VAX DATATRIEVE Installation Guide (Ver 5.0)

This document is the VAX DATATRIEVE Installation Guide, Version 5.0 (December 1989), intended for system administrators and others responsible for installing and maintaining the VAX DATATRIEVE software on a VMS system.

The guide covers:

1. Pre-installation Considerations:

   • Hardware and Software Requirements: Details necessary disk space (16,000 blocks for installation, 11,000 max after), and compatible software versions (VMS 5.1 or higher, VAX CDD/Plus 4.1 or higher).
   • Licensing: Emphasizes registering the Product Authorization Key (PAK) with the VMS Licensing Management Facility (LMF) prior to installation for full functionality and testing.
   • System and Account Preparation: Instructions for checking and adjusting system parameters (e.g., Open File Limit (FILLM), Enqueue Quota Limit (ENQLM), Global Pages/Sections, Command Line Interpreter Symbols Table (CLISYMTBL)) and ensuring proper access privileges to CDD$TOP.
   • Installation Order: Recommends installing optional products like DECwindows, VAX Language-Sensitive Editor (LSE), Forms products (TDMS/FMS), and database products (VAX DBMS, Rdb/VMS, Rdb/ELN, VIDA) before DATATRIEVE for full integration.
   • VAXcluster specific steps: Mentions deleting old DTR files for versions prior to 3.2, and that files are placed in SYS$COMMON.

2. VAX DATATRIEVE Installation Procedure:

   • Guides the user through initiating the installation using the VMSINSTAL command procedure.
   • Explains the various interactive questions asked during installation, including options for default vs. custom installation, support for LSE and forms, specifying suffixes for multiple DATATRIEVE installations on the same system, defining the Distributed Data Manipulation Facility (DDMF) remote server, creating a new user command file (NEWUSER.COM), installing shared images for performance, and loading plot definitions and optional material.
   • Notes that the installation typically takes 10 to 30 minutes.

3. Post-installation Considerations:

   • Steps to update system startup files (SYS$MANAGER:SYSTARTUP_V5.COM).
   • Additional steps required for VAXcluster environments.
   • Instructions for defining DECnet objects and creating default DECnet accounts for distributed access, especially if DECnet is installed after DATATRIEVE.
   • Procedures for maintaining and relinking user-defined functions.

4. User Environment Test Packages (UETPs):

   • Describes five UETPs (general DATATRIEVE, graphics, VAX DBMS, Rdb/VMS, and Forms) provided to test and verify the installation and product interfaces.
   • Provides instructions on how to invoke DATATRIEVE and run each UETP, emphasizing that the general DATATRIEVE UETP must be run first.

5. Maintaining VAX DATATRIEVE:

   • Advises on writing session log files for troubleshooting errors.
   • Provides a checklist of information to gather when reporting problems to Digital's Customer Support Center.