Getting Started with OpenVMS System Management (HP Technologies)

Digital/Compaq/HP Manuals

The Compaq/HP document titles do not follow any particular standard, so the content is sometimes difficult to imagine by reading the title only. Furthermore, I find the packing of several manuals under a single title to be occasionally confusing. So I have added some helpful comments to each title to help you recognize its worth. When all else fails, start your search in the Master Index. It is very thorough and accurate. Most of these can be found online at www.openvms.compaq.com:8000.

Compaq Availability Manager User's Guide

• This product is a GUI for account, disk, and queue management. It can be run from either an OpenVMS terminal or a Windows terminal.

Compaq DECprint Supervisor (DCPS) for OpenVMS

• This is not currently available online. This product is licensed with the OpenVMS license.

Compaq OpenVMS Operating System for Alpha and VAX, Version 7.3

• This is the software product description (SPD) for OpenVMS 7.3.

Compaq TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Concepts and Planning

• This is the top-level TCP/IP document. It points to the other ten (or more) that are available.

Compaq TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Management

• This is an invaluable tutorial for OpenVMS TCP/IP. In particular, TCP/IP network printers are discussed in Part 6.

Compaq TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Tuning and Troubleshooting

• TCP/IP Services includes extensive performance collection capabilities. This manual shows how to monitor and tune TCP/IP effectively and in detail.

DECnet for OpenVMS Networking Manual

• This is the "Bible" for DECnet IV

DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS Introduction and User's Guide

• This references nine additional DECnet-Plus documents.

DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS Network Management

• This is the DECnet V management authority. It also discusses migration from DECnet IV to DECnet V.

Guide to OpenVMS File Applications

• Describes OpenVMS Record Management System (RMS) file types and their applications.

OpenVMS Alpha System Analysis Tools Manual

• Details the Alpha implementation of the system dump analyzer (SDA).

OpenVMS Command Definition, Librarian, and Message Utilities Manual

• This manual is actually a collection of three unrelated utilities:

  1. Command Definition describes the mechanism that OpenVMS uses to parse command parameters for processing by an application.

  2. The Librarian is a utility used throughout OpenVMS for various types of libraries. This manual details use of the LIBRARY command.

  3. All OpenVMS messages are managed via a database. Compaq/HP recommends that user-written applications also use that database for consistency, and this manual describes how to do it.

OpenVMS DCL Dictionary

• This is an unlikely title for the manual that describes many of the Digital Command Language (DCL) commands and their options. It includes numerous examples as well. It is a two-volume set (i.e., A–M and N–Z).

OpenVMS Guide to System Security

• This is a philosophy book as well as a detailed how-to book. Use this book when formulating site security, because DEC engineers have solutions for situations that have never crossed your mind.

OpenVMS License Management Utility Manual

• This manual describes software licensing philosophy generally. It also includes a description of the LICENSE command.

OpenVMS Management Station Overview and Release Notes

• This management software runs on a PC. This document is only a brief description. Full documentation is available, once it is installed on the PC, under the HELP feature.

OpenVMS Master Index

• This is an invaluable index, because it cross-references a given topic to the several documents that discuss it. Furthermore, its subheadings are detailed so that often only one probe will lead you to the desired material.

The OpenVMS online HELP facility is easy to use and complete. It includes many examples and complements the OpenVMS DCL Dictionary primarily.

OpenVMS Performance Management

• This book begins with a philosophical discussion of operating system performance. A manager cannot deal with statements such as, "My program takes too long to execute" very well. The manager is encouraged to ask the right questions before attempting to change any of the OpenVMS parameters. Then it describes the OpenVMS tuning algorithms extensively. In the process of describing the algorithms, it describes how to use the performance programs available with OpenVMS.

Open VMS Software Overview

• Although a bit dated now, this introductory document defines and illustrates many of the OpenVMS capabilities and features.

OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference Manual

• This is another collection of independent manuals required to manage the system, divided into two volumes (i.e., A–L and M–Z). This manual picks up where the DCL Dictionary leaves off. That is, normal users do not have any business poking around in this collection because they are not privileged enough to use them. It includes the various system management utilities needed every day (e.g., ACCOUNTING, ANALYZE/AUDIT, AUTHORIZE, BACKUP, DECevent, LANCP, LATCP, and SYSMAN) and describes them completely with many examples.

OpenVMS System Manager's Manual: Volume 1: Essentials

• This is the manager's primary reference.

OpenVMS System Manager's Manual: Volume 2: Tuning, Monitoring, and Complex Systems

• This is the manager's other primary reference, actually a continuation of Volume 1, a mere packing ploy. If the two were bound together (think hard copy), it would be too awkward to manage.

OpenVMS VAX System Dump Analyzer Utility Manual

• Details the VAX implementation of system dump analyzer (SDA).

Volume Shadowing for OpenVMS

• This manual discusses all aspects of shadowing, including how to back up a shadow set, with many examples.