TOPS-20 System Manager's Guide

This guide, published in April 1982, is intended for individuals responsible for setting up, maintaining, and ensuring the efficient operation of a TOPS-20 installation. It provides comprehensive information on managing the TOPS-20 operating system software.

Key topics covered include:

• Documentation and Planning: Details available documentation, essential system logs (e.g., System Log, Mountable Structure Sign-Up Log, System Access Request, Operator Work Request, Operator Shift Change Log), and preliminary planning steps before software installation (e.g., computer room security, user request handling, supply ordering, operator task scheduling, and selecting system features).
• Software Installation and Post-Installation: Describes the directories, files, and system logical names created during software installation, procedures for tailoring the batch system, and tools for checking software integrity (User Environment Test Package - UETP).
• Disk Structures and Directories: Explains how to use disk resources to set up public (PS:) and mountable disk structures, manage disk space (including swapping areas), and create and maintain user directories using central or project-based control methods. It also covers allocating and enforcing disk storage quotas, as well as protecting directories and files.
• Accounting and User Management: Outlines the TOPS-20 accounting facility, including setting up accounting schemes, creating account data files, running the ACTGEN program to validate accounts, and handling potential database failures. It also details how to establish user and directory groups and assign special user capabilities.
• System Backup and Recovery: Provides procedures for saving all files and directories to magnetic tape (full and incremental dumps), creating system crash tapes, and backing up console front-end file systems. It also describes how to restore files, directories, or the entire file system in case of problems or crashes, and general advice for power failures and remote diagnostics.
• Performance Tuning and Access Control: Discusses mechanisms to tune system performance, such as the class scheduler (allocating CPU time to user groups), bias controls (favoring interactive or compute-bound programs), program name cache, and reinitializing disk packs. Additionally, it covers implementing access control programs to manage user access to various system resources and services.