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COSMOS Basic Module — Installation & Start Guide (rev E04, SINTRAN III/VSX)

Product: COSMOS Basic Module, ND number 210374E, revision E04 Target OS: SINTRAN III / VSX (verified on VSX/500 version L, system number 341) Media: floppy image 210374E04-XX-01D.img (directory name on disk: 210374E04-XX-01D) Reference doc: ND-895036-2-EN (that PDF/markdown describes the later rev G — the procedure matches, but all -G file names become -E on this media)

This guide records an actual, successful installation onto user PACK-ONE:COSMOS-BASIC and the correct start-up sequence. Where something is inferred rather than observed, it is marked NOTE.

1. What COSMOS Basic gives you

Four independent network services (you may install all or a subset):

  1. CONNECT-TO — log in to other machines in the COSMOS network.
  2. FILE-TRANSFER — transfer files to/from other computers (incl. remote batch).
  3. COSMOS SPOOLING — remote spooling (print to printers on other systems).
  4. FILE ACCESS — remote file access, split into two parts that run independently:
    • File User part (this system reads/writes files on remote servers),
    • File Server part (this system serves its files to remote users).

2. Prerequisites

From the installer's own prerequisite screen:

Service Requires
FILE-TRANSFER XMSG (X-MESSAGE) for SINTRAN III, version K or later
CONNECT-TO SINTRAN version K or later; XMSG version K or later
COSMOS SPOOLING SINTRAN version K or later; XMSG version K or later; SINTRAN configured with COSMOS SPOOLING
FILE ACCESS — File User SINTRAN version K or later; XMSG configured; REMOTE FILE ACCESS OPTION configured
FILE ACCESS — File Server SINTRAN version K or later; XMSG configured; TERMINAL ACCESS DEVICES (TADs) configured

Resource requirements (from ND-895036-2-EN, rev G figures — treat as guidance):

  • Permanent mass storage on SYSTEM: 120 pages / 1 file (for the installer).
  • On the target user area (default COSMOS-BASIC): 500 pages / 17 files.
  • Segments (ND-100): min 2, max 7. RT-descriptions: 3. Segment-file space: 300 pages.

Dependencies:

  • The M-version of SINTRAN III/VSX is required for the improved file-transfer performance.
  • The D-version of User Environment is required for CONNECT-TO with local-domain login.

3. The VSE vs VSX split (why it matters, and why you can ignore it)

Only two of the shipped components exist in both a VSE and a VSX flavour; everything else is version-neutral:

Component VSX file (used on VSX) VSE file (ignored on VSX) Difference
COSMOS Spooling loader COS-COSP-VSX-E02 COS-COSP-VSE-E02 VSX uses SET-PAGE-TABLE 1; VSE uses SET-PAGE-TABLE 0
File Access — User COS-FAU-VSX-E03 (1 segment, seg 22) COS-FAU-VSE1/VSE2-E03 (2 segments, seg 22 + 26) VSX fits in one segment; VSE splits across two

The installer detects your SINTRAN version automatically and copies only the matching flavour. On a VSX/500 system it copies the VSX files and never touches the VSE ones — verified in the install log.

NOTE The why of the page-table / segment-count difference (VSX extended addressing lets the File-User code live in a single larger segment) is a reading of the two mode files, not a statement from ND documentation.

4. How SINTRAN resolves the "generic" file names

The two orchestrator mode files (COS-HENT-E04:MODE, COS-START-E04:MODE) refer to the other files by abbreviated, version-neutral names — e.g. COS-COSP-VS-E:MODE, not COS-COSP-VSX-E02:MODE. This is deliberate and relies on SINTRAN's file-name matching:

  • SINTRAN matches an abbreviated file name component-by-component across the hyphens; each hyphen-separated group only needs to be a unique prefix of the real group.
  • So COS-COSP-VS-E → COS,COSP,VS,E matches COS,COSP,VSX,E02 (VS is a prefix of VSX, E a prefix of E02) → resolves to COS-COSP-VSX-E02.
  • This is unambiguous only because the installer copied the VSX variant alone. If both COS-COSP-VSX-* and COS-COSP-VSE-* were present, -VS- would be ambiguous and SINTRAN would raise "Ambiguous file name" (error 057 octal).

