CHAPTER 1
VAX/VMS SERVICES FOR MS-DOS RELEASE NOTES VERSION 2.0
These release notes provide information that supplements the VAX/VMS
Services for MS-DOS Installation Guide and the VAX/VMS Services for
MS-DOS Administration Guide. The information is contained in the
following sections:
o Version 2.0 features
o Installation
o VAX/VMS Server
- File Server
- Disk Server
o Management Utilities
Read these release notes before installing VAX/VMS Services for
MS-DOS.
1.1 VERSION 2.0 FEATURES
VAX/VMS Services for MS-DOS version 2.0 includes both new and enhanced
features, which are described below:
o Virtual disk services
VAX/VMS Services for MS-DOS version 2.0 includes a new high
performance disk server that provides virtual disk
capabilities. Virtual disks (also known as local area disks)
are stored as pre-allocated VMS files. You can make virtual
disks available on a local area network for READ/WRITE access
by a single client or READ-ONLY access by multiple clients.
VAX/VMS SERVICES FOR MS-DOS RELEASE NOTES VERSION 2.0 Page 1-2
Virtual disk services include network key disks. This type
of disk service allows workstations to remote boot (boot
without the use of a local hard disk or diskette).
o File Services
VAX/VMS Services for MS-DOS version 2.0 also includes
enhanced file services:
- File server performance improvements.
- Improved cluster support.
- Security improvements. The file server now uses VMS
access control lists to grant access to workstations.
- A service database. You no longer have to add services
to your User Authorization File.
o PCSA_ADMIN.COM
This new, menu-driven utility, which replaces PCFS_ADMIN.COM,
allows you to perform remote boot management, and file and
printer service management.
Using PCSA_ADMIN, you can now add printer queues, forms, and
device control libraries for the LJ250 and LJ252 printers, as
well as the previously supported printer.
o PCSA_MANAGER.EXE
This new command line utility, which replaces
PCFS_OPERATOR.EXE, includes the new command syntax, support
for service database management, the new file server security
features, and the new virtual disks.
o Printer Support
VAX/VMS Services for MS-DOS V2.0 has increased printer
support. For a list of supported printers, see Software
Product Description 30.50.
o PCFS_UPGRADE.COM
The PCFS Upgrade utility allows you to upgrade file services
from previous versions.
1.2 INSTALLATION
Before installing VAX/VMS Services for MS-DOS version 2.0, consider
VAX/VMS SERVICES FOR MS-DOS RELEASE NOTES VERSION 2.0 Page 1-3
that:
o The logicals SYSUAF and NETUAF, which point to the system and
network authorization files respectively, should exist prior
to installation. If they do not exist, they are created.
Authorization files are assumed to exist in the common system
[SYSEXE] directory unless otherwise specified prior to
installation.
o In some configurations where SYS$SPECIFIC is part of a search
list, the IVP can fail. The product is installed correctly
and is usable. If this occurs, be sure to delete all files
in SYS$SPECIFIC:[PCSA.PCFS-DIR], and then delete
SYS$SPECIFIC:[PCSA]PCFS-DIR.DIR;*.
o You must run the SYSGEN utility and check the current value
for SCSNODE. Type:
$ MC SYSGEN
SYSGEN> SHOW SCSNODE
If the current value is not the same as the server's DECnet
node name, then type:
SYSGEN> SET SCSNODE "nodename"
Where:
nodename Is the VAX computer's DECnet node name.
o If the product is installed in a VAXcluster, the network
characteristics and DCL command tables are only modified on
the node that the installation is performed on. Then, you
must either reboot each node in the cluster, as described in
the VAX/VMS Services for MS-DOS Installation Guide, or
perform the following steps on each node in the cluster:
1. Set DECnet objects.
$ MCR NCP
NCP> SET OBJECT PCFS NUMBER 64 PROXY NONE
NCP> SET OBJECT PCSA_RMI NUMBER 0 FILE SYS$SYSTEM:PCSA_RMI.COM
NCP> EXIT
2. Define the PCSA command on each node (assuming that the
initial definition is contained in the shared DCL
tables).
$ INSTALL :== $ INSTALL/COMMAND
$ INSTALL
INSTALL> REPLACE SYS$SHARE:DCLTABLES
INSTALL> EXIT
VAX/VMS SERVICES FOR MS-DOS RELEASE NOTES VERSION 2.0 Page 1-4
1.3 VAX/VMS SERVER
Before using the VAX/VMS server, consider that:
o The service database and other configuration files are stored
in the directory SYS$COMMON:[PCSA]. SYS$COMMON:[PCFS] is no
longer used and may be deleted.
o Log files, by default, are stored in SYS$SPECIFIC:[PCSA],
which is created in the startup procedures if it does not
exist. The SYS$SPECIFIC:[PCFS] directory is no longer used
and may be deleted.
The following sections lists items that apply specifically to file
server or the disk server.
1.3.1 File Server
Before using the file server consider that:
o The logical definitions in the file PCFS_LOGICALS.COM should
be modified by the system administrator to reflect the
appropriate configuration. In a homogeneous cluster, you can
store the file in the common system manager's directory, or
you can choose to store them in the system specific
directories.
o Cluster file sharing is permitted in version 2.0 of VAX/VMS
Services for MS-DOS. Previous versions did not allow
multiple clients to access the same file in write mode via
different nodes of a VAXcluster. Version 2.0 implements a
cluster-wide locking mechanism. For performance reasons,
minimize the number of files that are shared through multiple
cluster nodes.
o The file server's new security scheme does not require
entries in the system User Authorization File. The version
2.0 file server uses a service database, which is created
when the product is installed. For users upgrading from
version 1.n to version 2.0 servers, after you install version
2.0, use the PCFS_UPGRADE.COM procedure to remove existing
PCFS accounts within the UAF and create entries in the
service database. For more information about the
PCFS_UPGRADE.COM procedure, see the VAX/VMS Services for
MS-DOS Installation Guide.
o The install procedure creates a directory named PCSA at the
root of the system device the server software was installed
to. System, application and common directories can be
"renamed" (using the VAX/VMS RENAME command) to appear as
VAX/VMS SERVICES FOR MS-DOS RELEASE NOTES VERSION 2.0 Page 1-5
subdirectories to the PCSA root. This facilitates using
rooted directory specifications for the PCFS logical
definitions.
o The dash character ( - ) is no longer mapped in file names.
In previous versions of the file server, this character was
remapped to "_ _2D". If you have files which contain this
sequence, you should rename them (from a VAX account) to use
the "-" character instead.
1.3.2 Disk Server
When using the disk server, consider that virtual disk services (local
area disks) do not work on a VAX Distributed File Services (DFS)
version 1.0 client device. To prevent PCSA users from mounting LAD
disks on DFS served devices, use the following command:
$ PCSA SET DISK_SERVER CHARACTERISTICS/NOUSER_MOUNT
1.4 MANAGEMENT UTILITIES
Before using the VAX/VMS server's management utilities, consider that:
o Only one user at a time should run the PCSA_ADMIN utility,
Option 17 - Remote Boot Registration. Concurrent access to
the remote boot registration database
(PCSA$BOOT_DATABASE.DAT) is not supported.
o To remove a password assigned to a disk service, dismount the
disk using the PCSA DISMOUNT DISK command and remount it
without a password using the PCSA MOUNT DISK command. Do not
use the /NOPASSWORD qualifier with the PCSA SET DISK SERVICE
command.
o When you create a 10MB, 20MB, or 32MB disk using the PCSA
CREATE DISK command with the /ALLOCATE qualifier, you must
allocate at least 16344 blocks for these disks.