3.6 Joining an OpenVMS Cluster

At installation, you are prompted to determine if the node will join an OpenVMS cluster. If you answered as No, and if the node will not be a cluster member, you can skip to “Running AUTOGEN”.

If you answered NO to the question about joining an OpenVMS Cluster, but you do intend to add this node to a new or existing OpenVMS Cluster, you can do so only after the system has rebooted (at the end of this phase of the installation). You must manually run the cluster configuration utility. On an OpenVMS Alpha system, you can manually add your node to an OpenVMS Cluster by entering the following command:

$ @SYS$MANAGER:CLUSTER_CONFIG

On an OpenVMS Integrity servers system, you can do this by entering the following command:

$ @SYS$MANAGER:CLUSTER_CONFIG_LAN

For more information about cluster configuration, see the HP OpenVMS Cluster Systems manual or the Guidelines for OpenVMS Cluster Configurations manual.

If you answered YES to the question about joining an OpenVMS Cluster, the system now prompts you for information about your configuration. Table 3-2 lists the OpenVMS Cluster prompts and suggested responses. These prompts appear if you answered YES to the question about joining an OpenVMS Cluster or if you manually run SYS$MANAGER:CLUSTER_CONFIG.COM or SYS$MANAGER:CLUSTER_CONFIG_LAN.COM. Note that, depending on your responses and the particular cluster configuration, some prompts are not displayed.

Table 3-2 Prompts for OpenVMS Cluster Configurations

Question	How to Respond
Will this node be a cluster member (Y/N)?	Enter Y.
What is the node's DECnet node name?	Enter the DECnet node name (for example, MYNODE). The DECnet node name can be from one to six alphanumeric characters in length and cannot include dollar signs ($) or underscores (_). This is the name you specified in step 12 of the installation procedure.
What is the node's DECnet node address?	Enter the DECnet node address; for example, 2.2. This is the address you specified in step 13 of the installation procedure.
Will the Ethernet be used for cluster communications (Y/N)? (Alpha only)	Enter N for an OpenVMS CI-only cluster or DSSI-only cluster. Otherwise, enter Y.^[1]
Enter this cluster's group number:^[2]	Enter a number in the range of 1 to 4095 or 61440 to 65535.
Enter this cluster's password:^[2]	Enter the cluster password. The password must be from 1 to 31 alphanumeric characters in length and can include dollar signs ($) and underscores (_).
Reenter this cluster's password for verification:	Reenter the password.
Will MYNODE be a disk server (Y/N)?	Enter Y if you want local disks to be served to the cluster (mandatory for local area and mixed-interconnect configurations). See the HP OpenVMS Cluster Systems manual for information about served cluster disks.
Will MYNODE serve RFxx disks (Y)? (Alpha only)	Enter a response appropriate for your DSSI configuration, if such disks are available.
Enter a value for MYNODE’s ALLOCLASS parameter.	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. In either case, the ALLOCLASS value must be a number from 1 to 255. 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.
Does this cluster contain a quorum disk (Y/N)?	For CI-only, SCSI, local area, and mixed-interconnect configurations, enter Y or N, depending on your configuration. For most DSSI systems, enter Y. However, if you are adding a two-system DSSI configuration to an existing cluster (in which case you might not need a quorum disk), you can answer N. If you enter Y, the system asks for the name of the quorum disk. Enter the device name of the quorum disk. For information about quorum disks, see the HP OpenVMS Cluster Systems manual.
^[1]The Ethernet might not be required for communication within a local area OpenVMS Cluster system configured with FDDI devices. Within certain Digital Storage Systems Interconnect (DSSI) or computer interconnect (CI) mixed-interconnect configurations, neither the Ethernet nor FDDI are required for communication. If your configuration fits either scenario, you can answer NO (N) to this question. ^[2]Cluster group number and password are required by any cluster nodes that use the local area network. 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.