Every generic reference resolves uniquely on a correctly installed VSX system:

Reference in mode file Resolves to
COS-CONN-TO-E:PROG COS-CONN-TO-E02:PROG
COS-FILE-TRA-E:PROG COS-FILE-TRA-E02:PROG
COS-XFTRA-E:MODE COS-XFTRA-E02:MODE
COS-COSP-VS-E:MODE COS-COSP-VSX-E02:MODE
COS-FAU-VS-E:MODE COS-FAU-VSX-E03:MODE
COS-DEF-PRIN-E:MODE COS-DEF-PRIN-E02:MODE
COS-FA-SERV-E:PROG / :MODE COS-FA-SERV-E04:PROG / :MODE
COS-FS-ADMIN-E:PROG COS-FS-ADMIN-E02:PROG
COS-FSART-E:MODE COS-FSART-E02:MODE

Therefore no hand-editing of file names is required.

5. Installation procedure

Perform as user SYSTEM.

5.1 Run the installer

You can run the installer directly from the floppy (as done here). Insert the diskette, then:

@(21:F)COS-B-IN

((21:F) = the floppy directory/unit; adjust to your unit. The generic form from the doc is @ENTER-DIRECTORY 210374E04 FLOPPY-DISC-1 <unit> then copy IN-COS-BAS-E:PROG out and run it — either approach works.)

The installer:

  1. Prints a banner and does initial checks (enables user-break and fatal-error termination handling).
  2. Shows the prerequisite list (see section 2). Hit CR.
  3. Asks which services to install: 1=FILE-TRANSFER 2=CONNECT-TO 3=COSMOS SPOOLING 4=COSMOS FILE-ACCESS 5=ALL. Enter a comma-separated list (e.g. 1,2,3,4) or 5. Default is 5.
  4. If FILE-ACCESS is chosen, asks which parts: 1=File user 2=File server. Default 1,2.
  5. Asks the target user (DIRECTORY:USERNAME). Default COSMOS-BASIC. NOTE If you pick a user other than COSMOS-BASIC, the doc states the installer will automatically patch the user name inside the mode files. (Not exercised in this run — default was accepted.)
  6. Copies all files, then releases the floppy directory and resets termination handling.

5.2 Verify the copy

The 17 files landed on PACK-ONE:COSMOS-BASIC (verified with @LIST-FILES / li-fi):

COS-HENT-E04:MODE          orchestrator — cold-start load
COS-START-E04:MODE         orchestrator — warm-start activate
COS-FILE-TRA-E02:PROG      File-Transfer program
COS-XFTRA-E02:PROG         File-Transfer RT daemon (XFTRAD)
COS-XFTRA-E02:MODE         File-Transfer loader
COS-CONN-TO-E02:PROG       Connect-To program
COS-COSP-VSX-E02:BPUN      Spooling COSPO segment (VSX)
COS-SPOO-SER-E02:PROG      Spooling service program
COS-COSP-VSX-E02:MODE      Spooling loader (VSX)
COS-DEF-PRIN-E02:MODE      Printer definitions (EDIT THIS)
COS-FAU-VSX-E03:BPUN       File-User segment (VSX)
COS-FAU-VSX-E03:MODE       File-User loader (VSX)
COS-FSART-E02:BPUN         File-Server FSART segment
COS-FSART-E02:MODE         File-Server FSART loader
COS-FA-SERV-E04:PROG       File-Server (FA-SERVER-TAD) program
COS-FA-SERV-E04:MODE       File-Server start mode
COS-FS-ADMIN-E02:PROG      File-Server administrator program

5.3 Post-copy edits

  • If you installed only some of the four services, edit COS-HENT-E04:MODE and COS-START-E04:MODE and delete the sections for the parts you skipped.
  • COSMOS Spooling: edit COS-DEF-PRIN-E02:MODE to match your network/printer layout. If an older COS-DEF-PRIN:MODE already exists you can reuse it, changing only the user name.
  • File-Transfer (optional): COS-XFTRA-E02:MODE sets the remote-batch device (61465/1241 = batch 1) and the timeout (61641/74, octal seconds). Defaults are fine.
  • Delete the installer program from SYSTEM when done (if you copied it out).

6. Starting COSMOS Basic

Two phases, one per orchestrator file. Run as SYSTEM.

6.1 Bring-up prerequisites (must already be running/configured)

  • XMSG (X-MESSAGE) running — every service depends on it. Normally started by @MODE (UTILITY)XMSG-START:MODE.
  • COSMOS SPOOLING configured in SINTRAN (peripheral file COSMOS-SPOOLING at 1731B).
  • REMOTE FILE ACCESS option configured (File-User part).
  • TADs configured (File-Server part — the mode files run START-TADADM themselves).

