HP OpenVMS DCL Dictionary

INITIALIZE

Formats a disk or magnetic tape volume, writes a label on the volume, and leaves the disk empty except for the system files containing the structure information. All former contents of the disk are lost.
Requires VOLPRO (volume protection) privilege for most INITIALIZE command operations.

Format

INITIALIZE device-name[:] volume-label

Parameters

device-name[:]
Specifies the name of the device on which the volume to be initialized is physically mounted.
The device does not have to be allocated currently; however, allocating the device before initializing it is the recommended practice.
volume-label
Specifies the identification to be encoded on the volume. For a disk volume, you can specify a maximum of 12 ANSI characters; for a magnetic tape volume, you can specify a maximum of 6 alphanumeric characters. Letters are automatically changed to uppercase. HP strongly recommends that a disk volume label should only consist of alphanumeric characters, dollar signs ($), underscores (_), and hyphens (-).
To use ANSI "a" characters on the volume label on magnetic tape, you must enclose the volume name in quotation marks (" "). For an explanation of ANSI "a" characters, see the description of the /LABEL qualifier.

Description

The default format for disk volumes in the OpenVMS operating system is called the Files-11 On-Disk Structure Level 2. The default for magnetic tape volumes is based on Level 3 of the ANSI standard for magnetic tape labels and file structure for informational interchange (ANSI X3.27-1978).
The INITIALIZE command can also initialize disk volumes in the Files-11 On-Disk Structure Level 1 format.
You must have VOLPRO privilege to initialize a volume, except in the following cases:

A blank disk or magnetic tape volume; that is, a volume that has never been written
A disk volume that is owned by your current user identification code (UIC) or by the UIC [0,0]
A magnetic tape volume that allows write (W) access to your current UIC that was not protected when it was initialized

After the volume is initialized and mounted, the SET SECURITY command may be used to modify the security profile. When you initialize a disk volume, the caching attribute of its root directory (000000.DIR;1) is set to write-through. This means that by default, all the files and directories that you create in the volume will inherit a caching attribute of write-through. To change the caching attribute, use the SET FILE command with the /CACHING_ATTRIBUTE qualifier.
When the INITIALIZE command initializes a magnetic tape volume, it always attempts to read the volume. A blank magnetic tape can sometimes cause unrecoverable errors, such as the following:
An invalid volume number error message:
%INIT-F-VOLINV, volume is invalid
A runaway magnetic tape (this frequently occurs with new magnetic tapes that have never been written or that have been run through verifying machines). You can stop a runaway magnetic tape only by setting the magnetic tape drive off line and by then putting it back on line.
If this type of unrecoverable error occurs, you can initialize a magnetic tape successfully by repeating the INITIALIZE command from an account that has VOLPRO (volume protection) privilege and by specifying the following qualifier in the command:

/OVERRIDE=(ACCESSIBILITY,EXPIRATION)

This qualifier ensures that the INITIALIZE command does not attempt to verify any labels on the magnetic tape.
If you have VOLPRO privilege, the INITIALIZE command initializes a disk without reading the ownership information. If you do not have VOLPRO privilege, the INITIALIZE command checks the ownership of the volume before initializing the disk. A blank disk or a disk with an incorrect format can sometimes cause a fatal drive error. If a blank disk or a disk with an incorrect format causes this type of error, you can initialize a disk successfully by repeating the INITIALIZE command with the /DENSITY qualifier from an account that has VOLPRO privilege.
Many of the INITIALIZE command qualifiers allow you to specify parameters that can maximize input/output (I/O) efficiency.

Qualifiers

/ACCESSED=number-of-directories
Affects Files-11 On-Disk Structure Level 1 (ODS-1) disks only.
Specifies that, for disk volumes, the number of directories allowed in system space must be a value from 0 to 255. The default value is 3.
/BADBLOCKS=(area[,...])
Specifies, for disk volumes, faulty areas on the volume. The INITIALIZE command marks the areas as allocated so that no data is written in them.
Possible formats for area are as follows:

lbn[:count] Logical block number (LBN) of the first block and optionally a block count beginning with the first block, to be marked as allocated

sec.trk.cyl[:cnt] Sector, track, and cylinder of the first block, and optionally a block count beginning with the first block, to be marked as allocated

