Digital Equipment digital VAX 8200 User manual

dt
OpenVMS Systems Operations Guide:
VAX 8200 and VAX 8300 Systems
EK–V8283–OG. A01
Digital Equipment Corporation

February, 1993
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not
be construed as a commitment by Digital Equipment Corporation. Digital Equipment
Corporation assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document.
Copyright © Digital Equipment Corporation 1993
All Rights Reserved.
Printed in U.S.A.
FCC NOTICE: The equipment described in this manual generates, uses, and may emit
radio frequency energy. The equipment has been type tested and found to comply with
the limits for a Class A computing device pursuant to Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC
Rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such radio frequency
interference when operated in a commercial environment. Operation of this equipment in
a residential area may cause interference, in which case the user at his own expense may
be required to take measures to correct the interference.
The following are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation: CI, HSC, MSCP,
OpenVMS, RT-11, RX50, VAX, VAX 8200, VAX 8300, VAX 8350, VAXBI, VMS, and the
DIGITAL logo.

Contents
About This Guide v
1 Console Subsystem
1.1 Introduction ...................................... 1–1
1.2 Console Terminal . . . ............................... 1–1
1.3 Control Panel ..................................... 1–1
1.4 Console Dual-Diskette Drive . . ....................... 1–5
1.4.1 Inserting or Removing a Diskette ................... 1–5
1.5 Console Command Language . . ....................... 1–7
2 System Boot Procedures
2.1 Introduction ...................................... 2–1
2.2 Boot Command Procedures . . . ....................... 2–2
2.3 The BOOT58 Program .............................. 2–4
2.4 Booting from a Local Drive . . . ....................... 2–6
2.4.1 Automatic Boot . . ............................... 2–6
2.4.2 Manual Boot ................................... 2–7
2.4.3 Creating Auxiliary Boot Command Procedures . . . ...... 2–8
2.4.4 Using Auxiliary Boot Command Procedures ........... 2–11
2.4.5 Writing a New Boot Block on a Local System Disk ...... 2–12
2.5 Booting from an HSC Drive . . . ....................... 2–14
2.5.1 Using the BOOT58 Program ....................... 2–14
2.6 Creating Default Boot Command Procedures ............. 2–17
2.6.1 Booting with DEFBOO.CMD ....................... 2–20
2.6.2 Booting with DEFBOO.GEN ....................... 2–20
2.7 Conversational Boot . ............................... 2–21
2.7.1 Local Drive..................................... 2–21
2.7.2 HSC Drive ..................................... 2–23
2.8 Booting from a Different Directory on the System Disk ..... 2–24
2.9 Booting from SYSF During an Upgrade . . ............... 2–27
iii

iv Contents
3 System Shutdown Procedures
3.1 Orderly Shutdown with SHUTDOWN.COM ............. 3–1
3.2 Emergency Shutdown with CRASH Commands ........... 3–1
4 System Backup Procedures
4.1 Introduction ...................................... 4–1
4.2 Using Standalone BACKUP . . . ....................... 4–2
4.3 Installing Standalone BACKUP on the System Disk . ...... 4–3
4.4 Booting Standalone BACKUP from the System Disk . ...... 4–3
4.5 Installing Standalone BACKUP on Floppy Diskettes . ...... 4–8
4.6 Booting Standalone BACKUP from Floppy Diskettes ...... 4–11
4.7 Backing Up the Console RX50 . ....................... 4–15
Examples
3–1 Sample CRASH Command Sequence ................... 3–3
Figures
1–1 Control Panel ..................................... 1–2
1–2 Inserting a Diskette into CSA2 ....................... 1–6
Tables
1–1 Upper Keylock Switch Settings ....................... 1–2
1–2 Lower Keylock Switch Settings ....................... 1–3
1–3 Indicator Lights ................................... 1–3
1–4 Restart Push Button Functions ....................... 1–4
1–5 Most Commonly Used Console Mode Commands .......... 1–8
2–1 BOOT58 Commands. ............................... 2–4

