%STDRV-F-FATALERR, fatal error reading startup database

[Clark Powell]

Here's a fun one. I rebooted a test system and found that the boot failed with the message below. Nothing worked so I SET/START OPA0: and ran startup.com manually. Didn't learn much more. There's no editor and no verify to see more closely what is happening. Any suggestions? Do I have to move system disk to another node to inspect or is there a way around this road block?

thanks
Clark Powell

$ @ [SYS0.SYSCOMMON.SYSEXE]STARTUP.COM
%STDRV-I-STARTUP, OpenVMS startup begun at 6-JAN-2009 11:30:43.09
%STDRV-E-OPENFAIL, failure opening component file 0, STARTUP$STARTUP_VMS
%STDRV-I-CONTINUING, continuing with partial file list
%DCL-E-OPENIN, error opening STARTUP$PHASES as input
-RMS-F-FNM, error in file name
%DCL-W-UNDFIL, file has not been opened by DCL - check logical name
%DCL-W-INSFPRM, missing command parameters - supply all required parameters
%DCL-W-INSFPRM, missing command parameters - supply all required parameters
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol - check validity and spelling
\STDRV$PRODUCT_INFO\
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol - check validity and spelling
\STDRV$CURRENT_PHASE\
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol - check validity and spelling
\STDRV$PRODUCT_INFO\
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol - check validity and spelling
\STDRV$PRODUCT_INFO\
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol - check validity and spelling
\STDRV$PRODUCT_INFO\
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol - check validity and spelling
\STDRV$PARAM_END\
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol - check validity and spelling
\STDRV$PARAM_END\
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol - check validity and spelling
\STDRV$PARAM_END\
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol - check validity and spelling
\STDRV$FLAG\
%STDRV-F-FATALERR, fatal error reading startup database
%DCL-W-UNDFIL, file has not been opened by DCL - check logical name
$

[Robert Gezelter]

Clark,

The OP did not mention the platform, one presumes Alpha or Itanium (or the release).

I would suspect something wrong with the these (and possibly other) files.

Two possibilities:

- use the Standalone CD/DVD to do a verify and also a mount
- mount the disk on another running system (recommendation: mount privately).

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

[Hakan Zanderau ( Anders]

You can set STARTUP_P2 = "v" and get a "VERIFY" for the boot.

Hakan Zanderau

[cnb]

SYS_PARAMETERS

STARTUP_P1-8

The following table describes possible values of STARTUP_P1
through _P8:

STARTUP
Value Description

STARTUP_P1 Specifies the type of system boot the system-
independent startup procedure is to perform when
STARTUP_P1 has one of the following values:

o " "- A full boot is performed.

o "MIN"- A minimum boot that starts only what is
absolutely necessary for the operating system
to run.

STARTUP_P2 Controls the setting of verification during the
execution of the system-independent startup
procedure, STARTUP.COM, when STARTUP_P2 has one
of the values described in the lists below.

STARTUP_P2 can be one of the values shown in the
following list:

o F[ALSE], N[O], 0, " "-Verification is not
enabled; in other words, NOVERIFY is performed.

o T[RUE], Y[ES], 1-Verification is enabled; in
other words, a SET VERIFY is performed.

Alternatively, STARTUP_P2 can be a string
containing one or more of the letters shown in
the following list:

o C-Display various checkpointing messages during
startup.

o D-Log (or Dump) the output from the startup to
a file called SYS$SPECIFIC:[SYSEXE]STARTUP.LOG.

o P-DCL verification is enabled for each
component file, but not for the startup driver.
If both P and V are used, P is ignored.

o V-Full DCL verification is enabled; same as
TRUE.

Refer to the SYSMAN command STARTUP SET OPTIONS
for more information about STARTUP_P2.
STARTUP_P3 Beginning in OpenVMS Version 7.2, if STARTUP_P3
is set to AGEN, the system executes AUTOGEN at the
end of the startup sequence.