All media supplied by HP and supported on the OpenVMS operating system, except diskettes and TU58 cartridges, are factory formatted and contain bad block data. The Bad Block Locator utility (BAD) or the diagnostic formatter EVRAC can be used to refresh the bad block data or to construct it for the media exceptions above. The /BADBLOCKS qualifier is necessary only to enter bad blocks that are not identified in the volume's bad block data.
DIGITAL Storage Architecture (DSA) disks (for example, disks attached to UDA-50 and HSC50 controllers) have bad blocks handled by the controller, and appear logically perfect to the file system.
For information on how to run BAD, see the OpenVMS Bad Block Locator Utility Manual (available on the Documentation CD-ROM).
/CLUSTER_SIZE=number-of-blocks
Defines, for disk volumes, the minimum allocation unit in blocks. The maximum size you can specify for a volume is 16380 blocks, or 1/50th the volume size, whichever is smaller.
For Files-11 On-Disk Structure Level 5 (ODS-5) disks, the default cluster size is 16. In this case the minimum value allowed by the following equation is applied:
(disk size in number of blocks)/(65535 * 4096)
Any fractional values must be rounded up to the nearest integer
Any fractional values must be rounded up to the nearest integer and, by default, are rounded up to the next multiple of 16.
For Files-11 On-Disk Structure Level 2 (ODS-2) disks, the default cluster size depends on the disk capacity; disks with less than 50,000 have a default of 1. Disks that are larger than 50,000 have a default of either 16 or the result of the following formula, whichever is greater:
(disk size in number of blocks)/(255 * 4096)
Any fractional values must be rounded up to the nearest integer and, by default, are rounded up to the next multiple of 16.

Note
For Version 7.2 and later, you can specify a cluster size for ODS-2 volumes smaller than allowed by the ODS-2 formula; however, if you try to mount this volume on a system running a version prior to 7.2, the mount fails with the following error:

%MOUNT-F-FILESTRUCT, unsupported file structure level

If you choose the default during the initialization of an ODS-2 disk, your disk can be mounted on prior versions of OpenVMS.

For ODS-1 disks, the cluster size must always be 1.

Note
If you specify /LIMIT and do not specify a value for /CLUSTER_SIZE, a value of /CLUSTER_SIZE=16 is used.

/DATA_CHECK[=(option[,...])]
Checks all read and write operations on the disk. By default, no data checks are made. Specify one or both of the following options:

READ Checks all read operations.

WRITE Checks all write operations; default if only the /DATA_CHECK qualifier is specified.

To override the checking you specify at initialization for disks, enter a MOUNT command to mount the volume.
/DENSITY=density-value
Allows you to specify the format density value for certain tapes and disks.
For magnetic tape volumes, specifies the density in bits per inch (bpi) at which the magnetic tape is to be written. The density value specified can be 800 bpi, 1600 bpi, or 6250 bpi, as long as the density is supported by the magnetic tape drive.
If you do not specify a density value for a blank magnetic tape, the system uses a default density of the highest value allowed by the tape drive. If the drive allows 6250-, 1600-, and 800-bpi operation, the default density is 6250 bpi.
If you do not specify a density value for a magnetic tape that has been previously written, the system uses the density of the first record on the volume. If the record is unusually short, the density value will not default.
The /DENSITY qualifier does not apply to any TF tape device.
Valid tape density values are:

Keyword Meaning

DEFAULT Default density

800 NRZI 800 bits per inch (BPI)

1600 PE 1600 BPI

6250 GRC 6250 BPI

3480 IBM 3480 HPC 39872 BPI

3490E IBM 3480 compressed

833 DLT TK50: 833 BPI

TK50 DLT TK50: 833 BPI

TK70 DLT TK70: 1250 BPI

6250 RV80 6250 BPI EQUIVALENT

NOTE: Only the keywords above are understood by TMSCP/TUDRIVER code prior to OpenVMS Version 7.2. The remaining keywords in this table are supported only on Alpha systems.

TK85 DLT Tx85: 10625 BPI - Cmpt III - Alpha/Integrity servers only

TK86 DLT Tx86: 10626 BPI - Cmpt III - Alpha/Integrity servers only

TK87 DLT Tx87: 62500 BPI - Cmpt III - Alpha/Integrity servers only

TK88 DLT Tx88: (Quantum 4000) - Cmpt IV - Alpha/Integrity servers only

TK89 DLT Tx89: (Quantum 7000) - Cmpt IV - Alpha/Integrity servers only

QIC All QIC drives are drive-settable only - Alpha/Integrity servers only

8200 Exa-Byte 8200 - Alpha/Integrity servers only

8500 Exa-Byte 8500 - Alpha/Integrity servers only

DDS1 Digital Data Storage 1 - 2G - Alpha/Integrity servers only

DDS2 Digital Data Storage 2 - 4G - Alpha/Integrity servers only

DDS3 Digital Data Storage 3 - 8-10G - Alpha/Integrity servers only

DDS4 Digital Data Storage 4 - Alpha/Integrity servers only

AIT1 Sony Advanced Intelligent Tape 1 - Alpha/Integrity servers only

AIT2 Sony Advanced Intelligent Tape 2 - Alpha/Integrity servers only

AIT3 Sony Advanced Intelligent Tape 3 - Alpha/Integrity servers only

AIT4 Sony Advanced Intelligent Tape 4 - Alpha/Integrity servers only

DLT8000 DLT 8000 - Alpha/Integrity servers only

8900 Exabyte 8900 - Alpha/Integrity servers only

SDLT SuperDLT1 - Alpha/Integrity servers only

SDLT320 SuperDLT320 - Alpha/Integrity servers only

Note that tape density keywords cannot be abbreviated.
To format a diskette on RXnn diskette drives, use the INITIALIZE/DENSITY command. Specify the density at which the diskette is to be formatted as follows:

