=:The OpenVMS Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)C

The OpenVMS Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)



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4.4.1 How to troubleshoot TDF problems on OpenVMS?



EThis is an OpenVMS Alpha system prior to V7.0 and the startup is not invoking the procedure:

 

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SYS$MANAGER:UTC$TIME_SETUP.COM 




GThis is an OpenVMS system prior to V6.0, where there is no OpenVMS TDF nor UTC available.

BThe version of the application does not use the OpenVMS TDF. This Fincludes TCP/IP Services prior to V5.0, applications using HP C built =on or targeting OpenVMS prior to V7.0, and systems using the ADECnet-Plus DTSS mechanisms prior to the release associated with OpenVMS V7.3. (DCE TDF TBD.)

@If you should find either of the following two timezone-related 0database files located in SYS$SPECIFIC:[SYSEXE]:



FThese two files are in an erroneous location and must be recreated in the correct directory:

 

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SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE] 




If the DCL command:

 

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)$ DIRECTORY SYS$SYSTEM:SYS$TIMEZONE*.DAT 




Eshows these files in SYS$SPECIFIC:[SYSEXE], then delete them and use 0SYS$MANAGER:UTC$TIME_SETUP.COM to recreate them.

/On OpenVMS versions prior to V7.3, if the file:

 

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#$ SYS$STARTUP:DTSS$UTC_STARTUP.COM 




7is present on your system, then you may need to invoke:

 

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-$ @SYS$UPDATE:DTSS$INSTALL_TIMEZONE_RULE.COM 




>to recreate the timezone files correctly. Invoke this command @immediately after [re]executing SYS$MANAGER:UTC$TIME_SETUP.COM.)

DIf SYS$UPDATE:DTSS$INSTALL_TIMEZONE_RULE.COM is not present on your <system, then you may need to execute the following commands:

 

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*$ DELETE SYS$STARTUP:DTSS$UTC_STARTUP.COM *$ DEASSIGN/SYSTEM/EXEC SYS$TIMEZONE_RULE. 




CIf your system time is being reported as being off by one hour (or fwhatever the local DST change), please see sections Section 4.1, Section 4.4 and Section 10.23.0.0.0.1. x>(Daylight Savings Time)L

4.4.2 Customizing your TDF (Timezone) Setting?



GIndividual, local, and regional differences on the use (or the lack of 5use) of Daylight Savings Time (DST) are quite common.

FIf you need to add (or remove) daylight savings time for your area or Hotherwise alter the rules for your local area, you will probably end up 2creating a variation to an existing timezone rule.

DThe necessary zone line to add for WhereEverLand will probably look something like this:

 

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@# Zone  NAME            GMTOFF  RULES/SAVE      FORMAT  [UNTIL] :Zone    WhereEver       2:00    -               WhereEver 




4The OpenVMS source file for the timezone rules here:

 

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)SYS$COMMON:[SYS$ZONEINFO.SYSTEM.SOURCES] 




CYou'll then want to ZIC this to create your own timezone definiton.

@ZIC is documented in the OpenVMS Documentation Set, in the HP C GRun-Time Library Reference Manual. (Despite the name of the manual, it @is part of the OpenVMS documentation set and not the C manuals.)

FOnce you have created the new rule, use SYS$MANAGER:UTC$TIME_SETUP.COMHto select the new timezone---with V7.3 and later, this tool will notice Fthe new timezone and will offer it, on earlier releases, you may/will Fhave to hack the tool somewhat. (Don't even think of trying to define >the TZ or other time-related logical names directly yourself.)

HFor various timezone rules, see the tar.gz files (these are gzipped tar archives) available at:

t

4.5 Why does the SET TIME command fail? Help managing DTSS?



EIf you try to set the system time with the SET TIME command, and see one of the following messages:

 

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$%SET-E-NOTSET, error modifying time 1-SYSTEM-F-IVSSRQ, invalid system service request  $%SET-E-NOTSET, error modifying time \-SYSTEM-E-TIMENOTSET, time service enabled; enter a time service command to update the time 




DThis occurs if the time on the local system is controlled by a time Dservice software, for example the distributed time service software B(DTSS) provided as part of the DECnet-Plus installation. The DTSS Bsoftware communicates with one or more time servers to obtain the >current time. It entirely controls the local system time (for ;DECnet-Plus, there is a process named DTSS$CLERK for this);Atherefore, the usage of the SET TIME command (and the underlying $$SETTIM system service) is disabled.

GThe first message is displayed on systems running DECnet-Plus V6.1 and Eearlier. On systems with newer DECnet-Plus software, the second (and #more informative) message is given.

