Booting in an Emergency

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HP OpenVMS System Manager's Manual, Volume 1:...

Starting Up and Shutting Down the System

Assigning Port Allocation Classes with SYSBOOT

Booting with Controlled Startup

Booting in an Emergency

If a system problem prevents your system from booting, you might need to perform an emergency boot operation. Emergency Boot Procedures describes these emergency boot operations.

Table 1 Emergency Boot Procedures
Operation Use For More Information

Booting with default system parameters
When parameter values in the parameter file have been modified so that the system is unbootable
Booting with Default System Parameters

Booting without startup and login procedures
If an error in the startup or login procedures prevents you from logging in
Booting Without Startup and Login Procedures

Booting without the user authorization file
If you have forgotten the password and cannot log in to a privileged account
Booting Without the User Authorization File

**Table 1** **Emergency Boot Procedures**
Operation	Use	For More Information
Booting with default system parameters	When parameter values in the parameter file have been modified so that the system is unbootable	Booting with Default System Parameters
Booting without startup and login procedures	If an error in the startup or login procedures prevents you from logging in	Booting Without Startup and Login Procedures
Booting without the user authorization file	If you have forgotten the password and cannot log in to a privileged account	Booting Without the User Authorization File

Booting with Default System Parameters

If the current values stored in the parameter file have been incorrectly modified, these incorrect values might cause the system to become unbootable. With a conversational boot operation, you can reset the active values for all system parameters to the default value.

Note that in most cases, HP recommends that you use AUTOGEN to modify system parameters. In special cases, however, you can use a conversational boot to modify a parameter value temporarily. To change a parameter value permanently, you must edit MODPARAMS.DAT and run AUTOGEN. For instructions, see the HP OpenVMS System Manager's Manual, Volume 2: Tuning, Monitoring, and Complex Systems.)

How to Perform This Task

Perform a conversational boot by following the instructions in one of the following manuals:
- On VAX systems, refer to the most recent versions of the OpenVMS VAX Upgrade and Installation Manual and the upgrade and installation supplement for your VAX computer.
- On Alpha systems, refer to the HP OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.3-2 Upgrade and Installation Manual.

At the SYSBOOT> prompt, enter the following command:
```
SYSBOOT> USE DEFAULT
```
This command specifies that default values should be used for all parameters.

To avoid starting all layered products on a system that is not tuned for them, possibly causing the system to hang, set the STARTUP_P1 system parameter as follows:
```
SYSBOOT> SET STARTUP_P1 "MIN"
```

Enter the CONTINUE command to continue booting:
```
SYSBOOT> CONTINUE
```

When the system finishes booting, determine which changed parameter caused the problem, and reset the parameter value. If you specified the value for the parameter in the AUTOGEN parameter file MODPARAMS.DAT, fix the value in that file and run AUTOGEN. For more information, see the HP OpenVMS System Manager's Manual, Volume 2: Tuning, Monitoring, and Complex Systems.

Shut down and reboot the system.

Example

SYSBOOT> USE DEFAULT                        
SYSBOOT> SET STARTUP_P1 "MIN"
SYSBOOT> CONTINUE 
Username: SYSTEM
Password: 
$ EDIT SYS$SYSTEM:MODPARAMS.DAT
.
.
.
[Insert the following line in MODPARAMS.DAT:]
MIN_NPAGEDYN = 2999808 
.
.
.
$ @SYS$UPDATE:AUTOGEN SAVPARAMS REBOOT

Booting Without Startup and Login Procedures

If the system does not complete the startup procedures or does not allow you to log in, bypass the startup and login procedures. The startup and login procedures provided by HP should always work. However, if you introduce an error when modifying the startup or login procedures, you can accidentally lock yourself out of the system. The following instructions tell you what to do in such a situation.

How to Perform This Task

Perform a conversational boot operation by following the instructions in one of the following manuals:
- On VAX systems, refer to the most recent versions of the OpenVMS VAX Upgrade and Installation Manual and the upgrade and installation supplement for your VAX computer.
- On Alpha systems, refer to the HP OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.3-2 Upgrade and Installation Manual.

Enter the following command at the SYSBOOT> prompt:
```
SYSBOOT> SET/STARTUP OPA0:
```

Enter the CONTINUE command to continue booting:
```
SYSBOOT> CONTINUE
```

When the system is booted, the operator console displays the DCL command prompt ($). You are logged in.

Enter the following DCL command:
```
$ SET NOON
```
This command directs the operating system to ignore any errors that might occur. If you do not enter this command and you invoke an error, the system will log you out.

Correct the error condition that caused the login failure. That is, make the necessary repairs to the startup or login procedures, or to the UAF.

Invoke a text editor to correct the file. Note that some system consoles might not supply a screen-mode editor. You can also copy a corrected file and delete the incorrect version by using the RENAME and DELETE commands.