Keyword Meaning

single RX01 - 8 inch

double RX02 - 8 inch

dd double density: 720K - 3 1/2 inch

hd high density: 1.44MB - 3 1/2 inch

ed extended density: 2.88MB - 3 1/2 inch

If you do not specify a density value for a diskette being initialized on a drive, the system leaves the volume at the density to which the volume was last formatted.

Note

RX33 diskettes cannot be read from or written to by RX50 disk drives. RX50 diskettes can be read from and written to by RX33 disk drives; they cannot be formatted by RX33 disk drives.

/DIRECTORIES=number-of-entries
The effect of this qualifier depends on the disk structure:

For ODS-1, /DIRECTORIES allows space for the specified number of directory entries to be reserved in 000000.DIR (the MFD).
For ODS-2 and ODS-5, /DIRECTORIES allows the initial size of the MFD to be set. The specified number is divided by 16, to produce the number of blocks to preallocate. This number is then rounded up to a whole number of clusters.

The number-of-entries value must be an integer between 16 and 16000. The default value is 16.
/ERASE[=keyword]

/NOERASE (default)
Specifies whether to perform a data security erase (DSE) and, on disk volumes only, whether to set the volume characteristic to ERASE_ON_DELETE.
The /ERASE qualifier applies to Files-11 On-Disk Structure Level 2 (ODS-2) and Level 5 (ODS-5) disks and ANSI magnetic tape volumes, and is valid for magnetic tape devices that support the hardware erase function, such as TU78 and MSCP magnetic tapes.
For tape volumes, /ERASE physically destroys deleted data by writing over it.
For disk volumes, when /ERASE is specified with no keywords, this command does the following:

Performs a data security erase (DSE) by writing the system-specified erase pattern into every block on the volume before initializing it. The amount of time taken by the DSE operation depends on the volume size.
Sets the volume characteristic to ERASE_ON_DELETE so that each file on the volume will be erased by a DSE when it is deleted.

For disk volumes, two optional keywords allow you to independently specify just one of the actions noted above.

/ERASE=INIT
Performs a data security erase (DSE) operation on the volume before initializing it, but does not set the volume characteristic to ERASE_ON_DELETE. This operation takes longer than specifying /ERASE=DELETE and is equivalent to performing SET VOLUME/NOERASE_ON_DELETE.
/ERASE=DELETE
Sets the ERASE_ON_DELETE volume characteristic, but does not perform a DSE operation on the disk.

If neither (or both) keywords are specified, both actions are performed. That is, /ERASE is equivalent to /ERASE=(INIT,DELETE).
/EXTENSION=number-of-blocks
Specifies, for disk volumes, the number of blocks to use as a default extension size for all files on the volume. The extension default is used when a file increases to a size greater than its initial default allocation during an update. For Files-11 On-Disk Structure Level 2 and Level 5 disks, the value for the number-of-blocks parameter can range from 0 to 65,535. The default value is 5. For Files-11 On-Disk Structure Level 1 disks, the value can range from 0 to 255.
The OpenVMS operating system uses the default volume extension only if no different extension has been set for the file and no default extension has been set for the process by using the SET RMS_DEFAULT command.
/FILE_PROTECTION=code
Affects Files-11 On-Disk Structure Level 1 (ODS-1) disks only.
Defines for disk volumes the default protection to be applied to all files on the volume.
Specify the code according to the standard syntax rules described in the HP OpenVMS Guide to System Security. Any attributes not specified are taken from the current default protection.
Note that this attribute is not used when the volume is being used on an OpenVMS system, but is provided to control the process's use of the volume on RSX-11M systems. OpenVMS systems always use the default file protection. Use the SET PROTECTION/DEFAULT command to change the default file protection.
/GPT (default for Integrity servers)

/NOGPT (default for Alpha)
Applies to Files-11 On-Disk Structure Level 2 (ODS-2) and Level 5 (ODS-5) disks only.

Note
If you specify /GPT, the disk might not mount on some systems running older versions of OpenVMS.

