HP OpenVMS Systems Documentation

Content starts here 7.8 Customizing the System (New Installations, Some Upgrades)
HP OpenVMS Version 8.4 Upgrade and Installation Manual > Chapter 7 After Installing or Upgrading the OpenVMS Operating System

7.8 Customizing the System (New Installations, Some Upgrades)

You can customize the system to meet your site-specific needs. In addition, if your Integrity servers is part of an OpenVMS Cluster environment, you must prepare the cluster environment and configure the cluster. The following subsections describe the customization tasks you can perform at this time. In general, these tasks apply to new installations only; however, in some cases, they apply to upgrades. The tasks are as follows:

  1. Create network proxy authorization files (Section 7.8.1).

  2. Set up the queue manager, configure shared files (when multiple system disks are present), and start the default batch and print queues (Section 7.8.2).

  3. Configure your multihead system, if applicable (Section 7.8.3).

  4. Configure DECnet if it was installed or added during an upgrade (Section 7.8.4).

  5. Configure TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS if it was installed or added during an upgrade (Section 7.8.5).

  6. If neither DECnet nor TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS is being used, install and configure third-party networking software, if necessary (Section 7.8.6).

  7. Update SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM to have networking software (and, optionally, any other additional products you have installed) start at boot (Section 7.18).

For instructions on customizing the system, review the following documentation:

  • The release notes, for notes and restrictions that might be relevant to your customization plans

  • The HP OpenVMS System Manager's Manual, for instructions on customizing and using your system

Note that other customization tasks are described later in this chapter.

7.8.1 Creating Network Proxy Authorization Files

After a new installation of OpenVMS that includes DECnet, or after an upgrade in which you have added DECnet, create your network proxy authorization files. These files include security authorization information for users using network proxy accounts. If you do not create these network authorization files before starting up your system, you might see messages such as the following during startup:

Message from user SYSTEM on HOMER
%SECSRV-E-NOPROXYDB, cannot find proxy database file NET$PROXY.DAT
%RMS-E-FNF, file not found

The NET$PROXY.DAT file is the primary network proxy authorization file. The other network authorization file to be created is NETPROXY.DAT. To create the network proxy authorization files, enter the following commands:

$ SET DEFAULT SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE]
$ MC AUTHORIZE CREATE/PROXY
$ SET DEFAULT SYS$LOGIN
NOTE: Be sure you create the network proxy authorization files before starting the queue manager (as described in Section 7.8.2).

If you see messages similar to the following when you create the proxy files, you can ignore them:

%UAF-W-NETCHANERR, error assigning a channel to NET:
-SYSTEM-W-NOSUCHDEV, no such device available

For more information about network proxy accounts and files, see the HP OpenVMS System Manager's Manual, Volume 1: Essentials. For more information about the Authorize utility, see the HP OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference Manual: A-L.

7.8.2 Setting Up the Queue Manager and Default Queues

The initial installation of OpenVMS does not create the queue manager or any queues. HP recommends that you create the queue manager and your default batch and print queues now. When you install layered products (as described in Section 7.15), some of these products expect such queues to be present or try to create queues themselves.

NOTE: Normally, you create a queue manager only once. The system stores the START QUEUE command in the queue database to enable the queue manager to start automatically whenever the system reboots. If the queue manager has been started before on your system, do not specify this START QUEUE command again; the /NEW_VERSION qualifier causes your system to overwrite your current queue database files.

To configure shared files on multiple system disks or off the system disk, edit the SYS$MANAGER:SYLOGICALS.COM file as described in HP OpenVMS System Manager's Manual, Volume 1: Essentials.

To set up the queue manager and a batch queue for new installations, enter the following commands at the DCL prompt.

$ START QUEUE /MANAGER /NEW_VERSION
$ INITIALIZE /QUEUE /START /BATCH SYS$BATCH

NOTE: If you did an upgrade of the operating system, do not specify the START QUEUE command with the /NEW_VERSION qualifier.)

As noted, the queue manager starts automatically the next time you boot your OpenVMS system. To have the SYS$BATCH queue start automatically, edit the line in the SYS$STARTUP:SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM file that starts the SYS$BATCH queue by removing the exclamation mark (!) and, if present, the extra dollar sign ($). The following example shows the line before and after editing. In that section, you can also define a default system print queue (SYS$PRINT).