Invoke SYSMAN and enter the following commands to reset the startup procedure:

$ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSMAN
SYSMAN> PARAMETERS USE CURRENT
SYSMAN> PARAMETERS SET/STARTUP SYS$SYSTEM:STARTUP.COM
SYSMAN> PARAMETERS WRITE CURRENT
SYSMAN> EXIT
$

Perform a normal startup by entering the following command:
```
$ @SYS$SYSTEM:STARTUP
```

Example

SYSBOOT> SET/STARTUP OPA0:
SYSBOOT> CONTINUE
$ SET NOON
$ SET DEFAULT SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSEXE]
$ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSMAN
SYSMAN> PARAMETERS USE CURRENT
SYSMAN> PARAMETERS SET/STARTUP SYS$SYSTEM:STARTUP.COM
SYSMAN> PARAMETERS WRITE CURRENT
SYSMAN> EXIT
$ @SYS$SYSTEM:STARTUP

Booting Without the User Authorization File

Ordinarily, the startup and login procedures provided by HP always work; however, certain user interventions can cause them to fail. A very simple way to lock yourself out of the system is to set passwords to login accounts and forget them. In such an emergency, you can use the alternate user authorization file rather than the standard user authorization file.

You can use this method only to log in to the system from the console terminal; you cannot use other terminal lines.

Setting the system parameter UAFALTERNATE defines the logical name SYSUAF to refer to the file SYS$SYSTEM:SYSUAFALT.DAT. If this file is found during a normal login, the system uses it to validate the account and prompts you for the user name and password.

If it cannot find this file, the system assumes that the UAF is corrupt and accepts any user name and any two passwords to log you in to the system from the system console. Logins are prohibited from all other terminal lines.

When you perform this procedure, the system assigns the following values to your user account:

Field Value

Name
User name

UIC
[001,004]

Command interpreter
DCL

Login flags
None

Priority
Value of the system parameter DEFPRI

Resources
Values of the PQL system parameters

Privileges
All

Field	Value
Name	User name
UIC	[001,004]
Command interpreter	DCL
Login flags	None
Priority	Value of the system parameter DEFPRI
Resources	Values of the PQL system parameters
Privileges	All

The process name is usually set to the name of the device on which you logged in (for example, _OPA0:).

How to Perform This Task

Perform a conversational boot by following the instructions in one of the following manuals:
- On VAX systems, refer to the most recent versions of the OpenVMS VAX Upgrade and Installation Manual and the upgrade and installation supplement for your VAX computer.
- On Alpha systems, refer to the HP OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.3-2 Upgrade and Installation Manual

At the SYSBOOT> prompt, enter the following command:

SYSBOOT> SET UAFALTERNATE 1

If your system is running DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS systems, you must also disable the windowing system by entering the following command:
```
SYSBOOT> SET WINDOW_SYSTEM 0
```

Enter the CONTINUE command to continue booting:
```
SYSBOOT> CONTINUE
```

When the startup procedure completes, log in on the console terminal by entering any user name and any two passwords in response to the Username: and Password: prompts.

Enter the following command to use the default UAF:

$ DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE_MODE SYSUAF SYS$SYSTEM:SYSUAF.DAT

Use the Authorize utility to fix the problem that caused you to be locked out of the system (for example, a forgotten password). Enter HELP MODIFY at the UAF> prompt for information about modifying passwords. For more details, refer to the HP OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference Manual.

Enter the following commands to invoke SYSMAN and clear the UAFALTERNATE system parameter you set in step 2:
```
$ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSMAN
SYSMAN> PARAMETERS USE CURRENT
SYSMAN> PARAMETERS SET UAFALTERNATE 0
```
In most cases, HP recommends that you use AUTOGEN to modify system parameters. However, since this parameter is being changed only temporarily, you can use SYSMAN or SYSGEN to change it back.

If you disabled the windowing system in step 3, reenable it by entering the following command:
```
SYSMAN> PARAMETERS SET WINDOW_SYSTEM 1
```

Enter the following command to save the changed system parameter values:
```
SYSMAN> PARAMETERS WRITE CURRENT
```

Shut down and reboot the system.

Example

SYSBOOT> SET UAFALTERNATE 1
SYSBOOT> SET WINDOW_SYSTEM 0
SYSBOOT> CONTINUE
Username: [Return]
Password: [Return]
Password: [Return]
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE_MODE SYSUAF SYS$SYSTEM:SYSUAF.DAT
$ SET DEFAULT SYS$SYSTEM
$ RUN AUTHORIZE
AUTHORIZE> MODIFY SYSTEM/PASSWORD=FGLFTUTU
AUTHORIZE> EXIT
 
$ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSMAN
SYSMAN> PARAMETERS USE CURRENT
SYSMAN> PARAMETERS SET WINDOW_SYSTEM 1
SYSMAN> PARAMETERS SET UAFALTERNATE 0
SYSMAN> PARAMETERS WRITE CURRENT
 
SYSMAN> EXIT
$ @SYS$SYSTEM:SHUTDOWN

Assigning Port Allocation Classes with SYSBOOT

Booting with Controlled Startup