When /GPT is specified, the system file [000000]GPT.SYS is created. GPT.SYS contains partition/boot information needed by the IA64 console software. (GPT is an abbreviation for GUID Partition Table, where GUID stands for Global Unique Identifier.)
The BACKUP utility recognizes GPT.SYS and maintains its contents in a save/restore operation.
If /NOGPT is specified, the pre-Version 8.2 VBN layout of [000000]INDEXF.SYS is used. The VBN layout is described in the Guide to OpenVMS File Applications and in VMS File System Internals by Kirby McCoy (ISBN 1-55558-056-4, 1990).
/GROUP
Used in conjunction with the /NOSHARE qualifier to create a group volume. The group volume allows access by system (S), owner (O), and group (G) accessors. The protection is (S:RWCD,O:RWCD,G:RWCD,W).
The owner user identification code (UIC) of the volume defaults to your group number and a member number of 0.
/HEADERS=number-of-headers
Specifies, for disk volumes, the number of file headers to be allocated for the index file. The minimum and default value is 16. The maximum is the value set with the /MAXIMUM_FILES qualifier. However, if /LIMIT is specified and no value is specified for /HEADERS or /MAXIMUM_FILES, the following defaults apply:

/MAXIMUM_FILES: 16711679 files
/HEADERS: 0.5 percent of the size of the current device MAXBLOCK (an F$GETDVI item code)
For example, for a 33GB disk, the default number of preallocated header blocks would be approximately 355000.

/HEADERS is useful when you want to create a number of files and want to streamline the process of allocating space for that number of file headers. If you do not specify this qualifier, the file system dynamically allocates space as it is needed for new headers on the volume.

Note
The default value for the /HEADERS qualifier is generally insufficient for ODS-2 and ODS-5 disks. To improve performance and avoid SYSTEM-F-HEADERFULL errors, HP recommends that you set this value to be approximately the number of files that you anticipate having on your disk; however, grossly overestimating this value will result in wasted disk space.

The /HEADERS qualifier controls how much space is initially allocated to INDEXF.SYS for headers. Each file on a disk requires at least one file header and each header occupies one block within INDEXF.SYS. Files that have many Access Control Entries (ACE) or are very fragmented may use more than one header.
The default value of 16 leaves room for less than 10 files to be created before INDEXF.SYS must extend; therefore, try to estimate the total number of files that will be created on the disk and specify it here. This will improve disk access performance. Overestimating the value may lead to wasted disk space. This value cannot be changed without reinitializing the volume.
INDEXF.SYS is limited as to how many times it may extend. When the map area in its header (where the retrieval pointers are stored) becomes full, file creation fails with the message "SYSTEM-W-HEADERFULL."
/HIGHWATER (default)

/NOHIGHWATER
Applies to Files-11 On-Disk Structure Level 2 (ODS-2) and Level 5 (ODS-5) disks only.
Sets the file high-water mark (FHM) volume attribute, which guarantees that users cannot read data that they have not written. You cannot specify the /NOHIGHWATER qualifier for magnetic tape.
The /NOHIGHWATER qualifier disables FHM for a disk volume.
/HOMEBLOCKS=option
Applies to Files-11 On-Disk Structure Level 2 (ODS-2) and Level 5 (ODS-5) disks only.
Specifies where the volume's homeblock and spare copy of the homeblock are placed on disk. The value of option can be one of the following:

GEOMETRY
Causes the homeblocks to be placed at separate locations on disk, to protect against failure of a disk block. Placement depends on the reported geometry of the disk.
FIXED (default)
Causes the homeblocks to be placed at separate fixed locations on the disk. Placement is independent of the reported geometry of the disk. This caters to disks that report different geometries according to which type of controller they are attached to.
CONTIGUOUS
Causes the homeblocks to be placed contiguously at the start of the disk. When used with the /INDEX=BEGINNING qualifier, this setting allows container file systems to maximize the amount of contiguous space on the disk, for example, to hold one large file, such as a database.

/INDEX=position
Specifies the location of the index file for the volume's directory structure. Possible positions are as follows:

BEGINNING Beginning of the volume

MIDDLE Middle of the volume (default)

END End of the volume

BLOCK: n Beginning of the logical block specified by n

/INTERCHANGE
Specifies that the magnetic tape will be used for interchange in a heterogeneous vendor environment. The /INTERCHANGE qualifier omits the ANSI VOL2 labels. Under OpenVMS, the ANSI VOL2 labels contain OpenVMS specific security attributes.
For more information on the /INTERCHANGE qualifier and on magnetic tape labeling and tape interchange, see the HP OpenVMS System Manager's Manual, Volume 1: Essentials.
/LABEL=option
Defines characteristics for the magnetic tape volume label, as directed by the included option. The available options are as follows:
OWNER_IDENTIFIER:"(14 ANSI characters)"
Allows you to specify the Owner Identifier field in the volume label. The field specified can accept up to 14 ANSI characters.
VOLUME_ACCESSIBILITY:"character"
Specifies the character to be written in the volume accessibility field of the OpenVMS ANSI volume label VOL1 on an ANSI magnetic tape. The character may be any valid ANSI "a" character. This set of characters includes numeric characters, uppercase letters, and any one of the following nonalphanumeric characters:
! " % ' ( ) * + , - . / : ; < = > ?
By default, the OpenVMS operating system provides a routine that checks this field in the following manner:
If the magnetic tape was created on a version of the OpenVMS operating system that conforms to Version 3 of ANSI, then this option must be used to override any character other than an ASCII space.
If a protection is specified and the magnetic tape conforms to an ANSI standard that is later than Version 3, then this option must be used to override any character other than an ASCII 1.

