Special DUCS Considerations for Vax or Alpha Clusters

The use of sharables to run SLD code on Vax or Alpha clusters has resulted in some special considerations for DUCS czars. DUCS czars who are responsible for clusters should insure that the following implementation details have been attended to in their SYSTARTUP.COM files.

When a sharable is built at a DUCS node (generally by installation of a VEC file), a set of logical names related to that sharable are automatically defined on that DUCS node. For the sharable to also work on other members of that cluster, a COM file which defines those logical names must also be run on every other member of that cluster.

The DUCS Action command automatically builds the relevant COM file. It then checks for a logical name DUCSQLST. If such a logical name is found, it proceeds to submit jobs to run this COM file on every queue mentioned in this DUCSQLST. Thus, every member of your cluster other than the DUCS node needs to be mentioned in this DUCSQLST.

The DUCSQLST should be defined in the SYSTARTUP.COM of the DUCS node just after the other DUCS related lines mentioned in section A.2.6 of the DUCS manual.

  $DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXEC/TRAN=(CONC,TERM) DUCSROOT "whatever"
  $@DUCSROOT:[DUTIL.UDUC]DUCSTART NOJNET
  $@DUCSROOT:[DUTIL.UDUC]SETACL DUCS ! Write access to LNM$DUCS40
The new line should be of the form
  $DEFINE/SYSTEM DUCSQLST "SLDU44_EXPRESS","SLDACQ_EXPRESS"

The DUCSQLST needs to be defined on the DUCS node itself. It does not matter whether it is defined on the other members of the cluster.

Earlier versions of the DUCS manual are missing the SETACL DUCS line mentioned above. This line must now be in the SYSTARTUP files for all members of the cluster (not just the DUCS node).

When the system is working correctly, each time a sharable is rebuilt you should see jobs queued with User=DUCS and Job= the sharable name. Thus, for instance, when the MFIT sharable is rebuilt on SLACVX, one sees

SLACVX>batq/user=ducs
User       Job             Entry Node     Cpu/Max   Classes  Pri
Characteristics
---------- --------------- ----- ------ ----------- -------- ---
---------------
DUCS       MFITSHR           248 SLDB6      1/  120 X.XF       3 SLDB6
DUCS       MFITSHR           243 Pending          - X.       100 SLDB1
DUCS       MFITSHR           244 Pending          - X.       100 SLDB2
DUCS       MFITSHR           245 Pending          - X.       100 SLDB3
DUCS       MFITSHR           246 Pending          - X.       100 SLDB4
DUCS       MFITSHR           247 Pending          - X.       100 SLDB5
Total of 6 jobs.

Joseph Perl
22 September 1994