[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference csc32::consolemanager

Title:POLYCENTER Console Manager
Notice:Kits, Scans, Docs on CSC32:: as PCM$KITS:,PCM$DOCS:, PCM$SCANS:
Moderator:CSC32::BUTTERWORTH
Created:Thu Aug 06 1992
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1541
Total number of notes:6564

418.0. "VCS->PCM problems/queries/feedback" by GIDDAY::PARSONS (Which Space Corps Directive ?) Thu Sep 29 1994 01:17

    

A customer has upgraded from VCS 1.4 to PCM 1.5.  VMS V6.0 on a
VSTN 4000 VLC.

They have encountered the following problems, any suggestions
appreciated.

Tony Parsons,
Sydney CSC.

Following is the customers Internet mail to me, my comments are preceded
by >>>


Q1. Unable to CONNECT to the console line for a monitored node.

$ console connect pjs009
System SET is not in the current configuration database
$
 [same message is displayed if connect is done from Windows interface]

There is nothing written to CONSOLEMANAGER.LOG for this event.
Note below what happens for an invalid node name.

$ console connect abcdef
System ABCDEF is not in the current configuration database

>>>  This is strange.  Where is SET coming from?  Using the configuration
     editor the definition for system PJS009 looks correct.  Initially
     they couldn't get PCM to monitor or connect to this node.  After
     removing the node from the configuration database and re-adding and
     reconfiguring the node PCM can now monitor it, but still cannot
     connect to it.  This is the only node in the configuration database.



Q2. Under VCS 1.4 terminal server ports were set up with authorised LAT
groups, which were then setup on the VCS host by  VCS$LTA.COM.  Under 1.5
how are the LAT groups set up and controlled?

>>>  I know PCM has taken over the LAT setup info to make life easier, but
     how do you set up LAT groups for use by PCM?


Q3. Under PCM 1.5, what is the correct way to have PCM automatically
startup, and have the C3 windows displayed on a dedicated workstation?
 Under 1.4 this was done by adding VCS$STARTUP to the END phase via SYSMAN -
putting CONSOLE$STARTUP in under 1.5 does not produce similar results.


Q4 Under 1.4 an icon for the VCS system itself was displayed on the C3
window, and this was useful for SET HOST etc.  This icon is not present (by
default) under 1.5 - can it be configured?


>>>  The following are some comments the customer wanted to pass to PCM
     Engineering.  Although they generally look bad the customer is
     positive about PCM!


Comment:  The release notes and the installation guide fail to mention a
number of important items regarding the 1.5 update.  e.g (1) that the user
interface has changed significantly (2) that new directory structures are
created (3) some configuration information is not carried forward e.g.
splitting log files over multiple volumes (4) what is to be done with old
VCS files.

In 15 years of VMS installs, I think these release notes are the most
uninformative (by omission of detail) that I have seen.

It is also disappointing to see that there appears to have been little
update provided in icons,scan profiles etc for recent Digital equipment.

    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
418.1some answers or ideasCX3PST::ANASAZ::J_BECKERThere's no substitute for a good bootThu Sep 29 1994 05:3141
    tony:
    
>System SET is not in the current configuration database
    
    I have seen this before and found it was either a logical for CONSOLE
    or a symbol of the same name.  Please check this and get back here
    with the result.
    
>>>  I know PCM has taken over the LAT setup info to make life easier, but
     how do you set up LAT groups for use by PCM?

    The lat groups are still set up the same way. You must define each
    server with the correct group you wish to use.  On the vms host system,
    you need to have LAT$STARTUP or LAT$SYSTARTUP define the service groups
    you wish to use.
    
>Q3. Under PCM 1.5, what is the correct way to have PCM automatically
>startup, and have the C3 windows displayed on a dedicated workstation?
>Under 1.4 this was done by adding VCS$STARTUP to the END phase via SYSMAN -
>putting CONSOLE$STARTUP in under 1.5 does not produce similar results.
    
    I assume what you want is to boot up the system and have the C3 appear
    instead of the login box.  You should still be able to startup the
    console software in the end phase.  In vcs, there was a special motif
    startup file that placed the c3 on the console at boot.  This was
    "hooked" to decwindows via the DECW$PRIVATE_APPS_SETUP.COM defining the 
    MAINAPPS symbol to this command file.  You should be able to do the
    same thing with your own file.  I do not believe console manager
    supplies this command file.
    
>Q4 Under 1.4 an icon for the VCS system itself was displayed on the C3
>window, and this was useful for SET HOST etc.  This icon is not present (by
>default) under 1.5 - can it be configured?
    
