Installation manual

2
Preparing to Install the OpenVMS VAX
Operating System
This chapter describes how to prepare for installing the OpenVMS VAX operating
system, including:
• Being aware of the cautions and restrictions
• Ensuring your hardware is ready
• Ensuring your software distribution kit is complete
• Preparing for an OpenVMS Cluster environment
• Preparing your tape and disk drives
• Gathering the information you need to supply during the installation
procedure
• Completing the preinstallation checklist
If you are an experienced system manager, you can use the checklist at the end of
the chapter to complete all the necessary preinstallation tasks.
If you are a less-experienced system manager, you should read the entire chapter
and then use the checklist to make sure you completed all the preinstallation
tasks.
2.1 Cautions and Restrictions
Before you begin the installation procedure, note the following cautions and
restrictions.
2.1.1 Cautions
The following cautions apply for Version 7.3 of the OpenVMS VAX operating
system:
• The software installation procedure overwrites the contents of the system
disk. Use the installation procedure only if your VAX computer is new or
if you want to destroy the contents of the system disk. If your system disk
contains files you want to save, you should upgrade to the new version of
OpenVMS VAX. For an overview of the upgrade procedure, see Chapter 5.
• Do not attempt to use VMSINSTAL with OPTION G to transfer OpenVMS
VAX save sets to another media type; doing so produces an unusable system.
Instead, you can use the DCL command COPY to transfer save sets to
another media type.
If you move the save sets from the distribution media before beginning the
installation, you must move them to the [000000] directory on a disk that is
not the system disk; otherwise, the installation will fail.
Preparing to Install the OpenVMS VAX Operating System 2–1