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Installing VSI OpenVMS x86-64 E9.2-4

This section describes how to boot and perform a fresh installation of VSI OpenVMS x86-64 E9.2-4 on a guest virtual machine. If you want to upgrade an existing OpenVMS system, see Upgrading to VSI OpenVMS x86-64 E9.2-4.

Before you install VSI OpenVMS x86-64 E9.2-4 on your virtual machine, ensure it has been created and configured as described in the guide for creating a virtual machine on your hypervisor (OpenVMS on KVM or OpenVMS on ESXi).

Once you have created and powered on your VM, follow these steps:

  1. Depending on your hypervisor of choice and the boot settings of your VM, you will either see the UEFI Shell> prompt or the VSI Boot Manager screen.

    EFI Shell version 2.70 [1.0]
Current running mode 1.1.2
Device mapping table
fs0     :CDRom - Alias cd21b0a0 blk0
        PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x11,0x0)/Pci(0x1,0x0)/Sata(0x1,0x0,0x0)/CDROM(0x0,0x1B,0xE800)
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.
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Press ESC in 1 seconds to skip startup.nsh, any other key to continue.
Shell>

    Perform the following steps:

    1. At the Shell> prompt, enter map fs* to display all file systems available on your VM.
    2. Locate the file system that maps to the VSI OpenVMS E9.2-4 ISO file. Since that ISO has been set up as a CDROM, the file system that maps to it will be labeled as CDROM as well. As an example, we will assume that the file system we want is FS0.
    3. At the Shell> prompt, enter: 
      fs0:\efi\vms\vms_bootmgr.efi

    After this, you should see the VSI Boot Manager screen. Proceed to the next step.

    Proceed to the next step.

  2. If you plan to use the Guest Console feature instead of a serial port, enter OPA0 at the BOOTMGR> prompt or select the OPA0 checkbox with the arrow keys and press Enter.

    You will see the following message indicating that the Guest Console is enabled:

    ENABLED: Guest Console OPA0 terminal (use local keyboard & display instead of serial port). 
The Guest Console provides a minimal OPA0 terminal (no resizing or cut-and-paste).
SET TERM/INQUIRE to set the terminal size.

    For more information, refer to the VSI OpenVMS x86-64 Boot Manager User Guide.

  3. At the BOOTMGR> prompt, enter DEVICES to display the list of available bootable OpenVMS devices.

    Note

    Boot Manager connects the UEFI drivers for detected controllers to ensure that all available boot devices are discovered. On systems with a large number of controllers or Fibre Channel devices, delays may be encountered during the process. The following informational message is displayed: 

    Identifying devices. This may take a while. COMPLETED

  4. From the list, identify the device that contains the ISO file with the new version of VSI OpenVMS (it will be labeled as a CDROM or DVD). Enter BOOT device-name, where device-name is the name of the disk that contains your ISO file (not the name of the ISO file itself). As an example, we enter:

    BOOT DKA100

    What you see after the progress meter reaches 100% depends on whether you are using the Guest Console or a serial port.

    You should see the OpenVMS installation menu. Proceed to the next step.

    You should see the following screen:

    Establish a remote connection to your VM via a terminal emulator. Depending on your hypervisor of choice, VSI recommends using the following methods:

    You can choose to connect via Telnet or a named pipe, depending on how you set up your VM (see the serial-port setup step in OpenVMS on ESXi).

    Note

    Make sure that the port used by your VM can go through the ESXi firewall. If you are having trouble at this stage, refer to OpenVMS on ESXi.

    Perform the following procedure:

    1. Make sure that the serial console is enabled and started on the host server.
    2. Make sure that virsh is connected to the hypervisor that you are using.
    3. Start virsh and enter the command console vm-name, where vm-name is the name of the VM that you want to connect to.

    For more details, refer to OpenVMS on KVM.

    When the BOOTMGR> prompt appears, your terminal emulator should automatically connect to your VM. However, if that does not happen, you can initiate command output to the serial port manually by entering the command:

    BOOTMGR> COM n

    where n is the serial port number that your VM uses. For more information, refer to Routing and Logging Boot Manager Output.

  5. Upon connecting, you should see the VSI OpenVMS installation menu and/or the Enter CHOICE or ? for help: (1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/?) prompt.

    Note

    If the prompt does not appear, and the output appears blank or unchanging, press Enter. The prompt should now appear. To see the OpenVMS installation menu, type ?, then hit Enter two times.

    Important

    VSI OpenVMS x86-64 E9.2-4 does not support installation menu items number 3, 5, and 7. Also, do not use item number 6 unless directly instructed otherwise.

  6. Enter 1 to start the installation process.

  7. Since this is a new installation, answer INITIALIZE to the Do you want to INITIALIZE or to PRESERVE? question.

  8. At the Enter device name for target disk: prompt, enter the name of the disk where you want to install VSI OpenVMS.

    To display a list of available devices, enter ?. To display a list of devices with their volume label and size, enter ??. As an example, we will enter DKA0:.

  9. At the Enter volume label for target system disk prompt, enter the label that you want to assign to your system disk. As an example, we will enter SYSTEMDISK.

