Installation, Configuration, and Booting
Installation of OpenVMS proceeds from the distribution media (CD/DVD or an info-server/network boot) using the platform-specific boot command; the candidate should recognize the sequence: boot the installation media, run the menu-driven or conversational procedure, choose the system disk, set the cluster and SCSNODE/SCSSYSTEMID parameters, and let the procedure lay down the system files. Know that SCSNODE (the node name) and SCSSYSTEMID (a numeric identifier, historically derived from DECnet address) must be consistent; mismatches are a frequent exam trap.
The boot process moves from the console firmware through the boot block, then the primary bootstrap, then the secondary/bootstrap loader, then SYSBOOT, which loads the executive and applies parameters from the system parameter file. Finally the system starts the startup command procedure (normally SYS$SYSTEM:STARTUP.COM, which invokes the layered startup files). Understand AUTOGEN: it sizes and tunes parameters, running in phases (initial, feedback, and a final tune), and that changes made by AUTOGEN can overwrite manual SYSGEN edits unless you set parameters to be preserved.
Traps: assuming the console boot command is identical across platforms (it is not - Alpha, Integrity, and VAX differ); forgetting that the system disk must be mounted and that the page/swap/dump files are created on it; and confusing SYSBOOT (loads executive, sets parameters) with the startup procedure (configures the running system). Questions often test which file holds parameter values (the system parameter file, e.g., ALPHAVMSSYS.PAR) versus the startup command files.
Rule of thumb: boot order = firmware → boot block → primary bootstrap → SYSBOOT → executive → STARTUP.COM.