STARTUP_P4 Reserved for future use.
through
STARTUP_P8

[Clark Powell]

All very good ideas, I'm studying the verbose boot and while I'm doing that, I'll share it. It crashes early on:

%STDRV-I-STARTUP, OpenVMS startup begun at 6-JAN-2009 12:08:40.13
$else
$endif
$stdrv$phase_pos = 0
$stdrv$phase_len = 12
$stdrv$mode_pos = 12
$stdrv$mode_len = 1
$stdrv$file_pos = 13
$stdrv$file_len = 79
$stdrv$param_pos = 93
$stdrv$enable_flag = "E"
$stdrv$disable_flag = "D"
$if p1.nes."FULL"
$else stdrv$vms_only = stdrv$false
$endif
$stdrv$param = "Initial Parameters"
$stdrv$invoc = f$integer(f$trnlnm("stdrv$invoc","lnm$startup_table",,"EXECUTIVE"
))
$stdrv$invoc = stdrv$invoc + 1
$define/exec/nolog/table=lnm$startup_table stdrv$invoc 1
$stdrv$phase_name = "stdrv$phase" + f$string(stdrv$invoc)
$stdrv$product_name = "stdrv$product" + f$string(stdrv$invoc)
$stdrv$save_layered = f$trnlnm("startup$startup_layered","lnm$system_table")
$stdrv$save_num = -1
$stdrv$startup_file = 0
$next_open_file:
$stdrv$comp_file = f$trnlnm("startup$startup_list","lnm$system_table",stdrv$star
tup_file)
$if stdrv$comp_file .eqs. "" then goto count_comp_files
$if stdrv$comp_file .eqs. "STARTUP$STARTUP_LAYERED" then stdrv$save_num = stdrv$
startup_file
$if stdrv$verbose then stdrv$say f$fao("%STDRV-I-OPENCOMP, opening component fil
e !UB, !AS", stdrv$startup_file, stdrv$comp_file)
$open/share/error=comp_error stdrv$product1_0 STARTUP$STARTUP_VMS
$comp_error:
$stdrv$say f$fao("%STDRV-E-OPENFAIL, failure opening component file !UB, !AS", s
tdrv$startup_file, stdrv$comp_file)
%STDRV-E-OPENFAIL, failure opening component file 0, STARTUP$STARTUP_VMS
$stdrv$say f$fao("%STDRV-I-CONTINUING, continuing with partial file list")
%STDRV-I-CONTINUING, continuing with partial file list
$count_comp_files:
$stdrv$comp_files = stdrv$startup_file - 1
$if f$trnlnm(stdrv$phase_name,"lnm$process_table").nes."" then $ close stdrv$pha
se1
$open/share=read stdrv$phase1 STARTUP$PHASES
%DCL-E-OPENIN, error opening STARTUP$PHASES as input
-RMS-F-FNM, error in file name
$get_phase:
$read/end=done_all_phases stdrv$phase1 stdrv$current_phase
%DCL-W-UNDFIL, file has not been opened by DCL - check logical name
$if stdrv$verbose then -
stdrv$say f$fao("!/%STDRV-I-STRTPHAS, starting phase !AS at !%D",stdrv$current_p
hase,0)
$define/nolog startup$phase_name
%DCL-W-INSFPRM, missing command parameters - supply all required parameters
$stdrv$num_batch_jobs = 0
$stdrv$startup_file = 0
$goto first_file
$first_file:
$if stdrv$verbose then stdrv$say f$fao("%STDRV-I-INDXFILE, using component file
!UB", stdrv$startup_file)
$stdrv$first = stdrv$true
$if stdrv$startup_file .eq. stdrv$save_num .and. -
stdrv$save_layered .nes. f$trnlnm("startup$startup_layered","lnm$system_table")
$endif
$goto get_product
$get_product:
$if stdrv$first
$then
$read/end=next_file/error=read_error/nolock -
/index=0/key= stdrv$product1_0 stdrv$product_info
%DCL-W-INSFPRM, missing command parameters - supply all required parameters
$stdrv$first = stdrv$false
$else
$endif
$goto cont
$cont:
$if stdrv$param.nes.""
$then
$stdrv$x1 = p1
$stdrv$x2 = p2
$stdrv$x3 = p3
$stdrv$x4 = p4
$stdrv$x5 = p5
$stdrv$x6 = p6
$stdrv$x7 = p7
$stdrv$x8 = p8
$endif
$stdrv$phase = f$edit(f$extract(stdrv$phase_pos,stdrv$phase_len,stdrv$product_in
fo),"COLLAPSE")
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol - check validity and spelling
\STDRV$PRODUCT_INFO\
$if stdrv$phase.nes.stdrv$current_phase then goto next_file
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol - check validity and spelling
\STDRV$CURRENT_PHASE\
$stdrv$mode = f$extract(stdrv$mode_pos,stdrv$mode_len,stdrv$product_info)
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol - check validity and spelling
\STDRV$PRODUCT_INFO\
$stdrv$filen = f$edit(f$extract(stdrv$file_pos,stdrv$file_len,stdrv$product_info
),"COLLAPSE")
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol - check validity and spelling
\STDRV$PRODUCT_INFO\
$stdrv$param_end = f$locate(stdrv$end_field,stdrv$product_info)
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol - check validity and spelling
\STDRV$PRODUCT_INFO\
$stdrv$param = f$extract(stdrv$param_pos,stdrv$param_end-stdrv$param_pos,stdrv$p
roduct_info)
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol - check validity and spelling
\STDRV$PARAM_END\
$stdrv$flag = f$extract(stdrv$param_end+1,1,stdrv$product_info)
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol - check validity and spelling
\STDRV$PARAM_END\
$stdrv$node = ","+f$extract(stdrv$param_end+2,200,stdrv$product_info)
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol - check validity and spelling
\STDRV$PARAM_END\
$if stdrv$file_to_run.nes."*"
$endif
$run_file:
$if (stdrv$flag.eqs.stdrv$enable_flag)
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol - check validity and spelling
\STDRV$FLAG\
$then
$endif
$goto get_product
$get_product:
$if stdrv$first
$else
$read/end=next_file/error=read_error/nolock stdrv$product1_0 stdrv$product_info
$read_error:
$stdrv$error_code == $status
$if stdrv$error_code.eq.%X000182B2
$endif
$stdrv$say "%STDRV-F-FATALERR, fatal error reading startup database"
%STDRV-F-FATALERR, fatal error reading startup database
$exit stdrv$error_code
SYSTEM job terminated at 6-JAN-2009 12:08:46.68

