Re: system directory confusion

From: Richard B. Gilbert (rgilbert88_at_comcast.net)
Date: 02/20/04 

Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2004 18:23:49 -0500

I would exercise extreme caution about moving any of the SYS$* files
from their default locations. They work just fine right where they are
and everyone assumes that they will be found in their default
locations. I've been a system manager for twenty years now and have
never found it necessary to move SYSTARTUP_VMS (or any of its
predecessors) or SYLOGICALS.

Just for the record, the default location of both of these files is
SYS$COMMON:[SYSMGR].

SYS$STARTUP is a search list which translates to
1. SYS$SYSROOT:[SYS$STARTUP]
2. SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSMGR]
and SYS$SYSROOT is, itself, a search list which translates to
1 SYS$SYSDEVICE:[SYSn.]
2 SYS$SYSDEVICE:[SYSn.SYSCOMMON.]

I assume that either you have misunderstood the authors, they have
failed to clearly express what they meant, or both. I wouldn't touch
this advice (as you have reported it) with the proverbial ten foot pole.

A cluster can, and sometimes should, have node specific startup files.
These are generally invoked from SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM and generally live in
SYS$SPECIFIC:[SYSMGR] for the system on which they are to be executed.
The SYS$SPECIFIC[SYSMGR] location ensures that, even if you fat finger
something or have a brain fart, that only the specific startup files
belonging to that node can be executed.

Hoff can doubtless speak for himself; he hangs out here. Professor
Miller used to, don't know if he still does.

Alder wrote:

> As a newcomer to VMS I was eager to get my hands on "OpenvMS System
> Management Guide, 2nd Edition" by Baldwin, Hoffman, and Miller. It's
> stuffed full of great information that's helped me get my system
> organized and generally explains things quite well.
>
> Chapter 5 deals with system startup and suggests (page 64), for
> reasons of easing into clusters, moving the default site-specific
> startup procedures from their default location in SYS$MANAGER to the
> cluster-common startup directories (page 64).
>
> Right above Table 5.5 the authors state that these files should be
> moved to the SYS$COMMON:[SYS$STARTUP] directory, then in Table 5.5
> they state the directory should be SYS$COMMON:[SYSMGR]. Are these two
> directories effectively the same at system startup? Will
> SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM and SYLOGICALS.COM be executed if I choose either
> directory?
>
> Thanks,
> Alder
>
>
>