The Idle Powersaver Driver is a software product that works with CHARON-AXP/SMA(+) to significantly reduce host CPU usage. This software detects when OpenVMS Alpha enters its idle loop and instructs CHARON-AXP/SMA(+) to stall the virtual machine to use less host CPU cycles.

Please note that it is not recommended to use the Idle Powersaver Driver in a real-time processing environment. Use of this driver will result in I/O performance degradation.

Installation

After attaching the virtual disk, as described in Preparing to Install the Guest Utilities, use the POLYCENTER Software Installation (PCSI) utility to install the Idle Powersaver Driver. The following example demonstrates the PCSI PRODUCT INSTALL commands to execute and the expected output (the example assumes the utilities virtual disk image is attached at DKA400:).

Idle Utility Installation

$ PRODUCT INSTALL IDLE/SOURCE=DKA400:[IDLE]
%PCSI-I-CANNOTVAL, cannot validate DKA400:[IDLE]SRI-AXPVMS-IDLE-V0102--1.PCSI;1
-PCSI-I-NOTSIGNED, product kit is not signed and therefore has no manifest file

The following product has been selected:
     SRI AXPVMS IDLE V1.2 Layered Product

Do you want to continue? [YES] YES

Configuration phase starting ...

You will be asked to choose options, if any, for each selected product and for any products that may be installed to satisfy software dependency requirements.

SRI AXPVMS IDLE V1.2: Idle cpu powersave driver V1.2 for OpenVMS Alpha.

    Copyright 1976, 2007 Software Resources International

    IDLE was produced by Software Resources International

* This product does not have any configuration options.

Execution phase starting ...

The following product will be installed to destination:
    SRI AXPVMS IDLE V1.2 DISK$TARDISSYSTEM:[VMS$COMMON.]

Portion done: 0%...10%...20%...80%...100%

The following product has been installed:
    SRI AXPVMS IDLE V1.2 Layered Product

Before installing idle one should make sure that for VMS version V6.2 up to V7.1-2 the PCSI kit VMS62TO71U2_PCSI has been installed.