A Comparison of System Management on OpenVMS AXP and OpenVMS VAX

This manual, intended for experienced OpenVMS VAX system managers, outlines the differences and similarities between system management on OpenVMS VAX (up to version 6.0) and OpenVMS AXP (version 1.5).

The document is divided into six chapters:

• Overview: Summarizes key differences, primarily focusing on the larger page size on AXP systems (8KB, 16KB, 32KB, or 64KB compared to 512-byte VAX pages) and its impact on process quotas and system parameters. It also details unsupported components on AXP (e.g., Volume Shadowing, RMS Journaling, and DECnet/OSI).
• System Setup Tasks: Compares setup procedures, noting that while directory structures and basic management tasks are identical, changes are required for boot commands, License Management Facility (LMF) usage, and I/O subsystem configuration.
• Maintenance Tasks: Details similarities and differences in maintenance, such as batch and print queuing, and notes that certain VAX-specific tools (e.g., the Patch utility) are not supported on AXP.
• Security Tasks: Highlights differences introduced by C2 security features in OpenVMS VAX Version 6.0, which are not present in OpenVMS AXP Version 1.5.
• Performance Optimization Tasks: Explains how the larger page size necessitates changes to system parameter units and default values. It also introduces features like Granularity Hint Regions (GHRs) and Virtual I/O Caching.
• Network Management Tasks: Discusses DECnet management, noting that while many tasks are similar, certain features (e.g., DDCMP lines, VAX P.S.I., and full host-based routing) are not supported on AXP.

The manual includes appendices providing performance considerations for AXP, I/O configuration command references for SYSMAN, and additional notes for supporting programmers and users on AXP systems.