Re: Diskless VMS install

[Glen Slick via cctalk]

One last note for now: If you get the SIMH InfoServer set up and then
boot it with the OpenVMS VAX 7.3 installation CD image attached, the
InfoServer should automount the installation CD and create a disk
service to access the CD over the network. It should also execute the
ISL_SCRIPT.ESS script in the root directory of the CD, which will
create MOP services for the ISL_SVAX_073 and ISL_LVAX_073 initial
bootstrap loader files.

Assuming that you also have the network set up properly in SIMH so
that the SIMH InfoServer can access the physical network of the host
system and is reachable across the physical network from the physical
VAX, you should then be able to follow the OpenVMS 7.3 installation
manual sections on booting from and installing from an InfoServer.

sim> SHOW RZ
RZ  7 units
  RZ1   209MB, attached to infoserver.rz24,
RZ24, autosize, RAW format
  RZ2   50MB, attached to ag-r7lfa-bs.img, read only,
RZ24, autosize, RAW format
sim> DETACH RZ2
sim> ATTACH RZ2 VAXVMS073.ISO
RZ2: unit is read only
RZ2: 'VAXVMS073.ISO' Contains ODS2 File system
RZ2: Volume Name: VAXVMS073Format: DECFILE11B   Sectors In Volume: 1331200
sim> BOOT CPU

KA41-2  V1.0

F_..E...D...C?..B?..A...9_..8?..7...6...5?..4_..3_..2_..1?..


??  C  0080  .0004
??  B  0010  0010.0020
??  8  0060  .0002
 ?  6  80A1  .4001
??  5  0001  .000A
??  1  00C0  .1004

>>> BOOT DKA100

-DKA100

InfoServer 150 V3.5
Copyright (c) 1990 - 1997 Digital Equipment Corporation
%ESS-I-CONFIGDEV, Device configuration complete.  2 devices found
%ESS-I-VERIFY, Verifying DK1:

Enter Password:

Digital Equipment Corporation
InfoServer 150 V3.5

InfoServer> SHOW DEV

Device   Device  DeviceDeviceDev. Size/Volume Device
 Name State   Type Address   Record Num.Label  Char

DK1: On  Hard Disk   A/1   409791  UNKNOWN  AMD
DK2: On  Hard Disk   A/2  1331808  VAXVMS073AME

InfoServer> SHOW PARTITION DK1:

Directory DK1:

Partition Name   Used/AllocServices
 - 
BOOT_PARTITION   5000/5008
IS_FUNCTIONS1/64
ISL_SVAX_073  154/160  Temp MOP
ISL_LVAX_073  176/176  Temp MOP

DK1: has 4 partitions in use. 5408 of 409791 blocks allocated.
Largest contiguous free extent is 402672 blocks.

InfoServer> SHOW SERVICES

 Service Name Service Class   Disk:Partition
  --- --
 VAXVMS073[ODS_2] DK2:

InfoServer>

Re: Diskless VMS install

[Glen Slick via cctalk]

On Tue, Aug 25, 2020 at 3:15 PM John H. Reinhardt via cctalk
 wrote:
>
>  From the guy that wrote the Infoserver stuff for SimH
>
>   "InfoServer Software on Simh"
>
> InfoServer software: 
>

That is a nice How-To on setting up an SIMH InfoServer 150.

One step that is missing is adding the Disk Function. That might be
necessary to be able to share the OpenVMS 7.3 installation CD image
from the InfoServer.

>From the Freeware infoserver.zip file:
InfoServer 100/150 Disk Function (Open Access)
ag-pjxka-re.img


sim> SHOW RZ
RZ  7 units
  RZ1   209MB, attached to infoserver.rz24,
RZ24, autosize, RAW format
  RZ2   50MB, attached to ag-r7lfa-bs.img, read only,
RZ24, autosize, RAW format
sim> DETACH RZ2
sim> ATTACH RZ2 ag-pjxka-re.img
RZ2: unit is read only
RZ2: 'ag-pjxka-re.img' Contains ODS2 File system
RZ2: Volume Name: BLANKFormat: DECFILE11B   Sectors In Volume: 400176
sim> BOOT CPU

KA41-2  V1.0

F_..E...D...C?..B?..A...9_..8?..7...6...5?..4_..3_..2_..1?..

??  C  0080  .0004
??  B  0010  0010.0020
??  8  0060  .0002
 ?  6  80A1  .4001
??  5  0001  .000A
??  1  00C0  .100C

>>> BOOT DKA100

-DKA100

InfoServer 150 V3.5
Copyright (c) 1990 - 1997 Digital Equipment Corporation
%ESS-I-CONFIGDEV, Device configuration complete.  2 devices found
%ESS-I-VERIFY, Verifying DK1:

Enter Password:

Digital Equipment Corporation
InfoServer 150 V3.5

InfoServer> SHOW FUNCTIONS

 * Function Information for InfoServer V3.5 *

InfoServer Functions Installed: Other Functions Available:
--- --
X-terminal services Open disk access (any client)
Open tape access (any client)
CD-R functions

Additional functions from the 'Other Functions Available' list can be
installed from Function-CDROMs available from Digital.  Contact your Digital
representative to purchase additional functions.

