System Startup, Configuration, and Shutdown Reference Manual (32650-90892)

Chapter 1 19

Introduction

What Is System Conﬁguration?

System configuration

is the means by which you deﬁne, in terms meaningful to the

operating system, any or all of the peripheral devices attached to the computer for the

input (entering) or output (storing or displaying) of data. Such devices include terminals,

printers, disk drives, and tape drives.

System conﬁguration also includes the deﬁnition or modiﬁcation of system parameters

other than the input/output (I/O) device conﬁguration. These parameters include system

tables, the message catalog, user logging processes, system logging events, and other

system resources.

How System Conﬁguration Is Performed

System conﬁguration and generation procedures are administered and controlled through

the system generator (SYSGEN) utility.

SYSGEN is a program that enables a user with system manager (SM) capability to view,

create, modify, and save system I/O conﬁguration data. (A user with system supervisor

(OP) capability may only view I/O conﬁguration data.) In addition, the system manager

can add, remove, and replace system boot ﬁles and system libraries by creating a system

load tape (SLT).

The system stores conﬁguration data in groups and allows for multiple groups to reside on

disk. SYSGEN builds on an existing conﬁguration group to change that conﬁguration or to

create a new conﬁguration. The new conﬁguration data can be stored on disk or tape. This

SLT tape can then be used to install an entirely new copy of the operating system or to

update an existing copy.

NOTE SYSGEN does not support conﬁguring terminals into the system. For

information on terminal conﬁguration, refer to the HP e3000/iX Network

Planning and Conﬁguration Guide.