INFO-VAX Sat, 20 Jan 2007 Volume 2007 : Issue 40 Contents: Alpha Server 1200 processor error Re: Alpha Server 1200 processor error Re: BACKUP - how much of the tape has been used Re: caller id to open customer main account file Re: caller id to open customer main account file Re: How long to really setup a VMS system ? Re: How long to really setup a VMS system ? RE: How long to really setup a VMS system ? Outlook Calendar & OpenVMS Re: Outlook Calendar & OpenVMS Re: Securing router/switch config files via TFTP on VMS Re: Securing router/switch config files via TFTP on VMS Re: SIMH hints and tips please Re: SIMH hints and tips please Re: Unexpected crash 7.3.1 user proces Re: VMS Related: Reflection FTP Client (GUI) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 09:28:10 +0100 From: "H Vlems" Subject: Alpha Server 1200 processor error Message-ID: <45b1d151$0$23678$bf4948fe@news.tele2.nl> I bought two Alpha Server 1200 5/533 processor boards on Ebay to replace the two 5/400 ones already installed. One worked fine, the other returned at power up the following error message: SROM V3.0 on cpu0 XSROM V6.0 on cpu0 TEST ERR on cpu0 FRU(s): CPU0 err# 1 tst# 11 exp: aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa rcv: aaaaaaaa2aaaaaaa adr: 38 INT-EXC on CPU 0 ISR 400000 EI_STAT fffffff085ffffff EI_ADDR ffffff000000802f FIL_SYN f400 BCTGADR ffffff80000f7fff I don't really think that this is repairable, but can someone explain what is actually wrong with this board? I have no diagnostic manuals for the 1200. Hans ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 06:46:14 -0500 From: "Neil Rieck" Subject: Re: Alpha Server 1200 processor error Message-ID: <45b1ff59$0$28096$9a6e19ea@news.newshosting.com> "Dan Foster" wrote in message news:slrner3m68.6ea.usenet@zappy.catbert.org... > In article <45b1d151$0$23678$bf4948fe@news.tele2.nl>, H Vlems > wrote: >> I bought two Alpha Server 1200 5/533 processor boards on Ebay to replace >> the >> two 5/400 ones already installed. One worked fine, the other returned at >> power up the following error message: >> >> SROM V3.0 on cpu0 >> XSROM V6.0 on cpu0 >> >> TEST ERR on cpu0 >> FRU(s): CPU0 >> err# 1 >> tst# 11 >> exp: aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa >> rcv: aaaaaaaa2aaaaaaa >> adr: 38 >> INT-EXC on CPU 0 >> ISR 400000 >> EI_STAT fffffff085ffffff >> EI_ADDR ffffff000000802f >> FIL_SYN f400 >> BCTGADR ffffff80000f7fff >> >> I don't really think that this is repairable, but can someone explain >> what >> is actually wrong with this board? > > Don't know exactly which part is defective -- CPU, memory, loose > connection, something else? > > What the message says: > >> exp: aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa >> rcv: aaaaaaaa2aaaaaaa > > It expected to see a particular bit pattern, but one nibble was > different than what was expected. > > In particular, hex 'a' is binary '1010'. hex '2' is binary '0010'. > > In other words, there was a single bit-flip. > > Bit-flips could be due to flaky CPU, flaky on-chip cache, due to flaky > memory, due to flaky attachment (not securely attached, dinged PCB such > as cut traces, etc), or even PSU issues in exceptional cases. > > -Dan You may be right. I searched for 1200 manuals here: http://h18002.www1.hp.com/alphaserver/archive/1200/1200_tech.html and didn't see anything related to your problem. I seem to remember a command like "sho fru" which is used to get more information after a console diag fails. Then use can use something like "test cpu 0" to retest the desired FRU. Before you discard the board, you should attempt to install the latest firmware. http://ftp.digital.com/pub/DEC/Alpha/firmware/readmes/as1200.html This may not be possible but what do you have to loose? Neil Rieck Kitchener/Waterloo/Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. http://www3.sympatico.ca/n.rieck/ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 21:37:47 +0800 From: prep@k9.prep.synonet.com Subject: Re: BACKUP - how much of the tape has been used Message-ID: <87ejpp7r9w.fsf@k9.prep.synonet.com> David J Dachtera writes: > The short answer is no, there is no data provided back to the system > to say how far in which direction, etc. the tape was moved in > total. That's about the only way to figure what would have been left > at the end of a save operation. It is some years since I read the tech manual, but with the DEC DLTs you could get the drive to return the position `down the tape'. I suspect it is not used at all in the driver though. