClearType after the > installation of Internet Explorer 7. > > Drawbacks / flaws: A download manager with pause/resume functions is > still missing. Since all current browsers are trying to comply with the > W3C standards I had to test the browser with the well known Acid2 test. > Unfortunately, IE 7 failed. > > In conclusion: The final release of IE 7 can be now compared to other > competitive browsers on the market. > > Click Here To download : > http://downloadhub.uni.cc/category/detail.php?id=5953 > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 02 Jan 2007 20:50:01 -0500 From: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Arne_Vajh=F8j?= Subject: Re: US Military bans HTML in emails Message-ID: <7ZDmh.16336$2U4.15891@newsfe16.lga> AEF wrote: > Arne Vajhøj wrote: >> David J Dachtera wrote: >>> Bill Gunshannon wrote: >>>> Not in the real world. Good enough doesn't cut it when someone higher >>>> than you says, "The corporate standard is MS Word." >>> ...until the(ir next) multi-billion-dollar outage due to malware. Then, the >>> higher-ups face turn-over while the workers bees burn the midnight oil to clean >>> up the mess. >> There were some real bad incidents 3-5 years ago. >> >> No move from Windows then. >> >> Now the MIS departments has tightened security. > > You mean like requiring 6-character passwords to now be "complex"? > Yeah, that'll stop 'em!!! ;-) > > OK, maybe they're actually doing some more useful things. More as in: min 8 characters min 1 uppercase min 1 lowercase min 1 digit min 1 punctuation Or as in email scanners that removes all EXE, BAT etc. from attached ZIP files in inbound email. Arne ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 02 Jan 2007 21:01:12 -0600 From: David J Dachtera Subject: Re: US Military bans HTML in emails Message-ID: <459B1C78.6336F3C4@spam.comcast.net> Arne Vajhøj wrote: > > AEF wrote: > > Arne Vajhøj wrote: > >> David J Dachtera wrote: > >>> Bill Gunshannon wrote: > >>>> Not in the real world. Good enough doesn't cut it when someone higher > >>>> than you says, "The corporate standard is MS Word." > >>> ...until the(ir next) multi-billion-dollar outage due to malware. Then, the > >>> higher-ups face turn-over while the workers bees burn the midnight oil to clean > >>> up the mess. > >> There were some real bad incidents 3-5 years ago. > >> > >> No move from Windows then. > >> > >> Now the MIS departments has tightened security. > > > > You mean like requiring 6-character passwords to now be "complex"? > > Yeah, that'll stop 'em!!! ;-) > > > > OK, maybe they're actually doing some more useful things. > > More as in: > min 8 characters > min 1 uppercase > min 1 lowercase > min 1 digit > min 1 punctuation (read: impossible to remember, guaranteed to be written down and subsequently compromised) -- David J Dachtera dba DJE Systems http://www.djesys.com/ Unofficial OpenVMS Marketing Home Page http://www.djesys.com/vms/market/ Unofficial Affordable OpenVMS Home Page: http://www.djesys.com/vms/soho/ Unofficial OpenVMS-IA32 Home Page: http://www.djesys.com/vms/ia32/ Unofficial OpenVMS Hobbyist Support Page: http://www.djesys.com/vms/support/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 19:23:06 +0000 (UTC) From: helbig@astro.multiCLOTHESvax.de (Phillip Helbig---remove CLOTHES to reply) Subject: VMS 7.3, TCPIP 5.3, patches up-to-date: FINGER gives %SYSTEM-F-ROPRAND Message-ID: Anyone seen this? $ FINGER %SYSTEM-F-ROPRAND, reserved operand fault at PC=000028C1, PSL=03C00000 Improperly handled condition, image exit forced. Signal arguments Stack contents Number = 00000003 424C4548 Name = 00000454 20204749 000028C1 20202020 03C00000 00000004 00000000 00000020 00000008 00000040 00000020 00000020 Register dump R0 = 0015E43E R1 = 7FD0E3D8 R2 = 7FD0E4B9 R3 = 0015E410 R4 = 000B1300 R5 = 00000001 R6 = 00000CD0 R7 = 00000E32 R8 = 000B12D0 R9 = 000009A8 R10= 00000CD0 R11= 000B1148 AP = 7FD0E2EC FP = 7FD0E2AC SP = 7FD0E320 PC = 000028C1 PSL= 03C00000 The command occurs periodically in an endless batch job, and always happens (just since recently, though). Interactively, from the same account on the same