Pathworks for VMS Server Administrators Guide Sep91

This document is the "PATHWORKS for VMS Server Administrator's Guide, Version 4.1," published by Digital Equipment Corporation in September 1991.

It serves as a comprehensive manual for system administrators responsible for setting up, managing, reconfiguring, and tuning PATHWORKS systems.

The guide covers a wide range of administrative tasks:

• Introduction to Services: Explains different types of services (applications, printers, VMS/DOS files), service security models (disk and file services, common vs. application), how users connect (default vs. VMS accounts), and guidelines for choosing services for specific applications.
• PCSA Manager Utility: Details the use of the primary administrative tool, the PCSA Manager, available through both a menu-driven interface and command-line commands for managing services.

• Managing Core Services:

  • File Services: Instructions on setting up file security, making common and application file services available (including defining RMS protection, limiting connections, and using fixed/actual file lengths), installing applications, and granting/denying user and group access.
  • Printer Services: Guidance on configuring printers without and with VMS queues, setting up printers connected to terminal servers, preventing extra blank pages, and identifying printer output.
  • Disk Services: Covers controlling security for disk services (passwords, access types, connection limits), creating and mounting virtual disks, installing applications, and modifying or making disk services unavailable.

• User and Group Management: Explains how to add, modify, move, and delete user accounts (including VMS account integration and AUTOUSER.BAT customization), manage security for user accounts, and create/manage groups for efficient access control to services.

• Server Reconfiguration: Provides steps for reconfiguring the file server (adjusting client numbers, system parameters, page file) and disk server (changing maximum services, timeout), and configuring Local Area System Transport (LAST) software, including managing group codes for restricted access.
• Improving Server Performance: Focuses on optimizing performance through effective cache management (file server, disk server), evaluating server data, adjusting cache parameters, and modifying VMS system parameters like NPAGEDYN to ensure sufficient resources.
• Server Maintenance: Details how to monitor file and disk server activity (connections, open files, security breaches), reallocate resources, use server log files, and perform essential backup and restoration procedures for services, user accounts, and entire disks.
• Client Management & Utilities: Includes information on adding and deleting client nodes, managing remote boot clients, restoring boot databases, and using the Broadcast utility to send messages to clients.
• Appendices: Offers supplementary technical details on VMS and DOS file differences in file services, specific HP LaserJet printer setup, a user profile form, and explanations of various server startup parameters and VMS system parameter calculations.

In essence, this document is a vital resource for administrators aiming to efficiently deploy, secure, optimize, and maintain a PATHWORKS for VMS network environment.