HP OpenVMS Systems Documentation

This chapter explains how to use UETP (user environment test package) to test whether the OpenVMS operating system is installed correctly.

19.1 Overview

This overview summarizes what UETP does and how you use it. The rest of the chapter provides detailed instructions for setting up your system for testing, running the tests, and troubleshooting errors.

Information Provided in This Chapter

This chapter describes the following tasks:

This chapter explains the following concepts:

UETP is a software package designed to test whether the OpenVMS operating system is installed correctly. UETP puts the system through a series of tests that simulate a typical user environment by making demands on the system that are similar to demands that can occur in everyday use.

UETP is not a diagnostic program; it does not attempt to test every feature exhaustively. When UETP runs to completion without encountering nonrecoverable errors, the system being tested is ready for use.

UETP exercises devices and functions that are common to all OpenVMS systems, with the exception of optional features such as high-level language compilers. The system components tested include the following ones:

• Most standard peripheral devices
• System's multiuser capability
• DECnet for OpenVMS software
• Clusterwide file access and locks

This section summarizes the procedure for running all phases of UETP with default values. If you are familiar with the test package, refer to this section. If you want additional information, refer to Section 19.2.

1. Log in to the SYSTEST account as follows:

   Username: SYSTEST Password:

   Caution Because the SYSTEST and SYSTEST_CLIG accounts have privileges, unauthorized use of these accounts can compromise the security of your system.

2. Make sure no user programs are running and no user volumes are mounted.

   Caution By design, UETP assumes and requests the exclusive use of system resources. If you ignore this restriction, UETP can interfere with applications that depend on these resources.

3. After you log in, check all devices to be sure that the following conditions exist:
   • All devices you want to test are powered up and are on line to the system.
   • Scratch disks are mounted and initialized.
   • Disks contain a directory named [SYSTEST] with OWNER_UIC=[1,7]. (You can create this directory with the DCL command CREATE/DIRECTORY.)
   • Scratch magnetic tape reels are physically mounted on each drive you want tested and are initialized with the label UETP (using the DCL command INITIALIZE). Make sure magnetic tape reels contain at least 600 feet of tape.
   • Scratch tape cartridges have been inserted in each drive you want to test and are initialized with the label UETP (using the DCL command INITIALIZE).
   • Line printers and hardcopy terminals have plenty of paper.
   • Terminal characteristics and baud rate are set correctly. (Refer to the user's guide for your terminal.)
   
   Note that some communication devices need to be set up by a Compaq support representative. (See Section 19.3.)
   If you encounter any problems in preparing to run UETP, read Section 19.3 before proceeding.
4. To start UETP, enter the following command and press Return:

   $ @UETP

   
   UETP responds with the following question:

   Run "ALL" UETP phases or a "SUBSET" [ALL]?

   
   Press Return to choose the default response enclosed in brackets. UETP responds with the following sequence of questions:

   How many passes of UETP do you wish to run [1]? How many simulated user loads do you want [4]? Do you want Long or Short report format [Long]?

   
   Press Return after each prompt. After you answer the last question, UETP initiates its entire sequence of tests, which run to completion without further input. The final message should look like the following one:

   ***************************************************** * * END OF UETP PASS 1 AT 22-JUN-1998 16:30:09.38 * * *****************************************************

   Note If you want to run UETP without using the default responses, refer to Section 19.4, which explains your options.

5. After UETP runs, check the log files for errors. If testing completes successfully, the OpenVMS operating system is in proper working order.
   If UETP does not complete successfully, refer to Section 19.6 for information about troubleshooting.

   Note After a run of UETP, you should run the Error Log utility to check for hardware problems that can occur during a run of UETP. For information about running the Error Log utility, refer to the OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference Manual.

19.2 Preparing to Use UETP

• Logging in
• Using the [SYSTEST] directory

Obtain the SYSTEST password from your system manager. Log in to the SYSTEST account from the console terminal as follows:

Username: SYSTEST
Password:

UETP will fail if you do not run the test from the SYSTEST account. Also, if you try to run UETP from a terminal other than the console terminal, the device test phase displays an error message stating that the terminal you are using is unavailable for testing. You can ignore this message.

After you log in to the SYSTEST account, enter the command SHOW USERS to make sure no user programs are running and no user volumes are mounted. UETP requires exclusive use of system resources. If you ignore this restriction, UETP can interfere with applications that depend on these resources.

If you logged in successfully, your default directory is [SYSTEST] on the system disk. UETP uses this directory to hold all the files used by UETP command procedure (UETP.COM) and temporary files used by UETP during testing.

