Chapter 2 Preparing to Install in an OpenVMS Cluster Environment

2.1 Preinstallation Tasks for OpenVMS Cluster Environments

Use the checklist in Table 2-1 to ensure that you perform all necessary tasks prior to installing your system in an OpenVMS Cluster environment.

2.2 Review OpenVMS Cluster Information

Before you install the operating system in an OpenVMS Cluster environment, review any relevant OpenVMS Cluster information contained in the following documents.

OpenVMS Version 8.3-1H1 Documents

OpenVMS Version 8.3 Documents

Information in the following documents remains valid except where superseded by the OpenVMS Version 8.3-1H1 documents listed previously.

Earlier OpenVMS Documents

Information in the following documents remains valid except where superseded by the OpenVMS documents listed previously.

Be sure to consult your network or system manager as well.

2.3 Mixed-Version Support in OpenVMS Cluster Systems

HP provides two levels of support for mixed-version and mixed-architecture OpenVMS Cluster systems: warranted support and migration support.

Warranted support means that HP has fully qualified the two specified versions coexisting in an OpenVMS Cluster and will address all problems identified by customers using this configuration.

Migration support means that HP has qualified the versions for use together in configurations that are migrating in a staged fashion to a newer version of OpenVMS VAX, OpenVMS Alpha, or OpenVMS I64. Problem reports submitted against these configurations will be answered by HP. However, in exceptional cases, HP may request that you move to a warranted configuration as part of the solution. Migration support helps customers move to warranted OpenVMS Cluster pairs. For the minimum version supported for an upgrade to OpenVMS Version 8.3-1H1, see Section 4.3.1.

Warranted cluster support is provided for the combinations shown in Table 2-2. (OpenVMS VAX systems are not supported with OpenVMS I64 systems in the same cluster.)

	NOTE: Only two architectures are supported in the same OpenVMS Cluster. System disks are architecture specific and can be shared only by systems of the same architecture. An Alpha and I64 system, or an Alpha and VAX system, cannot boot from the same system disk. However, cross-architecture satellite booting is supported between an Alpha and VAX system. When you configure an OpenVMS Cluster to take advantage of cross-architecture booting, make sure that at least one system from each architecture is configured with a disk that can be used for installations and upgrades. For more information, see the Guidelines for OpenVMS Cluster Configurations and HP OpenVMS Cluster Systems.

Table 2-3 shows the supported migration pairs.

For more information, see the OpenVMS Technical Software Support Service website at:

http://www.hp.com/go/openvms/support

In addition, see the OpenVMS Operating System Support Chart at:

http://www.hp.com/go/openvms/supportchart

Before introducing an OpenVMS Version 8.3-1H1 system into an existing OpenVMS Cluster, you might need to install certain patch kits (also known as remedial kits) on cluster members running earlier versions of OpenVMS. For a complete list of required patch kits, see the HP OpenVMS Version 8.3-1H1 for Integrity Servers New Features and Release Notes and the HP OpenVMS Version 8.3 Release Notes.

For information about supporting the TDC_RT software in OpenVMS Clusters, see Section 7.8.10.5.

2.4 OpenVMS Cluster Information You Need

If during the installation you answer YES to the system prompt asking whether your system will be a member of an OpenVMS Cluster, you need to provide the following information after you boot the system disk:

Required Information	Explanation
Type of configuration	Configuration types (CI, DSSI, SCSI, local area, or mixed-interconnect) are distinguished by the interconnect device that the VAX, Alpha, or Integrity server computers in the OpenVMS Cluster use to communicate with one another. Note that HP Integrity servers do not support CI, DSSI, or MEMORY CHANNEL devices.
DECnet node name and node address	To obtain the DECnet node name and node address for the computer on which you are installing the OpenVMS operating system, consult the network or system manager. If you install DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS (Phase V) software and do not plan to use DECnet Phase IV for OpenVMS addresses, then you do not need to provide this information.
Allocation class value	During the installation procedure, you might be asked for the allocation class value (ALLOCLASS) of the computer on which you are installing the OpenVMS operating system. For example: Enter a value for this_node ALLOCLASS parameter: Note that in an OpenVMS Cluster environment, the allocation class value cannot be zero if the node serves DSSI or CI disks to other cluster members, or if volume shadowing will be used on this system or in the cluster. In either case, the ALLOCLASS value must be a number from 1 to 255. After you enter the allocation class value, the installation procedure uses it to automatically set the value of the ALLOCLASS system parameter. HP recommends that you thoroughly review the chapter on cluster storage devices in the HP OpenVMS Cluster Systems manual. This manual also includes the rules for specifying allocation class values.
Whether you want a quorum disk	To help you determine whether you need a quorum disk in the cluster, see the HP OpenVMS Cluster Systems manual.
Location of the page and swap files	On a nonclustered system, the page and swap files are on one or more local disks, but on a clustered system, the files might be on one or more local or clustered disks. See the HP OpenVMS Cluster Systems manual to help you determine where the page and swap files will be located for the system on which you are installing the OpenVMS operating system software.
Systems that will be a MOP server[1], disk server, or tape server	If you are going to set up either a local area or a mixed-interconnect cluster, you need to make these determinations.
Cluster group number and cluster password[2]	If you are going to set up a local area or mixed-interconnect cluster that is LAN-based (Gigabit Ethernet), use the following rules to determine the cluster group number and password: Cluster group number—A number in the range from 1 to 4095 or 61440 to 65535. Cluster password—Must be from 1 to 31 alphanumeric characters in length and can include dollar signs ($) and underscores(_).
[1] Servers that use the Maintenance Operations Protocol (MOP). [2] Cluster group number and password are required by any cluster nodes that use the local area network for cluster communications. In a cluster that uses mixed interconnects, if any of the interconnects require the cluster number and password, then you must set the cluster number and password for all nodes.

2.5 Dismounting the Target System Disk Elsewhere in the Cluster

Before installing OpenVMS on a target drive in an OpenVMS Cluster, make sure the target system disk is not mounted elsewhere in the cluster. The target system disk must be dismounted clusterwide (except on the system from which the installation is being performed) and must remain so during the installation. For instructions on dismounting cluster disks, see Section 5.5.2.3.

2.6 Beginning the Installation

After you have completed all the tasks in this chapter, go to Chapter 3 to begin the installation.