If you specify any character other than the default, you must specify the /OVERRIDE=ACCESSIBILITY qualifier on the INITIALIZE and MOUNT commands in order to access the magnetic tape.
/LIMIT[=n]
Applies to Files-11 On-Disk Structure Level 2 (ODS-2) and Level 5 (ODS-5) disks only.
Specifies that the volume should be initialized with volume expansion. n defines the maximum growth potential of the volume in blocks. If no value is specified, the maximum expansion potential is set up.
The maximum value depends on the value specified for /CLUSTER_SIZE:

/CLUSTER_SIZE => 8 1TB of expansion is set up.

/CLUSTER_SIZE < 8 Expansion limit is set to 65535*4096*Cluster_value because the maximum size of the bitmap is 65535 blocks.

For more information about volume expansion, see the HP Volume Shadowing for OpenVMS manual.
The minimum allowed value is the largest of the following values:

The value supplied with /LIMIT
The physical disk size
The size resulting from a 256-block BITMAP.SYS file (that is, 256 * 4096 bits/block * Disk Cluster Value)

If a value less than the minimum is supplied, the value is increased to the minimum. This value is displayed (in blocks) as the "Expansion Size Limit" in the output from a SHOW DEVICE/FULL command.

Note
If you specify /LIMIT and do not explicitly set a value for the following parameters, the defaults for these parameters are set as follows:

/CLUSTER_SIZE: 16
/MAXIMUM_FILES: 16711679 files
/HEADERS: 0.5 percent of the size of the current device MAXBLOCK (an F$GETDVI item code)
For example, for a 33GB disk, the default number of preallocated header blocks would be approximately 355000.

/MAXIMUM_FILES=n
Restricts the maximum number of files that the volume can contain. The /MAXIMUM_FILES qualifier overrides the default value, which is calculated as follows:
(volume size in blocks)/((cluster factor + 1) * 2)

Note
If /LIMIT is specified and no value is set for /MAXIMUM_FILES, the default is 16711679 files.

The maximum size you can specify for any volume is as follows:
(volume size in blocks)/(cluster factor + 1)
The minimum value is 0. Note that the maximum can be increased only by reinitializing the volume.

Note
The /MAXIMUM_FILES qualifier does not reserve or create space for new file headers on a volume. The file system dynamically allocates space as it is needed for new headers.

/MEDIA_FORMAT=[NO]COMPACTION
Controls whether data records are automatically compacted and blocked together on any device that supports data compaction. Data compaction and record blocking increase the amount of data that can be stored on a single tape cartridge.
Note that once data compaction or noncompaction has been selected for a given cartridge, that same status applies to the entire cartridge.
/OVERRIDE=(option[,...])
Requests the INITIALIZE command to ignore data on a magnetic tape volume that protects it from being overwritten. You can specify one or more of the following options:

ACCESSIBILITY (For magnetic tapes only.) If the installation allows, this option overrides any character in the Accessibility field of the volume. The necessity of this option is defined by the installation. That is, each installation has the option of specifying a routine that the magnetic tape file system will use to process this field. By default, OpenVMS provides a routine that checks this field in the following manner. If the magnetic tape was created on a version of OpenVMS that conforms to Version 3 of ANSI, this option must be used to override any character other than an ASCII space. If a protection is specified and the magnetic tape conforms to an ANSI standard that is higher than Version 3, this option must be used to override any character other than an ASCII 1. To use the ACCESSIBILITY option, you must have the user privilege VOLPRO or be the owner of the volume.

EXPIRATION (For magnetic tapes only.) Allows you to write to a tape that has not yet reached its expiration date. You must have the user privilege VOLPRO to override volume protection, or your UIC must match the UIC written on the volume.

OWNER_IDENTIFIER Allows you to override the processing of the Owner Identifier field of the volume label.

If you specify only one option, you can omit the parentheses.
To initialize a volume that was initialized previously with the /PROTECTION qualifier, your UIC must match the UIC written on the volume or you must have VOLPRO privilege.
You can initialize a volume previously initialized with /PROTECTION if you have control access.
/OWNER_UIC=uic
Specifies an owner user identification code (UIC) for the volume. The default is your default UIC. Specify the UIC using standard UIC format as described in the HP OpenVMS Guide to System Security.
For magnetic tapes, no UIC is written unless protection on the magnetic tape is specified. If protection is specified, but no owner UIC is specified, your current UIC is assigned ownership of the volume.
/PROTECTION=(ownership[:access][,...])

