----- Original Message -----
From: "BrownM03" <BrownM03@bigpond.com>
To: "port-vax" <port-vax@netbsd.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2001 11:54 AM
Subject: can I use DSSI drives on my 4000?



> and a DSSI RF35. I actually have 2 of these 825M drives (along with
> another 4 RF73 2G drives from an array) however one is marked
> RF35/RZ35 which I BELIEVE(d) means dual-mode (doesn't work
> on SCSI so I guess not).

Not dual mode as such, but the mechs are the same for the DSSI and SCSI
versions, just
different electronics.  How many pins on the power connector.  4 is
SCSI, 5 is DSSI usually.

>  This drive is VMS 5.5-2H4 bootable and
> eventually gets to a login prompt (how do I get around passwords?)

you are plugging it in to the SCSI or the DSSI controller on the vax?
The SCSI is probably an
add on card, ISTR that the DSSI is part of the mainboard in these, but
the internal drive cables *look*
like SCSI, but are NOT.

The VMS FAQ at http://eisner.decus.org/vms/faq.htm has the answer to
this and many
other things pertaining to VMS.
This is the excerpt dealing specifically with your problem.
The VMS equivalent to UNIX ROOT user is SYSTEM

Halt the system. Exactly how this is done depends on the specific system
model: Depending on the model, this can involve pressing the HALT
button, entering CTRL/P on the console, or pressing the BREAK key on the
console.
At the >>> console prompt, use a console command to boot into the
SYSBOOT> utility. (SYSBOOT allows conversational changes to system
parameters.) The syntax for the conversational bootstrap varies by
system model - this typically involves specifying a flag of 1, for
example:
VAX:
          B/1                (*I think this is the one you need for
yours)
          B/R5:1
          @GENBOO


Alpha:
          b -flags 0,1

If your system has a non-zero system root (such as root SYSE, shown
here), you will have to use a console command such as the following:
VAX:
          B/E0000001
          B/R5:E0000001
          @<console media procedure name varies widely>

If your system has a hardware password (various systems support a
password that prevents unauthorized access to the console), you will
need to know theis password and will need to enter it using the LOGIN
command at the console. If you get an Inv Cmd error trying to perform a
conversational bootstrap, and you do not have the hardware console
password for the console LOGIN command, you are stuck - you will need to
call for hardware service in order to reset the hardware console
password. The syntax used for the console password mechanism varies.

Once at the SYSBOOT> prompt, request that OpenVMS read the system
startup commands directly from the system console, that the window
system (if any) not be started, and that OpenVMS not record these
parameter changes for subsequent system reboots:
        SET/STARTUP OPA0:
        SET WINDOW_SYSTEM 0
        SET WRITESYSPARAMS 0
        CONTINUE

At the $ prompt, the system will now be accepting startup commands
directly from the console. Type the following two DCL commands:
        SPAWN
        @SYS$SYSTEM:STARTUP


The result of these two commands will be the normal system startup, but
you will be left logged in on the console, running under a privileged
username. Without the use of the SPAWN command, you would be logged out
when the startup completes.
If necessary, you can skip the invocation of the system startup
temporarily, and perform tasks such as registering license PAKs or
various other "single-user" maintenance operations.

Use the following commands to reset the SYSTEM password:
        SET DEFAULT SYS$SYSTEM:  ! or wherever SYSUAF.DAT resides
        RUN SYS$SYSTEM:AUTHORIZE
        MODIFY SYSTEM /PASSWORD=newpassword
        EXIT

These steps will change the SYSTEM password to the specified new
newpassword password value.
Reboot the system normally - the SYSTEM password should now be set to
the value you specified in Step 5.
Some people will suggest a method using the UAFALTERNATE SYSGEN
parameter. This approach is not always reliable and is not recommended,
as there can easily be an alternate user authorization file configured
on the system.
For further information on emergency startup and shutdown, as well as
for the official OpenVMS documentation on how to change the SYSTEM
password from the console in an emergency, please see the OpenVMS System
Manager's Manual in the OpenVMS documentation set.
You can also use the conversational bootstrap technique shown above (the
steps through Step 3) to alter various system parameters. At the
SYSBOOT> prompt, you can enter new parameters values:

     SHOW MAXPROCESSCNT
     SET . 64
     CONTINUE


The "." is a shorthand notation used for the last parameter examined.

     [Steve Hoffman]

> Is this OS past it / recoverable / of "historic" significance?

In order:-  No. Yes.  Uh, not really, still plenty of that version in
commercial service I think. (though thinning out now)

> Should I keep it so that I might eventually have dual boot VMS/NetBSD?

I would.  VMS was the favoured system for these boxes.  Be interesting
to see what else is in there.

> As the DSSI drives don't seem to be detected during a normal netboot,
> I assume that there is no support for them (this doesn't sound right).
> Is there something special that I need to do to get NetBSD to talk
DSSI?
>
> Just to really show my ignorance, I don't really understand this
raid-array.

I don't think it was a RAID in the sense you mean.  Possibly it used
Volume Shadowing under VMS,
(O/S supported drive 'mirroring' somewhat like RAID 2.)

> Initially I had assumed that all 6 drives in it were RF/RZ ("dual
mode"),
> as I only saw 1 sample drive before I got the whole thing.
> However, I'm now certain that they are ALL DSSI.

Almost certainly.

How does this work
> when the array uses SCSI to plug into the VAX?

Is there a DSSI/SCSI converter here somewhere?   There is no way to
connect a DSSI drive to a SCSI interface without
a converter of some kind (not just cabling, they are radically different
and completely incompatible).  That said, it's not that easy to tell the
difference between some DSSI cabling and SCSI cabling.  Some are almost
identical, but the controllers and drives are not mutually compatible at
all.

Hope this helps somewhat.

Email me some pics off list if you like.  I have a Microvax 3400 here.
(Similar)

Cheers

Geoff Roberts
Computer Systems Manager
Saint Mark's College
Port Pirie,
South Australia
geoffrob@stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au
netcafe@tell.net.au
ICQ: 1970476