machine, it doesn't. ------------------------------ Date: 02 Jan 2007 14:02:05 -0500 From: Rich Alderson Subject: Re: vmware VMS ISO ? Message-ID: David J Dachtera writes: > Rich Alderson wrote: >> David J Dachtera writes: >>> 2. The VAX or Alpha emulator is, of itself, not an operating system; >>> rather, it is an application (of sorts - a CPU emulator) within which an >>> operating system such as VMS, BSD, etc. can run. The VAX or Alpha emulator >>> itself must run within the context of a host operating system such as >>> Windows, Linux, or (???). >>> So, the layers are: >>> Hardware >>> -- Windows >>> - VMware >>> --- VAX or Alpha emulator >>> ---- VMS(, BSD, Linux, ...) >> You got "Windows" and "Vmware" interchanged. > Your newsreader must have copied the lines out of order. The correct order is > as per the dashes (that is, VMware is *NOT* an application: it does not *NOT* > run under Windows, Windows runs inside a VMware "virtual machine"). Uhh, no, that was my correction of the following: > Hardware > - VMware > -- Windows (or Linux-x86, or *BSD-x86, or ...) > --- VAX or Alpha emulator > ---- VMS(, BSD, Linux, ...) Or are you running a version of VMware that runs on the bare metal? I'm not. -- Rich Alderson | /"\ ASCII ribbon | news@alderson.users.panix.com | \ / campaign against | "You get what anybody gets. You get a lifetime." | x HTML mail and | --Death, of the Endless | / \ postings | ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 12:37:19 -0800 From: DeanW Subject: Re: vmware VMS ISO ? Message-ID: <3f119ada0701021237n7c7373d5m70cdbc954cb5e3b6@mail.gmail.com> On 1/1/07, William Pechter wrote: > David J Dachtera wrote: > > > >Hardware > >- VMware > >-- Windows (or Linux-x86, or *BSD-x86, or ...) > >--- VAX or Alpha emulator > >---- VMS(, BSD, Linux, ...) > > Does VMware's commercial server boot on raw unmodified hardware without > drivers and such? Not that I can tell- all levels of VMWare continue to sit on top either Windows or Linux. VMWare != an x86 variant of Galaxy. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 15:27:07 -0800 From: DeanW Subject: Re: vmware VMS ISO ? Message-ID: <3f119ada0701021527j6539212ck6275aaae6217f5ef@mail.gmail.com> On 1/2/07, DeanW wrote: > Not that I can tell- all levels of VMWare continue to sit on top > either Windows or Linux. I sit corrected; Enterprise / Data center versions now exist that provide virtualization services w/o an operating system underneath. Not that it helps any of us, or the original poster, since it's all x86 stuff. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 17:15:22 -0800 From: "Malcolm Dunnett" Subject: ZX6000 server with hung system firmware Message-ID: <459b02f2@flight> I just picked up a used ZX6000 Itanium server ( basically the same as an RX2600 ). I was hoping to get VMS running on it. Unfortunately it appears to be DOA. It powers up and after a couple of minutes I get diagnostic LED 2 coming on and 6 long beeps. The troubleshooting guide says this is hung system firmware and that I need to replace the system board. I did a warranty check on it and of course the warranty is long expired. Are there any other options here ( eg like the fail safe loader on Alpha ). Has anyone done this replacement? How expensive is it? Needless to say I'm not terribly impressed with hardware that turns into a boat anchor with a simple firmware corruption. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 03 Jan 2007 00:19:25 -0500 From: JF Mezei Subject: Re: ZX6000 server with hung system firmware Message-ID: <349db$459b3d03$cef8887a$19023@TEKSAVVY.COM> Malcolm Dunnett wrote: > Needless to say I'm not terribly impressed with hardware that turns into a > boat anchor with a simple firmware corruption. IA64s don't make good boat anchors, they make good space heaters :-) Seriously, have you downloaded the IA64 hardware/console manuals for that system ? There may be some tricks that let you solve this problem or at least find out what is wrong with it. You should have bought a DS10L from Island instead :-) ------------------------------ End of INFO-VAX 2007.005 ************************