Disk compatibility with VMS

[owilliams]

Here is the output from the commands provided.

[Hein van den Heuvel]

So there seems to be useable 50GB device behind DGA1550:

"Disk $1$DGA1550: (NRCAVA), device type HP OPEN-V,... Total blocks 113890560"

The storage folks can probably confirm the WWID values.

There was a problem with the INIT /LIMIT.
Either the OpenVMS version you are using is way old, or someone redefined INIT.
- Which OpenVMS version?
- SHOW SYMB INIT

Anyway... You could move forward and try the straight init.
Personally I would recommend you first do: $MOUNT/OVER=ID $1$DGA1550:

And make sure this is not storage in use before the init.

You are close to bringing the new storage to live.

However, in view of the questions asked and information provide I would urge you to consult with a peer or product support before really moving forward. This to make sure an optimal configuration is made and no damage will be done.

Also... if more info is needed the PLEASE attache it as SIMPLE TEXT file and clean out typo's, leaving just real commands, results and erors.

Cheers,
Hein van den Heuvel

[Volker Halle]

As Hein has already said, the disk looks good and it's not been initialized before on OpenVMS. You're probably running an older version of OpenVMS (less than V7.3-2). Find out with:

$ SHOW SYS/NOPROCESS

Go ahead and initialize the disk and mount it system-wide. Then you are ready to use it. If you know more about what you'll be putting on that disk in the future (no. of files etc.), you may want use use some more specific qualifiers on the INIT command.

Volker.

[owilliams]

OpenVMS V7.2-2

[owilliams]

Would you recomend any qualifier as a standard?

[Hein van den Heuvel]

With 7.2 you are limited to about 1 million clusters = allocations units: (256 blocks of bitmap.sys). And thus also a max of 1 million files.

While the minimum clustersize will be 109, I would recommend /CLUST=128 or 112 (128 - 16)

If you expect many (100,000+) little file then this many be too much waste (10% of the disk). For fewer ( less that 10,000 ) larger files it matters little (less than 1% waste in rounding).

If that cluster size is high (more than those 100,000 files expected) then you may want to go back to the storage folks and request 2 times 25GB instead of 1 times 50.

Better still... get an upgrade to OpenVMS going. At least 7.3-2 but why not 8.3?

I would highly recommend you anticipate the number of files expected + 10% and and indicated that value to /HEADER

Might as well make sure the default MAXFILES is appropiate while there (about 1/2 million).

I would also chose /INDEX=BEGIN but that's more taste / guttfeel than well founded advise.

Enjoy,
Hein.

[Jan van den Ende]

Hein wrote

>>>
With 7.2 you are limited to about 1 million clusters = allocations units: (256 blocks of bitmap.sys). And thus also a max of 1 million files.
<<<

Hein, are you sure of that? As far as my (regrettable quite fallible) bio-memory remembers, the limits you mention were lifted at the intro of 7.2

VERY nice features as Dynamic Volume Expansion and Dissimilar Device Shadowing were introduced during 7.3-2, perhaps uou are confusing those?

But, owilliams, also since 7.2-2 (which introduced SAN support) MANY and important advances in SAN use were introduced. If you are to profit from SAN, you REALLY should move to at least 7.3-2 with the later UPDATES; or better to 8.3.

fwiw,

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

[Uwe Zessin]

Here we are:
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/73final/6017/6017pro_030.html

See "Limits of Storage and Index File Bitmaps"


pre-V7.2:
255 blocks * 512 byte/block * 8 bits / byte = 1,044,480 bits or clusters

V7.2 and up:
65,535 blocks * 512 byte/block * 8 bits / byte = 268,431,360 bits


Today, you can even initialize a disk with about 137 harware GigaBytes using a cluster factor of 1.

[owilliams]

Sorry to ask such a question. But how do I get it to stay mounted?

[Volker Halle]

To make sure that the disk is mounted again after a system reboot, add the necessary mount command into your system startup file, typically SYS$MANAGER:SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM

Volker.