On a physical VAX server the hardware name is given by the used hardware.
Example: VAX 4000-105A.
On a vtVAX emulator the hardware name can be changed.
The vtVAX utility vtSID can set an other hardware name as seen by OpenVMS.
Hardware Model
On a physical VAX server the hardware model name is given by the used hardware.
Example: 248 for a VAX 4000-200.
On a vtVAX emulator the hardware model name can be changed.
The vtVAX utility vtSID can set an other hardware model name as seen by OpenVMS.
Hibernate
In OpenVMS, a hibernated process refers to a process that has been placed in a waiting state(similar to suspension) but with
some unique OpenVMS-specific behaviors. Unlike traditional OS hibernation (where state is saved to disk),
OpenVMS hibernation is more like an efficient sleep state managed by the scheduler.
What Happens When a Process is Hibernated in OpenVMS?
1.
Process State Saved in Memory
The process remains in RAM (not written to disk, unless swapped out due to memory pressure).
Its execution context (registers, program counter, etc.) is preserved.
2.
No CPU Usage
The process does not consume CPU cycles while hibernated.
3.
Waiting for a Wake-Up Event
The process typically hibernates voluntarily (e.g., waiting for an event, I/O, or a timer).
It can be explicitly awakened by another process or a system event.
4.
Can Be Swapped Out
If system memory is low, OpenVMS may swap the hibernated process to disk (similar to paging).
Common Use Cases in OpenVMS
Batch Jobs - Pausing until resources are available. Real-Time Applications - Waiting for sensor input or timers. Inter-Process Coordination - Synchronizing with other processes.
Current
In OpenVMS, when a process has the state CUR, it means that the process is the currently executing process on the CPU.
Key Points:
- Only one process per CPU can be in the CUR state at any given time.
- The OpenVMS scheduler switches processes between CUR and COM states based on priority and scheduling policies.
CPU in Detail - State
In OpenVMS, the CPU state will show status information of a CPU.
RUN
The CPU is active.
STOPPED
The CPU is stopped.
CPU in Detail - System
This message appears in OpenVMS system displays (like SHOW CPU or MONITOR CPU) and provides information about the system its
clustering status and resource allocation:
Breakdown of the Components:
PRIMARY:
Indicates this node is the primary (first) node in the VMScluster.
QUORUM:
Shows that this system has quorum (enough voting members present to maintain cluster operation).
RUN:
The system is currently running (as opposed to being paused or halted).
RAD0:
Refers to Resource Affinity Domain 0 - this is related to CPU/memory affinity in NUMA (Non-Uniform Memory Access) systems.
Technical Context:
- In an OpenVMS cluster, the PRIMARY designation is important for certain cluster-wide operations.
- QUORUM status is critical - without it, the cluster might halt to prevent split-brain scenarios.
- RAD0 indicates the CPU's placement in the system's physical architecture, which can affect performance for memory-intensive operations.
SID Information
If licensed software requires specific hardware identification in order to run,
you can use the vtVAX vtSID utility on OpenVMS to set the exact type.
SID setting
Can be changed
Example
using vtSid
Changed/active
Default
Hardware name
Yes
VAX 8650
VAX 4000-105A
OS version
No
V7.3
CPU
No
00000013
Hardware model (hex)
Yes
00C
187
SID (hex)
Yes
13000102
13000102
XCPU (hex)
No
00000003
Available CPUs
Yes
01
02
Active CPUs
Yes
01
01
XSID (hex)
Yes
03230B01
03230B01
Warning:
If the SID information is modified with vtSID, the VTSID RESET command should be
invoked before or during the system shutdown. If this is not done, the system may
crash or fail to auto-restart.