EYou shouldn't have to change the time manually - you should be doing Cthis through the time server - but if you insist... you'll have to shutdown DTSS:

 

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$ MCR NCL NCL> DISABLE DTSS NCL> DELETE DTSS 




FThis will shutdown DTSS$CLERK. You may then change the system time as )usual. To restart the DTSS software, type

 

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$ @SYS$STARTUP:DTSS$STARTUP 




DYou will need a number of privileges to ussue this command, and you Amust also be granted the NET$MANAGE identifer to shutdown and to restart DTSS.

HIf you wish to "permanently" disable DTSS on a system running DDECnet-Plus, the above NCL sequence must be performed each time the Gsystem is bootstrapped. (On DECnet-Plus V7.3 and later, you can define ,a logical name to disable the DTSS startup.)

DIf DTSS is running and no time servers are configured, you can (and 6will) see the following messages at regular intervals:

 

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9%%%%%%%%%%%  OPCOM   2-SEP-1999 19:41:20.29  %%%%%%%%%%% #Message from user SYSTEM on UNHEDI ?Event: Too Few Servers Detected from: Node LOCAL:.mynode DTSS, .        at: 1999-09-02-19:41:20.296-04:00Iinf         Number Detected=0,         Number Required=1 8        eventUid   5FA70F4F-616E-11D3-A80E-08002BBEDB0F 8        entityUid  DE9E97DE-6135-11D3-8004-AA000400BD1B 8        streamUid  D6513A46-6135-11D3-8003-AA000400BD1B 




HYou can either configure the appropriate number of time servers, or you Hcan disable DTSS, or you can ignore it and (if OPCOM is set to write to %the log via via the logical names in ESYLOGICALS.COM/SYLOGICALS.TEMPLATE) clean out OPERATOR.LOG regularly.

:You can also simply disable the display of these messages:

 

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N$ mcr ncl block event dispatcher outbound stream local_stream global filter - -    ((Node, DTSS), Too Few Servers Detected) 




AIf you wish to disable the automatic TDF adjustment for daylight Bsavings time (on OpenVMS versions prior to V7.3), you can use the command:

 

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0  ncl> set dtss automatic TDF change = false 




For alternatively, you can set the local timezone to one that does not 8include the automatic daylight savings time change-over.

=OpenVMS V7.3 and later simplify time and timezone management.


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Chapter 5
System Management Information


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5.1 What is an installed image?



CThe term "install" has two distinct meanings in OpenVMS. The first Arelates to "installing a product", which is done with either the FSYS$UPDATE:VMSINSTAL.COM command procedure or the POLYCENTER Software BInstallation (PCSI) utility (PRODUCT command). The second meaning Erelates to the use of the INSTALL utility, which is what concerns us here.

FThe INSTALL utility is used to identify to OpenVMS a specific copy of Han image, either executable or shareable, which is to be given some set Eof enhanced properties. For example, when you issue the SET PASSWORD Dcommand, the image SYS$SYSTEM:SETP0.EXE is run. That image needs to 1have elevated privileges to perform its function.

DThe other important attribute is /SHARED. This means that shareable Gparts of the image (typically read-only code and data) are loaded into Hmemory only once and are shared among all users on a system. Executable Eimages can be installed /SHARED as well as shareable library images. G(The term "shareable" has dual meanings here, too. See the OpenVMS 6Programming Concepts Manual for further details.)

DIt's important to note that there is no such thing as "installing a Fshareable image with privileges". The INSTALL utility will let you do Git, but the privileges you specify will be ignored. To have a callable Croutine run with enhanced privileges that are not available to its Acaller, you must construct your routines as "user-written system Gservices" and install the shareable image with the /PROTECT qualifier. >See the OpenVMS Programming Concepts Manual for more Dinformation on user-written system services. Note also that in many Hcases the need to grant privileges to an image can be replaced with the ?use of the "Protected Subsystems" feature that grants a rights <identifier to an image. See the OpenVMS Guide to System 6Security for information on Protected Subsystems.c

5.2 Are there any known viruses for OpenVMS?



HViruses are very common on PCs because the PC operating systems such as DMS-DOS and MacOS do not implement any sort of scheme to protect the Hoperating system or the file system against hostile action by programs. @On these operating systems, any running program can subvert the Foperating system and take over the hardware, at which point it can do Hanything it wishes, including hiding copies of itself in other programs or in the file system.

EThis is unlikely on OpenVMS, Unix, and MVS for three reasons. First, Athe operating system runs in a privileged mode in memory that is Hprotected against modification by normal user programs. Any old program Acannot take over the hardware as it can on PC operating systems. FSecondly, OpenVMS, Unix, and MVS have file systems that can be set up Hso that non-privileged programs cannot modify system programs and files Con disk. Both of these protection schemes mean that traditional PC Hvirus schemes don't work on these OSes. Third, typical applications and Gconfigurations tend to prevent the uncontrolled execution of untrusted -code as part of email messages or web access.

