[Info-vax] "cloning" disks initially, after upgrades, after patches

[Bob Koehler]

In article <icc4kd$gmf$1 at online.de>, helbig at astro.multiCLOTHESvax.de (Phillip Helbig---undress to reply) writes:
> 
> How do folks here deal with A, B and C?

   I keep as few as possible system disks.  Why use up storage for
   multiple copies if I don't need to?  From decades of experience,
   I find that every time you copy something you double the
   maintenance effort.

   Updating anything on a system disk used by more than one system
   should always result in the common files being updated.  That saves
   lots of time.

   Cloning disks can be hazardous to your license database and other 
   files that are often unique between systems but located on the
   system disk.  I knew of one shop that could never keep thier license
   databases straight because of this.

   I kept SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM in SYS$COMMON and had it call node specific
   scripts only where needed, and then by using f$getsyi("nodename").

   When applying the same change to lots of systems, I would update the
   appropriate system disk and then update any node specific scripts on
   that disk by writing an EDT command file and starting it on all those
   nodes via SYSMAN.