HP OpenVMS Systems Documentation
Content starts here OpenVMS System Manager's Manual

OpenVMS System Manager's Manual

April 2001

This manual is a task-oriented guide to managing a Compaq OpenVMS system.

Revision/Update Information: This manual supersedes the OpenVMS System Manager's Manual, OpenVMS Version 7.2

Software Version: OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.3 OpenVMS VAX Version 7.3


Compaq Computer Corporation
Houston, Texas

© 2001 Compaq Computer Corporation

Compaq, VAX, VMS, and the Compaq logo Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

OpenVMS is a trademark of Compaq Information Technologies Group, L.P in the United States and other countries.

Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.

Motif, Open Software Foundation, OSF/1, and UNIX are trademarks of The Open Group in the United States and other countries.

All other product names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective companies.

Confidential computer software. Valid license from Compaq required for possession, use, or copying. Consistent with FAR 12.211 and 12.212, Commercial Computer Software, Computer Software Documentation, and Technical Data for Commercial Items are licensed to the U.S. Government under vendor's standard commercial license.

Compaq shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. The information in this document is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind and is subject to change without notice. The warranties for Compaq products are set forth in the express limited warranty statements accompanying such products. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty.

ZK6017

The Compaq OpenVMS documentation set is available on CD-ROM.

Contents Index

Preface

Intended Audience

The intended audience for this manual is Compaq OpenVMS system managers.

Document Structure

The OpenVMS System Manager's Manual consists of the following chapters:

For more information about the structure of the OpenVMS System Manager's Manual, see Section 1.1.

Related Documents

The following books are helpful when you use them in conjunction with the OpenVMS System Manager's Manual:

  • OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference Manual
  • OpenVMS User's Manual
  • OpenVMS Software Overview1
  • The current version of the Upgrade and Installation Manual for your system
  • OpenVMS Guide to System Security
  • OpenVMS Performance Management
  • OpenVMS Cluster Systems and Guidelines for OpenVMS Cluster Configurations
  • The following networking manuals:
    • Compaq TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Installation and Configuration
    • Compaq TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Management
    • Command TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Management Command Reference
    • Compaq TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Tuning and Troubleshooting
    • DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS Introduction and User's Guide
    • DECnet-Plus Planning Guide
    • DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS Applications Installation and Advanced Configuration
    • DECnet-Plus Network Control Language Reference

For additional information about Compaq OpenVMS products and services, access the Compaq website at the following location: 


http://www.openvms.compaq.com

Note
1 This manual has been archived but is available on the OpenVMS Documentation CD-ROM.

Reader's Comments

Compaq welcomes your comments on this manual. Please send comments to either of the following addresses:

Internet openvmsdoc@compaq.com
Mail Compaq Computer Corporation
OSSG Documentation Group, ZKO3-4/U08
110 Spit Brook Rd.
Nashua, NH 03062-2698

How to Order Additional Documentation

Visit the following World Wide Web address for information about how to order additional documentation: 


http://www.openvms.compaq.com

If you need help deciding which documentation best meets your needs, call 800-282-6672.

Conventions

In this manual, any reference to OpenVMS is synonymous with Compaq OpenVMS.

VMScluster systems are now referred to as OpenVMS Cluster systems. Unless otherwise specified, references to OpenVMS Clusters or clusters in this document are synonymous with VMSclusters.

In this manual, every use of DECwindows and DECwindows Motif refers to DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS software.

The following conventions are also used in this manual:

Ctrl/ x A sequence such as Ctrl/ x indicates that you must hold down the key labeled Ctrl while you press another key or a pointing device button.
PF1 x A sequence such as PF1 x indicates that you must first press and release the key labeled PF1 and then press and release another key or a pointing device button.
[Return] In examples, a key name enclosed in a box indicates that you press a key on the keyboard. (In text, a key name is not enclosed in a box.)

In the HTML version of this document, this convention appears as brackets, rather than a box.