On a typical system, the DCL command SHOW LOGICAL displays the translation of the logical name SYS$TEST:

$ SHOW LOGICAL SYS$TEST
   "SYS$TEST" = "SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSTEST]"  (LNM$SYSTEM_TABLE)

To use UETP to test a particular disk, such as a scratch disk, create either a [SYSTEST] directory or a [SYS0.SYSTEST] directory on that disk. Section 19.3.3 discusses setting up scratch disks for testing.

19.3 Setting Up the Devices to Be Tested

After you log in, set up the devices on the system for UETP testing, as described in the following sections. Note that your system might not have all the devices described in this section.

19.3.1 Check Your Devices

Examine all devices that UETP will use to be sure that the following conditions exist:

• All devices you want to test are turned on and are on line.
• Scratch disks are initialized and mounted.
• Disks contain a directory named [SYSTEST] with OWNER_UIC=[1,7]. Use the CREATE/DIRECTORY command if the [SYSTEST] directory does not exist on the disk.
• Scratch magnetic tape reels are physically mounted on each drive you want tested and are initialized with the label UETP (using the DCL command INITIALIZE). Make sure magnetic tape reels contain at least 600 feet of tape.
• Scratch tape cartridges have been inserted in each drive you want to test and are mounted and initialized with the label UETP (using the DCL command INITIALIZE).
• Line printers and hardcopy terminals have plenty of paper.
• Terminal characteristics and baud rate are set correctly. (Refer to the user's guide for your terminal).

Note that some communications devices discussed in this section must be set up by a Compaq support representative.

19.3.2 System Disk Space Required

Before running UETP, be sure that the system disk has at least 1200 blocks available. Note that systems running more than 20 load test processes can require a minimum of 2000 available blocks. If you run multiple passes of UETP, log files will accumulate in the default directory and further reduce the amount of disk space available for subsequent passes.

If disk quotas are enabled on the system disk, disable them before you run UETP.

19.3.3 How UETP Works on Disks

The disk test phase of UETP uses most of the available free space on each testable disk in the following manner:

• On each testable disk, the device test phase tries to create two files. The size of these files depends on how much free space is available on the disk. Usually the test creates each file with 0.1% of the free space on the disk. However, if the disk is almost full, the test creates files that are 5 blocks. If the test cannot create 5 block files, it fails. Only the initial file creation can cause the device test to fail because it lacks disk space.
• The test randomly reads and writes blocks of data to the files. After every multiple of 20 writes for each file, the test tries to extend the file. The size of this extension is either 5% of the free disk space or 5 blocks if the file was created with 5 blocks. This process of extension continues until the combined space of the files reaches 75% of the free disk space.

By creating and extending fragmented files in this way, UETP exercises the disk. This allows the test to check for exceeded quotas or a full disk, and to adjust for the amount of available disk space.

As with other disks, shadow sets and volume sets can be tested with UETP; the expectation is that the individual members will be listed as untestable during UETINIDEV (initialization of UETP). UETINIDEV lists errors when testing using a shadow set during the system disk (UETDISK00) pass, however, the shadow set is listed as testable. When testing using a volume set, errors will be noted against all but relative volume number 1, and all but relative volume 1 will be listed as untestable at the end of UETINIDEV.

19.3.4 Prepare Disk Drives

To prepare each disk drive in the system for UETP testing, use the following procedure:

1. Place a scratch disk in the drive and spin up the drive. If a scratch disk is not available, use any disk with a substantial amount of free space; UETP does not overwrite existing files on any volume. If your scratch disk contains files that you want to keep, do not initialize the disk; go to step 3.
2. If the disk does not contain files you want to save, initialize it. For example:

   $ INITIALIZE DUA1: TEST1

   
   This command initializes DUA1 and assigns the volume label TEST1 to the disk. All volumes must have unique labels.
3. Mount the disk. For example:

   $ MOUNT/SYSTEM DUA1: TEST1

   
   This command mounts the volume labeled TEST1 on DUA1. The /SYSTEM qualifier indicates that you are making the volume available to all users on the system.
4. UETP uses the [SYSTEST] directory when testing the disk. If the volume does not contain the directory [SYSTEST], you must create it. For example:

   $ CREATE/DIRECTORY/OWNER_UIC=[1,7] DUA1:[SYSTEST]

   
   This command creates a [SYSTEST] directory on DUA1 and assigns a user identification code (UIC) of [1,7]. The directory must have a UIC of [1,7] to run UETP.

If the disk you have mounted contains a root directory structure, you can create the [SYSTEST] directory in the [SYS0.] tree.

