1 AUTOGEN The AUTOGEN command procedure (SYS$UPDATE:AUTOGEN.COM) sets appropriate values for system parameters and sizes for system page, swap, and dump files. AUTOGEN runs automatically when you install or upgrade the operating system. In addition, you can use AUTOGEN to reset system parameter values, system file sizes, or both. The new values and file sizes take effect the next time the system is booted. HP recommends that you run AUTOGEN on a weekly basis to adjust system parameters according to your system's work load. AUTOGEN executes in phases, with each phase performing a separate task. You control which tasks AUTOGEN performs by specifying a start phase and an end phase when you invoke AUTOGEN. You can add commands to the file SYS$SYSTEM:MODPARAMS.DAT to control the system parameter values and file sizes that AUTOGEN sets. AUTOGEN uses the information in this file to determine final values for system parameters or page, swap or dump file sizes. AUTOGEN can improve system performance by using dynamic information, called feedback, which is gathered from the running system. NOTE When making major configuration changes, do not use feedback. Specify nofeedback to assure the use of the initial AUTOGEN settings. You control how AUTOGEN uses feedback by specifying an execution mode when you invoke AUTOGEN. To direct AUTOGEN to use feedback to make its calculations, run AUTOGEN in feedback mode. After a period of time, you can execute AUTOGEN in feedback mode to further refine system parameter settings. 2 When_to_Run_AUTOGEN HP recommends that you run AUTOGEN in the following circumstances: o During a new installation or upgrade. o Whenever your work load changes significantly. o When you add an optional (layered) software product. Certain layered products might require you to execute AUTOGEN to adjust parameter values and page and swap file sizes. (For information about using AUTOGEN to modify page and swap files, refer to the chapter on managing page, swap, and dump files in the HP OpenVMS System Manager's Manual.) Refer to specific product documentation for installation requirements. o When you install images with the /SHARED attribute. The GBLSECTIONS and GBLPAGES parameters might need to be increased to accommodate additional use of global pages and global sections. o During normal operation, as part of a batch-oriented command procedure that runs AUTOGEN on a regular basis and automatically sends a report to an appropriate Mail account. The recommended procedure is described in the chapter on managing system parameters in the HP OpenVMS System Manager's Manual. After a new operating system installation or upgrade, examine the results of calculations that AUTOGEN made to determine whether AUTOGEN has set system parameter values that are appropriate for your workload requirements. 2 Feedback AUTOGEN feedback minimizes the necessity to modify parameter values or system file sizes. Feedback allows AUTOGEN to automatically size the operating system based on your actual work load. Sizing is the process of matching the allocation of system resources (memory and disk space) with the workload requirements of your site. Feedback is information about how various resources are used by the system's work load. This information is continuously collected by the operating system executive. Because the system collects feedback when exception events occur, feedback collection does not affect system performance. You control how AUTOGEN uses feedback by specifying an execution mode when you invoke AUTOGEN. When run in feedback mode, AUTOGEN analyzes this information and adjusts any related parameter values. AUTOGEN collects feedback during the SAVPARAMS phase by executing the image SYS$SYSTEM:AGEN$FEEDBACK.EXE. AUTOGEN writes feedback information to the file SYS$SYSTEM:AGEN$FEEDBACK.DAT. This file is then read during the GETDATA phase. 2 Phases Phase Description SAVPARAMS Saves dynamic feedback from the running system. GETDATA Collects all data to be used in AUTOGEN calculations. GENPARAMS Generates new system parameters; creates the installed image list. TESTFILES Displays the system page, swap, and dump file sizes calculated by AUTOGEN (cannot be used as a start phase). GENFILES Generates new system page, swap, and dump files if appropriate (cannot be used as a start phase). SETPARAMS Runs SYSMAN to set the new system parameters in the default parameter file, saves the original parameters, and generates a new parameter file, AUTOGEN.PAR. SHUTDOWN Prepares the system to await a manual reboot. REBOOT Automatically shuts down and reboots the system. HELP Displays help information to the screen. 