[vcf-midatlantic] VMS question
Jason Howe
jason at smbfc.net
Fri Oct 20 13:32:13 EDT 2017
On Fri, 20 Oct 2017, Brian Schenkenberger via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
> william degnan via vcf-midatlantic writes:
>
> <snip>
>
>> I am trying to "take over" from where they guy that set this machine up
>> left off and learn how this particular server was set up and why. I
>> want to fix, but I also know System administration tends to reflect the
>> personality of the admin, people have reasons for things. I am making
>> the assumption that given this was a production system there must be
>> some reasons for things. Eventually I can try to improve.
>
> Never make assumptions!!! I have seen more systems in production in my
> career that look like they were managed and or configured by brain-dead
> chimps. I see people that when told "don't do this" will "do this" and
> then, contact me and want their error corrected. I tell them "you did
> what I told you not to do" and "don't do it again!" Guess what? They
> do it again and again and again.
>
> <snip>
>
> Personally, if you really are hell bent on keeping the system as it
> was delivered, I'd suggest you backup all the volumes and then, init
> and start from stratch. Then, once you know how it all works, you
> can go back and see what a mess the prior system's owner(s) left you.
>
When I got my DEC 3000 I was determined to keep it intact as well. The
best thing that ever happened was that the system disk crashed and I was
forced to build the system up from scratch. That taught me more about how
to deal with VMS than the years I spent dinking around with the existing
config.
I wish I had done what Brian suggests here initially. Drop a different
system disk in there, install and configure the system, then install and
configure any interesting piece of software you can get your hands on.
Then once you have a good handle on some of the arcane VMS paradigms, go
back and investigate the current setup. I think I would have gotten more
out of it personally had I taken that approach.
(I really need to get my VMS box off the shelf and fired up)
--
Jason
More information about the vcf-midatlantic
mailing list