HP OpenVMS Systems

what is the OpenVMS registry?

The Registry is similar to Microsoft Windows Registry — it is a database for storing data, most often used for storing application configuration and parameter data.

Advanced Server for OpenVMS configuration (file server) parameter settings are stored in the OpenVMS Registry, making them more compatible with the way Microsoft Windows stores configuration information. The OpenVMS Registry is new to users who have been using PATHWORKS for OpenVMS.

Is the OpenVMS Registry the same as the PATHWORKS LANMAN.INI file?

The Registry is a general database. It also contains a collection of file server parameters that define the configuration of the Advanced Server software.

The LANMAN.INI file is the PATHWORKS for OpenVMS (Advanced Server) configuration file. The Registry replaces the LANMAN.INI file in the Advanced Server for OpenVMS product. If the Advanced Server for OpenVMS was installed as a migration from PATHWORKS, all parameters set in LANMAN.INI are migrated to the OpenVMS Registry.

When the Advanced Server for OpenVMS is installed, the server uses PWRK$CONFIG.COM to set only a few values in the Registry. You need to set a parameter value in the Registry only if you want to change its value from its default. Default values are set for any parameter that is not set otherwise in the Registry. However, two important parameter values are domain name and computer name. These two values are not set as default values.

Advanced Server for OpenVMS does not reference any LANMAN.INI file, even if one exists. A LANMAN.INI file would exist and would remain unchanged after an upgrade from PATHWORKS to Advanced Server for OpenVMS (to allow for easy rollback, if needed). However, with a "clean" installation (without an upgrade), a LANMAN.INI file would not be created.

How do I change from using LANMAN.INI to the OpenVMS Registry?

If you are upgrading a system from PATHWORKS V6 for OpenVMS (Advanced Server) to Advanced Server for OpenVMS, the parameters and settings in the existing LANMAN.INI file are migrated to OpenVMS Registry parameters when you run the PWRK$CONFIG.COM initial configuration procedure. The transition from LANMAN.INI to the OpenVMS Registry is designed to be as smooth as possible. Once parameters are in the Registry, they are easy to modify and add.

For most cases, the person installing and configuring Advanced Server for OpenVMS over PATHWORKS V6 will not even notice that the migration occurred.

Easy to Manage

By using the REGUTL utility, PATHWORKS administrators can manage the file server parameters using familiar LANMAN.INI names instead of the less familiar Registry parameter names. The REGUTL utility makes it much easier to manage the parameters because it ensures that the spelling is correct and that the settings are within the valid limits (maximum and minimum). For more information about the Advanced Server for OpenVMS parameter structure in the OpenVMS Registry, refer to the Advanced Server for OpenVMS Server Administrator's Guide (also included with kit).

Other utilities that you can use to manage the file server parameters are REG$CP (the OpenVMS registry control program) and the Microsoft Windows registry editor (when the file server is running). You must use the file server parameter's registry names when you use these utilities.

Why do we need a Registry?

For COM applications to run on OpenVMS with a minimum of changes, OpenVMS needs to use a Registry. COM uses the Registry far more than Advanced Server for OpenVMS. The Registry was not originally designed to benefit Advanced Server users; it was designed for COM applications.

The OpenVMS Registry is used only for Microsoft Windows related features such as COM. (At this time, no plans exist to move the SYSGEN parameters to the OpenVMS Registry). If you do not use any Microsoft Windows related features, you need not configure the OpenVMS Registry.