3 SAVPARAMS The SAVPARAMS phase records feedback in the file AGEN$FEEDBACK.DAT, which can be used in subsequent AUTOGEN phases. If you specify NOFEEDBACK as the execution-mode parameter, the information collected is not used. The SAVPARAMS phase is valid as a start phase and end phase. SAVPARAMS requires the SYSPRV and CMKRNL privileges. NOTE You can specify the SAVE_FEEDBACK option during an interactive orderly shutdown with SYS$SYSTEM:SHUTDOWN.COM. Entering this option in response to the prompt "Shutdown options:" records feedback collected since the system was last booted. Using the SAVE_FEEDBACK option creates a new version of SYS$SYSTEM:AGEN$FEEDBACK.DAT. Run AUTOGEN from the GETDATA phase after the system reboots to use this new version of the feedback. 3 GETDATA The GETDATA phase collects the following information required for AUTOGEN calculations and places it in the file PARAMS.DAT: o Hardware configuration data o HP-supplied data from CLU$PARAMS.DAT o Feedback from AGEN$FEEDBACK.DAT (if run in feedback mode) o User-supplied data from MODPARAMS.DAT The GETDATA phase also attempts to configure devices on the system, by executing the following procedure and command: o The command procedure SYS$MANAGER:SYCONFIG.COM. (For more information about this procedure, refer to the chapter on managing devices in the HP OpenVMS System Manager's Manual.) o The SYSGEN command AUTOCONFIGURE ALL (unless the symbol STARTUP$AUTOCONFIGURE_ALL is set to 0 in SYCONFIG.COM). The GETDATA phase is valid as a start phase and an end phase. GETDATA requires the SYSPRV and CMKRNL privileges. 3 GENPARAMS In the GENPARAMS phase, AUTOGEN calculates the parameter values based on data stored in PARAMS.DAT and produces SETPARAMS.DAT as output. AUTOGEN checks to see if feedback is included, and if so, uses it in the calculations unless the NOFEEDBACK execution mode was specified when AUTOGEN was invoked. Also during this phase, AUTOGEN generates the known image file list (VMSIMAGES.DAT). The GENPARAMS phase is valid as a start phase and an end phase. GENPARAMS requires the SYSPRV and OPER privileges. 3 TESTFILES The TESTFILES phase displays system page, swap, and dump file sizes calculated by AUTOGEN. (This phase does not change the file sizes.) File sizes for all currently installed primary and secondary page and swap files are displayed. The information is directed to SYS$OUTPUT and the AGEN$PARAMS.REPORT file by default. Specify the TESTFILES phase to display AUTOGEN's file size calculations; to generate new sized files, specify the GENFILES phase. You cannot specify both of these phases when invoking AUTOGEN. HP recommends that you use TESTFILES to display the file size changes before actually generating new sized files on your system. The TESTFILES phase is valid only as an end phase. TESTFILES requires the SYSPRV privilege. 3 GENFILES The GENFILES phase generates the new page, swap, and dump files on the system. This phase changes the file sizes based on AUTOGEN's calculations. The GENFILES phase does not modify a file if the calculated size change is within ten percent of the existing file size. The following files are affected: PAGEFILE.SYS, SWAPFILE.SYS, SYSDUMP.DMP, and all other currently installed page and swap files. For more information, refer to the chapter on managing page, swap and dump files in the HP OpenVMS System Manager's Manual. GENFILES is valid only as an end phase. GENFILES requires the SYSPRV privilege. 3 SETPARAMS The SETPARAMS phase uses as its input the SETPARAMS.DAT file created during the GENPARAMS phase. In this phase, AUTOGEN runs SYSMAN to update the system parameter values in the default parameter file. On VAX systems, the default parameter file is SYS$SYSTEM:VAXVMSSYS.PAR. AUTOGEN saves the current system parameters in the file SYS$SYSTEM:VAXVMSSYS.OLD before updating these parameters in SYS$SYSTEM:VAXVMSSYS.PAR. The new values are also saved in SYS$SYSTEM:AUTOGEN.PAR. On Alpha systems, SYS$SYSTEM:ALPHAVMSSYS.PAR is the default parameter file. AUTOGEN saves the current system parameters in the file SYS$SYSTEM:ALPHAVMSSYS.OLD before updating these parameters in SYS$SYSTEM:ALPHAVMSSYS.PAR. The new values are also saved in SYS$SYSTEM:AUTOGEN.PAR. On I64 systems, SYS$SYSTEM:IA64VMSSYS.PAR is the default parameter file. AUTOGEN saves the current system parameters in the file SYS$SYSTEM:IA64VMSSYS.OLD before updating these parameters in SYS$SYSTEM:IA64VMSSYS.PAR. The new values are also saved in SYS$SYSTEM:AUTOGEN.PAR. The SETPARAMS phase is valid as a start phase and an end phase. SETPARAMS requires the SYSPRV and OPER privileges. 