GIt is possible for OpenVMS, etc., to be infected by viruses, but to do Eso, the program containing the virus must be run from a user account Fthat has amplified privileges. As long as the system administrator is Gcareful that only trusted applications are run from such accounts (and =this is generally the case), there is no danger from viruses.

HTo protect against viruses and other attempts at system interference or Cmisuse, follow the recommendations in the "OpenVMS Guide to System DSecurity". You may also want to consider optional software products Cwhich can monitor your system for intrusion or infection attempts. >Computer Associates (CA) offers various products in this area.

FRocksoft offers the Veracity data integrity tool (for info, send mail to demo@rocksoft.com).d

5.3 How do I mount an ISO-9660 CD on OpenVMS?



5ISO-9660 support was added in the following releases:



HAn add-on ISO-9960 kit was also available for OpenVMS VAX V5.5, V5.5-1, FV5.5-2, and V5.5-2H4. This requires the installation of the F11CD kit Hfrom the InfoServer CD, from the Consolidated Distribution CD under the EInfoServer area, Customer Support Center kit CSCPAT #1071012, or the CF11CD ECO kit. (Upgrades to V6 and later are strongly recommended.)

BBy default, OpenVMS senses the specific type of media. If you are Dworking with dual-format media---media that uses both the ODS-2 and GISO-9660 formats on the same CD-ROM---then MOUNT will first detect and Cthen default to the ODS-2 format. If you wish to override this and ;explicitly mount the media using ISO-9660, use the command:

 

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:$ MOUNT/MEDIA_FORMAT=CDROM  device-name[:] [volume-label] 




FIn most circumstances, you will not need nor will you want to include Ban explicit /MEDIA_FORMAT specification. For further information, Hplease refer to the OpenVMS MOUNT Utility Manual. Particularly note the Einformation on the MOUNT /MEDIA_FORMAT and /UNDEFINED_FAT qualifiers.

CThe MOUNT /UNDEFINED_FAT qualifier is of interest because ISO-9660 Gmedia can be mastered on a wide variety of operating system platforms, Hand these platforms do not necessarily support the semantics needed for Ffiles containing predefined record formats. The /UNDEFINED_FAT allows Fyou to specify the default attributes for files accessed from volumes using the ISO-9660 format.

+An example which works for most CD-ROMs is:

 

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D$ MOUNT/MEDIA_FORMAT=CDROM/UNDEFINED_FAT=STREAM:2048 DUA0: FREEWARE 




FThis particular MOUNT command forces access to the CD-ROM media using Gthe ISO-9660 volume structure, and the use of the MOUNT /UNDEFINED_FAT Fqualifier causes any file whose file attributes are "undefined" to be Dreturned with "stream" attributes with a maximum record length 2048.

EOn OpenVMS, the ISO-9660 format is (internally) considered to be the GODS-3 file structure, while the High Sierra extensions to the standard >are considered to be the ODS-4 file structure. The Rock Ridge 2extensions are not currently available on OpenVMS.

FFor details on ODS-1 and ODS-2 file specifications, see Kirby McCoy's GVMS File System Internals Manual (published by Digital Press, 'but potentially out of print), and see:

g

5.4 How do I extract the contents of a PCSI kit?



@A growing number of OpenVMS products are being provided in PCSI F(POLYCENTER Software Installation) kits which are installed using the FPRODUCT INSTALL command. These are alternatives to or replacement for DVMSINSTAL kits which were BACKUP savesets. PCSI kits are not BACKUP <savesets and are structured differently from VMSINSTAL kits.

?If you want to extract product files from a PCSI kit, create a Fdirectory into which the kit should be expanded and use the following command:

 

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5$ PRODUCT COPY prodname /SOURCE=[where-the-kit-is] - 4    /DEST=[destination-directory] /FORMAT=REFERENCE 




?A PCSI kit file has a file specification of the following form:

 

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$DEC-VAXVMS-FORTRAN-V0603-141-1.PCSI 




GIn this example, "FORTRAN" is the "prodname". PCSI will expand the kit Hfiles into the directory you specify and subdirectories beneath such as G[SYSEXE], [SYSLIB], etc., reflecting the eventual destination of files Hfound there. Most of the actual product files (images, etc.) will be in Gthe subdirectories. In the top-level directory will be a file with the Efile type PCSI$DESCRIPTION that specifies where various files should Cgo. For more details, see the POLYCENTER Software Installation FDeveloper's Guide for OpenVMS, which can be found in the OpenVMS >documentation on the Consolidated Online Documentation CD-ROM.n

5.5 I've forgotten the SYSTEM password - what can I do?



DIf you need to break into an OpenVMS system because you do not have Gaccess to any privileged passwords, such as the password to the SYSTEM Gusername, you will need physical access to the system console, and you Awill need to perform a conversational reboot. Here are the steps:

