Conference koolit::vms_curriculum

    	A draft of the second Sysnet III chapter entitled:
    
    	    Installing And Updating System Software
    
    		is available for review in:
    
    		SUPER::ES$REVIEW:[SYSNET_III]SYSNETIII_CHAP2.ps
    
    			Bonnie

Comments:

  o  We would like your opinion on moving the section "Rolling Upgrade" on page
     1-18 to follow the information on adding and removing nodes in Chapter 4:
     Installing VAXcluster Nodes.

    1.  ADDING PAGE AND SWAP FILES does not belong under the title
    INSTALLING AND UPDATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE. It should be in SYSGEN
    or STARTUP PROCEDURES.  (p. 21-23).
    
    2. Page 1-30.  Booting from a dual hsc system (bullet 3) is
    explained real well in the booting module in the old Operator
    course.  What is XX and what is YY.  It matters which node
    number is XX and which is YY.  We also should show a defboo
    file here to talk about unless it has already been done
    before this time.
    
    3.  In system manager I for installing I. and others, do not
    teach the topics in the book order.  In that module, we teach
    		a-licenses (not done here)
                b-installing new products (not done here)-because easiest 
    							  to understand
    							  so do first.
    		c-updates -next easiest-we now with these have covered
    			   		the tool to do the job.
    		d-upgrades-same tools as above-just takes longer with
    					       more decisions.
    		e-VMS installs-
    
    This is backwards from actually doing it on a system, but it
    flows better in the classroom.  We just explain we will do the 
    easiest first, and work our way up to the biggy.  By the time we
    get to the upgrade there is little new to teach except that it is
    in phases and what to do to prepare.  The student has already seen
    install.com twice.  In the install of fortran in SYSTEM MANAGER
    I, they go through the install question by question.  doing this
    first takes the fear out of it.  They know that they only need to
    supply the device the save sets are on and then answer questions.
    
    Thanks for listening
    
    Chuck

                                 Sysnet III
                    Installing and updating system software



1-8 This page should say Overview of the basic steps for Installation,
because these are all the topics the chapter is going to address.
also 1b. mention that they need to see their console manual and installation
guide for more detail. Also when you mention installing their licenses, you
may make mention of what sysnet course or chapter the LMF utility is 
covered in.

5. Anytime students see VMSTAILOR.EXE cn remove unwanted files from their
system they want to know how it works. Either put it in this chapter
in more detail or take it out. I would say leave it out if all your going to
do is mention it because they can see the mentioning of it in their installation
guide.  In either the old SMI their was an example of running VMSTAILOR.

6. They will want to know the command to decompress the libraries so put
them in here seeing as its just 1 command.


I think the way you break the installation up into phases is great and it makes
the stepps very clear.

1-17 You definatly will need to put in instructor notes what all those UETP 
messages mean. I can tell its loading images to test devices, but not everyone
knows that or what those images are.  Remember the table in smII that goes
over the specific images to test each evice? That could go in instructor notes.
Also what do you do after you run this test. Great they have run it now what?
It really leaves you hanging.

1-21 The page and swap file stuff should be somewhere with memory, specifically
around the show memory command since that would lead you to beleive you needed
to extend these files or create a secondary pagefile. This is not part of 
installing and updating system software which the chapter is titled.

1-24 In the table what do the phases relate to under customize. I can pretty
much figure it out- but you may mention they have to do with the phases of start
up. They may confuse these phases with the phases of installation which we just
went over.

1-26 1. What is the Service Processor Access switch? What is Local/SPU?

5. Show an example of >>>SHOW CONFIGURATION output.  And once you get the XMI 
and VAXBI information what do you do with it.

6. You say to edit defboo.cmd and tell them the registers that may need 
changing but we need an example and explainations of what is in each register.
I know it varies with each processor, but anything would be nice.

1-29. This page is good and long overdue for the sm courses, but do you think
this should be in the system startup chapter and then make mention of it here 
as well.

1-30 I think this page should come right before the bootsniffer stuff because
these are reasons we would modify the console media which is what we just got
done talking about before we ran upon that page about bootsniffers.



Overall the chapter is pretty good and I like the way an attempt was made to
actually rewrite the chapter and not just pull the pieces from the SMI course
and put them in here. 
 


Wendy Mullenhoff
Washington D.C.

    I think it would also be a good idea to move the stuff on the rolling
    upgrade. It really would be betterwith the cluster stuff.
    
    Wendy Mullenhoff

    
    
        In order to make the pilot schedule, Monday 9/23/91 will be the 
        review cutoff date. 
    
    	Any comments entered after that date will be considered after the
        pilot.
                        Thanks for your comments,
        			Bonnie
    	

  And the prepping continues...
  
  This chapter is relatively good and I think I'll be starting the course
  with this chapter.  Other than some weak generalizations and some mistakes
  regarding the operation of some of the older systems, this is a
  relatively well written and nicely focused chapter.
  
  Page 2-8, item 4  
    PLEASE don't tell the students in the lecture material that some topic is
    covered in another course, especially a previous  course.  Comments to
    that effect belong in the objectives or on the instructor's page.
  
  Page 2-25, display at bottom
    What do the "+" and "-" signs mean on the XMI and BI bus numbers on the
    diagram at the bottom of the page.
   
