Technical data

System Management Release Notes
5.9 OpenVMS Cluster Systems
Restriction:
If you attempt to use the DCL command $INITIALIZE to initialize an IDC hard
drive on a remote system using the mass storage control protocol (MSCP) server,
you may receive a warning message about the lack of a bad block file on the
volume. You can safely ignore this warning message.
Additionally, previously unused drives from certain vendors contain factory-
written data that mimics the data pattern used on a head alignment test disk.
In this case, the OpenVMS software will not initialize this disk remotely. As a
workaround, initialize the disk from its local system. Note that this workaround
also avoids the bad block file warning message.
5.9.21 Shadowing Restriction on Fibre Channel Multiple-Switch Fabrics
Removed
V7.3
Multiple-switch Fibre Channel fabrics are supported by OpenVMS, starting
with the DEC-AXPVMS-VMS721_FIBRECHAN-V0200 remedial kit. However,
a significant restriction existed in the use of Volume Shadowing for OpenVMS
in configurations with a multiple-switch fabric. All Fibre Channel hosts that
mounted the shadow set had to be connected to the same switch, or all the Fibre
Channel shadow set members had to be connected to the same switch. If the
Fibre Channel host or shadow set member was connected to multiple fabrics,
then this rule had to be followed for each fabric.
Changes have been made to Volume Shadowing for OpenVMS in OpenVMS
Version 7.3 that remove these configuration restrictions. These same changes are
available for OpenVMS Versions 7.2-1 and 7.2-1H1 in the current version-specific
Volume Shadowing remedial kits.
5.9.22 Fibre Channel Installation May Require Additional NPAGEVIR
V7.3
This problem is corrected in OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.2-1H1 and OpenVMS
Alpha Version 7.3 with a new system parameter, NPAGECALC, which
automatically calculates a value for NPAGEVIR and NPAGEDYN based on
the amount of physical memory in the system.
5.9.23 Fibre Channel Adapters Off Line After a System Boot
V7.3
The problem of Fibre Channel adapters being off line after a system boot has
been corrected in the following versions:
• OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.2-1 with the remedial kit DEC-AXPVMS-VMS721_
FIBRECHAN-V0300-4.PCSI
• OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.2-1H1
• OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.3
System Management Release Notes 5–23