Applies the specified protection to the volume:

Specify the ownership parameter as system (S), owner (O), group (G), or world (W).
Specify the access parameter as read (R), write (W), create (C), or delete (D).

The default is your default protection. Note that the /GROUP, /SHARE, and /SYSTEM qualifiers can also be used to define protection for disk volumes.
For magnetic tape, the protection code is written to an OpenVMS specific volume label. The system applies only read (R) and write (W) access restrictions; create and delete (D) access are meaningless. Moreover, the system and the owner are always given both read (R) and write (W) access to magnetic tapes, regardless of the protection code you specify.
For more information on specifying protection code, see the HP OpenVMS Guide to System Security. Any attributes not specified are taken from the current default protection.
When you specify a protection code for an entire disk volume, the access type E (execute) indicates create access.
/SHADOW=(device_name_1, device_name_2, device_name_3) label (Alpha/Integrity servers only)
Initializes multiple members of a future shadow set. Initializing multiple members in this way eliminates the requirement of a full copy when you later create a shadow set.
When both the /SHADOW and /ERASE qualifiers are specified, the INITIALIZE command performs the following operations:

Formats up to six devices with one command, so that any three can be subsequently mounted together as members of a new host-based shadow set
Writes a label on each volume
Deletes all information from the devices except for the system files and leaves each device with identical file structure information. All former contents of the disks are lost.

HP strongly recommends that you use the /ERASE qualifier. When /ERASE is specified, a merge operation is substantially reduced. However, using /ERASE has two side effects that are important considerations for volume shadowing: the setting of the ERASE volume attribute and the time it takes to initialize a volume using /ERASE.
If /ERASE is specified with /SHADOW, the disks are erased sequentially, which effectively doubles or triples the time it takes for the command to complete. If the disks are large, consider performing multiple, simultaneous INITIALIZE/ERASE commands (without /SHADOW) to erase the disks. Once all of those commands have completed, then execute an INITIALIZE/SHADOW command (without /ERASE).
Once you have initialized your devices using /ERASE and /SHADOW, you can then mount up to three of these devices as members of a new host-based shadow set.
Note that the INITIALIZE/SHADOW command should not be used to initialize a disk to be added to an existing shadow set, as no benefit is gained.
For more information about volume shadowing, see the HP Volume Shadowing for OpenVMS manual.
/SHARE (default)

/NOSHARE
Permits all categories of access by all categories of ownership. The /NOSHARE qualifier denies access to group (unless the /GROUP qualifier is also specified) and world processes.
/SIZE=n
When /SIZE=n is specified for a magnetic disk, n specifies the size (in blocks) of the logical volume (the space available for the file system). This allows you to INITIALIZE a disk with a file system size that is less than the physical volume size, which can be useful if you plan to create a shadow set using this disk and a smaller physical disk. The value of n is displayed (in blocks) as "Logical Volume Size" in the output from a SHOW DEVICE/FULL command.
For DECram disks, /SIZE specifies the size (in blocks) of the disk (device type DT$_RAM_DISK) to be allocated from available memory. The size of the device is created at disk initialization time.
To deallocate space, specify /SIZE=0. All resources specifically allocated to the DECram disk are returned to the system.
Note that n cannot exceed 524,280 blocks on versions of DECram prior to Version 2.3. DECram Version 2.3 running on an Alpha system supports up to 67,108,864 blocks, equivalent to 32GB.
/STRUCTURE=level
Specifies whether the volume should be formatted in Files-11 On-Disk Structure Level 1, 2 (the default), or 5.
Structure Level 1 is incompatible with the /DATA_CHECK and /CLUSTER_SIZE qualifiers. The default protection for a Structure Level 1 disk is full access to system, owner, and group, and read (R) access to all other users.
Note that Alpha does not support ODS-1 disks, and specifying 1 on Alpha results in an error.
See the HP OpenVMS System Manager's Manual, Volume 1: Essentials for more information about ODS-5 disks.
/SYSTEM
Requires a system UIC or SYSPRV (system privilege) privilege.
Defines a system volume. The owner UIC defaults to [1,1]. Protection defaults to complete access by all ownership categories, except that only system processes can create top-level directories.
/USER_NAME=name
Specifies a user name to be associated with the volume. The name must be 1 to 12 alphanumeric characters. The default is your user name.
/VERIFIED