3 SHUTDOWN SHUTDOWN shuts down the system and awaits a manual reboot. To use the new system parameter values generated in the SETPARAMS phase, specify either SHUTDOWN or REBOOT as the end phase. You can define the logical name AGEN$SHUTDOWN_TIME (using the DCL command DEFINE) to specify the number of minutes before shutdown occurs. SHUTDOWN requires the SETPRV privilege. 3 REBOOT REBOOT automatically shuts down and reboots the system, thus installing the new parameter values. To install the new system parameter values generated in the SETPARAMS phase, specify either SHUTDOWN or REBOOT as the end phase. You can define the logical name AGEN$SHUTDOWN_TIME (using the DCL command DEFINE) to specify the number of minutes before shutdown occurs. REBOOT requires the SETPRV privilege. 3 HELP HELP displays help information about AUTOGEN to the screen. The HELP phase is only valid as the start phase command line parameter. When you specify HELP for the start phase, the end phase and execution mode parameters are ignored. 2 Execution_Modes Specify an execution mode when you invoke AUTOGEN to control how AUTOGEN uses feedback. The following table lists the execution- mode options. Option Description FEEDBACK Specifies that AUTOGEN run in feedback mode, using dynamic feedback collected during the SAVPARAMS phase to make its calculations. NOFEEDBACK Specifies that AUTOGEN not use feedback in the calculations. The feedback from the SAVPARAMS phase is ignored. Use NOFEEDBACK mode for the initial system installation or upgrade. NOFEEDBACK supersedes the execution-mode option INITIAL, which was used in a previous version of the operating system. CHECK_ Specifies that AUTOGEN use feedback in its FEEDBACK calculations as long as the feedback is valid. If feedback is suspect, AUTOGEN does not use feedback in the calculations, but continues through the specified end phase. Blank If you do not specify an execution mode, AUTOGEN uses feedback in the calculations by default. However, if AUTOGEN determines that the feedback might be suspect, it performs the calculations, issues the feedback report, and stops before modifying any parameters or system files, even if you specified an end phase of GENFILES, SETPARAMS, SHUTDOWN or REBOOT. 2 Syntax To invoke AUTOGEN, use the following syntax to enter a command at the DCL command prompt: $ @SYS$UPDATE:AUTOGEN [start-phase] [end-phase] [execution-mode] You are returned to DCL level when the command has finished processing unless you specify SHUTDOWN or REBOOT as the end-phase parameter. 3 Parameters start-phase Specify the phase where AUTOGEN is to begin executing. The phase specified for start-phase must either precede or be identical to the phase specified for end-phase. If you do not supply an option for the start-phase parameter, enter a null argument (that is, "" ). If you do not specify a start phase, GENPARAMS is the default. end-phase Specify the phase where AUTOGEN is to complete executing. If you do not specify an end phase, the end phase has the same value as the start phase by default. execution-mode Specify one of the following execution-mode options to control how AUTOGEN uses feedback: o FEEDBACK o NOFEEDBACK o CHECK_FEEDBACK o Blank See the separate help topic "Execution_Modes" for a description of each option listed here. 2 MODPARAMS.DAT AUTOGEN reads a parameter file named SYS$SYSTEM:MODPARAMS.DAT during the GETDATA phase. You can add commands to this file to control the system parameter values and file sizes that AUTOGEN sets. The commands you add to MODPARAMS.DAT use the following formats to define symbols that control parameter values: Symbol Operation Format Example Increment a value ADD_* ADD_GBLPAGES=500 Specify a minimum value MIN_* MIN_PAGEDYN=400000 Specify a maximum value MAX_* MAX_PAGEDYN=400000 Specify an absolute value Parameter SCSNODE="BIGVAX" name NOTE Specify an absolute value only for parameters that AUTOGEN does not calculate, for example, SCSNODE and SCSSYSTEMID. For more detailed information, refer to the chapter about managing system parameters in the HP OpenVMS System Manager's Manual.