AboutThisGuide
This document is a quick reference guide of basic systems operations for
VAX 8200 and VAX 8300 systems. It summarizes such system tasks as
booting and console operation as they relate to VAX 8200 and VAX 8300
systems.
Intended Audience
This guide is designed primarily for the following:
• System software support personnel
• Digital Services personnel
• System managers
• Instructors and participants in certain OpenVMS operating system
courses:
Systems Troubleshooting
System and Network Management I, II, and III
Document Scope
This guide describes various aspects of VAX 8200 and VAX 8300 systems
operations including:
• Console subsystem overview
• Operators control panel
• Console command language
• System boot procedures
• System shutdown procedures
• System backup procedures
v

1
ConsoleSubsystem
1.1 Introduction
The console subsystem provides the means to control and monitor system
operations and to examine and deposit data in memory or processor
registers. The console subsystem consists of the following:
• Console terminal
• Control panel
• Console diskette drive
• Console command language
1.2 Console Terminal
The console terminal is a hardcopy terminal which prints a log of
processor activities. Ensure that the terminal always contains enough
paper.
1.3 Control Panel
VAX 8200 and VAX 8300 control panels are nearly identical. The panel is
located on the front of the system cabinet and includes the following:
• A 4-position keylock switch
• A 3-position keylock switch
• Three processor indicator lights
• Restart push button
1–1

1–2 Console Subsystem
Figure 1–1 shows the control panel. Refer to Tables 1–1 to Table 1–4 for
descriptions of the two keylock switches, the three indicator lights, and
the restart push button.
Figure 1–1 Control Panel
Standby
Enable
Secure
Update
Halt
Auto Start Restart
Fault
Battery
Run
ZK−7445−GE
0
Table 1–1 Upper Keylock Switch Settings
Setting Meaning
Off Turns off power in the entire system, including the battery
backup unit. There is no corresponding light for this key
position.
Standby Turns on the power supply, the blower in the main unit, and
system memory; the corresponding indicator light glows red.
Enable When the switch setting is changed from Standby to Enable, the
system self-tests run. When the upper keylock switch is set to
Enable, the corresponding indicator light glows yellow. Power
is supplied to the entire system. You can use the local console
terminal in console mode to control the computer.
If the lower keylock switch is set to Auto Start, pressing the
Restart push button reboots the system.
Secure This setting maintains power to the entire system and is used
for normal operation; the corresponding indicator light glows
green. You cannot use the local console terminal in console mode
to control the processor. You cannot reboot the operating system
by pressing the Restart push button.

Console Subsystem 1–3
Table 1–2 Lower Keylock Switch Settings
Setting Meaning
Update When the lower keylock switch is set to Update, the
corresponding indicator light glows red. You can change data
in the Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory
(EEPROM) using the EEPROM utility.
Halt When the lower keylock switch is set to Halt, the corresponding
indicator light glows yellow. The system halts in console
mode. It displays the console-mode prompt (>>>) at the console
terminal when power is turned on after a power failure, after
an error halt, or after a shutdown. This setting prevents
booting of the operating system when power is turned on.
Auto Start When the lower keylock switch is set to Auto Start, the
corresponding indicator light glows green. Use this setting for
normal system operation to let the system reboot automatically
when power is restored after a power failure, after an error
halt, or after a shutdown. If the upper keylock switch is set to
Enable, pressing the Restart push button reboots the system.
Table 1–3 Indicator Lights
Label Meaning
Run Glows when the processor is running and the console subsystem is in
program mode.
Battery Indicates the state of the backup battery unit (BBU):
Indicator State BBU State
Steady glow Fully charged
Slow flashing Charging
Quick flashing Supplying power to system
No light Not present or failed
Fault Glows during self-tests and turns off when self-tests complete
successfully. If the Fault light continues to glow after self-tests
complete, the self-tests have detected a hardware fault. If the Fault
light glows after self-tests complete and the OpenVMS operating
system boots, the system has detected a failure in a hardware module.

