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DecNET Start-up failed

 
Niall Ward
Occasional Contributor

DecNET Start-up failed

I have a AU500 personal workstaion that was running fine until I was forced to reboot it due to a power test. when i rebooted it the Dec windows does not start-up properly any more but just comes to a grey screen where i can only move the mouse. I'm sure an autogen or sysgen must need to be run, but can anyone tell me how? Thanks, Niall.
12 REPLIES 12
Antoniov.
Honored Contributor

Re: DecNET Start-up failed

Can you read any message during boot process? Can you see SRM variable before boot? Console is graphic in SRM environment?

@Antoniov
Antonio Maria Vigliotti
Brian Reiter
Valued Contributor

Re: DecNET Start-up failed

Niall,

Can you log into the unit via the serial port? If I remember correctly the AU500s do have 1. Use a speed of 9600, 8 bits no parity, hopefully then you'll be able to access the various logs which may shed some light.

Does the grey screen appear immediately or after a login attempt? One of our DS10s would run quite happily until an Engineer logged in and got the grey screen. It looked as though the login process was failing at that point.

More info would be useful.

regards

Brian
Willem Grooters
Honored Contributor

Re: DecNET Start-up failed

Depending on your configuration, DECNet is not required for DecWindows. there is a DECWindows logical (DECW$TRANSPORT or some similar) that spacifies transport. LOCAL will normally do.
What VMS version are you running and what video?
Have you seen any messages?

To start with: How to get access to this system:

* Have you configured TCPIP and enabled Telnet - try that.
* If you have a terminal emulator that allows you a serial line connection, connect that machine to any of the serial ports on the PWS (I would prefer the lower of the two. Read on why!). A simple VT terminal on the lower of the COMports is possible, of course.

Login as SYSTEM.

If you have trouble getting in (the system does respond but is VERY slow), the problem could well be process DECW$SERVER_0 - the main DecWindows process. It may HANG. Just be VERY patient, you'll get through on moment.
Once connected, do:

$SHO SYS/PROC=DECW$*

what will give you the PID of this process (after some time, perhaps)
If this process is COM, do

$ SET PROCESS/PRIO=1

you'll see it's MUCH faster.
If it's HIB, something elkse is wrong.

Next, change SYS$MANAGER:SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM and have VMS ignore decwindows at startup:

$!$ DEFINE DECW$IGNORE_DECWINDOWS TRUE
^^
Remove moments...

Check SYS$MANAGER:OPERATOR.LOG for messages.
Check errorlog for messages. (the way how to may depend on what you have installed)

If you really have a DECWINDOWS problem, it may be worthwhile to hook up a terminal (VT-type) of terminal emulator (preferred) on your PWS. The lower port at the back is COM1.
In SRM, there is a variable CONSOLE (I think named that way) normally set to VIDEO. Changing this to SERIAL will render this COM port to be the console connection (you may need to cycle power to activate this). If you restart the machine now, have your terminal (emulator) running, and you'll see (and in case you use the proper software, capture) all messages.
If you have DecWindows enabled (do NOT diable above line!) and it hangs, it's the ONLY way to get into the running system - no matter how slow it is. It might be the only way to find out what your problem is.

Willem
Willem Grooters
OpenVMS Developer & System Manager
Steve Reece
Advisor

Re: DecNET Start-up failed

Niall,

Is it DECnet that fails to start or is it DECwindows or both? Your posting refers to DECwindows (i.e. DW-Motif) but the subject of the thread indicates DECnet.

You could potentially halt/shutdown the system and start it up minimum instead. That wouldn't start Motif or DECnet for that matter. Logging in to the graphical console as a glass screen terminal would let you login as SYSTEM and then run Autogen or sysgen.

Steve
"Try not! Do, or Do not. There is no try!"
Niall Ward
Occasional Contributor

Re: DecNET Start-up failed

Guy's , thanks for your responses & sorry about the lack of details in the original message and the delay in getting back.
Everything on the box is running perfectly except for DECwindows. I can log in remotely and all of my services are running. Before DECwindows IV attempts to start the following error appear on screen.
CMA$TIS_SHR is not installed with shareable address;
CDE$UNIX_ROUTINES is not installed with shareable address
DECW$XLIBSHR is not installed with shareable address;
DECW$XTLIBSHRR5 is not installed with shareable address;
DECW$XMLICSHR12 is not installed with shareable address;
DECW$MRMLIBSHR12 is not installed with shareable address;
DECW$DXMLLIBSHR12 is not installed with shareable address.

Hardware wise nothing has been change since the last time it has work, its just nice to have a graphical display rather than using a VT. I have an identical system that does start DECWindows and a image backup of that system on this box does start PenWindows so I guess then its just some parameter somewhere. These boxes have 1.5GB of memory so that shouldn't be a problem. I hope this is a better help.

Thanks again. Niall.
Ian Miller.
Honored Contributor

Re: DecNET Start-up failed

check the GH_* system parameters. autogen should handle these when you an autogen with feedback e.g
@SYS$UPDATE:AUTOGEN SAVPARAMS SETPARAMS

(if your system has been up long enough). On the working system and the not-working system do
MCR SYSGEN SHOW GH
MCR SYSGEN SHOW GBL
and compare.
____________________
Purely Personal Opinion
Niall Ward
Occasional Contributor

Re: DecNET Start-up failed

It only been up for about 20 minutes so i don't know if this is any use. Please see attachment. Thanks, Niall.
Niall Ward
Occasional Contributor

Re: DecNET Start-up failed

On the box that works, the value is set to... please see attachment
Ian Miller.
Honored Contributor

Re: DecNET Start-up failed

I only see GBLPAGES bigger on the box that worlks. What the result of
INSTALL LIST /G/SUM
on each (to see how many GBLPAGES, SECTIONS) are free
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Purely Personal Opinion