Getting started

This section shows you how to get started after you have installed RA.

Install RA following the instructions in the installation manual
Install your RA or COHORT license if you don't already have one installed
If you did not run the @RA_COM:INSTALL command procedure do so now. Verify that you have the following files and jobs:
RA_DAT:CLIENT.DAT
RA_DAT:DISKNAMES.DAT
SYS$MANAGER:RA_STARTUP.COM
ACC_DAYUPDATE_node.COM should be in a node specific queue on the node you have chosen to collect disk information through. It is recommended that this job only run on one node.It should be submitted so that it will have time to gather disk usage information on all the specified disks and still finish before midnight.
ACC_SUMMARY_node.COM should be in a node specific queue on each node that you want to collect accounting information for. It should run after midnight.
Allow data collection to run at least once. You cannot produce reports including disk information until data collection has run at least once.




NOTE

If you want to see some reports immediately you can use the ACCOUNTNG.YES file which was created during installation.  Any reports generated with this file will not include disk information since disk  information is obtained from the nightly data collection which has not yet run.




Verify that data collection ran properly by checking the batch log files.  The logs will be called ACC_DAY_UPDATE_nodename.LOG and ACC_SUMMARY_nodename.LOG and will be in the SYS$LOGIN directory of the username that the batch jobs ran under.
Verify that data collection jobs re-submitted themselves by doing a SHOW QUEUE.  ACC_DAY_UPDATE_nodename.COM should be scheduled to run before midnight on one node.  ACC_SUMMARY_nodename.COM should be scheduled to run after midnight on each node that you want to collect accounting information on.
Update the SYSUAF.DAT file if necessary. If you want to use the Account Summary reports and Recap report, the account field in the SYSUAF.DAT must be checked and possibly changed.  You must enter a common string in the account field of all users you want grouped in the same account.




NOTE

The installation procedure copies the SYSUAF.DAT information into the client file during installation.  If you change account info in the SYSUAF.DAT, you must update the client file as well.  A new client file can be created by running
$ @RA_COM:CREATE_CLIENT_FILE.COM.





Customize the client file that was created from the SYSUAF.DAT file during installation. This file will have common charge rates and a revenue/non_revenue flag for all users.  The mailing and billing addresses are left blank.  You can update the client file by selecting the MODIFY CLIENT option on the main menu.  From here you can:
Generate a client file report to examine current values.
Modify values for specific clients.
Globally modify values for groups of users.
Modify the two default records, DEFAULT and RA_NOCLIENT, to properly handle users not found in the SYSUAF or CLIENT.DAT files.

Quick start
When installing a demo the RA installation procedure optionally creates a sample data file, ACCOUNTNG.YES, in the RA_DAT: directory.  It contains yesterday's accounting information for the node on which you installed RA.  You can generate reports from this file.  However, there will not be any disk information since this information is gathered by the nightly data collection procedures which have not yet run.  

There are two methods to generate reports from RA.  Samples of both methods are shown in this section.  If you have any problems, refer to the section "Solving RA problems" for additional information.
            
Using the menu/form interface
To display the RA main menu type "RA/MENU"

Press UP/DOWN ARROW to move up/down within a menu.  The current menu function is always highlighted in reverse video.  Menus do not "wrap".  Pressing DOWN-ARROW at the bottom of menu or UP-ARROW at the top leaves the highlighted menu option unchanged.

Press RETURN or ENTER to select a menu function.

From many menus you can press PF3 to cancel an operation or return to the previous menu or press CTRL/Z to exit the RA screen interface and return to the DCL $ prompt.

On the following page is an example of the RA main menu.  The following page contains a tree of all the menus which can be called from RA's main menu.


 You can enter seven functions from this menu:

MODIFY CLIENT FILE - add, modify, delete and list client records.

MODIFY PARAMETER FILE - manage parameter data for your site.  This includes the accounting file list, addresses, terminal speeds, and discounts.

MODIFY CPU FILE - modify CPU/node information.

MODIFY PROJECT FILE - modify the project control list to set who is allowed to enter projects.

MODIFY IMAGE FILE - modify the table which defines charges for specific users, accounts and groups for specific images. Image charges are *NEW* with V7 of RA.

GENERATE REPORTS - display the report menu from which you can generate RA reports.

EXIT TO DCL - exit RA and return to the OpenVMS DCL command level.

LOGOFF THE SYSTEM - exit RA and logout out of OpenVMS.
Menu tree
Here is a "map" showing how RA menus link together.  You can use it to find where a particular function is located. Bold Italicized items are new to RA V7.