    H
  1. Halt the system. Exactly how this is done depends on the specific F system model: Depending on the model, this can involve pressing the I [HALT] button, entering [CTRL/P] on the console, 8 or pressing the [BREAK] key on the console.D
  2. At the console prompt, use a console command to boot into the D SYSBOOT utility. (SYSBOOT allows conversational changes to system E parameters.) The syntax for the conversational bootstrap varies by E system model---this typically involves specifying a flag of 1, for  example:
    On VAX:

     

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    B/1 B/R5:1 @GENBOO 
    
    
    
    On Alpha:

     

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    b -flags 0,1 
    
    
    L
    If your system has a non-zero system root (such as root SYSE, shown I here), you will have to use a console command such as the following: 
    On VAX:

     

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    B/E0000001 B/R5:E0000001 4@<console media procedure name varies widely> 
    
    
    
    On Alpha:

     

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    b -flags e,1 
    
    
    J
    If your system has a hardware password (various systems support a I password that prevents unauthorized access to the console), you will J need to know theis password and will need to enter it using the LOGIN L command at the console. If you get an "Inv Cmd" error trying to perform I a conversational bootstrap, and you do not have the hardware console J password for the console LOGIN command, you are stuck---you will need H to call for hardware service in order to reset the hardware console H password. The syntax used for the console password mechanism varies.G

  3. Once at the SYSBOOT prompt, request that OpenVMS read the system E startup commands directly from the system console, that the window D system (if any) not be started, and that OpenVMS not record these = particular parameter changes for subsequent system reboots:

     

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    SET/STARTUP OPA0: SET WINDOW_SYSTEM 0 SET WRITESYSPARAMS 0 	CONTINUE 
    
    
    I

  4. At the $ prompt, the system will now be accepting startup commands A directly from the console. Type the following two DCL commands:

     

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    $ SPAWN $ @SYS$SYSTEM:STARTUP 
    
    
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    The result of these two commands will be the normal system startup, C but you will be left logged in on the console, running under a L privileged username. Without the use of the SPAWN command, you would be J logged out when the startup completes.
    If necessary, you can skip H the invocation of the system startup temporarily, and perform tasks C such as egistering license PAKs or various other "single-user"  maintenance operations.>

  5. Use the following commands to reset the SYSTEM password:

     

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    <$ SET DEFAULT SYS$SYSTEM:  ! or wherever SYSUAF.DAT resides $ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:AUTHORIZE $MODIFY SYSTEM /PASSWORD=newpassword EXIT 
    
    
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    These steps will change the SYSTEM password to the specified new L newpassword password value.
    Reboot the system normally---the SYSTEM / password is now set to the specified value.



@Some people will suggest a method using the UAFALTERNATE SYSGEN parameter.FThis approach is not always reliable and is not recommended, as there Ecan easily be an alternate user authorization file configured on the system.

FFor further information on emergency startup and shutdown, as well as Cfor the official OpenVMS documentation on how to change the SYSTEM Fpassword from the console in an emergency, please see the OpenVMS >System Manager's Manual in the OpenVMS documentation set.

DYou can also use the conversational bootstrap technique shown above F(the steps through Step 3) to alter various system parameters. At the SYSBOOT,prompt, you can enter new parameters values:

 

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SHOW MAXPROCESSCNT 	SET . 64 	CONTINUE 




EThe "." is a shorthand notation used for the last parameter examined.n

5.6 How do I change the node name of an OpenVMS System?



GThe first step is to get a BACKUP of the system disk before making any Echanges---use the system disk backup procedures as documented in the HOpenVMS System Management Manual, making sure to use the procedures and )commands appropriate for the system disk.

HChanging the node name involves a number of steps---the node name tends Eto be imbedded in a number of different data files around the system.



EThere are likely a few other areas where the nodename will be stored.

HIf the system is configured in a VMScluster and you change *either* the =SCSNODE or the SCSSYSTEMID---but *not* both values---then youEwill have to reboot the entire VMScluster. (The VMScluster remembers =the mapping between these two values, and will assume that a Dconfiguration problem has occured if a mismatched pair appears, and Fwill refuse to let a node with a mismatched pair join the VMScluster.)

ETo calculate the correct SCSSYSTEMID value, multiply the DECnet PhaseEIV area number by 1024, and add the DECnet Phase IV node number. For Gexample, the SCSSYSTEMID value for a DECnet node with address 19.22 is !19478. ((19 * 1024) + 22 = 19478)

DThis may well have missed one or two configuration tools (or more!) Ethat are needed at your site---the node name tends to get stored all =over the place, in layered products, and in local software...

uAlso see Section 15.6.3 and Section 15.6.4.




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