[Info-vax] How do I make zip, unzip etc. available to all users?

[johnwallace4 at yahoo.co.uk]

On Thursday, 7 January 2016 18:55:04 UTC, Kerry Main  wrote:
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Info-vax [mailto:info-vax-bounces at info-vax.com] On Behalf Of
> > Stephen Hoffman via Info-vax
> > Sent: 07-Jan-16 12:53 PM
> > To: info-vax at info-vax.com
> > Cc: Stephen Hoffman <seaohveh at hoffmanlabs.invalid>
> > Subject: Re: [New Info-vax] How do I make zip, unzip etc. available to all
> > users?
> > 
> > On 2016-01-07 17:21:11 +0000, David Froble said:
> > 
> > > Stephen Hoffman wrote:
> > >>
> > >> Ad-hoc and manual deployments tend to lack documentation and
> > >> particularly tend to lack reproducibility.
> > >
> > > Guess I'm deprived.  I don't have hundreds of VMS systems to
> > > administer. Doesn't mean some others are not privileged to have such.
> > 
> > Hundreds?  Deploying non-trivial apps to more than one box is a hassle,
> > with VMS.  More than several boxes heads toward home-grown
> > deployment
> > tools.  With hundreds of boxes, you complain to VSI about the mess.
> > 
> 
> While OpenVMS definitely needs improvements in config mgmt. and
> tracking, it is also worth pointing out that ALL of the other server 
> platforms available today is a huge can of worms as well. That includes 
> Solaris, AIX, Linux, Windows, HP-UX ... all free BSD's etc. Includes
> Mainframes and Non-Stop as well.
> 
> To put things in perspective, when planning a DC migration and/or
> consolidation, literally the first month of EVERY engagement is spent 
> just documenting the current state of HW and SW/Apps in the DC.
> Tools (agent or agent-less) help, but these have their own challenges, 
> complexities and in some cases, high cost. 
> 
> Config mgmt. in 99.95% of all DC's is a dog's breakfast.
> 
> Just ask the OPS or App manager for a detailed listing of all HW/SW/
> Apps names, versions, models, configs and what Apps run on each.
> Then ask them things like "who owns each system and/or network 
> device? Who supports each system? Who knows what the remaining 
> book value is on each piece of HW?"
> 
> Good luck ..
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Kerry Main
> Kerry dot main at starkgaming dot com

So if I understood correctly...

What you're after is a combination of VAX Remote System Manager
(which iirc became Polycenter Software Distribution before being
Palmerised into oblivion - correction welcome) for what applications
are where.

For what network devices are where, there's VAX Ethernim. And as well
as Ethernim you'll be wanting the MOP functionality from DECnet, so
that devices can self-identify and be automagically added to the
LAN config database. And the bridge protocol (whose name I forget)
that allows clever software to work out what MAC address is where on
a bridged LAN.

And maybe you'll need some other vendor supplied bits and pieces
(VAXcluster Console System would be an obvious one) and usually some
location-specific stuff such as the ones you mention.

DIGITAL had it then (probably in the 1980s, for these requirements).
Wouldn't it be nice if anybody had actually known about and bought
this stuff before it was all Palmerised away.