6.2 Phase 1 — load (cold-start work)

Ask users to log out, then:

@SET-UNAVAILABLE LOADING COSMOS BASIC MODULE $PLEASE WAIT...
@MODE (PACK-ONE:COSMOS-BASIC)COS-HENT-E04:MODE,,

COS-HENT-E04:MODE performs:

  • CONNECT-TO: DELETE-REENTRANT + DUMP-PROGRAM-REENTRANT CONNECT-TO (segment CCT); DEFINE-REENTRANT-PROGRAM LIST-SYSTEMS.
  • FILE-TRANSFER: dump TRANSFER-FILE (segment CFT); define TRANSFER, REMOTE-BATCH, COMPRESS, COMPRESS-FILE; then chain COS-XFTRA-E02:MODE (loads the XFTRAD RT segment).
  • COSMOS SPOOLING: chain COS-COSP-VSX-E02:MODE (loads COSPO into segment COSPOOL, SET-PAGE-TABLE 1).
  • FILE ACCESS — User: chain COS-FAU-VSX-E03:MODE (loads File-User BPUN into segment 22, write-protects it).
  • FILE ACCESS — Server: dump FA-SERVER-TAD and FS-ADMINISTRATOR; chain COS-FSART-E02:MODE (loads the FSART RT segment).

6.3 Phase 2 — activate (warm-start work)

Only after XMSG and TADADM are up:

@MODE (PACK-ONE:COSMOS-BASIC)COS-START-E04:MODE,,

COS-START-E04:MODE performs:

  • FILE-TRANSFER: ABORT XFTRAD then RT XFTRAD (start the daemon).
  • COSMOS SPOOLING: RTON COSPO; START-SPOOLING COSMOS-SPOOLING; chain COS-DEF-PRIN-E02:MODE (apply printer defs).
  • FILE ACCESS — Server: chain COS-FA-SERV-E04:MODE, which does SET-AVAILABLE -> START-TADADM -> ABORT/RT FSART -> FS-ADMINISTRATOR / SELECT-FSA / START-SERVER -> SET-UNAVAILABLE.

Then make the system available and broadcast:

@SET-AVAILABLE

M-version note. COS-FA-SERV-E04:MODE toggles SET-AVAILABLE … SET-UNAVAILABLE. That toggle is only needed on pre-M SINTRAN. On VSX version L leave it as-is (harmless). On an M-version you may delete the @SET-AVAILABLE / @SET-UNAVAILABLE lines at the start/end of that file.

7. Making it permanent across restarts

  • In HENT-MODE:MODE (cold start), anywhere after @INITIALIZE-BACKGROUND-PROGRAMS:

    @MODE (PACK-ONE:COSMOS-BASIC)COS-HENT-E04:MODE,,

  • In LOAD-MODE:MODE (warm start), after @MODE (UTILITY)XMSG-START:MODE and TADADM:

    @MODE (PACK-ONE:COSMOS-BASIC)COS-START-E04:MODE,,

Also delete any lines in those files that refer to previous versions of COSMOS Basic Module.

8. Changes in this revision (from ND-895036-2-EN)

  • Performance: FILE TRANSFER is significantly faster on files containing "holes".
  • Security: repeated wrong-password attempts on a remote file are now reported to the error device (SINTRAN Watchdog) every 20th attempt; the user is then denied further access ("Remote File Server is not Available").
  • New functions: File Server supports MON IOPEN (MON 351) and MON FSMTY (MON 327) function 14 (octal); with User Environment version D, connecting within the same UE local domain also logs you into that system as the same UE user ("Automatic UE local domain login").
  • Fixed: remote file access while XMSG not running (previously corrupted SINTRAN); closing a remote spooling file when the remote queue is full (now reports "Remote Spooling Queue is Full" and cleans up fully).
  • Known, not fixed: "No Answer from Remote System" is sometimes shown when the correct message is "Attempt to Open Too Many Connections" or "No Access to Remote System".

9. Quick reference — the two commands to run

@MODE (PACK-ONE:COSMOS-BASIC)COS-HENT-E04:MODE,,      (once, to load — cold-start work)
@MODE (PACK-ONE:COSMOS-BASIC)COS-START-E04:MODE,,     (to activate — needs XMSG + TADADM up)
@SET-AVAILABLE