HP OpenVMS Systems Documentation

HP OpenVMS Version 8.3--1H1
for Integrity Servers
New Features and Release Notes

An update to the [FREEWARE]FREEWARE_README.TXT, included on each OpenVMS Freeware CD, is available for download from the OpenVMS Freeware Web site at:

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/openvms/freeware/index.html

This updated file includes the correction to the displayed version number from V7.0 to the intended and expected V8.0, as well as additional updates and corrections.

As is traditional with the OpenVMS Freeware, all updates to existing files and new packages are available at the OpenVMS Freeware website.

3.23 Process/Application Hangs

The following restriction applies to the the LIBRTL documentation for the lib$find_image_symbol run-time library routine:

If your application might dynamically activate shareable images that use pthreads (or the older CMA thread interface), the main image must be linked with the pthread$rtl image.

3.24 Provisioning

The following release notes pertain to provisioning on OpenVMS Version 8.3-1H1.

3.24.1 BL860c System Must Be Powered ON

When provisioning a BL860c server blade, the system must be powered on. If the system is powered off the upgrade/install will fail, even though you can access the iLO.

3.24.2 InfoServer Name Length

The InfoServer name must be less than 12 characters long for provisioning to work. This is a temporary restriction.

3.24.3 Provisioning Multiple Servers

HP SIM provisioning (InfoServer or vMedia) can provision multiple servers simultaneously, but when vMedia is used independently (without HP SIM), only one server at a time can be provisioned.

3.24.4 Provisioning from HP SIM Central Management Server

OpenVMS can be provisioned from the HP SIM Central Management Server running Microsoft Windows 2003 server or SUSE Linux.

3.24.5 OpenVMS InfoServer and the Server Blade on the Same Local Area Network

The OpenVMS InfoServer and the server blade must be on the same Local Area Network to provision the server blade.

3.24.6 EFI Firmware

The EFI firmware for the BladeSystem must be at version 5.0 or later.

3.24.7 Management Processor

The Management Processor must be running the Advanced iLO2 firmware.

3.25 SYS$LDDRIVER Restriction

SYS$LDDRIVER.EXE is a freeware pseudo device driver that allows OpenVMS operating system to create virtual disks. For OpenVMS V7.3-1 and succeeding versions, this driver was placed in SYS$COMMON:[SYS$LDR] to support the creation of the source virtual disk for mastering a CD or DVD using CDRECORD or COPY/RECORDABLE_MEDIA. This is the only supported use of this freeware driver. All other uses of this driver continue to be subject to the following documented freeware usage restrictions:

OpenVMS Freeware is provided as is without a warranty. HP imposes no restrictions on its distribution or redistribution. HP does not support services for this software, fix the software, or guarantee that it works correctly.

3.26 RMS $PARSE Validation of Directory Files

Starting with OpenVMS Version 8.3, the $PARSE service further validates all directories named in a directory specification to ensure that the directory characteristic is set. In previous OpenVMS versions, attempting to use a file with a .DIR extension that was not a directory resulted in a SS$_BADIRECTORY error from the $OPEN service, but not necessarily from the $PARSE service. As of Version 8.3, the error is consistently returned by the $PARSE service as long as it is not a syntax-only $PARSE.

3.27 SCACP Error Counter Can Report Retransmit Errors

If the PEA0: device on the system shows a number of errors, these errors might be retransmit errors and not actual errors. To verify actual errors, use the SCACP utility to confirm whether there are a number of retransmits on the PEA0 channels and use the LANCP utility to identify whether any actual devices errors exist on the LAN devices that the PEdriver uses. If there are retransmits and no devices errors, then the PEA0: device errors are likely retransmits and not actual errors.

3.28 Serial Port Enumeration

On OpenVMS systems, enumeration is the process by which devices are assigned a letter and number following the OpenVMS generic device-type nomenclature. In the case of serial ports, enumeration is expressed as TTA0, TTB0, and so on, for generic serial port devices, and as OPA0 for a serial port device that has been selected as the system's primary console at the EFI Boot Manager or EFI Shell> prompt.

OpenVMS Version 8.2 consistently enumerated system serial ports according to the rules and precedents established by OpenVMS for Alpha systems. With OpenVMS Version 8.3, those rules were violated and users experienced inconsistent port naming, particularly on systems migrating from Version 8.2 to Version 8.3.

OpenVMS Version 8.3-1H1 returns to the consistent serial-port naming conventions established for HP Integrity in OpenVMS Version 8.2, with the goal of not changing serial port names more than necessary, and for consistency with the policy on OpenVMS Alpha systems. The names of the serial ports can change, because at least one serial port can serve more than one function.

The serial port selected as primary console is always OPA0. If the graphics console has been selected as primary, the keyboard and graphics head constitute OPA0, and the serial ports will be named TTA0, TTB0, and so on.

Unless the serial port of the Integrated Lights Out (iLO) Management Processer (MP) is selected as the primary console, it is not connected as a serial port and is not exposed by the Operating System. It is not suitable for general-purpose use because it cannot support the data rates a general-purpose serial port needs to support. This is an optional component in most systems. Check the options list shipped with your system and your system’s documentation at the HP Documentation website:

http://docs.hp.com

There are two possible serial ports that can be selected as the primary console, the iLO and the Baseboard Management Console (BMC). Whichever is selected as primary console will be expressed as OPA0 by OpenVMS; the other will be either TTA0 or TTB0 if the system has an additional serial port. The following list describes these abbreviations and their definitions.

The following table displays the sources for backpanel drawings covered in this section.