/NOVERIFIED
Indicates whether the disk has bad block data on it. Use the /NOVERIFIED qualifier to ignore bad block data on the disk. The default is the /VERIFIED qualifier for disks with 4096 blocks or more and the /NOVERIFIED qualifier for disks with less than 4096 blocks.
/VOLUME_CHARACTERISTICS=([[NO]HARDLINKS,] [[NO]ACCESS_DATES[=delta-time]],[NO]SPECIAL_FILES)
Applies to Files-11 On-Disk Structure Level 5 (ODS-5) disks only.
Enables or disables hardlinks and automatic updates of access dates on ODS-5 volumes.
The default value for delta-time is 1 second, chosen to comply with the "seconds since EPOCH" time interface required by POSIX st_atime . A site can choose a larger delta time to reduce overhead if 1-second granularity is not required.
Note that the NOACCESS_DATES option affects only the node on which the command is issued. Other nodes are not affected by the change until the next time the volume is mounted.
See the Guide to OpenVMS File Applications for additional information.
The volume characteristic [SPECIAL_FILES] allows you to disable symlinks. This eliminates file access failure audits that may occur due to symlinks being enabled for all processes in the current implementation.
/WINDOWS=n
Specifies the number of mapping pointers (used to access data in the file) to be allocated for file windows. The value can be an integer in the range of 7 to 80. The default is 7.

Keyword	Meaning
DEFAULT	Default density
800	NRZI 800 bits per inch (BPI)
1600	PE 1600 BPI
6250	GRC 6250 BPI
3480	IBM 3480 HPC 39872 BPI
3490E	IBM 3480 compressed
833	DLT TK50: 833 BPI
TK50	DLT TK50: 833 BPI
TK70	DLT TK70: 1250 BPI
6250	RV80 6250 BPI EQUIVALENT
NOTE: Only the keywords above are understood by TMSCP/TUDRIVER code prior to OpenVMS Version 7.2. The remaining keywords in this table are supported only on Alpha systems.
TK85	DLT Tx85: 10625 BPI - Cmpt III - Alpha/Integrity servers only
TK86	DLT Tx86: 10626 BPI - Cmpt III - Alpha/Integrity servers only
TK87	DLT Tx87: 62500 BPI - Cmpt III - Alpha/Integrity servers only
TK88	DLT Tx88: (Quantum 4000) - Cmpt IV - Alpha/Integrity servers only
TK89	DLT Tx89: (Quantum 7000) - Cmpt IV - Alpha/Integrity servers only
QIC	All QIC drives are drive-settable only - Alpha/Integrity servers only
8200	Exa-Byte 8200 - Alpha/Integrity servers only
8500	Exa-Byte 8500 - Alpha/Integrity servers only
DDS1	Digital Data Storage 1 - 2G - Alpha/Integrity servers only
DDS2	Digital Data Storage 2 - 4G - Alpha/Integrity servers only
DDS3	Digital Data Storage 3 - 8-10G - Alpha/Integrity servers only
DDS4	Digital Data Storage 4 - Alpha/Integrity servers only
AIT1	Sony Advanced Intelligent Tape 1 - Alpha/Integrity servers only
AIT2	Sony Advanced Intelligent Tape 2 - Alpha/Integrity servers only
AIT3	Sony Advanced Intelligent Tape 3 - Alpha/Integrity servers only
AIT4	Sony Advanced Intelligent Tape 4 - Alpha/Integrity servers only
DLT8000	DLT 8000 - Alpha/Integrity servers only
8900	Exabyte 8900 - Alpha/Integrity servers only
SDLT	SuperDLT1 - Alpha/Integrity servers only
SDLT320	SuperDLT320 - Alpha/Integrity servers only

Keyword	Meaning
single	RX01 - 8 inch
double	RX02 - 8 inch
dd	double density: 720K - 3 1/2 inch
hd	high density: 1.44MB - 3 1/2 inch
ed	extended density: 2.88MB - 3 1/2 inch

Examples

#1
$ INITIALIZE/USER_NAME=CPA $FLOPPY1 ACCOUNTS

Initializes the volume on $FLOPPY1, labels the volume ACCOUNTS, and gives the volume a user name of CPA.

#2
$ ALLOCATE DMA2: TEMP _DMA2: ALLOCATED $ INITIALIZE TEMP: BACK_UP_FILE $ MOUNT TEMP: BACK_UP_FILE %MOUNT-I-MOUNTED, BACK_UP_FILE mounted on _DMA2: $ CREATE/DIRECTORY TEMP:[GOLDSTEIN]

This sequence of commands shows how to initialize an RK06/RK07 volume. First, the device is allocated, to ensure that no one else can access it. Then, when the volume is physically mounted on the device, the INITIALIZE command initializes it. When the volume is initialized, the MOUNT command makes the file structure available. Before you can place any files on the volume, you must create a directory, as shown by the CREATE/DIRECTORY command.

