Here's what we did when we returned a rented 979/100 earlier this year (from
memory -- apologies for any obvious omissions):

-  Stop all jobs, network processes, user logging processes, etc. -- i.e., idle
the system

-  Do a system shutdown, followed by a START NORECOVERY NOSYSSTART

-  Do two full system backups, including the system directory, and verify at
least one of them -- preferably both

-  Purge all user and third-party software accounts;  don't forget to purge
accounts from *both* the user volume sets and the system volume set.

-  Do another full system backup, with system directory, and verify it.

-  Create a CSLT, and verify it (:checkslt.mpexl.telesup)

-  :VSCLOSE each of your user volume sets

-  Using VOLUTIL, scratch each of your user volumes (> SCRATCHVOL ldev), then
format each volume (> FORMATVOL ldev).  The format step could take hours
depending upon the volume sizes and number of disks, so start this well in
advance of your planned pickup date.

-  Verify volume condition using a :DSTAT ALL

-  Shut down the system

-  Using your CSLT, perform a RE-INSTALL, according to the instructions in the
System Software Maintenance Manual for your version of MPE/iX;  this will
install the basic operating system onto LDEV 1.


The following steps paraphrase or amend corresponding sections in the SSM Manual
- you may need to use your discretion re: some or all of these:\

-  Reconfigure enough system volumes to hold the SYS and TELESUP accounts.

-  At the "Restoring User Files" task during the install, you should restore
@[log in to unmask] + @[log in to unmask] (with ;OLDDATE, ;KEEP, and ;DIRECTORY options), using the
full system backup tape created *after* you purged all user and third-party
accounts.  Because we use third-party backup software, I always restore the
system directory, first, as a separate step, before restoring any files during
an INSTALL.

-  Reset passwords, lockwords and/or UDC's at your own discretion -- (I chose
not to catalog any UDC's or reapply any lockwords)

-  Perform the final reboot to verify that the system comes up successfully.

-  Shut down the system for the last time          :-((


FWIW, the FORMATVOL would not keep a determined hacker from reassembling your
data, but it's the closest thing I know to a *supported* method of wiping a disk
device.  Others may have better suggestions.

HTH,
----
Lee Gunter                    The Regence Group
Supervisor, TRG HP/MPE Systems     503.375.4498
----
Opinions expressed are solely mine.





From: Grace Ortscheid <[log in to unmask]> on 12/02/99 09:16 AM

Please respond to [log in to unmask]


To:   [log in to unmask]
cc:    (bcc: Lee Gunter/BCBSO/TBG)
Subject:  [HP3000-L] permanent system shutdown




In a week or so, I will be shutting down our 979/200 forever and
passing it on to a reseller.  What steps will I need to take to  1)
erase all proprietary data and 2) leave them with a bootable system.

It should be fairly easy as all our data is on user volumes.  The
system volume set contains all software (3rd party, HP and
homegrown- each in their own accounts)

Thank you all for all the help I've received from the list.  Once I'm
at home, I'll probably still check the digests to keep up to date on
the happenings in the hp world and to see what y2k bugs I missed out
on.  (Besides, I'll miss all the regular listers I feel I've gotten
to know :)

Grace Ortscheid
Numa Corporation