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Radiology Information System running OpenVMS is Dying

 
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deuterium
Occasional Advisor

Re: Radiology Information System running OpenVMS is Dying

>>> Even if you do not have a support contract with HP, you can get a Per Call event, or even obtain a consumable number of calls.

Thanks for the info, comarow. Didn't know that they had a Per Call option, and it hadn't really occured to us that HP might be an option. Management will like to hear that there's a vendor we can contact to help take care of this problem.
Volker Halle
Honored Contributor

Re: Radiology Information System running OpenVMS is Dying

Robert,

machine checks indicate hardware errors, most typically memory or CPU. So some hardware may need to be fixed.

You may be able to run memory diagnostics from the console prompt. Try >>> HELP to see, if you can get some help.

Diagnostics test are generally started with a

>>> T n

command. You may need to look up details in the appropriate system manual for your machine.

Volker.
Volker Halle
Honored Contributor

Re: Radiology Information System running OpenVMS is Dying

Robert,

to capture all console output, it would be good to connect a PC/Laptop to the MicroVAX 3100 console port using a serial null modem cable and use a terminal emulator (PowerTerm, Hyperterm etc.) and configure the emulator to capture all output from the MicroVAX into a file (Powertem: Communication -> Receive File).

Volker.
John Donovan_4
Frequent Advisor

Re: Radiology Information System running OpenVMS is Dying

It looks like some sort of hardware failure(sorry). When you're at the >>> prompt enter SHOW DEVICE to see the devices out there. I don't recall whether the MV had SHOW CONFIG or not but try it too. Your boot disk or SCSI card might show an error.
The 4F SCBINT error is (from old DEC page)
"4F SCBINT Unexpected SCB exception or machine check."

Which basically translates to:
"This appears to be a hardware error -- please contact your hardware
service organization for assistance."
SCB by the way means "System Control Block"

All of my research points to disks, controller or IO bus. Do you have an IMAGE backup of your system disk & the other disk? If so pick up a MV from somewhere (cheap!) and restore the IMAGES back to disk. With these errors it looks hardware related & not VMS operating system.
"Difficult to see, always in motion is the future..."
Antoniov.
Honored Contributor

Re: Radiology Information System running OpenVMS is Dying

Hi Deuterium,
my own idea is:
1.If trouble is hardware obviously you can't solve reinstalling vms. It appears a hardware bug check.
2.Hardware replacement (without advertising):
Island computer http://www.islandco.com/
Partfinder http://www.compaqrepair.com/DEC/
Trident http://www.tridentusa.com/service/support/dec/hardware/
In Europe
Hammer http://www.hammer.co.uk/
MIT http://www.mitlimited.com/
3.Emulation
Best emulation is Charon VAX http://www.charonvax.com/
There is a freeware emulator called simh
http://simh.trailing-edge.com/

You can also find other informations on http://www.openvms.org/

HTH
Antonio Vigliotti

Antonio Maria Vigliotti
Jan van den Ende
Honored Contributor

Re: Radiology Information System running OpenVMS is Dying

Robert,

As you found out by now, most of us are giving educated guesses based on previous experience as well as your report.

My 2 (EUR) cents:
First, you ask about the meaning of DKA300.
Well, it is the hardware ID of a SCSI disk, and, since you (try to) boot from it, this is the system disk.

(the next is assuming your system consists of more than one single box; ie., you have one or more "external" boxes, connected with thick cabling. If not, what follows below does not apply)

The sequence
- physically moving the system
- boot problems
- unable to even begin booting
- errors about even adressing DKA300
is (to me) making the SCSI cabling the prime suspect. And believe me: it _IS_ much too easy to bend some pin in the connectors.

Disconnect the cable(s) carefully, and meticulously scan the pins for any being bent.
If found, the problem boils down to getting a new cable.

-- hope this helps.

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe
Don't rust yours pelled jacker to fine doll missed aches.
Robert Gezelter
Honored Contributor

Re: Radiology Information System running OpenVMS is Dying

Robert,

I have encountered this situation on several situations. This is most likely a hardware problem, not a problem with OpenVMS or the applications software.

It is not unusual for a system to be jostled when it is moved. The connectors and cards can be dislodged from their connections. Also, elderly ribbon cables can develop small cracks in their conductors, making them unreliable.

Another possibility is that you have a problem with the power supply. A malfunctioning power supply can have all forms of strange side effects. At one client, a small VAX that had been running for almost 15 years without a problem started behaving erratically, generating machine checks and other strange symptoms. A change of the CPU and memory did nothing. A change in the power supply completely resolved the problem. If the CPU can be considered the heart of the system, the power supply probably should be the circulatory system. The bad power supply, in effect, caused a circulatory collapse.

In my experience, most damage is caused in such situations when actions are taken in haste. Working carefully, I can't ever recall losing a system or data in this state. There have been close calls when somebody immediately resorted to reinstallations or restores from backups. Most likely, the disks are intact, and it is the rest of the system that is having problems.

To summarize:
- check and reseat all cables and boards
- consider using a spare system
- if possible, clone the system and work with the clone

I hope that the above is helpful. If I can be of further assistance, please let me know (Ironically, I happen to be in and out of meetings in Manhattan today).

- Bob Gezelter, http://www.rlgsc.com
John Donovan_4
Frequent Advisor

Re: Radiology Information System running OpenVMS is Dying

One other item: if you know how (and there are articles around on how to do this) the SCB can be rebuilt.
"Difficult to see, always in motion is the future..."
comarow
Trusted Contributor

Re: Radiology Information System running OpenVMS is Dying

If you have a CD and an operating system
CD, you can boot to it. That would be a great way to determine if it's the system or the disk.

If you don't have a cd, you could try booting the stand alone backup tape.
Jan van den Ende
Honored Contributor

Re: Radiology Information System running OpenVMS is Dying

Re Comarov:

if you have NOT got the CD, it will definitely be possible to get one, if only on a load basis.

Anyone in that geographic region?

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe
Don't rust yours pelled jacker to fine doll missed aches.