InfoServer> UPDATE FUNCTIONS DK2:
%ESS-I-DEFAULT, Defaulting to DK1:
%ESS-I-UPDATE, Update request completed successfully.

InfoServer> SHOW FUNCTIONS

 * Function Information for InfoServer V3.5 *

InfoServer Functions Installed: Other Functions Available:
--- --
X-terminal services Open tape access (any client)
Open disk access (any client)   CD-R functions

Additional functions from the 'Other Functions Available' list can be
installed from Function-CDROMs available from Digital.  Contact your Digital
representative to purchase additional functions.

InfoServer>

Re: Diskless VMS install

[John H. Reinhardt via cctalk]

On 8/25/2020 4:42 PM, Glen Slick via cctalk wrote:

On Tue, Aug 25, 2020 at 11:50 AM John Klos via cctalk
 wrote:

Hi,

I have a VAXstation 4000/60 with an internal disk but no CD drive. I'd
like to install VMS (7.3), but I'm new to VMS.

I have a SIMH VAX instance running on the same LAN with VMS installed
(mounting the VMS images is easy, of course). Can anyone point me to a
HOW-TO which explains how to use one VMS system to MOP / netboot another
system to install VMS?


As far as I can remember the standard VMS installation over the
network mechanism assumes you are booting from and installing from an
InfoServer, not another system running VMS. Although for Alpha VMS


There is probably already an How-To out there somewhere on setting up
and using a SIMH InfoServer. I'll have to take a look around and see
what I can find. Or also spend some time seeing what it takes to get a
SIMH InfoServer set up again myself and make some notes along the way.

From the guy that wrote the Infoserver stuff for SimH

  "InfoServer Software on Simh"

InfoServer software: 

SimH: 

Booting from InfoServer:  OpenVMS VAX V7.3 Upgrade and Installation Manual 

 Sec 3.1.2 - Booting from Infoserver 


A quick Google search didn't find any How to on using an Infoserver but the 
pieces are there in the V7.3 Install manual.  Matt Burke's page on setting up 
the Infoserver software in Simh worked for me a few months ago.  If you have 
questions on anything that' snot clear, then ask.
--

John H. Reinhardt

Re: Diskless VMS install

[Glen Slick via cctalk]

On Tue, Aug 25, 2020 at 11:50 AM John Klos via cctalk
 wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I have a VAXstation 4000/60 with an internal disk but no CD drive. I'd
> like to install VMS (7.3), but I'm new to VMS.
>
> I have a SIMH VAX instance running on the same LAN with VMS installed
> (mounting the VMS images is easy, of course). Can anyone point me to a
> HOW-TO which explains how to use one VMS system to MOP / netboot another
> system to install VMS?
>

As far as I can remember the standard VMS installation over the
network mechanism assumes you are booting from and installing from an
InfoServer, not another system running VMS. Although for Alpha VMS
systems there is also an InfoServer utility you can run that can take
the place of a dedicated InfoServer. As far as I can remember the
InfoServer utility is not available on VAX systems, only the
InfoServer client is available.

If you are already set up to use SIMH, you could use the InfoServer
support in SIMH instead of the regular VAX support, InfoServer100,
InfoServer150VXT, or InfoServer1000.

I have InfoServer 100, 150VXT, and 1000 physical hardware that I have
set up and used in the past for network installations of VMS. The
standard OpenVMS VAX 7.3 installation CD should have an InfoServer
script file somewhere on it that will take care of automatically
sharing the installation volume and ISL boot file (ISL_SVAX_073) when
the CD is inserted. On the VAX where the installation is taking place
the OpenVMS 7.3 installation manual has a section on booting from and
installing from an InfoServer.

There is probably already an How-To out there somewhere on setting up
and using a SIMH InfoServer. I'll have to take a look around and see
what I can find. Or also spend some time seeing what it takes to get a
SIMH InfoServer set up again myself and make some notes along the way.

Diskless VMS install

[John Klos via cctalk]

Hi,

I have a VAXstation 4000/60 with an internal disk but no CD drive. I'd 
like to install VMS (7.3), but I'm new to VMS.


I have a SIMH VAX instance running on the same LAN with VMS installed 
(mounting the VMS images is easy, of course). Can anyone point me to a 
HOW-TO which explains how to use one VMS system to MOP / netboot another 
system to install VMS?


Thanks,
John