Accounting information:
Buffered I/O count: 216 Peak working set size: 5184
Direct I/O count: 68 Peak virtual size: 183296
Page faults: 197 Mounted volumes: 0
Charged CPU time: 0 00:00:00.03 Elapsed time: 0 00:00:06.99

[Robert Gezelter]

Clark,

SYS$STARTUP:VMS$PHASES.DAT would appear to be missing. This file is normally in [VMS$COMMON.SYS$STARTUP] (the verify output shows the OPEN command failing with a "file not found"). Errors after than point are a cascade.

As a starting point, I wonder if [VMS$COMMON.SYS$STARTUP] is intact. As I mentioned previously, I would want to verify that the file structure is intact overall.

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

[cnb]

Hmmm..

%STDRV-E-OPENFAIL, failure opening component file 0, STARTUP$STARTUP_VMS
%STDRV-I-CONTINUING, continuing with partial file list
%DCL-E-OPENIN, error opening STARTUP$PHASES as input
-RMS-F-FNM, error in file name

What exactly did you input for set/startup? It looks like you have a syntax error.
1) Suggest you set it back to SYS$SYSTEM:STARTUP.COM
2) Boot minimum with verify using P1 & P2

What version and h/w platform of VMS are you using?

[Robert Gezelter]

Clark,

After CNB's post, I took a look. Indeed, the database file is also inaccessible.

I double emphasize: Check the directory and file structure.

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

[EdgarZamora_1]

I think you have a simple typo/misdefinition somewhere. Some things I would check...

sysgen> show/startup
sysgen> show startup_p1 p2... p3... etc.

$ show log sys$startup


good luck!

[Cass Witkowski]

Just an FYI, we had some zealous admin clean up the system disk by deleting old .DAT files from the system disk. VMSIMAGES.DAT was one unlucky victim.

Since this file is only used at boot time it was hard to determine when it was actually deleted. It may be a reason for this file to be missing.