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 13:13:24 +0100 From: Paul Sture Subject: Re: caller id to open customer main account file Message-ID: In article <1169238576.825725.307560@l53g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, davidc@montagar.com wrote: > rexdale1050@yahoo.ca wrote: > > i am using alphaserver ds 10 running vms 7.3 v . > > > > i need a telephone connection from business telephone line with > > caller id. > > > > to open & display customer main account file on my dec terminal.# > > 320 , # 420. > > > > for when a client phones with an order. > > > > i understand there is equipment from digilogic etc but i have no idea > > how to hook this up > > > > thank you > > neil > > There are two cases here. > > If your telephone is a POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service), you can > connect a regular modem to the serial line, turn off answering, and > monitor the connection for caller ID information. Most modern modems > support caller id, and you'll generalyl see strings like "NMBR = > 999-555-1212" in the data stream. > > If you are using a PBX, you can tap into a serial port, which spits out > ACD record showing the inbound and outbound call information (i.e. > caller id and which extention the call was routed to). > > I've used both methods (not just on OpenVMS) to get this information to > a server/application. It's fairly low-tech, very inexpensive, and > works great. Also, if the line has a call waiting function, disable that, as another call coming in can drop your current connection. -- Paul Sture ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 10:40:39 -0500 From: Glenn Everhart Subject: Re: caller id to open customer main account file Message-ID: <12r4e9f34vtt52c@corp.supernews.com> Paul Sture wrote: > In article <1169238576.825725.307560@l53g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, > davidc@montagar.com wrote: > >> rexdale1050@yahoo.ca wrote: >>> i am using alphaserver ds 10 running vms 7.3 v . >>> >>> i need a telephone connection from business telephone line with >>> caller id. >>> >>> to open & display customer main account file on my dec terminal.# >>> 320 , # 420. >>> >>> for when a client phones with an order. >>> >>> i understand there is equipment from digilogic etc but i have no idea >>> how to hook this up >>> >>> thank you >>> neil >> There are two cases here. >> >> If your telephone is a POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service), you can >> connect a regular modem to the serial line, turn off answering, and >> monitor the connection for caller ID information. Most modern modems >> support caller id, and you'll generalyl see strings like "NMBR = >> 999-555-1212" in the data stream. >> >> If you are using a PBX, you can tap into a serial port, which spits out >> ACD record showing the inbound and outbound call information (i.e. >> caller id and which extention the call was routed to). >> >> I've used both methods (not just on OpenVMS) to get this information to >> a server/application. It's fairly low-tech, very inexpensive, and >> works great. > > Also, if the line has a call waiting function, disable that, as another > call coming in can drop your current connection. > First, if using phone info to figure out who is there, you are better off with ANI than caller ID. ANI is related to billing and supposed not to be blockable and supposed also to be reliable. However, note that ANI is not that hard to spoof as well for any traffic that goes thru a VOIP segment, and there were rumors as long ago as 1998 or so that anyone with ISDN could spoof ANI at will as well as caller ID. Bottom line is that caller ID is very very unreliable, ANI is unreliable. It will work ok a lot of the time, but if you become a serious target of fraud, the fraudsters WILL be able to trick it. Thus use by a church or club is likely to work well, use by a bank much less so. The info above is I believe getting ANI from PBX. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 09:32:38 +0100 From: Wilm Boerhout Subject: Re: How long to really setup a VMS system ? Message-ID: <45b1d3a6$0$16657$ba620dc5@nova.planet.nl> on 18-1-2007 7:18 JF Mezei wrote... > OK, I know, insert CD, boot the alpha from CD and follow the prompts and > you have VMS running in about an hour. > > But in reality, how long does it REALLY take to get a virgin system > fully loaded with all the prerequisite stuff, configured, tested and > ready to go into production without any more improvements being done to > it ? Way back in the '80s I worked for a company named Digital Equipment, in the services branch of the Dutch office. We used to sell a packaged "Startup Service" with every new (micro-)VAX. The "Installation" was calculated to be 1 day. "Configuration and Customizing" was one week (we used to work 5 day weeks and 8 hour days back then, remember?). After that, the system was released to the applications folks. Part of the package was to return once for a day after a month or so to do some basic tuning. This got most customers up and running quite well. /Wilm ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 13:52:35 +0100 From: Paul Sture Subject: Re: How long to really setup a VMS system ? Message-ID: In article <45b1d3a6$0$16657$ba620dc5@nova.planet.nl>, Wilm Boerhout wrote: > on 18-1-2007 7:18 JF Mezei wrote... > > OK, I know, insert CD, boot the alpha from CD and follow the prompts and > > you have VMS running in about an hour. > > > > But in reality, how long does it REALLY take to get a virgin system > > fully loaded with all the prerequisite stuff, configured, tested and > > ready to go into production without any more improvements being done to > > it ? > > Way back in the '80s I worked for a company named Digital Equipment, in > the services branch of the Dutch office. > > We used to sell a packaged "Startup Service" with every new (micro-)VAX. > The "Installation" was calculated to be 1 day. "Configuration and > Customizing" was one week (we used to work 5 day weeks and 8 hour days > back then, remember?). After that, the system was released to the > applications folks. Part of the package was to return once for a day > after a month or so to do some basic tuning. > > This got most customers up and running quite well. > I did similar for a software house in the 1980s. I'd visit the customer armed with tapes containing the application software. Sometimes they already had base VMS installed, sometimes not. What I also had on my tapes were chunks of MODPARAMS.DAT, startup and shutdown files and a few useful bits of relevant DCL. A day covered it nicely, though I have to add that most of those systems would only be running that application, so it was quite straightforward. -- Paul Sture ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 08:58:02 -0500 From: "Main, Kerry" Subject: RE: How long to really setup a VMS system ? Message-ID: > -----Original Message----- > From: JF Mezei [mailto:jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca]=20 > Sent: January 18, 2007 1:19 AM > To: Info-VAX@Mvb.Saic.Com > Subject: How long to really setup a VMS system ? >=20 > OK, I know, insert CD, boot the alpha from CD and follow the=20 > prompts and=20 > you have VMS running in about an hour. >=20 > But in reality, how long does it REALLY take to get a virgin=20 > system fully=20 > loaded with all the prerequisite stuff, configured, tested=20 > and ready to go=20 > into production without any more improvements being done to it ? >=20 > (I am talking about full IP stack, extra utilities like=20 > ethermon loaded,=20 > SNMP/syslog configured to talk to the rest of the corporate=20 > network, email,=20 > various automated system monitoring tasks , handling if=20 > system failures and=20 > ensuring the systartup_vms and shyshutdown procedures are complet and=20 > robost etc etc. >=20 > In other words, how long does it take to get a system from=20 > fully naked to=20 > fully dressed in formal wear, realy to go a lights out fully=20 > automated state ? >=20 > (as opposed to a customer starting to be able to use it even=20 > though the=20 > system may still need nightly reboots to test new procedures etc) >=20 As others have stated, it depends - on corp stds etc. I have seen some Customers who develop a "gold" standard for new installs which is essentially a image backup of the VMS system disk with all the latest patches and customizations specific to their environment installed. Hence, to bring a new OS online with relatively new HW typically takes about an hour. Backup gold disk to new system disk disconnected from the network, change system specific details (IP address, node names, modparams, licenses etc) and reboot with updated autogen params. Re-connect server to net. After week of running, run autogen again with feedback.=20 These same Cust's will have "gold" system disks pre-built for different versions of OpenVMS, so it makes it easy to quickly build different Dev/QA environments as required. This is great way to maximize Dev/QA environments as one Dev server can be very quickly provisioned to meet different Dev/QA environments i.e. simply point that servers boot disk to be a different OS disk. Regards Kerry Main Senior Consultant HP Services Canada Voice: 613-592-4660 Fax: 613-591-4477 kerryDOTmainAThpDOTcom (remove the DOT's and AT)=20 OpenVMS - the secure, multi-site OS that just works. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 15:05:50 +0000 (UTC) From: gartmann@nonsense.immunbio.mpg.de (Christoph Gartmann) Subject: Outlook Calendar & OpenVMS Message-ID: Hello, is there a software for OpenVMS that allows a user to manage his calendar via www from around the globe? Problem is, that the user currently uses Outlook for e-mail and the calendar on a Windows-PC. I don't want to setup an extra Exchange-server just for a single user. Alternatively, is there some other software for the PC and OpenVMS that offers this functionality? Regards, Christoph Gartmann -- Max-Planck-Institut fuer Phone : +49-761-5108-464 Fax: -452 Immunbiologie Postfach 1169 Internet: gartmann@immunbio dot mpg dot de D-79011 Freiburg, Germany http://www.immunbio.mpg.de/home/menue.html ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 12:30:38 -0600 From: David J Dachtera Subject: Re: Outlook Calendar & OpenVMS Message-ID: <45B25FCE.C8338285@spam.comcast.net> Christoph Gartmann wrote: > > Hello, > > is there a software for OpenVMS that allows a user to manage his calendar via > www from around the globe? Problem is, that the user currently uses Outlook for > e-mail and the calendar on a Windows-PC. I don't want to setup an extra > Exchange-server just for a single user. Alternatively, is there some other > software for the PC and OpenVMS that offers this functionality? Mozilla? (as in Outlook web mail) -- 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: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 12:47:24 -0500 From: Javier Subject: Re: Securing router/switch config files via TFTP on VMS Message-ID: JF Mezei wrote: > Javier wrote: >> >> If using IOS devices, switch to scp. > > > What is "scp" and what software does it need on the VMS side ? (and what > IOS commands are used on the crisco equipment ? "secure copy" On IOS: copy running scp://user:password/ip-address/filename On the server, you will need MultiNet (perhaps other IP stacks have SSH, I don't know). > On my switch, it appears there is only tftp available as network > transport for copy and configure commands. You may need to upgrade the version of IOS on your switch, then. -jav ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 12:40:01 -0600 From: David J Dachtera Subject: Re: Securing router/switch config files via TFTP on VMS Message-ID: <45B26201.3BDCBCFC@spam.comcast.net> Javier wrote: > > JF Mezei wrote: > > Javier wrote: > >> > >> If using IOS devices, switch to scp. > > > > > > What is "scp" and what software does it need on the VMS side ? (and what > > IOS commands are used on the crisco equipment ? > > "secure copy" > > On IOS: > > copy running scp://user:password/ip-address/filename Hhmmm... Did the standard change? AFAIK, standard URL syntax should be similar to: protocol://[username[:password]@]address/[path] -- 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: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 13:04:12 +0100 From: Paul Sture Subject: Re: SIMH hints and tips please Message-ID: In article <00A61E96.CD7679F1@SendSpamHere.ORG>, VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG wrote: > In article , Paul > Sture writes: > >{...snip...} > >On the music front, I have recently started enjoying BBC Radio 2's > >offerings in the evenings - quite a mix of all sorts including Big > >Bands, Swing, documentaries on rock (new and old), and a bit of > >classical. What is really good about these programmes is that the > >presenters don't just announce the music played but give background > >history to put it into context. > > > >RealPlayer is required for the BBC programmes - I record them directly > >to disk and then edit the results later to get stuff I want into iTunes > >or onto CD. > > > >And to stay on topic, I can be working with VMS at the same time. :-) > > Check out Aural Moon (auralmoon.com). It runs out of my basement and it > is even listed on the iTunes radio listings under "classic rock". It is > currently running on an Itanium server running linix (using apache, php, > MySQL and Joomla). I am hoping to migrate the whole beast to OpenVMS in > the not too distant future (assuming I can find copius ammounts of time > not all ready allocated to other interests). > I've found Aural Moon thanks. The first attempt returned an error something like "no free channels", which may want to look into to, but I got in fine later on. The Joomla stuff looks interesting, though I suspect it involves the dreaded Javascript. It would certainly be nice to see Aural Moon running on OpenVMS. > I did find something very interesting