 MODIFY CLIENT FILE
    Add client record
    Display client record
    Modify client record
    Delete client record
    Create full client report
    Create brief client report
    Make a mass change to client file
MODIFY PARAMETER FILE
    Modify parameter file
    Modify accounting list
    Print parameter report
MODIFY CPU FILE
    Add a Node
    Delete a Node
    Modify a Node
    Display Nodes
    Print Nodes
MODIFY PROJECT FILE
    Add a project
    Delete a project
    Modify a project
    Display projects
    Print project report
MODIFY IMAGE FILE
GENERATE REPORTS
    Scan Accounting Data
    Read Summary File
    Write Summary File
    Select Report
        ACCOUNT based reports
            Account Report
            Adjusted Report
            Cost Detail Report
            Cost Summary Report
            Cost User Report
            Detail Report
            Revenue Report
            Summary Report
            Export Report
        GROUP based reports
            Cost Detail Report
            Cost Summary Report
            Cost User Report
            Detail Report
            Summary Report
            Export Report
        IMAGE based reports
            Image report
            User report
    PROJECT based reports
            Detail Report
            Summary Report
            User Detail Report
        UIC based reports
            SUMMARY Report
            Export Report
        UIC GROUP based reports
            Cost Detail Report
            Cost Summary Report
            Summary Report
            Export Report
        USERNAME based reports
            Detail Report
            Summary Report
            Export Report
        MISCELLANEOUS reports
            Fixed Billing Report
            Resource Report
            Trace Report
EXIT TO DCL
LOGOFF THE SYSTEM

Here is a procedure to generate a sample report through the menu interface. In this example we will generate a summary report by account (equivalent to /report=summary/sequence=account at the DCL level).

1.    Login to an account with sufficient privileges to run RA. If you created an RA account during installation login to it.

2.    Type "RA/MENU"

3.    If you get an error message try loading the RA command definition and then running the menu
    $ set command ra_cdu:ra
    $ ra/menu



The RA main menu will be displayed (a sample of this menu is shown on page )

Select the option GENERATE REPORTS.

The Report Generation menu will be displayed:

Select the option “SCAN ACCOUNTING DATA”
    Note: This prompt was changed from MODIFY SELECTION CRITERIA. for clarity.

The Selection Criteria form will be displayed:

Take all defaults except the input file prompt and the automatically print reports prompt.
    At the input file prompt enter "ACCOUNTNG.YES".

Wait for the file scan to complete.  The scan will take a few minutes to complete and may generate "unauthorized disk" messages.  Wait until the Report Generation menu reappears then select the option SELECT REPORTS.


The Report Type menu will be displayed:
ACCOUNT based reports is already selected so hit enter to continue. If you wish to pick a different kind of report use the DOWN ARROW key to select that option. The IMAGE based reports option is new with V7 of RA.


The Account Report Menu will be displayed:
Select the ACCOUNT report and hit return to generate it. With Version 7 of RA it is now possible to EXPORT the RA data summarized by account as well as just the raw data - the EXPORT report option was added to this menu with RA V7.

When the main menu re-appears, select the option EXIT TO DCL.

The account summary report will now printed on the default printer SYS$PRINT if you select Y to the question print the reports in the report setup screen; this is the default action. If you choose N to the print question the report has been generated in a file called ACCOUNTNG.LIS in the RA_DAT directory.
Using the DCL interface
   From the command line interface you can create summary files and produce reports.  This interface allows you to automate RA's reporting by including report commands in the data collection procedures.  To use this interface, you should refer to the RA Commands section.  Here are some examples of DCL commands:

To generate an adjusted report for the ENG account, type:
$ RA/REPORT=ADJUST/ACCOUNT=ENG/INPUT=ACC.SAV/OUT=ADJ.LIS

To generate a summary report that accumulates batch time with connect time, type:
$ RA/REPORT=SUMMARY/INPUT=ACC.SAV/OUT=SUM.LIS/BATCH_CONNECT

To generate a series of user reports sorted by account name, type:
$ RA/REPORT=USER/USER=*/INP=ACC.SAV/OUT=USER.LIS/ORDER=ACCOUNT

To display which version of RA you are running, type:
$ RA/VERSION

To summarize an accounting file into an RA save file, type:
$ RA/SUMMARY/INPUT=ACCOUNTNG_MONTH.NODE/OUTPUT=MONTH.SAVE
Here is a procedure to generate sample reports from the DCL interface.

    1.      Enable the RA command verb.

        $ SET COMMAND device:RA_CDU:RA

    2.    Scan RA's accounting file (ACCOUNTNG.YES) and create a summary file (ACC.SAV) from which reports can be generated.

        $ RA/SUMMARY/INPUT=ACCOUNTNG.YES/OUPUT=ACC.SAV

    3.    Generate a summary report (SUM.LIS) from the summary file (ACC.SAV) you created.

        $ RA/REPORT=SUMMARY/INPUT=ACC.SAV/OUTPUT=SUM.LIS

    4.    Print out the summary report.

        $ PRINT RA_DAT:SUMMARY.LIS

All of these files will be in the RA_DAT directory.

There are two sample command procedures in the RA_COM: directory: MONTHLY_REPORTS.COM and DAILY_REPORTS.COM.  These procedures can be used directly or modified to suit your site's needs.