1–4 Console Subsystem
Table 1–4 Restart Push Button Functions
Upper Keylock
Switch Setting Lower Keylock Switch Setting Restart Button Function
Enable Autostart Runs self-test and reboots the
OpenVMS operating system
Enable Update or Halt Runs self-test
Stand by or Secure Any position Disabled

Console Subsystem 1–5
1.4 Console Dual-Diskette Drive
The RX50, a dual-diskette drive, is located on the front of the system
cabinet.
The diskette drive is mounted vertically on some processors and
horizontally on others. On a vertical drive, the left diskette drive
is referred to as CSA1, and the right diskette drive as CSA2. On a
horizontal drive, the top diskette drive is referred to as CSA1, and the
bottom diskette drive as CSA2.
The console RX50 diskette contains the BOOT58 program. BOOT58
boots, or loads, the operating system into processor memory. It also is
used to do the following tasks:
• Install updates
• Install optional software products
• Boot standalone BACKUP
• Store boot command procedures
When using the console dual-diskette drive shown in Figure 1–2, you
should be aware of the following:
• The light below the drive flashes when the floppy diskette is actually
moving (being read or written to). If this light is off, the drive is
inactive. Never attempt to remove a floppy diskette when the light
is flashing or glowing; this damages the floppy diskette and might
damage the drive.
• The light is off when the drive is empty. The only time you can
remove a floppy diskette is when the light is off.
1.4.1 Inserting or Removing a Diskette
Refer to Figure 1–2.
To insert a diskette into console diskette drive CSA2, follow steps 1
through 6. To remove a diskette, follow steps 1 through 3.
1. Make sure the diskette drive is inactive. The light below the drive
should be off. Never attempt to open the diskette drive door if the
light is glowing or flashing.
2. Press the outer portion of the right door to open console diskette drive
CSA2.

1–6 Console Subsystem
3. If there is a diskette in the drive, remove it gently, taking care not
to touch any exposed platter surfaces. Place the diskette in a paper
envelope.
4. Remove the diskette to be inserted from its paper envelope; do not
touch any exposed platter surfaces.
5. Align the orange arrow on the diskette with the orange bar on the
drive. Slide the diskette into the left-hand side of the drive. (If the
diskette is aligned improperly, the system displays an error message.
If the system displays an error message, remove the diskette, realign
it, and reinsert it.)
6. Close the diskette drive door.
Figure 1–2 Inserting a Diskette into CSA2
ZK−1680−GE
Floppy
Drive 2
Floppy
Drive 1
Write−Protect
Notch Upward
Alignment
Arrow
Read/Write
Access Slot
Forward

Console Subsystem 1–7
1.5 Console Command Language
The console subsystem runs in two different modes: program mode and
console mode.
Program mode
When the console subsystem is in program mode, the OpenVMS operating
system is running and the dollar sign prompt ($) is displayed. You can
enter DCL commands, run programs, and receive system messages.
If the OpenVMS operating system is running and you want to to go to
console mode, follow the shutdown procedure. You also can press Ctrl/P to
suspend program mode temporarily and go to console mode. To get back
to program mode, enter the CONTINUE command at the console-mode
prompt (>>>).
Console mode
When the console subsystem is in console mode, the OpenVMS operating
system is not running and the console-mode prompt (>>>) is displayed.
The CPU can be running or it can be stopped. When the CPU is running,
it responds to a limited number of commands. When the CPU is stopped,
it responds to all console-mode commands. To stop the CPU, press Ctrl/P
at the console-mode prompt (>>>).
To go from console mode to program mode, boot the OpenVMS operating
system.
Table 1–5 describes the most commonly used console mode commands.