... A horizontal ellipsis in examples indicates one of the following possibilities:
  • Additional optional arguments in a statement have been omitted.
  • The preceding item or items can be repeated one or more times.
  • Additional parameters, values, or other information can be entered.
.
.
. 		A vertical ellipsis indicates the omission of items from a code example or command format; the items are omitted because they are not important to the topic being discussed.
( ) In command format descriptions, parentheses indicate that you must enclose the options in parentheses if you choose more than one.
[ ] In command format descriptions, brackets indicate optional choices. You can choose one or more items or no items. Do not type the brackets on the command line. However, you must include the brackets in the syntax for OpenVMS directory specifications and for a substring specification in an assignment statement.
[|] In command format descriptions, vertical bars separate choices within brackets or braces. Within brackets, the choices are optional; within braces, at least one choice is required. Do not type the vertical bars on the command line.
{ } In command format descriptions, braces indicate required choices; you must choose at least one of the of the items listed. Do not type the braces on the command line.
bold text This typeface represents the introduction of a new term. It also represents the name of an argument an attribute, or a reason.
italic text Italic text indicates important information, complete titles of manuals, or variables. Variables include information that varies in system output (Internal error number), in command lines (/PRODUCER= name), and in command parameters in text (where dd represents the predefined code for the device type).
UPPERCASE TEXT Uppercase text indicates a command, the name of a routine, the name of a file, or the abbreviation for a system privilege.
Monospace type Monospace type indicates code examples and interactive screen displays.

In the C programming language, monospace type identifies the following elements: keywords, the names of independently compiled external functions and files, syntax summaries, and references to variables or identifiers introduced in an example.

- A hyphen at the end of a command format description, command line, or code line indicates that the command or statement continues on the following line.
numbers All numbers in text are assumed to be decimal unless otherwise noted. Nondecimal radixes---binary, octal, or hexadecimal---are explicitly indicated.

Chapter 1
Overview of This Manual

Together, the two parts of this manual explain tasks and concepts related to managing a Compaq OpenVMS system. This chapter describes this manual and how to use it.

The OpenVMS System Manager's Manual explains system management tasks for new and experienced system managers. However, before performing these tasks, you should be familiar with the following items:

  • User-level tasks such as creating and editing files and command procedures. For more information, refer to the OpenVMS User's Manual.
  • DIGITAL Command Language (DCL) commands. For more information, refer to the OpenVMS DCL Dictionary.

Information Provided in This Chapter

This chapter describes the following tasks:

Task Section
Using the OpenVMS System Manager's Manual Section 1.1
Finding information about managing complex environments Section 1.3
Finding information about managing small systems Section 1.4

This chapter explains the following concept:

Concept Section
How this manual relates to other system management documentation Section 1.2

1.1 Using the OpenVMS System Manager's Manual

The OpenVMS System Manager's Manual is made up of two parts:

  • This book, OpenVMS System Manager's Manual, Volume 1: Essentials
  • A second book, OpenVMS System Manager's Manual, Volume 2: Tuning, Monitoring, and Complex Systems

Use these two books to get step-by-step instructions for general system management tasks.

The first page of each chapter in these books provides two tables to help you find information within the chapter.

The Task Table

The first table lists the major tasks described in the chapter. If you need to perform a task quickly, go directly to the section that explains that task. For example, in this chapter the task table lists the following tasks:

Task Section
Using the OpenVMS System Manager's Manual Section 1.1
Finding information about managing complex environments Section 1.3
Finding information about managing small systems Section 1.4

The Concept Table

The second table lists the major concepts explained in the chapter. If you want to learn more about an underlying concept, go to the appropriate concept section. For example, the concept table in this chapter lists the following concept:

Concept Section
How this manual relates to other system management documentation Section 1.2

1.2 How This Manual Relates to Other System Management Documentation

This manual is intended to be used as a companion to other OpenVMS system management manuals. The Preface of this manual lists the books you should be prepared to use along with the OpenVMS System Manager's Manual.

1.3 Finding Information About Managing Complex Environments

If you are managing large or complex configurations, you will need additional specialized information. Table 1-1 lists some typical environments and OpenVMS manuals containing specialized information for managing those environments.

Table 1-1 Documentation for Managing Complex Environments
Task Manual
Networked environments Compaq TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Management
DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS Network Management
OpenVMS Cluster environments OpenVMS Cluster Systems and
Guidelines for OpenVMS Cluster Configurations
Migrating from VAX to Alpha environment Migrating an Environment from OpenVMS VAX to OpenVMS Alpha
Performance management OpenVMS Performance Management
System security OpenVMS Guide to System Security

1.4 Finding Information About Managing Small Systems

If you are managing a small standalone system---for example, a desktop workstation---you probably need to perform only basic system management tasks.

Table 1-2 lists the tasks you are likely to perform, and where to find instructions for performing these tasks.

