After time changes it usuallly is important to make sure that the related bits on the system disk get updated. You didn't mention if this is an Alpha or a VAX.
This has happened to me many times in the past.
If you read the documentation for SET TIME there is a bit that is critical that often gets overlooked:
(From the OpenVMS FAQ)
4.1.1.2.3 EXE$GQ_SAVED_HWCLOCK
This cell is used by OpenVMS Alpha to keep track of the last time and date that EXE$GQ_SYSTIME was adjusted. It keeps the same time format as EXE$GQ_SYSTIME. The value in this cell gets updated in memory and on disk, every time EXE$GQ_SYSTIME gets adjusted.
* The system parameters SETTIME and TIMEPROMPTWAIT determine how the system time will be set.
* If SETTIME = 0
then EXE$INIT_HWCLOCK reads the hardware clock to set the system time.
o IF TIMEPROMPTWAIT > 0
THEN the value of TIMEPROMPTWAIT determines how long the user is prompted to enter the time and date. If time expires and no time has been entered the system acts as if TIMEPROMPTWAIT = 0.
o IF TIMEPROMPTWAIT = 0
THEN the system time is calculated from the contents of EXE$GQ_SAVED_HWCLOCK + 1.
o IF TIMEPROMPTWAIT < 0
THEN the user is prompted for the time and date and unable to continue until the information is entered.
Unlike the VAX, the Alpha hardware clock tracks the full date and time, not just the time of year. This means it is possible to boot from the CD-ROM media without entering the time at the CD-ROM bootstrap. (This provided that the time and date have been initialized, of course.)
IA-64 (Itanium) hardware time-keeping details to be added...
4.1.1.3 Why does VAX need a SET TIME at least once a year?
Because the VAX Time Of Year (TOY) has a resolution of 497 days, the VAX system time is stored using both the TOY and the OpenVMS VAX system image SYS.EXE. Because of the use of the combination of the TOY and SYS.EXE, you need to issue a SET TIME command (with the time parameter specified) at least once between January 1st and about April 11th of each year, and whenever you change system images (due to booting another OpenVMS VAX system, booting the standalone BACKUP image, an ECO that replaces SYS.EXE, etc).
The SET TIME command (with the current time as a parameter) is automatically issued during various standard OpenVMS procedures such as SHUTDOWN, and it can also obviously be issued directly by a suitably privileged user. Issuing the SET TIME command (with a parameter) resets the value stored in the TOY, and (if necessary) also updates the portion of the time (the current year) saved in the SYS.EXE system image.
This VAX TOY limit is the reason why OpenVMS VAX installation kits and standalone BACKUP explicitly prompt for the time during bootstrap, and why the time value can "get weird" if the system crashes outside the 497 day window (if no SET TIME was issued to update the saved values), and why the time value can "get weird" if a different SYS$SYSTEM:SYS.EXE is used (alternate system disk, standalone BACKUP, etc).
4.1.2 How does OpenVMS VAX maintain system time?
VAX systems maintain an interval clock, and a hardware clock.
The VAX hardware clock is called the TOY ("Time Of Year") clock. The register associated with the clock is called the TODR ("Time Of Day Register").
The TOY clock---as used---stores time relative to January first of the current year, starting at at 00:00:00.00. It is a 100 Hz, 32-bit counter, incremented every 10ms, and thus has a capacity of circa 497 days.
OpenVMS (on the VAX platform) stores system date information---and in particular, the current year---in the system image, SYS$SYSTEM:SYS.EXE.
The TOY is used, in conjunction with the base date that is stored and retrieved from the system image, to initialize the interval clock value that is stored in EXE$GQ_SYSTIME.
Once the interval clock is loaded into the running system as part of the system bootstrap, the system does not typically reference the TOY again, unless a SET TIME (with no parameters) is issued. The interval clock value is updated by a periodic IPL22 or IPL24 (depending on the specific implementation) interrupt. (When these interrupts are blocked as a result of the activity of higher-IPL code---such as extensive driver interrupt activity or a hardware error or a correctable (soft) memory error---the clock will "loose" time, and the time value reported to the user with appear to have slowed down.)
When SET TIME is issued with no parameters, the TOY clock is loaded into the system clock; the running system clock is set to the time stored in the TOY clock. This assumes the TOY clock is more accurate than the system clock, as is normally the case.
On most (all?) VAX systems, the battery that is associated with the TOY clock can be disconnected and replaced if (when) it fails
Master you were right about 1 thing -- the negotiations were SHORT!