#3
$ ALLOCATE MT: _MTB1: ALLOCATED $ INITIALIZE MTB1: SOURCE $ MOUNT MTB1: SOURCE %MOUNT-I-MOUNTED, SOURCE mounted on _MTB1: $ COPY *.FOR MTB1: $ DIRECTORY MTB1: . . . $ DISMOUNT MTB1:

These commands show the procedure necessary to initialize a magnetic tape. After allocating a drive, the magnetic tape is loaded on the device, and the INITIALIZE command writes the label SOURCE on it. Then, the MOUNT command mounts the magnetic tape so that files can be written on it.

#4
$ BACKUP filespec MUA0: ... /MEDIA_FORMAT=NOCOMPACTION- _$/REWIND

This example creates a BACKUP tape with compaction and record blocking disabled.

#5
$ INITIALIZE/ERASE/SHADOW=($4$DKA1300, $4$DKA1301) NONVOLATILE $MOUN/SYS DSA42 /SHAD=( $4$DKA1300 , $4$DKA1301 ) NONVOLATILE %MOUNT-I-MOUNTED, NONVOLATILE MOUNTED ON _DSA42: %MOUNT-I-SHDWMEMSUCC, _$4$DKA1300: (WILD3) IS NOW A VALID MEMBER OF THE SHADOW SET %MOUNT-I-SHDWMEMSUCC, _$4$DKA1301: (WILD4) IS NOW A VALID MEMBER OF THE SHADOW SET $SHO DEV DSA42: DEVICE DEVICE ERROR VOLUME FREE TRANS MNT NAME STATUS COUNT LABEL BLOCKS COUNT CNT DSA42: MOUNTED 0 NONVOLATILE 5799600 1 1 $4$DKA1300: (WILD3) SHADOWSETMEMBER 0 (MEMBER OF DSA42:) $4$DKA1301: (WILD4) SHADOWSETMEMBER 0 (MEMBER OF DSA42:)

$ INITIALIZE/ERASE/SHADOW=($4$DKA1300, $4$DKA1301) NONVOLATILE
 
$MOUN/SYS DSA42 /SHAD=( $4$DKA1300 , $4$DKA1301 ) NONVOLATILE
%MOUNT-I-MOUNTED, NONVOLATILE MOUNTED ON _DSA42:
%MOUNT-I-SHDWMEMSUCC, _$4$DKA1300: (WILD3) IS NOW A VALID MEMBER OF THE SHADOW SET
%MOUNT-I-SHDWMEMSUCC, _$4$DKA1301: (WILD4) IS NOW A VALID MEMBER OF THE SHADOW SET
$SHO DEV DSA42:
 
DEVICE              DEVICE          ERROR    VOLUME         FREE  TRANS MNT
 NAME               STATUS          COUNT     LABEL        BLOCKS COUNT CNT
DSA42:              MOUNTED             0  NONVOLATILE    5799600     1   1
$4$DKA1300: (WILD3) SHADOWSETMEMBER     0  (MEMBER OF DSA42:)
$4$DKA1301: (WILD4) SHADOWSETMEMBER     0  (MEMBER OF DSA42:)

This example shows correct use of the INITIALIZE/ERASE/SHADOW command. Note that the command specifies multiple devices on the same line.

Contents

Index

lbn[:count]	Logical block number (LBN) of the first block and optionally a block count beginning with the first block, to be marked as allocated
sec.trk.cyl[:cnt]	Sector, track, and cylinder of the first block, and optionally a block count beginning with the first block, to be marked as allocated

READ	Checks all read operations.
WRITE	Checks all write operations; default if only the /DATA_CHECK qualifier is specified.

BEGINNING	Beginning of the volume
MIDDLE	Middle of the volume (default)
END	End of the volume
BLOCK: n	Beginning of the logical block specified by n

/CLUSTER_SIZE => 8	1TB of expansion is set up.
/CLUSTER_SIZE < 8	Expansion limit is set to 655354096Cluster_value because the maximum size of the bitmap is 65535 blocks.

ACCESSIBILITY	(For magnetic tapes only.) If the installation allows, this option overrides any character in the Accessibility field of the volume. The necessity of this option is defined by the installation. That is, each installation has the option of specifying a routine that the magnetic tape file system will use to process this field. By default, OpenVMS provides a routine that checks this field in the following manner. If the magnetic tape was created on a version of OpenVMS that conforms to Version 3 of ANSI, this option must be used to override any character other than an ASCII space. If a protection is specified and the magnetic tape conforms to an ANSI standard that is higher than Version 3, this option must be used to override any character other than an ASCII 1. To use the ACCESSIBILITY option, you must have the user privilege VOLPRO or be the owner of the volume.
EXPIRATION	(For magnetic tapes only.) Allows you to write to a tape that has not yet reached its expiration date. You must have the user privilege VOLPRO to override volume protection, or your UIC must match the UIC written on the volume.
OWNER_IDENTIFIER	Allows you to override the processing of the Owner Identifier field of the volume label.