Before running GT.M, you must install the run-time library with the INSTALL utility. In addition, GT.M users must have a definition of the M command and logical names identifying run-time components. The installation dialogue creates procedures for these tasks. These procedures are GTMSTART.COM, GTMLOGICALS.COM, and GTMLOGIN.COM. GT.M has no symbiont or daemon processes.

Stopping GT.M involves ensuring that all users have terminated their access to the database file -a critical element in maintaining database integrity. Without proper termination, the data in the memory cache may not be written to disk, and may be lost when OpenVMS shuts down. For performance reasons, GT.M caches data in memory while the system is running. Then, after all users have properly exited from GT.M, the system writes global data from the memory cache to disk. When necessary, run the GTMSTOP.COM procedure to stop all GT.M users and properly terminate GT.M.