[Info-vax] VMS literature recommendations?

[abrsvc]

On Jan 8, 9:06 am, MG <marcog... at SPAMxs4all.nl> wrote:
> There are several VMS and related books in my collection, including
> the official paperback VMS V6 documentation (as in, the manual and
> reference guide box set, with DEC branding), a rare copy of "Writing
> Real Programs in DCL", a somewhat mysterious DEC-branded "[VAX/]VMS
> Handbook" (mostly about administrative DCL, rather thin yet very
> useful).  I also have the Digital Press book, "OpenVMS with Apache,
> OSU and WASD: The Nonstop Webserver" (somewhat confusing title).
> Naturally I read all of the latest documentation, mostly in PDF and
> HTML format.
>
> The reason I'm asking, is because on eBay there are several books
> being offered with interesting titles.  Three of interest would be:
>
>         -       "OpenVMS System Management Guide",
>                 2nd edition, by Lawrence Baldwin and
>                 Steve Hoffman; TOC:
>                         o       Professional System Management
>                         o       Site Configuration
>                         o       System Configuration
>                         o       Booting OpenVMS
>                         o       System-Startup Procedures
>                         o       System Shutdown
>                         o       License Management
>                         o       Queue Management
>                         o       Managing User Accounts
>                         o       Disk-Space Management
>                         o       Login Command Procedures
>                         o       Automating System Management
>                         o       OpenVMS BACKUP/RESTORE
>                                 Considerations
>                         o       OpenVMS Support and Documentation
>                         o       OpenVMS Integrity Monitoring
>                         o       OpenVMS MAIL Management
>                         o       OpenVMS Security Management
>                         o       OpenVMS Performance Management
>                         o       OpenVMS Network Management
>                         o       Installing OpenVMS Software
>                         o       Tips for the Hobbyist
>                         o       OpenVMS Site Guide
>                         o       Console Summary and Hardware
>                                 Characteristics
>                         o       OpenVMS Privileges
>                         o       Sample OpenVMS Command File
>                                 Tools
>                         o       Digital/Compaq/HP Manuals
>
>         -       "The OpenVMS User's Guide",
>                 2nd edition, by Patrick Holmay; TOC:
>                         o       Discovering OpenVMS
>                         o       A Beginner's Guide to OpenVMS
>                                 File Management
>                         o       Full-Screen Editing with EDT
>                         o       Full-Screen Editing with EVE
>                         o       The Phone and Mail Utilities
>                         o       More Work with Files
>                         o       Command Procedures
>
>         -       "OpenVMS Performance Management",
>                 by Joginder Sethi; TOC:
>                         o       Part A: Memory management
>                         o       Part B: Disk/IO Management
>                         o       Part C: Application Optimization
>                                         and Performance
>                         o       Part D: CPU Management
>                         o       Part E: Changing Sysgen Parameters
>                         o       Part F: OpenVMS V6.0 Memory
>                                         Management
>                         o       Part G: Disk Stripping
>                         o       Part H: Tuning Layered Products
>                         o       Part I: Optimizing RDBMS
>
> Some have more extensive TOCs than others, though I would not want
> to entirely let myself be distracted by that.
>
> What I'm mostly interested in, considering that these books are
> rather pricey, how in-depth these go?  Because I already have a
> very good grasp of how VMS works, in terms of maintenance, con-
> figuration, installing, file/file system management, making back-
> ups and so on.  What I'd be most interested in, is more the lower
> level, programming and system internals side of things.  (I am
> hoping that someone here on comp.os.vms has read one or more of
> these.)
>
>   - MG

Your best bet for internals information is the Internals and Data
Structures book by Ruth Goldenberg et. al.   Any additional info you
want should be sought within the source listings as referenced in the
aove book.  There is no knowledge better acquired than from reading
the source.  Copies of the older course workbooks from systems
programming courses or internals might be helpful as well.  I still
have copies of the V2 internals book.  (That was the $200 or $300
one.)

If you have specific questions, post them here or in the HP VMS site.
There are still many of us looking at these that can help.  If you
need specific modules, some of us should be able to forward some of
them as well.

Dan