1–8 Console Subsystem
Table 1–5 Most Commonly Used Console Mode Commands
Command Definition
BOOT Executes a console command procedure that loads a VAX
software program into memory. The console command
procedure then transfers control to the program in
memory and puts the console subsystem in program mode.
During the installation procedure, use the abbreviation,
B, for the BOOT command.
CONTINUE Changes from console mode to program mode. If the
CPU clock is operating when you type the CONTINUE
command, the processor restarts execution of the halted
program. If the CPU clock is not operating when you type
the CONTINUE command, the CPU clock starts as the
console subsystem enters program mode.
DEPOSIT Puts a value in the specified register or memory location.
During the installation procedure, use the abbreviation,
D, for the DEPOSIT command.
EXAMINE Displays a value in the specified register or memory
location.
HALT Resets the default console conditions after the processor
stops.

2
SystemBootProcedures
2.1 Introduction
Booting is the process of loading system software from the system disk
into the processor’s memory. VAX 8200 and VAX 8300 systems use the
BOOT command and boot command procedures to perform this operation.
The method selected to boot the system depends on whether the system
disk is on a local drive or on an HSC drive. If the system disk is on
a local drive, the easiest way to boot the system is to do an automatic
boot from the drive designated in the EEPROM (Electrically Erasable
Programmable Read-Only Memory). If you want to boot from a drive
other than the one designated in the EEPROM, you can do a manual boot.
In either case, you do not need a boot command procedure. If the boot
block on the system disk becomes corrupted, you can use auxiliary boot
command procedures that let you boot from a local drive.
If the system disk is on an HSC drive, you use the BOOT58 program and
a boot command procedure. You also can create default boot command
procedures so that the system boots automatically from a particular drive.
If you have a VAX 8300 or VAX 8350 computer, you can set certain
SYSGEN parameters to control how many CPUs are activated at boot
time and the character of a multiprocessing system. In a multiprocessing
system, the primary CPU is always booted. By default, all available
CPUs are booted in a multiprocessing system. If you want to change
this, you can set the SYSGEN parameter SMP_CPUS to tell the system
which CPU to boot. For information on SYSGEN parameters that affect
multiprocessing, see the VMS System Generation Utility Manual.
2–1

2–2 System Boot Procedures
NOTE
If you plan to boot from a UDA50 supported device, you must keep
in mind when you configure the system that the maximum unit
number that can be booted is 15 (hexadecimal F).
2.2 Boot Command Procedures
A boot command procedure does the following:
• Sets up the system environment
• Deposits values in registers
• Tells the system what type of drive the system disk is on as well as
the controller designation and the unit number of the drive
• Loads the OpenVMS operating system into memory
• Starts the CPU
The console RX50 contains the BOOT58 program and the boot command
procedures. To boot the OpenVMS operating system with a boot command
procedure, you must insert the console RX50 in console diskette drive
CSA1 and start the BOOT58 program.
To find out what is on the console RX50, use the following procedure:
NOTE
This procedure assumes that you have installed and booted the
OpenVMS operating system and are logged in to the SYSTEM
account.

System Boot Procedures 2–3
1. Make sure that the console RX50 is in console diskette drive CSA1.
2. To connect the console drive to the system, enter the following
commands and press Return after each one:
$ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSGEN
SYSGEN> CONNECT CONSOLE
SYSGEN> EXIT
3. Use the Exchange utility to display a list of the boot command
procedures on the console RX50. Boot command procedures are
files that start with either CI or D and end with either BOO or GEN.
The file type is CMD. Enter the following command and press Return:
$ EXCHANGE DIR CSA1 C*,D*
For example:
Directory of RT-11 volume _CSA1: 19-JUN-1990 13:00
CIBOO.CMD
CI0GEN.CMD
CI4GEN.CMD
C16GEN.CMD
C18GEN.CMD
.
.
.
4. When you are finished, enter the following command and press
Return:
$ DISMOUNT CSA1:
5. To secure the console RX50 from unauthorized access, you must enter
the following command and press Return:
$ MOUNT/FOREIGN/SYSTEM/NOWRITE/NOASSIST CSA1:

