How to Use This Book

This book is divided into three major parts:

• Introduction

A brief history of OpenVMS, an outline of its current status, and what to expect in the near future.

• Practical Guide

Introduces some of the concepts behind multi-user, multitasking operating systems and the OpenVMS terminology describing them. Afterward, it shows the reader how to log into the system for the first time and begin using OpenVMS.

• Technical Introduction

The technical introduction describes details which a user does not need to know in order to successfully use the system, but which the curious reader may find interesting. Such topics as process structure, scheduling, memory management, and the file system are discussed.