in the past few days concerning my > Itanium box running Linux. I'm not sure if it is hardware or if it is a > limitation of the driver in Linux. I was experiencing some problems on > my T1 connection so I unplugged all of the lines into the router and be- > gan a week long argument with Verizon about the loop. Eventually, they > came out and ran a new loop and installed new termination equipment. In > the interim, I put the Linux server into my 100baseT switch. When my T1 > was back up, I removed the cable from the switch and put it back in the > router (which has only 10baseT interfaces). Ethernet fragments galore! > It seems that the ethernet port (or its driver) settle up on the type of > ethernet it is attached to when the interface is first brough up with an > 'ifup'. I experimented with the other Itanium running VMS and it does > not produce the same problem so I suspect the Linux driver; however, my > Linux box is an older 1.4GHz Itanium and the VMS box is a newer 1.5GHz > box. Also, the Linux box is the beast with the failed management console > as well. I think it is just the Intel box from hell. Maybe the HP on > it stands for Hell Processor. :D Just a thought, but I came across an article a couple of days ago about a particular version of the Linux kernel being broken for NFS. Maybe NFS isn't the only problem there. But I'd also suspect the router here. When I had the Alpha with 2 NICs connected directly to mine, the 2nd NIC would always come back offline after a reboot, along with a gazillion Phase V OPCOM messages. Pulling then reinserting the cable fixed that but was a pain to have to do. Putting a 10/100 hub between the Alpha and the router solved the problem, and I no longer needed to nail the Alpha interfaces down to 10 Mb/s. On the Simh/iBook problem, I'm thinking of looking for a wireless to LAN box so that my router would clearly see 2 distinct NICs. That's the current theory anyway ... :-) -- Paul Sture ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 13:05:21 +0100 From: Paul Sture Subject: Re: SIMH hints and tips please Message-ID: In article , koehler@eisner.nospam.encompasserve.org (Bob Koehler) wrote: > In article <45afb57b.524144494f47414741@radiogaga.harz.de>, > martin@radiogaga.harz.de (Martin Vorlaender) writes: > > Bob Koehler wrote: > >> VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG writes: > >>> 3. Could I fire up X11 on the Mac and then access the SimH/VAX run- > >>> ning on the Mac? > >> > >> Probably requires two NICs, like it does on Windows. Generally you > >> can get one NIC to be shareable to/from outside machines, but nothing > >> knows how to route between the two OS sharing the NIC. > > > > I have SimH running on my WinXP notebook with local DECwindows. The > > trick is to have a virtual NIC inside the machine to connect SimH to its > > host. I use the TAP-Win32-Adapter of the OpenVPN project (www.openvpn.org). > > > > I had it on a (now dead) notebook that ran Linux, too - look for "TUN/TAP > > bridge". > > Ahh, cool. I'll have to try that. With your Mac? -- Paul Sture ------------------------------ Date: 20 Jan 2007 05:59:36 -0800 From: fkburrie@gmail.com Subject: Re: Unexpected crash 7.3.1 user proces Message-ID: <1169301576.442589.104100@38g2000cwa.googlegroups.com> I did recompile and relink everything. I will try to post linkeroptions and mapfiles next week. Suggestion what to look for? Thanks, Frank. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 13:34:22 +0100 From: Paul Sture Subject: Re: VMS Related: Reflection FTP Client (GUI) Message-ID: In article <45B18EB4.9848F7BF@spam.comcast.net>, David J Dachtera wrote: > Folks, > > I made a discovery today... > > I was able to "mirror" the entire ITRC openvms_patches tree using the FTP > Client for Reflection, you know, the new GUI one that tries to look like Windows > Explorer. > > > I just got a DVD+R burner for my IBM ThinkPad T20 (off eBay). It came with > Nero-6. I'll see how this goes. I haven't managed to convince Nero to write > anything other than Joliet format yet. Then again, I don't yet have an (at > home) Alpha with a DVD-ROM or better. So the value is limited to the T20 at > present. Well, that and the work laptop. Once we catch up on the holiday bills a bit > I'll look up a DVD burner for my Dell Optiplex GX150, then maybe something for the > Alpha. Plugging "cdrtools windows" into Google comes up with some possible ways around any shortfalls Nero may have. I've successfully used cdrecord to burn images of VMS disks created by LDDRIVER. -- Paul Sture ------------------------------ End of INFO-VAX 2007.040 ************************