HP OpenVMS Systems

Duplicate? Files on Cluster Common System Disk?

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The Question is:

 
Could you explain why when I modify a user on one node in my 2 node cluster
 (not true cluster, just sharing disks) the modification is applied to both
 nodes.
 
I can see 2 sysuaf.dat files in the relevent areas for each node but do not
 understand the connection, please explain.
 
$ dir [sys*...]sysuaf.dat
 
Directory SYS$SYSDEVICE:[SYS0.SYSCOMMON.SYSEXE]
 
SYSUAF.DAT;1
 
Total of 1 file.
 
Directory SYS$SYSDEVICE:[SYS1.SYSCOMMON.SYSEXE]
 
SYSUAF.DAT;1
 
Total of 1 file.
 

The Answer is :

 
  Although there appear to be two different files here, in fact, they
  are one and the same.  To see that the two files are indeed the same
  file, use the DIRECTORY/FILE_ID command.
 
    $ directory /file_id [sys*...]sysuaf.dat
 
    Directory SYS$SYSDEVICE:[SYS0.SYSCOMMON.SYSEXE]
 
    SYSUAF.DAT;3         (12141,169,0)
 
    Total of 1 file.
 
    Directory SYS$SYSDEVICE:[SYS10.SYSCOMMON.SYSEXE]
 
    SYSUAF.DAT;3         (12141,169,0)
 
    Total of 1 file.
 
 
  This is a result of the cluster common directories used within an
  OpenVMS Cluster system disk -- all files in the SYSCOMMON root are
  shared, because the parent directories are aliases:
 
 
    $ directory /file_id [sys*]syscommon.dir
 
    Directory SYS$SYSDEVICE:[SYS0]
 
    SYSCOMMON.DIR;1      (15,1,0)
 
    Total of 1 file.
 
    Directory SYS$SYSDEVICE:[SYS10]
 
    SYSCOMMON.DIR;1      (15,1,0)
 
    Total of 1 file.
 
 
 
  These SYSCOMMON directory entries are aliases (see HELP SET FILE /ENTER
  for details) pointing for the real common directory file:
 
    $ directory /file_id [000000]vms$common.dir
 
    Directory SYS$SYSDEVICE:[000000]
 
    VMS$COMMON.DIR;1     (15,1,0)
 
    Total of 1 file.
 
 
 
  Other common (related) mistakes:
 
    o Deletion of what appears to be duplicate files found in one of
      the cluster roots -- see topic  (3502) -- which will actually
      delete the contents of all of the system roots.  The OpenVMS
      provided CLUSTER_CONFIG (and CLUSTER_CONFIG_LAN) tool can
      correctly remove an OpenVMS system root that is no longer
      necessary, for instance.
 
    o Assuming that DIRECTORY/SIZE (or DIRECTORY/SIZE=ALLOCATED) of
      the entire system disk will match the actual device usage.
      As DIRECTORY/SIZE does not recognize the results of the alias
      entries on the system disk, the usage value reported will be
      erroneously large.
 
 
  As for configuring a cluster, part of the central assumptions made
  in the operations of the cluster requires you to have exactly one
  authorization database (SYSUAF, RIGHTSLIST, VMS$OBJECTS, etc -- see
  SYLOGICALS.TEMPLATE on V7.2 or later for a list), or (if you choose
  to have different quotas or different user flags settings on different
  cluster member nodes) carefully coordinated UIC and identifier values,
  and requires you to avoid duplicating usernames (unless the user entries
  are the same user, of course).
 
  The OpenVMS Wizard would encourage a look at the cluster documentation
  that is available in the OpenVMS manual set.
 

  

     

     
answer written or last revised on ( 8-MAR-2001 )
     
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