    Minor typo, the headings for the last 1/2 of the display at the bottom
    of the page is off -- "S/N  base".
  
  Page 2-24a, 2nd paragraph 
    This mileadingly states that the 3000, 6000, 8000 and 9000 are listed in
    the HW book.  In fact, almost every processor that we make is listed. 
    There are some old systems missing and some brand-new systems missing,
    but overall, very complete!
  
  Page 2-27a
    I think we've got this backwards.  There was some confusion around this
    in 86 & 87 as diagnostics, training manuals and actual VMS results were
    different.  However, I believe the Primary is the numbers to the right
    and Secondary is the numbers on the left.  Can someone verify?  I have 
    a few contacts in VAXcluster engineeering I can ask if necessary.
  
  Page 2-29, numbered item 4 
    This is misleading since disks like the RM05 and RM03 are DRxx type
    devices at the VMS level and DBx devices at boot time.  There is a
    listing of these someplace in the doc set, anyone remember?
  
  Page 2-31, Sniffer boot order 
    This information is *not* correct for at least the uVAX-II, maybe others. 
    The uVAX-II (I've tested this on my local systems) will look for the TK
    first, removable disks second, fixed disks last and will NOT look for
    network devices by default.  Also, they 'give up' and will NOT try
    continually to boot like the new systems will.  (Note: this is also
    incorrect in the new HW Book, where I suspect this information cam from.)
  
    Also, SET BOOT does not work on the uVAX-II, VS-2000, uVAX-2000 and maybe
    others.  On the uVAX-II the only way I know of to get a different boot
    order is to get F.S. to 'fix' the boot rom, which I have had done once
    in the past.  On the 2000, there is a similar function handled in a
    TEST command, I think it is test 52, 53 or 54 -- i.e.  >>> T 53 (then type 
    in device at the question mark), but memory fails me at the moment.
  
    And as a last thought on this page, I think the uVAX-II was at one time
    limited to a boot device with the unit number of 7 or less.  Maybe
    someone can verify this.
  
  Page 2-33, appendix
    Why not something slightly more normal than a 9000, this has a very
    limited audience.  Something that *maybe* a training center could show.
    Sure, leave the 9000 in, just add a 780 or 8350 or something common as
    well.
  
    2nd line from the bottom, what does "'p6'" do?  Does this work like DCL
    with P1-P8 being passed to the system?  I'd try this, but they haven't
    shipped my 9000 yet.  I know this doesn't work on any of the systems
    I've worked on, anyone try this before?
  
  Later...
  
  $

  Page 2-27a -- HSC boot order.
  
  A paraphrase of an article from the Customer Support Center...
    
    Given a R2 value of 0001 the "00" in bits 15 through 8 specify CI
    Node 0 and the "01" in bits 7 through 0 specify CI Node 1. 

    Input for the primary CI node is found in bits 15 through 8 of 
    Register 2 (R2). If set to 00 (i.e. R2=0001), the value is deemed
    invalid and the register input is retrieved from the information in
    bits 7 through 0.  That then becomes the valid, PRIMARY HSC.  If you
    want to have a valid ALTERNATE HSC port, you must have a bit set on
    in bits 15 through 8. 

    Therefore, in the case where you have HSC nodes 0 and 1 and you want
    to have each one available to boot in the absence of the other, you
    must set the bits in the following order:  0100. 
 
  So, in short, Primary is on the right IF the left numbers are 00 (i.e. 
  R2=0001), and Primary is on the left if the left numbers are non-zero
  (i.e. R2=0100)
 
 $

  Found a few items while teaching...
  
  2-25 --
      These instructions are for the 9000.  How about something a bit more
      common?  I have to order 9000 HW/SW installation docs just to teach
      these pages.
  
  2-26, #6 --
      This paragraph assues you don't change R0?!  True, but if you didn't 
      know that a CI needed a hex-20 here, where would yo ufind that info?
      The instructors pages nor the HW book (where these pages were lifted
      from) are any help.  Even the example in the HW book is vague since
      the display and then the example on page 1-34 (which discusses R1) 
      are not related.
  
  2-29, title
      "Systems that use DEFBOO.CMD default command procedure" is a bit
      misleading (as was the title on page 2-25).  We just finished playing
      with DEFBOO (see 2-25, etc.), so what makes these systems special?
      Please change the title to something more meaningful.
  
  $

    2-20 thru 2-23 again as with sysnetII we are talking about page
    files before teh concept has been introduced.  They are not talked
    about until the last module.  #10
    
    2-23  We are talking here about using the command procedure 
    sypagswpfiles.com.  It should be mentioned here that if you are
    not going to have page/swap files on your system disk, or you will
    have very small page/swap files on your system disk, and you will
    install larger ones somewhere else that the disks on which these
    page/swap files will be residing be mounted from sypagswpfiles.com
    
    2-25  I was under the assumption that all console commands were
    CCL not just the commands from the consoles listed on the page.
    
    I also think the information at the bottom of the page is too specific.
    not everyone coming to class has a configuration that would make
    the commands to find this information necessary.  This could be
    confusing for students who don't.  I really think the discussion
    on boot files from system manager II was sufficient.  I.E. Tell
    the students about R0 - R5 and basically what they do.  Anything
    processor specific should be found in the hardware guide for that
    system.