mwj@a.UUCP (William Johnson) (03/23/88)
A while back somebody (I lost the original message -- sorry) asked
about means for making startup files, etc., uniform across a whole
pile of machines. Frank Nagy (VMS Wizard) responded with the
suggestion of using the SCSNODE system parameter to set the node
name, and then keying on that for SYSTARTUP.COM and so on. Thanks,
Frank; I had the same question as the original poster and you
answered it. (Incidentally, the MicroVAX HELP doesn't even mention
F$GETSYI("NODENAME"), which is essential to your procedure. We
would never have found this one without your help.)
People should know, however, that SCSNODE comes with some strings
attached. If one changes SCSNODE to a non-null string, all sorts
of mischief can ensue with any queue that gets set up at boot time
(SYS$BATCH and SYS$PRINT being the usual ones). I don't fully
understand what is going on -- anybody know for sure? -- but the
overall shape is the following: if one doesn't change the DCL
used to start the queues, the system creates the queues but
can't start them owing to confusion about node names. Reading
the "Guide to VAXclusters" manual (pp. 3-8 to 3-10) reveals the
fix, which is to define local names for the queues (using some
expanded DCL) and then point SYS$PRINT, SYS$BATCH, etc., at those
local names. Problem is, if you're a uVAX manager/user, who reads
that particular manual?
I pass this along, not as a problem to be solved, but so that other
people using Frank's suggestion (which is a good one) won't waste
as much time scratching their heads over the busted queues as we
did. It's something that full-size VAX managers probably know
about full well, but us guys who play with uVAXen sometimes need to
be told about such things.
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