Before:

$!$ START /QUEUE SYS$BATCH

After:

$ START /QUEUE SYS$BATCH

For more information about starting and creating queues, see the HP OpenVMS System Manager's Manual, Volume 1: Essentials.

7.8.3 Configuring a Multihead System (Optional)

A multihead configuration consists of a single system (such as an HP AlphaServer ES40) that supports multiple graphics options. A graphics option consists of a graphics controller (card) and a graphics display interface (monitor).

Your system can be configured automatically for multihead use if you copy the private server setup template file to a command procedure file type (.COM). The DECwindows Motif server loads this command procedure on startup or restart.

To set up your system for multihead support, perform these steps:

NOTE: The DECwindows Motif software must already be installed on the system prior to completing this procedure. If DECwindows is not installed, you must install the software, load the license and reboot the system prior to completing this procedure.
  1. Copy the private server setup template file to a new .COM file by entering the following command:

    $ COPY SYS$MANAGER:DECW$PRIVATE_SERVER_SETUP.TEMPLATE
    _To: SYS$MANAGER:DECW$PRIVATE_SERVER_SETUP.COM
  2. Restart the DECwindows server by entering the following command:

    $ @SYS$STARTUP:DECW$STARTUP RESTART

For more information about customizing your DECwindows environment using the SYS$MANAGER:DECW$PRIVATE_SERVER_SETUP.COM file, see the most recent version of the DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS Installation Guide and Managing DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS Systems.

7.8.4 Configuring DECnet

If you installed DECnet, or if you added DECnet during an upgrade, you must now configure DECnet. Follow the instructions provided for the version of DECnet you installed. Licensing requirements for OpenVMS Alpha and OpenVMS Integrity servers, respectively, are as follows:

  • OpenVMS Alpha systems: to receive either basic DECnet functionality or extended DECnet functionality, the appropriate license must be registered and loaded (the DECnet End System License or the DECnet Extended Function License, respectively).

  • OpenVMS Integrity server systems: the DECnet End System License is included with the Base Operating Environment (BOE). If you want your system to take advantage of the advanced features of DECnet (such as routing, DTSS server, DNS server), you must register and load the DECnet-Plus Extended Function License.

To load and register licenses, perform the steps described in Section 7.3.

If you installed DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS software, see the DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS Release Notes and the HP DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS Installation and Configuration manual for information about how to configure this software using the NET$CONFIGURE procedure.

If you installed DECnet Phase IV, see the DECnet for OpenVMS Guide to Networking manual for information about configuring this software using the NETCONFIG command procedure.

Once you have configured DECnet Phase IV, edit SYS$COMMON:[SYSMGR]SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM so that the software starts when the system reboots. (This step is not required if you are running DECnet-Plus.) You can have the software start interactively or in batch mode by making one of the following changes:

Interactive mode:

Before:

$!$ START/NETWORK DECNET

After:

$ START/NETWORK DECNET

Batch mode:

Before:

$!$ SUBMIT SYS$MANAGER:STARTNET.COM

After:

$ SUBMIT SYS$MANAGER:STARTNET.COM

IMPORTANT: If you intend to run both DECnet Phase IV and a TCP product, DECnet must start first. In this case, HP recommends starting DECnet using interactive mode.

For information about editing STARTUP-VMS.COM, see Section 7.18.

7.8.5 Configuring HP TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS

If you plan to run TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS software, note the following:

  • Configure your system for networking by executing the interactive command procedure SYS$MANAGER:TCPIP$CONFIG.COM. Be sure to consult the HP TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Installation and Configuration manual for specifics about configuring TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS and for configuring IPv6 support.

  • After completing the configuration, edit the command pertaining to TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS in SYS$COMMON:[SYSMGR]SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM (as instructed in Section 7.18) so that the TCP/IP Services software starts automatically when your system is rebooted.

IMPORTANT: Do not configure TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS without first starting the queue manager.

7.8.6 Installing and Configuring Third-Party Networking Software

You need networking software to download patches and as a requirement for certain layered products. If you are using neither DECnet nor TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS, you should install and configure third-party networking software now. See the appropriate vendor’s product documentation.