Alternate boot path for image backup

[Gerry Downey]

Hi all,
I ran AXPVMS$PCSI_INSTALL_MIN to create
an alternate boot path on another disk in order to perform an image backup of the system disk.

When I boot using command "boot -fl e,0" it sits at "configuring devices" and does not go any further.

The operating system is V7.3-1. I also tried running the same thing from the file on the VMS7.3-2 CD in case there was something wrong with the file in VMS7.3-1, but it does the same thing.

The actual installation works ok, no errors displayed, it's only when I try to boot that it hangs.

[Dale A. Marcy]

The boot command you show would attempt to boot from the SysE root on the default boot disk and not an alternate disk. To boot from the alternate disk you would enter something like the following:

b -fl 0,0

This assumes root Sys0 was used when setting up the alternate boot disk.

Hope this helps.

[Gerry Downey]

Hello Dale, I did have the correct disk name after the boot command, I just left it out when writing the post. Thanks anyway

[Volker Halle]

Gerry,

the 'Configuring devices...' message is printed by SYS$SYSTEM:SA_STARTUP.COM (symbol configdev) before issueing the SYSMAN IO AUTOCONFIGURE command and starting the CONFIGURE process. There is a 15 second wait afterwards, then some more images and .COM procedures are run before the menue is displayed.

To find out, where the system is hanging, you would need to force a system crash (CTRL-P and >>> CRASH) after making sure, there is a valid SYSDUMP.DMP file in that root.

Volker.

[Wim Van den Wyngaert · Accepted solution]

Did you upgrade the firmware too high ?
Try booting with debug b -fl 0,10000

Wim

[Robert_Boyd]

If the output from the boot with the flags set to 10000 is a bit much, you might back it off by using b -fl 0,20000 instead. Another possibility is to add the 0 bit to bring you to sysboot and make sure you're booting with a minimum startup and default parameters:

b -fl 0,20001
SYSBOOT> USE DEFAULT
SYSBOOT> set startup_p1 "MIN"
optional: [SYSBOOT> set startup_p2 "VC"]
SYSBOOT> continue

and see what you get.

Robert

[Volker Halle]

re: Robert,

AXPVMS$PCSI_INSTALL_MIN creates a boot environment like when booting the OpenVMS Alpha operating system CD (displays DCL menue). Using SYSBOOT> USE DEFAULT will override the special SA_STARTUP.COM file setting and will not provide the desired results.

Volker.

[Gerry Downey]

Thanks all, I will try your suggestions on Friday,as I cant shut the server down until then. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Gerry Downey]

Hello all,
I upgraded the firmware on the alpha
as mentioned in Wims reply and it worked after that. Thanks for all replies.

Gerry

[Gerry Downey]

Thread closed