19.3.5 Magnetic Tape Drives

Set up magnetic tape drives that you want to test by performing the following steps:

1. Place a scratch magnetic tape with at least 600 feet of magnetic tape in the tape drive. Make sure that the write-enable ring is in place.
2. Position the magnetic tape at the BOT (beginning-of-tape) and put the drive on line.
3. Initialize each scratch magnetic tape with the label UETP. For example, if you have physically mounted a scratch magnetic tape on MUA1, enter the following command and press Return:

   $ INITIALIZE MUA1: UETP

   
   Magnetic tapes must be labeled UETP to be tested. As a safety feature, UETP does not test tapes that have been mounted with the MOUNT command.

If you encounter a problem initializing the magnetic tape or if the test has a problem accessing the magnetic tape, refer to the description of the INITIALIZE command in the OpenVMS DCL Dictionary.

19.3.6 Tape Cartridge Drives

To set up tape cartridge drives you want to test, perform the following steps:

1. Insert a scratch tape cartridge in the tape cartridge drive.
2. Initialize the tape cartridge. For example:

   $ INITIALIZE MUA0: UETP

   
   Tape cartridges must be labeled UETP to be tested. As a safety feature, UETP does not test tape cartridges that have been mounted with the MOUNT command.

If you encounter a problem initializing the tape cartridge, or if the test has a problem accessing the tape cartridge, refer to the description of the DCL INITIALIZE command in the OpenVMS DCL Dictionary.

TLZ04 Tape Drives

During the initialization phase, UETP sets a time limit of 6 minutes for a TLZ04 unit to complete the UETTAPE00 test. If the device does not complete the UETTAPE00 test within the allotted time, UETP displays a message similar to the following one:

-UETP-E-TEXT, UETTAPE00.EXE testing controller MKA was stopped ($DELPRC)
        at 16:23:23.07 because the time out period (UETP$INIT_TIMEOUT)
        expired or because it seemed hung or because UETINIT01 was aborted.

To increase the timeout value, enter a command similar to the following one before running UETP:

$  DEFINE/GROUP UETP$INIT_TIMEOUT "0000 00:08:00.00"

This example defines the initialization timeout value to 8 minutes.

19.3.7 Compact Disc Drives

To run UETP on an RRD40 or RRD50 compact disc drive, you must first load the test disc that you received with your compact disc drive unit.

19.3.8 Optical Disk Drives

To run UETP on an RV60 drive, set up the RV64 optical disk-storage system, perform the following steps:

1. Use the Jukebox Control Software (JCS) to load an optical disk in each of the RV60 drives. JCS is a layered product on the OpenVMS operating system that comes with the RV64 and is responsible for controlling the robot arm that loads and unloads the disks.
2. Initialize the optical disks with the label UETP, but do not mount them.

UETP tests all the RV60s present in the RV64 simultaneously. Unlike the tape tests, UETP does not reinitialize the optical disks at the end of the test.

19.3.9 Terminals and Line Printers

Terminals and line printers must be turned on and on line to be tested by UETP. Check that line printers and hardcopy terminals have enough paper. The amount of paper required depends on the number of UETP passes that you plan to execute. Each pass requires two pages for each line printer and hardcopy terminal.

Check that all terminals are set to the correct baud rate and are assigned appropriate characteristics. (Refer to the user's guide for your terminal.)

Spooled devices and devices allocated to queues fail the initialization phase of UETP and are not tested.

19.3.10 Ethernet Adapters

Make sure that no other processes are sharing the Ethernet adapter device when you run UETP.

Because either DECnet for OpenVMS or the LAT terminal server can try to use the Ethernet adapter (a shareable device), you must shut down DECnet and the LAT terminal server before you run the device test phase, if you want to test the Ethernet adapter.

19.3.11 DR11--W Data Interface (VAX Only)

The DR11--W data interface uses an internal logical loopback mode that tests all features except that of module connectors, cables, and transceivers.

Because random external patterns are generated during this operation, the user device or other processor might need to be isolated from the DR11--W data interface being tested until the testing is completed.

To test the DR11--W data interface properly, the E105 switchpack must be set as follows:

When UETP testing is completed, restore the DR11--W data interface to the proper operating configuration.

19.3.12 DRV11--WA Data Interface (VAX Only)

The DRV11--WA data interface is a general-purpose, 16-bit, parallel, direct memory access (DMA) data interface.

To prepare the DRV11--WA driver on a MicroVAX computer for UETP testing, be sure the following conditions exist:

• The jumpers on the DRV11--WA board are set to W2, W3, and W6.
• A loopback cable is connected to the DRV11--WA board.
• The DRV11--WA board occupies slots 8 to 12. If the DRV11--WA is in another location, timeout errors can occur.

When UETP testing is completed, restore the DRV11--WA to the proper operating configuration.