2–4 System Boot Procedures
2.3 The BOOT58 Program
You can use the BOOT58 program, which is located on the console RX50,
to boot the OpenVMS operating system from an HSC drive. You also can
use the BOOT58 program to boot the OpenVMS operating system from a
local drive when the boot block on the system disk becomes corrupted.
To start BOOT58, enter the following command and press Return:
>>> B/R5:800 CSA1
The BOOT58> prompt is displayed. Table 2–1 lists the commands that
you can enter at the BOOT58> prompt.
Table 2–1 BOOT58 Commands
Command Function
DEPOSIT [loc-qual]
[,size-qual] location value Deposits a hexadecimal value in the specified location. The location is interpreted according
to the location and size qualifiers. The location
qualifier can be expressed as follows:
/G general register
/I internal processor register
/P physical memory
The size qualifier can be expressed as follows:
/B byte
/W word
/L longword
If you do not specify the location or size qualifier,
the default values established by a previous
command are used.

System Boot Procedures 2–5
Table 2–1 (Continued) BOOT58 Commands
Command Function
EXAMINE [loc-qual]
[,size-qual] location Displays the contents of the specified location. The location is interpreted according to the
location and size qualifiers. The location qualifier
can be expressed as follows:
/G general register
/I internal processor register
/P physical memory
The size qualifier can be expressed as follows:
/B byte
/W word
/L longword
If you do not specify the location or size qualifier,
the default values established by a previous
command are used.
HELP Displays the BOOT58 help file at the console
terminal. You cannot specify this command
within a command procedure.
LOAD file-spec
[/START:address] Loads a file from the boot device into memory, starting at the address specified with the /START
qualifier. If you omit the /START qualifier, the
file is loaded into memory beginning at the first
free address.
START address Transfers control to the address specified. Use
this command with the LOAD command.
@file-spec Executes the specified command procedure. The
file specification for a command procedure cannot
have more than six characters. This format is
valid only at the BOOT58> prompt. For example:
BOOT58> @CIBOO.CMD
Enter the BOOT command or use the @ command to choose a boot
command procedure with which to boot the OpenVMS operating system.

2–6 System Boot Procedures
2.4 Booting from a Local Drive
There are several ways to boot the system from a local drive. You can
perform an automatic boot from the default boot device designated in the
EEPROM. You also can perform a manual boot. In either case you do not
need a boot command procedure.
Create auxiliary boot command procedures after you boot the system the
first time. These procedures let you boot from a local drive if the boot
block on the system disk becomes corrupted.
2.4.1 Automatic Boot
You can boot the OpenVMS operating system automatically from the drive
designated in the EEPROM, the default boot device, when you do any of
the following:
NOTE
The default boot device must be the local drive, CSA1. To change
the designation of the default boot device in the EEPROM, see the
hardware documentation for your system.
• Set the upper keylock switch to Enable and the lower keylock switch
to Auto Start. Turn on the power. The system boots automatically.
• At the console-mode prompt (>>>), enter the following command and
press Return:
>>> B
• Set the upper keylock switch to Enable and the lower keylock switch
to Auto Start. Execute SHUTDOWN.COM and specify the auto reboot
option. The system reboots automatically.
• If the upper keylock switch is set to Enable and the lower keylock
switch is set to Auto Start when the system shuts down due to a
bugcheck, the system reboots automatically.
The system sometimes boots automatically when a power failure occurs.
If the upper keylock switch is set to Enable and the lower keylock switch
to Auto Start, when a power failure occurs and the contents of memory
are lost, the system boots when power is restored.
If a power failure occurs and a battery backup unit saves the contents of
memory, the system restarts execution where it was interrupted by the
power failure.