    No reason you cant set up a pseudo terminal to the local system but you
    will need a license and there is no set host from the c3 that I
    remember seeing.
    
    
    john becker
    
418.2CSC32::BUTTERWORTHGun Control is a steady hand.Thu Sep 29 1994 19:5828
    >    MAINAPPS symbol to this command file.  You should be able to do the
    >    same thing with your own file.  I do not believe console manager
    >    supplies this command file.
    
    
    This has been done. It is now in STARS or should be in a couple days.
    You simply need to create a DECW$PRIVATE_APPS_SETUP.COM and define
    the symbol DECW$MAINAPP sysmbol to point to the procedure as John B
    pointed out. BTW, the fact that a C3 is not brought up on boot was an
    intended behavior change from VCS. What the customer is seeing is
    indeed expected behavior.
    
    >Set host and icon.
    
    John is correct in that there is no SET HOST functionality and no 
    icon to represent the PCM engine ala VCS. A suggestion would be to 
    add a CREAT/TERM command to the procedure used to start the C3 at boot
    time. Of course if the operator kills the window there isn't a session
    manager to bring one up another decterm. John already pointed out that
    you could create a pseudo node for the PCM engine and that it requires a
    license. I suggest you contact the product manager for PCM, Rae Kung
    (I don't have her address but do a dir/titl=phase to find the Phase 0
    requirments note for the next release) and make the suggestion that
    this functionality be included for the next release.
    
    Regs,
      Dan
    
418.3OPG::PHILIPAnd through the square window...Thu Sep 29 1994 20:3814
  It seems to me that we need to add the "Set Host" functionality to the C3.
  I have been asked about this on a number of occasions so people must think 
  its necessary - right?

  Dave, can you "slip" this functionality into your "new" C3, maybe have a 
  customize option to either use the DECnet "SET HOST" (dlogin on U*ix) or
  the TCPIP rlogin commands when the user wants to set host to the managed
  system or PCM host. I guess the popup menu should have the option "Network 
  Login" so that it is operating system independent.

Cheers,
Phil

418.4OKZENDIA::DBIGELOWInnovate, Integrate, EvaporateThu Sep 29 1994 21:304
    OK, I'll see what I can do to 'slip' this into the 'new' C3. It will
    appear as a PCM command in the popup menu.
    
    Dave
418.5No symbol or logical exists60818::BROOKSFri Oct 21 1994 09:3712
    Hi,
    
    	I'm just picking up from from Tony in .0. I have asked the customer
    to check if there was a logical or symbol defined for CONSOLE and he
    could not find one. Suggested he shorten the command to CONS CONN
    <system> but the SET message was returned.
    
    Any other suggestions ?
    
    Regards,
    Nigel
    
418.6OPG::PHILIPAnd through the square window...Fri Oct 21 1994 10:2417
Nigel,

  Its not a logical translating CONSOLE, what will be happening is
  that PCM will be trying to translate the name of your system, my
  guess is that you have a DCL symbol defined in your LOGIN.COM which
  goes something like :

$ node :== "SET HOST node"


  So, when you do CONSOLE CONNECT node, the "node" bit is getting
  translated into 3 systems "SET", "HOST" and "node" now as you
  asked for a connect, we are trying to connect you to the first
  system "SET" which doesnt exist, hence the message.

Cheers,
Phil
418.7Imfamous symbol strikes againGIDDAY::BROOKSFri Oct 28 1994 07:187
    Phil,
    
    	I don't think you could have spelt it out any clearer that time.
    Your are definitely right about the symbol. Someone had defined the
    symbol in a command procedure referenced by SYLOGIN.
    
    Thanks again Nigel.
418.8this is as close to a bug as a feature ever gets!BIGUN::KEOGHI choose to enter this note now.Wed May 24 1995 07:2022
Phil,

Thanks for the clear explaination. Just came across a customer system
with the same problem (a symbol with the same name as a node).

MCS had been trying to fix it for some time ...

Shaun Ellis and I had a look at it and remembered this gotcha.

So my question is ... can this "feature" be removed? This is the
only OpenVMS application that I know of that translates symbols
in this way, so it is entirely counterintuitive to most systems
people. In fact, doesn't it contravene DEC Std 032 (if I've got the
number of the DCL standard correct)? From the perspective of my customer,
it is a bug.

Pray tell, why was it put in in the first place. Surely on OpenVMS,
logical names provide the appropriate mechanism for translation, with
multiple values, good scope control etc.

Regards,
Patrick
418.9PBUNIX::pgbAnd through the square window...Wed May 24 1995 11:5610
Patrick,

  We use the DECC Run-time function getenv() to translate the name, 
  this is so that the code path is portable across all the platforms we use. 
  This also means we are restricted by the way that getenv works, which 
  unfortunately for you translates symbols as well as logicals.

Cheers,
Phil