[comp.os.vms] Can I put uVAX diagnostics on a hard disk under VMS?

todd@CINCOM.UMD.EDU ("TODD AVEN") (01/06/88)

[urp]

Greetings, and Happy New Year!

After growing old waiting for the DECman to load his
fargin' uVAX microdiagnostics from floppy to find out
that the DHV11 is fine, it's just a broken Berg connector
on the distribution panel, I said to myself, "Gee, there
MUST be a better way!" Am I right? You tell me.

What I'd like to do is put those wonderful diagnostics
on the disk in, say, DUA0:[SYS1...]. Then I could do
a number like ">>> B/1000000000000000000 DUA0" (how many
zeroes is it???), and WHIZ-BANG-BLOOEY I'd be ready
to rule out all the obscure problems.

Of course, I've never messed with VAXELN, so I'm asking
anyone out there if it's reasonable/possible to put 
VAXELN on a FILES11/ODS2 disk and boot it as an alternate
system, like standalone backup?

Answers to me, complaints to NLA0:, summaries to info-vax
at a later date. There is REALLY no need to answer directly
to the net, as I'll wrap things up nice and neat without
all the extra header trash, with proper creditation to 
the responders and save us all a few bits and bytes. Remember
Kant!

Regards,
Todd Aven
the Software Sweatshop
------

carl@CITHEX.CALTECH.EDU (Carl J Lydick) (01/07/88)

 > After growing old waiting for the DECman to load his
 > fargin' uVAX microdiagnostics from floppy to find out
 > that the DHV11 is fine, it's just a broken Berg connector
 > on the distribution panel, I said to myself, "Gee, there
 > MUST be a better way!" Am I right? You tell me.

I don't know whether it can be done on a uVAX, but on a 780 you can boot
diagnostics (also in VAXELN) from a hard disk.

 > What I'd like to do is put those wonderful diagnostics
 > on the disk in, say, DUA0:[SYS1...]. Then I could do
 > a number like ">>> B/1000000000000000000 DUA0" (how many
 > zeroes is it???), and WHIZ-BANG-BLOOEY I'd be ready
 > to rule out all the obscure problems.

On a 780, you put the diagnostics in the directory [SYSMAINT] instead of
in an alternate root.  Then you use a boot procedure that corresponds to
the command:
	>>> B/R5=10
on a uVAX.

 > Of course, I've never messed with VAXELN, so I'm asking
 > anyone out there if it's reasonable/possible to put 
 > VAXELN on a FILES11/ODS2 disk and boot it as an alternate
 > system, like standalone backup?

It can be done, at least on a 780.  It may be doable on a uVAX; in fact,
the company we have doing hardware maintenance here has asked me to look
into the problem.  If I find an answer, I'll post it.