The following table provides serial-port naming for the HP Integrity platforms listed. The device selected as primary console is always named OPA0.

Upon installation, OpenVMS Version 8.3-1H1 begins writing new messages to the system event log. To see the system event eog, select it (on most systems) from the main MP menu (SL: Show Event Logs).

Older firmware translates the messages as "IPMI Type-E0 Event," instead of the correct OS_OPENVMS_BUGCHECK and OS_OPENVMS_SHUTDOWN.

The following shows the OS_OPENVMS_BUGCHECK message (alert level *5 - critical) on a system running older firmware:

291        0  *5  0xB4801C9700E01B50 000000000019000C IPMI Type-E0 Event
                                                      30 Jul 2007 14:03:41

The following is an example of OS_OPENVMS_SHUTDOWN message (alert level 2 - informational) on a system running older firmware:

296        0   2  0x54801C9900E01BD0 00000000001A000C IPMI Type-E0 Event
                                                      30 Jul 2007 14:22:06

The new firmware uses the phrase "OS_OPENVMS_BUGCHECK" or "OS_OPENVMS_SHUTDOWN" in place of "IPMI Type-E0 Event".

A third message, OS_BOOT_COMPLETE, has a different alert level on a system running new firmware. It has been changed by OpenVMS to informational, or level 2:

301   OS   0   2  0x548016E100E01B80 0000000000000001 OS_BOOT_COMPLETE
                                                      23 Aug 2007 14:25:44

New firmware displays the following message when "T - View Mode Configuration Text" is selected:

MP:SL (+,-,CR,D, F, L, J, H, K, T, A, U, ? for Help, Q or Ctrl-B to Quit) >t .
.
.

Log Entry 301: 23 Aug 2007 14:25:44
Alert Level 2: Informational
Keyword: OS_BOOT_COMPLETE
OS Boot Complete
Logged by: O/S Kernel (Generic)  0
Data: Major change in system state - Boot Complete 0x548016E100E01B80 0000000000000001

It is possible to utilize ASTs in threaded programs. Section B.12.5 in the Guide to the POSIX Threads Library describes some general usage notes and cautions. However, that section does not make clear how AST delivery behaves in programs with upcalls disabled (which is the default configuration).

In a program with upcalls disabled, user-mode ASTs will interrupt whatever thread happens to be executing at the moment that the AST is delivered. Therefore the AST service routine cannot make any assumptions about the context in which it executes (with respect to thread ID, stack space available, etc.).

Also, note that much of the material in Section B.12.5 of the Guide describes a possible future version of OpenVMS. The description of generalized "per-thread" or thread-targeted ASTs represents possible future enhancements to the operating system. In all OpenVMS releases to date, however, user-mode ASTs are treated as if they are directed to the process as a whole.

3.31 TZ Function in the CRTL

The TZ logical name or DCL symbol is used by the C Run-Time Library to define the time zone to be used in certain C program time-related functions. (For a full description of TZ, its use, and specific functions see the C Run-Time Library documentation.)

The TZ logical name or DCL symbol has been used by the C Run-Time Library since Version 7.3 of OpenVMS. However, with Version 8.3, there has been a change.

Prior to Version 8.3, defining TZ to something other than a valid time zone caused the time zone to default to localtime (that is, the current time zone of your system). With OpenVMS Version 8.3, defining TZ to an invalid timezone causes the C Run-Time Library’s Time functions to resort to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) time.

Be aware that if you define the logical name or DCL symbol TZ to a non-standard definition, doing so might cause undesirable side-effects in some C programs.

3.32 HP TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS

HP strongly recommends that you apply the current Engineering Change Order (ECO) for TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Version 5.5 after upgrading to OpenVMS Version 8.2--1 to ensure that the latest software is installed.

3.33 Virtual Connect

The following sections pertain to Virtual Connect.

3.33.1 Failover and RECNXINTERVAL

RECNXINTERVAL may have to be increased above the default of 20 to allow time for Virtual Connect Manager failovers. This is especially true in larger clusters.

3.33.2 Fibre SCSI

If you are installing OpenVMS Version 3.1-1H1 on an HP Integrity BL860c Server Blade, an updated Fibre SCSI kit is required for Virtual Connect. Refer to the OpenVMS web site for updated kits:

http://www.hp.com/go/openvms/

The default value for the sysgen parameter CPU_POWER_MGMT has changed from 1 to 0 (that is, from on to off). This change improves the latency of interrupts and of CPUs exiting from IDLE. This value may change again in future versions of OpenVMS.

3.35 Booting A Satellite System with Reserved Memory

To use the SYSMAN reserved memory feature on an Integrity satellite system the file SYS$SYSTEM:VMS$RESERVED_MEMORY.DATA must allow world READ+EXECUTE access. Failure to set this access protection results in the warning when booting the satellite:

%VMS_LOADER-W-Warning: Unable to load file SYS$SYSTEM:VMS$RESERVED_MEMORY.DATA

After running SYSMAN to add memory reservations to a satellite, execute SYS$MANAGER:CLUSTER_CONFIG_LAN.COM to set the correct protection on the VMS$RESERVED_MEMORY.DATA file. To set the protection, from the cluster configuation procedure "Main Menu" select:

3. CHANGE a cluster member's characteristics.

From the "CHANGE Menu" select the following:

13. Reset an IA64 satellite node's boot environment file protections.

    What is the satellite name (leave blank to use a specific device and root)?

Enter the satellite name or satellite boot device and root for the system where you added the memory reservation. SYSMAN will be fixed in a later release to eliminate this condition.