[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

1106.0. "GTECH PCM Pilot Problems" by 17645::nqsrv312.nqo.dec.com::catalano () Tue Nov 21 1995 14:42

I have a Consolemanager pilot that has run into a few technical 
issues which they need resolving.  Can someone help me with the 
following issues. Customer has tried CSC with no luck...Thanks..
Steve c...
 
o   Console manager does not seem to start up even though 
"@SYS$STARTUP::
    CONSOLE$STARTUP" is in startup procedure.  Executing this 
procedure
    after the system boots will work, however.
 
o   Power cycle of console subsystem (alpha running console 
manager) 
    causes an alphaserver 2100 4/275 to halt.
 
o   Data overrun errors on alphastation 200 4/100 serial ports.  
Works
    fine on DEC 2000 Model 300.
 
o   Have not attempted to integrate with printer on parallel 
port. Previous
    attempts to use parallel printer on parallel port of 
Alphastation 200 4/166
    have been unsuccessful.

T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1106.129067::BUTTERWORTHGun Control is a steady hand.Wed Nov 22 1995 13:0668
    >Customer has tried CSC with no luck...Thanks....Steve c... 
    
    Which CSC?
    
    
>o   Console manager does not seem to start up even though 
>"@SYS$STARTUP::
>    CONSOLE$STARTUP" is in startup procedure.  Executing this 
>procedure
>    after the system boots will work, however.
    
    Yep. If you are running V1.5 or even V1.6 (without the ECO I think) you
    can run into this problem.It used to be that we linked against the
    DECWindows shareables for all images when we didn't need to and it
    caused this problem. The issue is that the DECWIndows Motif shareable
    images are not installed when SYSTARTUP_VMS runs. Prior to VMS 6.0
    DECW$STARTUP was called twice - once very early on in system startup
    prior to the execution of SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM - this first call to
    DECW$STARTUP did nothing more than install shareable images. Now that
    that call is no longer present, anything that needs those shareables
    must be deferred to a later phase of startup via the STARTUP databases
    manipulated by SYSMAN. So you can install V1.6 and the ECO1 or
    
    remove the call to CONSOLE$STARTUP from SYSTARTUP_VMS and do
    
    MCR SYSMAN>
    SYSMAN> START ADD FILE CONSOLE$STARTUP.COM/PHASE=END
    
>o   Power cycle of console subsystem (alpha running console 
>manager) causes an alphaserver 2100 4/275 to halt.
    
    Based on other text in your note it appears that you have systems
    connected to local serial ports on the PCM engine. Power cycling causes
    a BREAK to be generated on those serial lines when the async controller
    inits. This is the way those ports work so you ahve to be very
    careful. In the old VCS days when we used fibre optic modems to
    communicate to the managed systems we sold a little cheap A-B switch so
    that we could failover to a local terminal if it was necessary to
    shutdpwn/power-off the engine so we could avoid the problem of halting
    a system that uses BREAK as the halt key. I do not know off the top of
    my head if you can set the Alphaserver to use CTRL-P instead of break
    as can be done on later 4000 series VAxen.
 
>o   Data overrun errors on alphastation 200 4/100 serial ports.  Works
>    fine on DEC 2000 Model 300.
    
    The typeahead buffer isn;t big enough. On local serial lines it is
    important to set the following SYSGEN parameters onthe PCM engine:
    
    TTY_ALTYPAHD = 1000
    TTY_ALTALARM = 320
    
    This should solve the data-overrun problem.
 
>o   Have not attempted to integrate with printer on parallel 
>port. Previous     attempts to use parallel printer on parallel port of 
>Alphastation 200 4/166 have been unsuccessful.
    
    PCM cannot utilize a parallel port as an interface to a service nodes
    console as systems just don't use a parallel port as their console. If
    you know of one I;d like to know what it is!! Now certainly we could
    use the parallel port as the output of the WATCH interface to produce a
    hardcopy of the console data.
    
    
    Regs,
      Dan