1. examine the system after a startup failure or other problems.
   
   
2. do a full backup of the system disk instead of using the rather simple-minded standalone backup.
   
   
3. modify the SYSUAF/alternate UAF files on the system disk if you've forgotten the system manager's password.
   
   
4. perform diagnostics eg. UETP with system disk offline.

1. Initialise and mount pack.
   
   After initialising the disk, create VMS directory structure on disk. You have to cook up some synonym directories for compatibility with VMS V2 also.
   
   

            $ INIT DLA0:  TINYVMS
            $ MOUNT DLA0:  TINYVMS
            $ CREATE/DIR DLA0:[SYS0.SYSERR],[SYS0.SYSEXE],[SYS0.SYSHLP]
            $ CREATE/DIR DLA0:[SYS0.SYSMGR],[SYS0.SYSTEST],[SYS0.SYSUPD]
            $ COPY/CONTIG SYS$SYSTEM:SYSBOOT.EXE,VMB.EXE -
                  DLA0:[SYS0.SYSEXE]*.*;1
            $ CREATE/DIR DLA0:[SYSMAINT],[SYS0.001001],[SYS0.001002]
            $ SET FILE/ENTER=DLA0:[SYS0]SYSMAINT.DIR DLA0:[0,0]SYSMAINT.DIR
            $ SET FILE/ENTER=DLA0:[SYS0]SYSLIB.DIR;1 DLA0:[SYS0]001001.DIR;1
            $ SET FILE/ENTER=DLA0:[SYS0]SYSMSG.DIR;1 DLA0:[SYS0]001002.DIR;1
            $ CREATE/DIR DLA0:[SYSEXEMIN]
            $ SET FILE/ENTER=DLA0:[0,0]SYSEXE.DIR;1 DLA0:[0,0]SYSEXEMIN.DIR;1
            $ SET FILE/ENTER=DLA0:[SYSEXEMIN]SYSBOOT.EXE -
                  DLA0:[SYS0.SYSEXE]SYSBOOT.EXE
            $ SET PROT=(S:R,O:R,G,W) DLA0:[0,0]SYSEXEMIN.DIR;1
            $ SET FILE/REMOVE DLA0:[SYS0.SYSEXE]SYSBOOT.EXE;
            $ SET FILE/ENTER=DLA0:[SYS0.SYSEXE]SYSBOOT.EXE -
                  DLA0:[SYSEXEMIN]SYSBOOT.EXE
   

2. Writeboot the disk.
   
   Invoke the WRITEBOOT utility to mark the disk as bootable (necessary for those with 750).

            $ MCR WRITEBOOT
            DLA0:[SYS0.SYSEXE]VMB.EXE
            1
            200
   

3. SYSEXE files
   
   Look at SYS$MANAGER:VMSIMAGES.DAT, note down all the file names in there and copy them to corresponding directories on DLA0: . Next, get all the required bootstrap files and device drivers. These are found in SYS$SYSTEM:
   
   *DRIVER.EXE ERRFMT INILOA JOBCTL OPCOM OPCCRASH REPLY RMSSHARE RUNDET SCSLOA SHUTDOWN.COM STARTUP.* SYS.* SYSGEN SYSINIT SYSLOA730 SYSLOA750 SYSLOA780 SYSUAF.*

            $ MCR SYSGEN
            CREATE DLA0:[SYS0.SYSEXE]PAGEFILE.SYS/SIZE=4000    !  pagefile
   

   Now, move across all the useful command images to the RL02. Examples of the files that I normally copy are:
   
   ACC ANALYZOBJ ANALYZRMS AUTHORIZE BACKUP BAD BADBLOCK BOOTBLOCK CANCEL CONVERT CREATE DIFF DISKQUOTA DISMOUNT DUMP F11AACP F11BACP FINDHSC FLX INPSMB LINK MACRO32 MAILEDIT.COM MTAAACP PATCH PHONE.* PIP PRTSMB QUEMAN RENAME RMS RTB SDA SEARCH SYE TECO TYPE VERIFY VMOUNT WRITEBOOT ZAP etc.
   
   
4. SYSLIB files
   
   Copy the following from SYS$LIBRARY to DLA0:[SYS0.SYSLIB]:
   
   CONVSHR CRFSHR DEBUG DELTA.* RTLVECTOR.OBJ TRACE
   
   
5. SYSMGR files
   
   Copy the following files from SYS$MANAGER to DLA0:[SYS0.SYSMGR]. If you have devices to be connected at boot time using SYSGEN, modify the SYSTARTUP.COM file after creating a blank one.
   
   CHARTYPE FORMSTYPE LOADNET LPA11STRT NETCONFIG NETICP RTTLOAD STARTNET VMSIMAGES.*
   
   

            $ SET DEF DLA0:[SYS0.SYSMGR]
            $ CREATE SYSTARTUP.COM     !  dummy file
            ^Z
            $ CREATE SYSHUTDWN.COM     !  dummy file
            ^Z
   

6. SYSMSG files
   
   Copy all the files in SYS$MESSAGE to DLA0: as they do not take up much space (although not all of them are required).

            $ COPY SYS$MESSAGE:*.* DLA0:[SYS0.SYSMSG]*
   

7. Diagnostic programs
   
   Some of the UETP test programs in SYS$TEST are quite helpful occasionally when you need to exercise the disks, terminals, etc. More comprehensive diagnostic programs can be found in SYS$MAINTENANCE but you'll probably not require them as field service will have their own diagnostic packs. Useful UETP programs are:
   
   UETP.COM UETINIT00 UETINIT01 UETPHAS00 UETDISK00 UETTAPE00 UETTTYS00 UETLPAK00 UETCOMS00 UETDMPF00 UETDR1W00 UETDR7800 UETMA7800
   
   
8. SYSUPD files
   
   The following command procedures in SYS$UPDATE should be copied across:
   
   AUTOGEN CONSCOPY DXCOPY LINEPAGE.* OLDVMSINS SETDEFBOO STABACKIT SWAPFILES VMSINSTAL VMSKITBLD.* VMSUPDATE
   
   

     $ COPY SYS$SYSTEM:FORTRAN.EXE DLA0:[SYS0.SYSEXE]

     $ COPY SYS$SYSTEM:VMSHELP.EXE DLA0:[SYS0.SYSEXE]
     $ COPY SYS$HELP:HELPLIB.HLB DLA0:[SYS0.SYSHLP]