Uninstalling Software

[Himanshu_3]

Hi All,

Can anyone let me know if there is any way to uninstall a software which I am about to install with

@SYS$UPDATE:VMSINSTAL xxxx dev:[dir]

The reason for this is I am about update one Old RDB version 5.1 running on my server and updating it to 6.1. I would like to explosre the possibility of reversing back if anything goes wrong back to 5.1.

Regards,
Himanshu

[Volker Halle]

Himanshu,

no, OpenVMS itself does not provide a mechanism to un-install kits installed with @VMSINSTAL. The suggested method to restore the system disk to the prior contents is BACKUP and RESTORE.

The installed software may provide a procedure to de-install itself, but it's very unlikely that the previous version would be preserved.

Volker.

[Jan van den Ende · Accepted solution]

Himanshu,

Rdb installations offer the possibility to retain the old installation. So (if you got sufficient diskspace) you can have multiple versions simultanuous. Usually one of the versions is designated the default: without special actions that is the one that is used.
With the "SETVER" command it is possible to choose between installed versions.

hth

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

[Himanshu_3]

Hi Volker,

Yes I did have this option of image backup and restore in my mind but still I do want to know if we could find another smooth workaround for this problem.

Hi Jan,

Surely Im going to explore this possibility of having multiple version of RDB running on VMS. Thanx for your advise.

Regards,
Himanshu

[Karl Rohwedder]

Himanshu,

if you choose to install V6.1 as MV (=multiversion) variant, you can later deinstall it using a supplied DCL procedure SYS$MANAGER:RDB$DEINSTALL_DELETE.COM.

A note: If you use the qualifier /NOCOMMIT on the RMU/CONVERT command to move the databse to the new format, you are able to revert back to the old version. This may help in case of limited diskspace.

Btw: The actual verson of RDB on VAX is 7.0.8.2 and on Alpha it is V7.1.4.3.x.

regards Kalle

[Himanshu_3]

Hi Jan/Karl,

Apologies as in my previous posts I think I mentioned RDB version, but I intend to upgrade sql services version only which is also 5.1 and do not want to upgrade the RDB 5.1 . The reason being a nasty error which could be the result of the TCPIP stack problem communicating with windows 2000 client.

Would the multiversion features be available for sql services as well ?

Regards,
Himanshu

[Karl Rohwedder]

Himanshu,

while I have no practical experience in multiversioning SQLSRV, it seems to be the same as for RDB. At least there is a multiversion kit for the actual version 7.1

regards Kalle

[Peter Quodling]

Having been through the mill of building VmSinstal kits many a time, (and being across the hall from the developers of PCSI) when it first started, I still find it hard to break the habit of pulling the "kitinstal.com" out of a vmsinstal kit, and reading it, just to see what it thinks it's doing (and ergo, what may or may not need to be reversed out.

q

[Jan van den Ende]

Peter,

So I am not the only one!

Maybe a bit off-topic, but anyway:
It still is my biggest grudge with PCSI.
It was soo easy to be able to make small (but sometimes VITAL) changes to KITINSTAL.
I still haven't got the same ease wit PCSI
(I remember one non-DEC product with a KITINSTAL that somewhere executed a CR/DIR.
Nicely created a directory... until it had to be installed on a system that also had a financial package, and CREDIT added to DCLTABLES... :-(
With KITINSTAL the diagnosis + 5 minutes was all that was needed, but with PCSI....

Oh well, things change to keep us interested.

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe