DECamds User's Guide

DECamds (Compaq DECamds, Version 7.3, April 2001) is a real-time monitoring, diagnostic, and correction tool designed to improve the availability of OpenVMS systems and OpenVMS Clusters. It assists system managers, programmers, analysts, operators, and service technicians in identifying and resolving hardware and software issues.

The software operates as a client/server application:

1. Data Provider: Gathers system and process data from multiple nodes, including hung remote nodes, and transmits it. It runs on OpenVMS Alpha or VAX Version 6.2 or later.
2. Data Analyzer: A DECwindows Motif application that receives, analyzes, and displays this data. It runs on OpenVMS Alpha or VAX Version 7.2 or later, with Compaq recommending installation outside the monitored cluster for resilience.

DECamds continuously collects and analyzes data, detects resource availability problems and system denial issues, and proposes or performs corrective "fixes" in real time. Key capabilities include centralized management of remote nodes over an extended LAN, an intuitive graphical user interface, real-time intervention to adjust system/process parameters, extensive customization options (filtering, sorting, display, event thresholds), and scalability for monitoring multiple systems.

Security is managed through "security triplets" for authenticated data exchange, a security log for access denials and write operations, and OpenVMS file protection and process privileges. The guide also covers installation procedures, system requirements, and methods for optimizing DECamds' performance.