    Important

    In a cluster, all system disks must have unique labels.

  10. You will see the Do you want to enable hard links? question. This choice is up to you and depends on how you are using or plan to use your OpenVMS system. For more information about hard links, see the VSI OpenVMS System Manager's Manual, Volume 1.

  11. You will see a summary of your choices and a prompt asking you to confirm them. Enter YES if everything is correct or NO to re-enter the disk label and your choice for hard links. For brevity and readability, similar prompts will not be mentioned again.

  12. After the target disk has been initialized and mounted, you will see the question Do you want to create or validate boot options?. The answer is up to you. As an example, we will answer YES.

  13. You will be asked to create and confirm the password for your SYSTEM account. The password must be a minimum of 15 characters.

    Warning

    If everything is working correctly, you should not see any characters in your output while you enter your password. If you see any output or get an error at this stage, this could indicate an issue with your terminal emulator or Telnet configuration. For the recommended terminal emulator settings, refer to the console connection instructions for your hypervisor:

  14. At the Enter SCSNODE: prompt, enter a name for the system, no longer than 6 characters. If the system will be used in an OpenVMS Cluster, the name must be unique within the cluster. As an example, we will enter X86.

  15. Next, you will see the Do you plan to use DECnet? prompt. DECnet is a family of products that enable OpenVMS systems to communicate with each other (for more information, see the VSI DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS Introduction and User's Guide and VSI OpenVMS DECnet Networking Manual). This choice is up to you and depends on how you are planning to use your OpenVMS setup.

    If you answer NO, you will be asked to specify a value for the SCSSYSTEMID parameter. This parameter is a number that identifies an OpenVMS system on a network. Make sure that each system on your network is assigned a unique SCSSYSTEMID.

    If you answer YES, the value for SCSSYSTEMID will be calculated based on the DECnet address that you enter when prompted.

  16. Depending on your response to the previous question, you will be prompted for either the DECnet IV address or the SCSSYSTEMID value. Enter a value that is unique on your network.

  17. The next several prompts will ask you to specify the time zone and daylight saving time (DST) information for your system. Enter appropriate values.

  18. After setting the time zone information, you will see the Do you want to automatically configure and start up TCP/IP & SSH? prompt. The default option is NO.

    Important

    • If you answer YES, and there is a running DHCP server on your network, all network adapters assigned to your VM will be configured with dynamic IP addresses provided by that DHCP server.

    • If you intend to use your local network on OpenVMS immediately after installation (which is enabled by the Installation OE license), make sure to manually verify that your network is functioning properly.

  19. You will see the Do you want to register any Product Authorization Keys? prompt. VSI recommends that you answer NO and register your Product Authorization Keys (PAKs) after the installation is complete.

    Important

    VSI provides PAKs in the form of text files containing DCL code. You cannot run that code during the OpenVMS installation. If you choose to register your PAKs now, you must manually type the values for each of the fields exactly as they appear in the PAK for each license that you need to register.

    However, once the installation has completed and the system has rebooted twice, you will be able to register your PAKs all at once (see Licensing on OpenVMS x86-64).

  20. You will see the Do you want to install DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS X86-64 V1.8-2? prompt. DECwindows Motif is a graphical user interface for VSI OpenVMS. The answer is up to you, as it depends on how you plan to use your VSI OpenVMS system.

  21. You will see the Do you want to install DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS X86-64 V9.2-I? prompt1. If you answer NO, you will see the Do you want to install DECnet Phase IV for OpenVMS X86-64 E9.2-4? prompt. Note that you cannot install both products. Your choice to install one of them or neither of them depends on how you plan to use your VSI OpenVMS system.

  22. You will see the Do you always want detailed descriptions? prompt. The answer is up to you. As an example, we will answer NO.

  23. The product kit validation will proceed, and then the configuration phase starts. Then, you will see the Do you want the defaults for all options? question. The recommended answer is YES.

    Note

    As the configuration phase starts and progresses, some of the products will require the system to be rebooted. If you see the Can the system be REBOOTED after the installation completes? question, always answer YES. Answering NO will abort the upgrade.

    With the default options selected, the following components and procedures will be installed or performed:

