[Info-vax] Alpha PCSI Database

[Sue]

Dear OpenVMS Alpha Customer,

In August 2015, we asked for help from customers running HP OpenVMS for
Integrity Servers. Now that we are approaching a VMS Software, Inc., release
of OpenVMS for Alpha, we are asking for help from customers running HP OpenVMS
for Alpha.

We now need to collect OpenVMS Alpha PCSI databases from as many systems as
possible running releases V7.3-2 through to V8.4, so that we can test our Alpha
upgrade procedures. Heres the background:

During the upgrade from HP OpenVMS V8.4 (or earlier) to any VSI OpenVMS
release, an extra step is necessary. VMS Software, Inc., refers to this as
Rebranding the PCSI Database. It involves:

 - Capturing the contents of the systems PCSI database as Product Description
   Files (PDFs)
 - Editing the PDFs to update the producer information of any product that is
   now in the VSI portfolio of products
 - Identifying all dependencies between products installed
 - Saving the old database for historical access
 - Creating a new copy of the database using the edited PDFs, by registering
   products in the correct order that satisfy the dependencies

The rebranding code that is shipping in VSI OpenVMS V8.4-2 for Integrity
Servers is working for all Integrity customers; however, the list of possible
combinations and dependencies of layered products for OpenVMS Alpha is
different.

VSI would like to ensure that rebranding works correctly for all OpenVMS Alpha
systems. With this in mind, we ask for your assistance. If you are willing to
provide us with a copy of your OpenVMS Alpha systems PCSI database, we can test
the rebranding code against it. We want to test PCSI databases from all
versions of OpenVMS for Alpha servers (V7.3-2 through V8.4, inclusive)
regardless of which patches are applied or layered products are installed.

This is what we need you to do:

 - $ BACKUP SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE]*.PCSI$DATABASE <savesetname>.BCK/SAVE_SET
 - $ ZIP -VCj <savesetname>.ZIP <savesetname>.BCK
   (Where the switches above are: Uppercase V, Uppercase C, Lowercase j)
 - The saveset name should identify you and/or your company, and the
   originating system
 - Attach the ZIP file to an email and send it to Richard(dot)Bishop(at)
   VMSSoftware(dot)com. Please include your name and company, and the version
   of OpenVMS Alpha in use at the time
 - Please ensure that any network copies you perform with FTP are done in
   BINARY (IMAGE) mode
 - If you have multiple systems with different combinations of layered products
   and/or options, you are welcome to send us more than one PCSI database. But
   please send the ZIP file for each system in a separate email

To be useful to us, please provide us with a copy of your PCSI database by no
later than 30th November 2016. Please only send PCSI databases from OpenVMS
Alpha systems, and not from Integrity or VAX.

Regarding ZIP: It is likely that you already have ZIP.EXE (and UNZIP.EXE) on
your system. If not, they are available on the HP OpenVMS Freeware V8.0 (Disc 3
of 3), or from these URLs: http://decuslib.com/freeware/freewarev80/unzip/ and
http://decuslib.com/freeware/freewarev80/zip/.

VMS Software, Inc., thanks you for your assistance.

Regards,

VMS Software, Inc.