Alternative Backup and Restore Procedure (Minimum OpenVMS Environment)

This section describes an alternative method of performing backup and restore operations. This method is similar to creating a Standalone Backup directory on a disk, as supported by OpenVMS VAX systems and certain earlier versions of OpenVMS Alpha (using SYS$UPDATE.STABACKIT.COM). Supported by both OpenVMS Alpha and Integrity server systems, this method installs a Minimum OpenVMS Environment (install with no options) on another disk from which you can perform your backup and restore operations on the system disk. The Minimum OpenVMS Environment is created in the SYSE root ([SYSE]) on the disk, which runs a subset of OpenVMS and is indicated by the triple dollar sign ($$$) system prompt. Use this method under the following conditions:

NOTE: You can back up your running system disk by using the /IGNORE=INTERLOCK qualifier with the BACKUP command and ignoring warning messages. However, that method requires that all other use of the system be suspended, including disabling logins, stopping print and batch queues, and turning off networking software. In addition, you cannot use this method to restore files to the running system disk. Because of these limitations, HP recommends that, if you must use an alternative backup or restore method, you use the method described in this section.

Preparing an Alternate System Disk

Prepare an alternate system disk as follows:

  1. Log in to a privileged account on your running OpenVMS system.

  2. Using the SHOW DEVICE command, identify a data disk on which you can install the operating system, with no options. This is your target disk during that installation. To install the operating system with no options on your target disk, you need the following amount of free disk space:

    • OpenVMS Alpha: approximately 5,21,552 blocks (267 MB)

    • OpenVMS Integrity servers: approximately 10,09,762 blocks (517 MB)

    Existing data remains on the disk.

  3. The target disk must be mounted privately to your process. (This prevents other users from accessing this disk during the installation and backup procedures.) Therefore, if the target disk was mounted with the /SYSTEM, /CLUSTER, /GROUP, or /SHARE qualifier, dismount that disk and mount it without those qualifiers or the /FOREIGN qualifier. For example:

    $ MOUNT/OVERRIDE=IDENTIFICATION DKA200

  4. For OpenVMS Integrity servers, enter the following command:

    $ @SYS$SYSTEM:I64VMS$PCSI_INSTALL_MIN.COM [target-disk]

    For OpenVMS Alpha, enter the following command:

    $ @SYS$SYSTEM:AXPVMS$PCSI_INSTALL_MIN.COM [target-disk]

    (The procedure prompts you for a device name if you do not specify it on the command line.)

  5. As the procedure completes the installation, the display is similar to the following:

    HP I64VMS OPENVMS V8.4: OpenVMS and related products platform
 
    COPYRIGHT (c) ... 
    Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
 
Execution phase starting ...

The following product will be installed:
    HP I64VMS VMS V8.4

Portion Done: 0%..10%..20%..30%..40%..50%..60%..70%..80%..90%..100%

The following product has been installed:
    HP I64VMS VMS V8.4
    .
    .
    .
    The installation of minimum OpenVMS I64 is now complete.

    Use EFI or the boot option you just created or validated (if any)
    to boot minimum OpenVMS.  If you use EFI remember to set VMS_FLAGS
    to E,0 before booting, and to reset VMS_FLAGS to 0,0 (or as
    required by your system).

        BOOT -FLAGS E,O device-name

    (Some configurations may require a boot option to boot.)

    CAUTION: If your system is a cluster member, HP recommends that you shut down the entire OpenVMS Cluster system before you back up your system disk. This will prevent you from creating a partitioned cluster and from jeopardizing the integrity of your data in any other way.

Using the Alternate System Disk

Use the alternate system disk (on which you installed the operating system with no options) to perform backup and restore operations as follows:

  1. Shut down your system.

  2. Boot the alternate system disk from the SYSE root. For example, from an OpenVMS Alpha system, enter the following command:

    >>> BOOT -FLAGS E,0 DKA 200

    For OpenVMS Integrity server systems, you can add the alternate system disk as a boot option in the EFI Boot Manager menu by using the OpenVMS Integrity servers Boot Manager utility (SYS$MANAGER:BOOT_OPTIONS.COM), as described in Section . When prompted, set the flags as e,0. Alternatively, boot the alternate system disk manually by entering the following command at the EFI Shell prompt, where fsn: (such as fs1:) is the device associated with the system disk: 

    Shell> fsn:\efi\vms\vms_loader.efi -flags e,0

    The system automatically logs you in to the SYSTEM account and then displays a triple dollar sign prompt ($$$).

    NOTE: During the boot and login operations on this minimum version of the operating system, you can ignore license messages that are similar to the following:

    %LICENSE-I-NOLICENSE, no license is active for this software product

  3. If your system disk is shadowed, install and load a Volume Shadowing for OpenVMS license on this data disk. Then you can back up the shadowed system disk from this data disk without disabling the shadow set.

    NOTE: HP recommends that you do not install any other licenses, including OpenVMS licenses, on this alternate system. You can use the system only from the console.

  4. Mount the system disk and any output devices you plan to use during the backup or restore operations. See Section  for more information.

  5. Perform the necessary backup or restore operations by entering the appropriate BACKUP commands. For examples of using the BACKUP command to back up the system disk, see Section ; for examples of using the BACKUP command to restore the system disk, see Section .

  6. Shut down the system.

  7. Boot from your original system disk.