    • VSI OpenVMS E9.2-4
      • DECdtm Distributed Transaction Manager
      • Support for DECnet-Plus or DECnet (Phase IV) for OpenVMS
      • Programming Support
        • Debugger Utility
        • Image Dump Utility
        • Macro libraries
        • Macro-32 Migration Compiler
        • TLB intermediary form of STARLET
        • C Header Files
        • VMS text libraries of Ada declarations
      • RMS Journaling Recovery Utility
      • System Programming Support
        • Delta Debugger
        • System Dump Analyzer Utility
        • Miscellaneous Symbol Table Files
      • Utilities
        • Phone Utility
        • XPG4 Internationalization Utilities
        • World Wide PostScript Printing Subsystem
      • Bliss Require Files
      • Example Files
      • Message Facility Files (HELP/MESSAGE)
      • UETP Files
      • DECwindows Server Support
        • DECwindows workstation files
        • Video fonts
          • 100 dots-per-inch video fonts
        • Euro base support
          • Euro 100 dots-per-inch video fonts
      • Delete any obsolete OpenVMS files
      • Delete files archived by OpenVMS remedial kits
    • Availability Manager (base) for OpenVMS x86-64
      • VSI Availability Manager Base OS Drivers
    • TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS x86-64
      • VSI TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS V6.0-31
        • VSI SSL3 for OpenVMS x86-64 V3.0-21
    • Applications
      • KERBEROS V3.3-5A for OpenVMS X86-64
      • SSL3 V3.0-21 for OpenVMS X86-64
      • VSI OpenSSH V9.9-2C for OpenVMS X86-64
      • VSI OpenLDAP V2.6-6B for OpenVMS X86-64
      • VSI 64-bit PERL V5.42-0 for OpenVMS X86-64
      • DECwindows Motif V1.8-2 for OpenVMS X86-64
        • Install Low Bandwidth X (LBX) Support
        • Install the DECwindows Motif Version 1.8-2 client software
          • Install New Desktop
            • Install Manual (reference) pages for the New Desktop
            • Make the New Desktop the default desktop
          • Install traditional DECwindows Desktop
          • Programming Support for the C Language
          • Programming Support for the Pascal Language
          • Programming Support for the FORTRAN Language
          • Programming Support for the New Desktop
          • Programming examples
            • Sound example files
            • Programming examples for DECwindows
            • Programming examples for the New Desktop
      • VSI DECnet-Plus V9.2-I for OpenVMS X86-64
        • DECdns Server software
        • DECdts Server software
      • DECnet Phase IV for OpenVMS X86-64

    If you prefer not to install some of these components, answer NO, and the system will prompt you about installing each component individually. If any subcomponent is not desired, you must first choose to install the main component, and then you will be asked about each subcomponent. In most cases, this level of customization is not necessary and may corrupt important system components. It is recommended to avoid this unless absolutely required.

  24. At this stage, if you previously answered NO to the Do you want the defaults for all options? question (in this step), you will see additional prompts asking you to confirm or reject the installation of subcomponents of some of the layered products.

  25. Once the installation procedure has configured the layered products, you will see the Do you want to review the options? prompt. The answer is up to you. As an example, we will answer NO.

  26. After the Portion done: meter reaches 100%, a list of installed products will be displayed, followed by post-installation information for some of the products. Once the system updates the Memory Disk (which may take several seconds), the installation procedure is complete. You will see the Press Return to continue... prompt. Press Enter.

  27. You will see the VSI OpenVMS installation menu and the Enter CHOICE or ? for help: (1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/?) prompt. Enter 9 to shut down the system.

  28. The system will shut down and display the **** Hit any key to reboot system **** prompt. Press any key to reboot the system.

  29. Depending on your hypervisor of choice, you will either see the VSI Boot Manager screen or the UEFI screen.

    Perform the following steps:

    1. At the Shell> prompt, enter map fs* to display all file systems available on your VM.
    2. Find the file system for the newly installed system disk. If the correct file system is not readily apparent, use the file system for the CD-ROM device which had the installation ISO mapped to it.
    3. At the Shell> prompt, enter: 
      fs1:\efi\vms\vms_bootmgr.efi

    You should see the VSI Boot Manager screen. Proceed to the next step.

    Proceed to the next step.

  30. At the BOOTMGR> prompt, enter DEVICES to display the list of available bootable OpenVMS devices.

  31. At the BOOTMGR> prompt, enter BOOT system-disk-name, where system-disk-name is the disk that you specified as the target disk for the OpenVMS installation (in this step). The OpenVMS volume label for the device should be identified as the one you used for your target device, not for the CD-ROM/DVD-ROM device. In this example, we will enter BOOT DKA0. The system will boot, run the AUTOGEN command procedure, and reboot. Depending on the configuration, this operation may take several minutes. Please take note of and investigate any warnings that AUTOGEN may display.

  32. When you see the BOOTMGR> prompt again, enter DEVICES to display the list of available bootable devices. Then, type BOOT system-disk-name one more time and wait for the system to boot. Press Enter when you see an output similar to this:

    Accounting information:
Buffered I/O count:               5631      Peak working set size:      19184
Direct I/O count:                15627      Peak virtual size:         258032
Page faults:                      9900      Mounted volumes:                0
Charged CPU time:        0 00:00:10.59      Elapsed time:       0 00:01:31.14

    This output indicates that the OpenVMS boot process has completed.

  33. At the Username: prompt, type in SYSTEM.

  34. At the Password: prompt, enter the password that you had previously set for the SYSTEM account (in this step).

  35. You have successfully installed OpenVMS. If you did not register any of your licenses during installation (which is recommended), you should do so now. Refer to Licensing on OpenVMS x86-64.

    Note

    After installing the licenses, if you chose not to configure OpenSSH and TCP/IP services automatically during installation, you should manually configure these products or verify their configuration now. For instructions, see Networking Options.

  1. As mentioned earlier, DECnet products provide networking capabilities to OpenVMS systems. ↩