Upgrade OpenVMS 7.2-1 to OpenVMS 8.3

[DGP]

My OpenVMS DS10 Cluster has been running flawlessly for years under version 7.2-1, so the only reason I'm thinking about an upgrade is to support the CIFS file system (I'm having trouble with NFS VMS to Windows Server 2003 connectivity).

In reading the release notes, I see that I must upgrade to version 7.3 before going up to version 8.3. No problem with that until I get to the note concerning license PAKs which I included below. It sounds like I need to get a new OPENVMS-ALPHA license PAK for OpenVMS 8.3, although my current license has no expiration or version limits. Is this true? I put this out to the forum, as HP has been unable to give me an answer whether I call Inside Sales, Tech Support or OpenVMS Support.

I also included my license printout.

Thanks,
Don

NOTE: When you initially purchase the OpenVMS software and license, HP provides a Product Authorization Key (PAK) that is required to enable the License Management Facility (LMF) to register the license and to validate and authorize subsequent use of the product. A PAK does not provide license or new version rights. For more information about licensing and the License Management Facility, see the HP OpenVMS License Management Utility Manual.

Spiffy> show lic /full openvms-alpha

Active licenses on node SPIFFY:

OPENVMS-ALPHA
Producer: DEC
Units: 15
Version: 0.0
Release Date: (none)
Termination Date: (none)
Availability: 0
Activity: A (VAX/VMS Capacity or OpenVMS Unlimited or Base)
NO_SHARE

[Steven Schweda · Accepted solution]

My legal opinions have limited value, but I
believe that if you're not paying for VMS
maintenance, you need to buy an Upgrade
License.

On a practical level, that PAK itself will
still work, so if you were not concerned with
the legalities, you could just do the actual
work.

[Art Wiens]

A few highlights from the OpenVMS SPD:

http://docs.hp.com/en/12703/SPDAlphaIntegrity83.pdf

For OpenVMS for Integrity servers, once a customer purchases a new license, the only way the customer can obtain rights to new versions of the product are:
â ¢ Through a Support Agreement
â ¢ Through a purchase of a new, full priced, license for that product

Other differences from OpenVMS Alpha licensing practices:

â ¢ Version update licenses are not available. Update services are available only through a Support Agreement.

The old adage applies to software maintenance contracts as well ... "you can pay me now, or you can pay me later". ;-)

Not wanting to sound like a cop, but where did (would) you get the media from to do the upgrade? If it's a production environment then remind your management that some of the money they saved on maintenance must now be paid for the upgrade.

Or just put on the eye patch and strap on the wooden leg ... 'arr matey! ;-)

Cheers,
Art

[DGP]

We do have both hardware support and software support for our DS10s running OpenVMS. The funny thing is that noone I've contacted at HP can answer this question or lead me in the right direction. I saw the "note" while reading the release notes and it seemed to indicate I had to get a new PAK. However, I've never had to get a new PAK for OpenVMS upgrades in the past. I didn't want to get done with the upgrade and find I wasn't licensed.

When I call the OpenVMS support desk, I don't get the same warm and fuzzy feeling of talking to an OpenVMS expert, as I did in the past. Times are changing for OpenVMS I realize, yet I simply want to upgrade. And it sounds like I can do just that with the PAK I have installed?!?

[Art Wiens]

If you have VMS maintenance then I'ld say your good to go ... other than the "technicalities" of whether you'll need to upgrade other layered products and relink your applications etc.

As always, such an effort should be attempted in a test environment first ... you will undoubtedly face some "surprises" if you just go ahead and upgrade your production environment by a major revision level.

Cheers,
Art

[DGP]

Thanks for the concurrence on my licensing issue. Being that I have the blue and white HP OpenVMS 8.3 box with Media and docs, along with the red and white Compaq OpenVMS 7.3 box, I can assure that my coverage is active for software support. I simply read too much into the "NOTE" in the release notes concerning the PAK.

And yes, I will perform my stand-alone backup before the upgrade and test the upgrade in a separate boot area from my production system. I believe I am good to go!

[Hoff]

Thirty years in, you'd think this stuff would be published.

I'm not the HP customer support center, but how is this for the warm-and-fuzzy feeling:

If you have had software support in place, you can upgrade. Having continuous software support is Right to Upgrade.

If you want to try the upgrade (critical systems, etc., or a justifiable distrust of what you read posted from that random Hoff fellow over in ITRC), blast in your OpenVMS V8.3 bits onto a scratch disk and register your core licenses. Or clone your system disk, upgrade, and try it.

(Various BA356, 4314R, 4354R, DS2100 and DS2120 storage shelves are around, and are often cheap and useful upgrades. The 43x4R shelves are rather loud for an office; the BA and DS shelves listed are quieter.)

Alternatively, contact me offline via the web site contact http://64.223.189.234/node/31 and I'll pass along your message directly to the HP OpenVMS product licensing guru for the official word.

[DGP]

I do have two BA disk towers (one 'Compaq' and one 'HP', though purchased at the same time) with Ultra SCSI drives (mostly 36.1 GB).

By clone my system disk, you mean to create a separate SYS$SYSROOT under SYSxx using stand alone backup, then boot under that area for my >>> prompt, right?!?

Or do you mean to perform a BACKUP /PHYSICAL of my entire system disk and work from that?

[Steven Schweda]

> Or do you mean to perform a BACKUP
> /PHYSICAL of my entire system disk and
> work from that?

BACKUP /IMAGE, not /PHYSICAL. Many reasons.

> [...] where did (would) you get the media
> from to do the upgrade?

Oh, there are many ways to get the media.
Purchase from HP, purchase a Hobbyist kit,
borrow from friends, and download from the
secret FTP server are just a few of them.

[Hoff]

Your support contract documentation should include the credentials necessary to access the HP ftp servers and to download the bits you need.

Per the OpenVMS FAQ (and the OpenVMS Alpha Upgrade Paths page posted at the HoffmanLabs site), you'll probably end up choosing and upgrading to V7.3-2 and then to V8.3. That's because you should be able to more easily find a V7.3-2 kit than other releases in the right range, and that version can then be upgraded to V8.3.