VAX/VMS V4.7 UPDATE ACTIONS CHECKLIST ------------------------------------- Chris Doran Computer Manager, Sira Ltd., South Hill, Chislehurst, Kent, BR7 5EH Tel: 01 467 2636, Telex: 896649, Fax: 01 467 6515 These notes are based on experience in upgrading from VAX/VMS V4.6 to V4.7. I started making them for my own benefit, to group together in one place all those things which need to be done on a future update. Therefore, in many places, they are peculiar to our site (marked *), or are version-specific (#). However, there is sufficient generality that they may provide a useful checklist for other sites and later updates. Ours is a very basic system -- no DECnet or clusters -- so no actions related thereto are included. Having come up through the hard school of RSX, I am probably more meticulous than most in recording what is going on on the system -- I even keep a record of every system file and what has happened to it (started back in the days when Software Dispatch contained patches to apply). The remarks in this file apply to odd-numbered (minor) updates. For even-numbered (major) updates, see UPDATE_V4_6.TXT. Unless and until DEC start doing things differently, I will supply these files in pairs covering the two latest releases. INITIAL PREPARATIONS -------------------- a) Read the Release Notes, update this checklist for any relevant actions recommended. b) Save SYS$MANAGER:SYLOGIN.COM COPY to .OLDCOM SYSTARTUP.COM COPY to .OLDCOM SYCONFIG.COM COPY to .OLDCOM SYSHUTDWN.COM COPY to .OLDCOM SYS$HELP:HELPLIB.HLB LIBRARY/COMPRESS to .OLDHLB * EDTHELP.HLB LIBRARY/COMPRESS to .OLDHLB * SYS$SYSTEM:TERMTABLE.TXT COPY to .OLDTXT Despite what VMSINSTAL says, the old versions of the four files in SYS$MANAGER are NOT preserved. The point about using LIBRARY/COMPRESS rather than COPY is that if there aren't any changes, you can put back the .OLDHLB and save some disk space in one operation. c) Do an ANALYZE/BAD on a TU58 cartridge if you will need one (e.g. 11/750). This saves waiting for it to be done by VMSINSTAL. The cartridge doesn't seem to be required to be error-free, just BADded. d) Use the VMSINSTAL G option to get the update save set(s) onto disk from tape, if you have enough disk space. This saves slow tape operations during the real VMSINSTAL:- $ CREATE/DIRECTORY DUA0:[VMS047] $ @SYS$UPDATE:VMSINSTAL VMS047 MTA0: OPTIONS G DU:[VMS047] Note that you can't pre-load the big even-numbered kits this way, because they have saveset filetypes which do not match what VMSINSTAL's G option expects. (The mandatory update coming with even-numbered kits CAN be pre-loaded, however.) IMMEDIATELY BEFORE RUNNING VMSINSTAL ------------------------------------ A) If the Release Notes warn that they will be purged (they didn't in V4.7), and you want them kept, save the accounting and error log files by: $ RENAME SYS$MANAGER:ACCOUNTNG.DAT;* .OLDDAT $ RENAME SYS$ERRORLOG:ERRLOG.SYS;* .OLDSYS B) Use AUTOGEN to modify system parameters as instructed in the Release Notes (p1-14 ff). C) Shut down and reboot the system. THE BIG VMSINSTAL ----------------- i) Set VAX (11/750) console switches to POWER ON ACTION = RESTART BOOT DEVICE = A (DECtape) ii) $ SET LOGINS/INTERACTIVE=0 iii) Note free space and fragmentation on the system disk, for later comparison. *iv) $ @SYS$UPDATE:VMSINSTAL VMS047 MTA0: OPTIONS L * Note on the hardcopy listing any special actions you needed, or any * especially long pauses, which may get you worried next time. The L option * gets VMSINSTAL to tell you what it's doing, which helps record-keeping, * and working out what it has done to your own modifications. v) Note how long it all took (35 min), for next time. (It's embarassing to be thrown out by the Security lockup patrol at a strategic moment, leaving the users to come in next morning to an unusable system!) IMMEDIATELY AFTER VMSINSTAL --------------------------- I) Merge changes to files in SYS$MANAGER:- SYS$MANAGER:SYLOGIN.COM was unchanged, delete .OLDCOM SYSTARTUP.COM was unchanged, delete .OLDCOM SYCONFIG.COM was unchanged (dummy), delete .OLDCOM SYSHUTDWN.COM was unchanged, delete .OLDCOM II) ANALYZE/DISK/REPAIR/COMFIRM on the system disk to find any lost etc. files produced by VMSINSTAL. III) Re-enable logins -- remaining operations can be carried out with users on the system. AFTER VMSINSTAL --------------- 1) If HELP libraries were replaced, @SYS$UPDATE:LIBDECOMP, to decompress them. (not necessary on V4.7). On V4.6, this took ~1hour on an 11/750 with an RA81. It should probably really be done with no users on the system, but I did it with them on, with no problems/complaints. 2) DELETE or PURGE files that VMSINSTAL doesn't, as recommended in the Release Notes (pp 1-21-22) and/or VMSINSTAL printout:- PURGE SYS$LIBRARY:ERFCTLSHR.EXE PURGE SYS$LIBRARY:SECURESHR.EXE PURGE SYS$SYSTEM:BACKUP.EXE PURGE SYS$SYSTEM:CTDRIVER.EXE (wasn't necessary) PURGE SYS$SYSTEM:ERFPROC1.EXE PURGE SYS$SYSTEM:HSCPAD.EXE PURGE SYS$SYSTEM:MTAAACP.EXE PURGE SYS$SYSTEM:PEDRIVER.MSKEXE (wasn't necessary) PURGE SYS$SYSTEM:RMS.EXE PURGE SYS$SYSTEM:STABACKUP.EXE PURGE SYS$SYSTEM:SYS.EXE PURGE SYS$SYSTEM:AUTOGEN.PAR PURGE SYS$SYSTEM:OLDSITE%.DAT (-2,-3,-4) PURGE SYS$SYSTEM:PARAMS.DAT PURGE SYS$SYSTEM:SETPARAMS.PAR PURGE SYS$SYSTEM:VAXVMSSYS.OLD PURGE SYS$SYSTEM:VAXVMSSYS.PAR As noted in the bracketed comments, DEC don't always get this list right, so it is worth looking for any other files in the SYS$ directories. (See my OLD.COM file on the UK SIG tapes for a quick way to do this). * 3) If SYS$LIBRARY:STARLET.MLB or SYS$LIBRARY:LIB.MLB have been changed (they * weren't in V4.7), create new SYS$LIBRARY:*.H's for (Whitesmiths' C), using * TOWH.COM. Check System Routines Manual and ufiche for EDT$FILEIO.LIS to * see if EDTDEF.H needs changing (no $EDTDEF macro in STARLET or LIB). * Rebuild anything affected by any of these changes. * 4) If SYS$LIBRARY:STARLET.MLB or SYS$LIBRARY:LIB.MLB have changed, reinstall * FORTRAN to (just) create new FORSYSDEF.TLB. # 5) If VMSIMAGES.DAT has been changed (it wasn't), see if anything is now # installed which you don't need installed. Removing these things saves you # GBLSECTIONs and GBLPAGEs (the things you have to check/increase when adding # a layered product) and hence reduces the memory unnecessarily grabbed by # VMS. The most likely candidates are libraries and messages for languages # you don't have. Watch, though, that VMS isn't using them -- VMS and its # utilities are written in several different languages, so they need the # runtime libraries and message files even if you don't. The correct way # to find out is to do an ANALYZE/IMAGE on EVERYTHING in SYS$LIBRARY and # SYS$SYSTEM (and probably elsewhere). The lazy way is to remove everything # you THINK you won't need and wait for complaints! This is not ideal, # because some things seem to work (but presumably less efficiently) even # if the shared images they require aren't installed. # Since we mustn't touch VMSIMAGES.DAT, if you want to remove something, do # it in SYSTARTUP.COM. On our system, it has proved safe to:- # $ INSTALL:=$INSTALL/COMMAND # $ INSTALL * DELETE SYS$SYSTEM:SHWCLSTR ! We don't have a cluster * DELETE SYS$SYSTEM:VPM * DELETE SYS$SHARE:ADARTL ! or ADA * DELETE SYS$SHARE:VAXCRTL ! or DEC C * DELETE SYS$SHARE:VAXCRTLG * DELETE SYS$MESSAGE:NETWRKMSG ! or networks * DELETE SYS$SHARE:COBRTL ! or COBOL * DELETE SYS$SHARE:PASRTL ! or DEC Pascal * DELETE SYS$SHARE:RPGRTL * DELETE SYS$MESSAGE:PASMSG * DELETE SYS$MESSAGE:PLIMSG ! or PL/1 * DELETE SYS$MESSAGE:RPGMSG ! or RPG # EXIT 6) Build new STABACKITs on system disk and TU58: $ @SYS$UPDATE:STABACKIT SYS$SYSDEVICE: ! for system disk $ @SYS$UPDATE:STABACKIT CSA1: ! for console TU58 The system disk version takes less than a minute; the TU58 version takes 2.5 hours, and must be done when the 11/750 is relatively idle, because of documented poor performance of its console drive! 7) Rebuild a new console TU58, replacing VMB.EXE (Release Notes p1-25): $ @SYS$UPDATE:CONSCOPY ! Put in old DECtape, answer SAVE $ @SYS$UPDATE:CONSCOPY ! Put in blank DECtape, answer RESTORE $ DISMOUNT CSA1: $ DELETE CONSOLE.DSK;* ! CONSCOPY workfile $ MOUNT CSA1:/FOREIGN $ EXCHANGE COPY/LOG/REPLACE SYS$SYSTEM:VMB.EXE/TRANSFER_MODE=BLOCK CSA1: $ DISMOUNT CSA1: Again, this should be done on a lightly-loaded system. It took 1.5hr, including time to do a bad block scan on the DECtape (20min). # 8) Find type numbers for any new terminals (none in V4.7) by doing:- # $ SET TERMINAL/DEVICE=xxx # $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT F$GETDVI("TT:","DEVTYPE") # Get identify sequence from SYS$SYSTEM:SMGTERMS.TXT item device_attributes. * Note sequence in HELP text Terminal_IDs (and various other identify * sequences now added by DEC to SMGTERMS.TXT). * 9) If DEC have changed TERMTABLE.TXT or (more likely) SMGTERMS.TXT (they * didn't in V4.7), rebuild TERMTABLE.EXE, to put back any user-defined * terminals. Add your own REQUIREs into DEC's new TERMTABLE.TXT, and do:- * $ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SMGBLDTRM * Reboot the system to install the new TERMTABLE.EXE. * Do a $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT F$GETDVI("TT:","DEVTYPE") on each of your new * terminals, to get the type numbers allocated. These may vary between * builds of the table, and the value you get when installing a table locally * for testing by DEFINing TERM$TABLOC is different to that which you get * when the table is installed as the general system default. Values start at * 181/246 (local/general) and work down, i.e. the first user-defined terminal * in TERMTABLE.TXT is 181/246, the second is 180/245, etc.. Modify any * command procedures and programs that depend on their literal values, and * those of any new DEC terminals discovered in step (10): * Bonner RUNOFF, SYS$MANAGER:SYLOGIN.COM, SYS$COMMAND:CLS.COM, CLG.COM, * PLOT10.COM, DRAWTREE.COM, HP2648A.COM, SYS$INSTRUCTION:DISPLAY.FOR and * CAI.COM. 10) Check for any unwanted deletions from or additions to HELPLIB.HLB. (none in V4.7). Recover deletions from HELPLIB.OLDHLB. *11) If EDTHELP.HLB changed (not in V4.7), update it by adding language-specific * modules from saved version, EDTHELP.OLDHLB (AT,BASIC,CLANG,CORAL,DCL, * FORTRAN,MACRO,MACRO11,PASCAL,PLOT,SAL), adding our extended control * definitions to the KEYPAD VT52 sub-topic. 12) Check all system directories to see what new files have appeared, and see if they are interesting (maybe containing some undocumented features). While you are about it check for a SYS$SYSTEM:PRTSMB.DMP which occasionally gets left when a despooler exits abnormally, and can always be deleted. 13) TRUNCATE all new files in SYS$EXAMPLES, SYS$HELP, SYS$LIBRARY, SYS$MANAGER, SYS$MESSAGE, SYS$SYSTEM, SYS$TEST, and SYS$UPDATE. This can save a bit of space (668 blocks on V4.7) especially with some small libraries which DEC leave at their 100 block default file creation size. (Well, DEC are in the business of selling disks, aren't they?). TRUNCATE *.*;* in each directory seems safe. Ignore messages about files whose structure prevents them being truncated (NOTRUNC), or are open (e.g. installed) at the time (ACCONFLICT). Don't forget that TRUNCATE changes the file revision dates (even if no truncation was required), so don't do it before your daily incremental backup, unless you want it to become a full disk backup! File TRUNCATE.COM in this directory helps by checking whether files need truncating before doing it. It also tells how much space you saved, and advises how much more can be saved by deINSTALLing files and trying again. Usually, it's hardly worth the extra bother. 14) DELETE files and directories created for distribution kits in (d) above:- $ DELETE DU:[VMS047]*.*;*,DU:[000000]VMS047.DIR;1 15) DELETE *.JNL files from the SYS$* directories, and any .TXT or .RELEASE_NOTES update descriptions from SYS$UPDATE, if you don't want them. (SYS$UPDATE:VMS047.TXT is printed in the Release notes, and so needn't be kept on disk). 16) Check free space and fragmentation and compare with (iii). If free space is wildly different, check the SYS$ directories for any huge files created or deleted. 17) Update all the manuals as instructed in the Release Notes/Supplemental Information. Yes, I know it's a fiddly process involving typing, photocopying, cutting, and pasting, but sooner or later someone (most probably you) will be caught out by a correction you didn't insert. To make it really tedious, the V4.7 Supplemental Information was a collection of EVERY V4.n Release Note article on documentation, without change bars to indicate the few items that were new. 18) No matter how insistent DEC are that "all relevant sections of the V4.n-1 Release Notes have been copied to the V4.n notes", DO NOT throw away the old ones: (a) they are lying, and (b) you may need to know when a change or new feature appeared. Also for reason (b), move the old Software Product Description to the back of the V4.n-1 Release Notes. Since with V4.6 we got a whole new binder to put Release Notes in, perhaps DEC are after all acknowledging that we shouldn't throw them away. 19) Check all bugs known on the previous system version. If they've gone or changed, note the details on your SPR copy. Check any bugs not yet SPRed (I wait if I know a new release is due shortly). SPR them now if they haven't gone. 20) Check any new manuals received against the list of errors found in the old version. Send in Readers Comments pages for any still not fixed. OVER SEVERAL WEEKS ------------------ Run system monitor to see if any tuning parameters need changing. The first surprise was that the "Memory permanently allocated to VMS" reported by SHOW MEMORY, has actually gone DOWN!