Table 1-2 Documentation for Managing Small Standalone Systems
Task Chapter, Section, or Other Manual
Installing and upgrading the operating system The Upgrade and Installation Manual
Installing layered products Section 3.2
Loading software licenses Section 3.3.2
Booting the system Section 4.1.3.1
Shutting down the system Section 4.8.1
+Using VMSTAILOR to remove files from the system disk Section 5.1
Modifying site-specific startup command procedures Section 5.2
Modifying login command procedures Section 5.3
Setting up user accounts Chapter 7
Backing up workstation disks Section 11.15.7
Backing up and restoring the system disk Section 11.17
Starting the queue manager and creating the queue database Section 13.5
Setting up and starting simple queues Section 14.1.1
Setting system parameters with AUTOGEN Section 15.5
Tuning the system Chapter 17
+VAX specific

Chapter 2
Using OpenVMS System Management Utilities and Tools

This chapter provides general information about system management utilities and tools that are provided with the Compaq OpenVMS Operating System.

Procedures for using utilities and tools to perform specific tasks are provided in the respective chapters that describe those tasks. For example, this chapter contains a general description of the System Management utility (SYSMAN). Section 9.11.2 describes how to use SYSMAN to manage disk quotas. Section 15.7 describes how to use SYSMAN to manage system parameters.

To use system management tools, you can also refer to the following documentation:

  • Online help for online information about commands and qualifiers for DCL and system management utilities
  • The OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference Manual for detailed information about commands and qualifiers for system management utilities
  • The OpenVMS DCL Dictionary for detailed information about DCL commands and qualifiers

Information Provided in This Chapter

This chapter describes the following tasks:

Task Section
Logging in to the SYSTEM account Section 2.2
Using SYSMAN to centralize system management Section 2.3
Using OPCOM to communicate with system users Section 2.4
Using VMSKITBLD.COM to modify a system disk Section 2.5

This chapter explains the following concepts:

Concept Section
OpenVMS system management tools Section 2.1
DCL commands for system management Section 2.1.2
System messages Section 2.1.3
DCL command procedures for system management Section 2.1.4
System management utilities Section 2.1.5
MGRMENU.COM command procedure Section 2.1.6
System Management utility (SYSMAN) Section 2.3.1
Understanding a SYSMAN management environment Section 2.3.3
Understanding a SYSMAN profile Section 2.3.5
Understanding OPCOM Section 2.4.1

2.1 Understanding OpenVMS System Management Tools

Compaq supplies the following software tools to monitor and control system operations and resources:

Tool For More Information
OpenVMS Management Station Section 2.1.1
DIGITAL Command Language (DCL) commands; for example, COPY and MOUNT Section 2.1.2
System messages Section 2.1.3
Command procedures; for example, AUTOGEN.COM and STARTUP.COM Section 2.1.4
System management utilities; for example, the Authorize utility (AUTHORIZE) and the Backup utility (BACKUP) Section 2.1.5
MGRMENU.COM command procedure Section 2.1.6
OPCOM Section 2.4

2.1.1 OpenVMS Management Station

The OpenVMS Management Station is a powerful, Microsoft Windows based management tool for system managers and others who perform account management tasks on OpenVMS systems. OpenVMS Management Station software provides a comprehensive user interface to OpenVMS account management across multiple systems. You can manage multiple systems from a single source.

OpenVMS Management Station software coexists with all of the existing OpenVMS system management utilities. Figure 2-1 shows a sample OpenVMS Management Station screen.

Figure 2-1 Sample OpenVMS Management Station Screen

OpenVMS Management Station addresses the problem of having to use multiple utilities to manage accounts. For example, creating an account usually involves the following steps:

  1. Add a UAF entry
  2. Grant rights identifiers
  3. Create a directory
  4. Create disk quotas
  5. Grant network proxies

These steps require that you use DCL, the Authorize utility, and the DISKQUOTA component of the SYSMAN utility. OpenVMS Management Station provides an easy-to-use interface to this process.

The OpenVMS Management Station consists of two components:

  • The client. This is Microsoft Windows based software that you install on a PC and use to perform management operations.
  • The server. This software must be installed on all OpenVMS systems to be managed. You do not interact directly with the server, the client does that.

Documentation for the OpenVMS Management Station

The Microsoft Windows help files completely describe features, functions, instructions, and examples of using the OpenVMS Management Station. The OpenVMS Management Station Overview and Release Notes document provides an overview of OpenVMS Management Station and describes how to get started using the software.

Information about installing the OpenVMS Management Station on your Alpha or VAX computer and your PC is located in the following manuals:

  • OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.3 Upgrade and Installation Manual
  • OpenVMS VAX Version 7.3 Upgrade and Installation Manual

Next Contents Index