v71 spd

This document describes OpenVMS Operating System Version 7.1 for both Digital's Alpha and VAX computer families. The release focuses on improving performance, expanding OpenVMS Cluster configuration flexibility, enhancing Internet connectivity, extending Very Large Memory (VLM) capabilities (Alpha only), and simplifying system management.

Key features and capabilities include:

• General Purpose & Multiuser: Operates in both production and development environments, supporting symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) for multi-processor systems.
• User Environment: Offers an English-like DIGITAL Command Language (DCL), text editors (EVE, EDT), a Mail utility, command-level programming, and user environment tailoring.
• Program Development: Provides a comprehensive set of tools including run-time libraries (RTLs) for various languages, a linker, librarian, symbolic debugger, DECthreads (multithreading), Hypersort (Alpha only), and a Traceback facility.
• System Management: Features utilities for system dump analysis (SDA), RMS file management, file comparison, Translated Image Environment (TIE) (Alpha only), OpenVMS Management Station (Windows-based remote management), DECamds (real-time monitoring), batch and print queuing, accounting, auditing, automatic configuration (AUTOGEN), and backup/restore.
• Security: Includes robust features like external authentication (LAN Manager), comprehensive access control (SYSUAF, ACLs), password management, login security (break-in detection), and extensive auditing. It adheres to government security ratings (C2, B1).

• Operating System Core:

  • Process Management: Manages processes (VAX) and kernel threads (Alpha) with priority-based, preemptive scheduling for both time-sharing and real-time applications.
  • Memory Management: Supports 64-bit virtual addressing (Alpha only) and Very Large Memory (VLM) features such as memory-resident global sections and shared page tables (Alpha only). VAX systems support extended physical addressing.
  • Transaction Processing: Offers DECdtm services for distributed databases with two-phase commit protocols, ensuring data integrity across multiple resource managers.
  • Interprocess Communication: Provides mailboxes, shared memory sections, common event flags, and a lock manager.
  • Reliability & I/O: Manages hardware errors, automatic system restarts on power failure (VAX only), and provides direct I/O services (QIO). It includes I/O performance enhancements like Fast I/O and Virtual I/O Cache, and comprehensive Record Management Services (RMS) for file and record handling.

• Networking: Supports various LAN adapters, ATM, DECnet/DECnet-Plus, TCP/IP Services, and terminal server products for network connectivity and resource sharing.

• Associated Products: Integrates with or provides licenses for OpenVMS Internet Product Suite (web browsers/servers), OpenVMS Cluster Software (for high-availability, scalable environments), Volume Shadowing (RAID 1), RMS Journaling, DECram (RAMdisks), DECwindows Motif (graphical user interface), and Monitoring Performance History (MPH) software.
• Standards Conformance: Complies with key industry standards including POSIX, XPG4, OSF/Motif, X Window System, DCE, and numerous ANSI, FIPS, and ISO standards for interoperability and portability.
• Installation & Distribution: Utilizes POLYCENTER Software Installation for product setup. Disk and memory requirements vary based on the installed options and system architecture. Software is distributed on CD-ROM, TK50, or magnetic tape, with comprehensive documentation available in print and online.

OpenVMS Version 7.1 is a robust, scalable, and secure operating system designed for critical enterprise applications on both Alpha and VAX hardware.