Where is the difference between ALPHA and IA64 version of OpenVMS?

[Dolezel Vaclav]

Hello,

On Alpha OpenVMS 7.3-2 this syntax is working:

HPA1:SYSTEM> run smhpa1::SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE]mail.exe

You have 5 new messages.

MAIL>

On Itanium OpenVMS V8.3-1H1 is not working:

CZU1:SYSTEM> run smczu1::SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE]mail.exe
%DCL-W-ACTIMAGE, error activating image SMCZU1::SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE]MAIL.EXE
-CLI-E-IMGNAME, image file SMCZU1::SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE]MAIL.EXE;1
-SYSTEM-E-INVFILFOROP, invalid file specification for operation

Why? Thanks for help.

[Jan van den Ende]

Vaclav,

firstly:

WELCOME to the VMS forum!

Your command:

>>>
run smhpa1::SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE]mail.exe
<<<

is a request to run an image, which is present at the remote (DECnet) node SMCZU1

Obviously, SMCZU1 is an Alpha system, like the (7.3-2) node on which you are executing the command successfully.

Now, if you try yhis from an Itanium system, effectively you are trying to run an Alpha image on your Itanium system.
And while the command structure (and most other things) are very similar, the ==instruction set== (the hardware level instructions directly executable) is VERY different. And therefor, an Vax image does NOT run on Alpha nor Itanium, (in ANY combination of machine code and hardware).
That you can run the (well, almost) same program on the different hardwares, is because the different compilers generate VERY different executables!.

But, back to your underlying question:
If you want to run MAIL, why do you use the executable that is located at another node?
Why not simple use the local copy of MAIL.EXE? And even more, why not simple use the DCL MAIL command?
I -can- think of reasons, but in those cases I would expect you not to need to ask this question....

So, just do
$ MAIL
or, if you somehow redefined or disabled that and REALLY want ro RUN the .EXE directly,

$ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:MAIL

hth

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

[Karl Rohwedder]

Jan,

from the DCL prompt I would conclude he is trying to run the image from the local node via DECnet. And when trying to run an image from another architecture, the error message should be IMGACT-F-NOTNATIVE.

Perhaps SMCZU1 is a logical name?

regards Kalle

[Wim Van den Wyngaert]

Don't have Itanium over here but the ";1" in the error message could indicate that it found the exe but could not activate it.

Wim

[Jan van den Ende]

Kalle,

thank you, I missed that!

So, if it DOES work from Alpha, but not from IA64, the Invalid file spec seems to indicate that either DECnet is not running, or SMCZU1 is not (or not correctly) defined on the IA64; or the network is not functioning fully as expected....

But my previous answer still retains its value.

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

[Dolezel Vaclav]

Hi all,

DECnet on SMCZU1 is working well. The reason why i'm asking is, that i have a script which is correctly running on ALPHA and on IA64 is making this error. I'm starting image from specific place through sysman on several nodes. Not all nodes defined in sysman environment are in cluster.So the question is, why it's working on ALPHA and not on IA64. And of course IA64 image i'm trying to start on IA64 platform and ALPHA image on ALPHA platform. I just take mail.exe like example.

[Robert Gezelter]

Dolezel,

Running images over DECnet works, within certain limitations. While I am careful, I would be unsurprised if those limitations included issues such as layered products, similar versions (for privileged code), and others.

While I see that MAIL is just an example, my first question is: "Why run the image over DECnet?"

As to Itanium and Alpha, for the same versions, the behavior should be essentially identical. As I understand it (not having direct access to the master packs [smile]), both binaries are built from the same sources, with the exception of architecture dependent modules.

That said, more information about the environment would be helpful.

- Bob Gezelter, http://www.rlgsc.com

[Wim Van den Wyngaert]

And the ;1 is in the message ?

The sysman stuff is not related because you have the problem when you do run at the prompt and can simulate it ?

Wim

[Wim Van den Wyngaert]

If you copy the mail.exe file to the node on which you do the run and then run that image, does it work ?

Wim

[Jan van den Ende]

Vaclav,

Ah, MAIL is just an example.

Well, try my first suggestion: do the RUN without DECnet specifiaction. If necessary, (outside cluster) COPY the image over to the specified location. And in case of Alpha - Itanium, _DO_ compile the source on each platform!.

--- if MAIL was just an example, was SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE] also "just an example"? Is the specified directory also valid over DECnet?
Try a
$ DIR SMCZU1::
Do you see the intended image, or also an error message?

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe