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DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS
Release Notes


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To define a table, enter the following command:

$ create/name_table/exec/parent=lnm$system_directory cdi$system_table 

To define a logical name, enter the following command:

$ define/table=cdi$system_table bks bks.pub.dec.com  

To examine a logical name, enter the following command:

$ show logical/table=cdi$system_table bks 

The system displays the logical name information:

$ "bks.pub.dec.com" = "bks" (cdi$system_table) 

SYSNAM system privileges are required.

5.2 Backtranslation Failures Over DNS/BIND

Incoming connections over an IP network might not work with applications that require a Phase IV-style (six character or less) node name unless Domain synonyms are set up as described in the DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS installation manuals.


Chapter 6
DECdns

This chapter discusses general information, restrictions, and problems applicable to the Digital Distributed Name Service (DECdns).

6.1 Configuring a Node as a DECdns Server

When you configure your system as a DECdns server, DECdns must be the primary name service. To specify DECdns as the primary name service, execute net$configure and specify DECdns as the first name service in the ordered list.

6.1.1 Creating A New Namespace

If your system is to be the first server for a new namespace, first configure the system in the Local namespace. After you finish configuring the system in the Local namespace, configure the system with DECdns as the primary name service.

Remove the Local namespace later, if appropriate.

6.2 Default Parameters for Process Limits on DECdns Servers

This note describes several default parameters for process limits on NET$ACP and DNS$SERVER.

6.3 System Hangs at Startup in DNS Clerk

The system may hang at startup in the DNS clerk initialization procedures. This problem can occur when a system with three or more LAN adapters fails on startup of the DECdns clerk. The startup fails because the DECdns Clerk Buffer Limit has been reached. To work around this problem, edit the sys$startup:dns$clerk_startup.com file and revise the buffer_limit parameter as follows:

/buffer_limit=300000 

6.4 Server Software Is Not Available for OpenVMS Alpha Systems

DECdns server software is not available to use with OpenVMS Alpha systems. All references to DECdns servers (and to their resident clearinghouses) throughout the remainder of these release notes apply to the DECdns servers in your namespace that are running on ULTRIX, Digital UNIX, or OpenVMS VAX systems.

6.5 Startup Error Message: DECdns Clerk

The DECdns clerk startup might output the following error message:

Create Node 0 DNS Clerk Known Namespace CZ 
 
command failed due to: 
process failure 
 
A Known Namespace with this name or NSCTS already exists 

You can disregard this message. The DECdns clerk configuration procedure puts a create dns clerk known namespace command for the default namespace into the DECdns clerk NCL startup file. The command remains there in case the DECdns cache file has been deleted or corrupted.

6.6 PAGEDYN Resources: Clerks and Servers

DECdns clerk and server systems can require additional paged dynamic memory resources (PAGEDYN).

For DECdns clerk systems, consider increasing the PAGEDYN resource on the node if you see either the RESOURCEERROR or NONSRESOURCES error during skulk operations.

Before you configure a system as a DECdns server, check that the system has at least 50,000 free bytes of paged dynamic memory. Insufficient paged dynamic memory on servers can cause configuration errors, skulk failures, and in some cases normal clerk operations can fail, returning either the RESOURCEERROR or NONSRESOURCES error.

The dns$server.log file can also contain messages regarding failures caused by this resource.

Servers holding master replicas of directories that have many read-only replicas can also require additional paged dynamic memory.

6.7 Use the Outgoing Alias When Connecting to DECdns Servers

Because of a change in DECnet-Plus Session Control, all DECdns requests from nodes in an OpenVMS Cluster can send the cluster alias address as the source address. The current behavior is to send the individual node address.

To use this functionality, edit the file sys$manager:dns$clerk_cluster.ncl and set outgoing alias= true.

To affect the running system, use the following NCL command on all nodes in your cluster running this release of DECnet-Plus:

NCL> set session control application dnsclerk outgoing alias = true 

Note

Implementing this functionality might require nontrivial changes to the current access control in your namespace because you are changing the source address of DECdns clerk requests.

6.8 General DECdns Problems

You might encounter the following DECdns problems:

6.9 Handling Clerk Cache Startup Problems

The DECdns clerk resizes the clerk cache file only when a sizing calculation determines that the file is less than whichever is smaller: 1000 blocks or .5% of memory.

If the amount of physical memory available to a system has changed or if the GBLPAGFIL system parameter has been modified, check the sys$manager:dns$adver_error.log file. The DECdns clerk indicates in this file if it has calculated a new recommended cache size.

When you see the following message, fewer than 10 GBLPAGFILs are available and the cache file was not created:

Insufficient Global Page File Limit - no cache      

When this situation happens, increase the size of GBLPAGFIL, run AUTOGEN, and reboot your system to get a functioning DECdns clerk.

If the cache file size exceeds 75 percent of the available GBLPAGFIL, it is set to that figure (75 percent of the available GBLPAGFIL) so it does not use up all of the available GBLPAGFIL. For OpenVMS systems, the maximum size of the clerk cache is 512 MB.

If the recommended change in the size of the cache file is substantial and you want DECdns to use the new cache size, take the following steps:

  1. Shut down DECdns.
  2. Delete the existing cache files (sys$system:dns$cache.*).
  3. Reboot the system (do not start DECdns before rebooting--- the cache sizing algorithm must run on a fresh boot of OpenVMS).
  4. Start DECdns during the reboot or at any time thereafter.

The first time DECdns Version 2 runs on a system (or if DECdns runs and finds the cache file missing), the advertiser creates the file sys$system:dns$cache.0000000001 (again, only if it does not already exist). This file is the backing store file for the DECdns clerk cache. The backing store update interval is 30 minutes. The extension part of the file name (0000000001) is incremented by 1 at each interval and is updated in the associated file sys$system:dns$cache.version. If you want to start with an empty cache, delete both files by entering the following command before you start the clerk:

$ delete sys$system:dns$cache.*      

6.10 Removing Obsolete DNS$CACHE Files

Multiple obsolete copies of the DECdns clerk cache backing store file (sys$system:dns$cache.000000000n) can, under unusual circumstances, accumulate and cause disk space problems on the system. DECdns uses only the dns$cache.version file and the one or two most recent dns$cache.000000000n files referenced in dns$cache.version. DECdns normally deletes prior unreferenced versions of the file.

If you check the contents of the sys$system directory and see more than one backing store file, type the dns$cache.version file to see which backing store files DECdns is currently using and delete all prior dns$cache.000000000n files from the directory.

6.11 Tracing Clerk Activity on OpenVMS Systems

Clerk traces (using the sys$startup:dns$clerk_startup "DEBUG" "8191" command) can drop events during bursts of activity.


Chapter 7
DECdts

This chapter discusses general information, restrictions, and problems applicable to the Digital Distributed Time Service (DECdts).

7.1 Changes to the DTSS Show Command

With this release of DECnet-Plus, the DTSS commands show dtss local server and show dtss global server have been renamed to show dtss decnet local servers and show dtss decnet global servers, respectively.

For information about associated changes to the command attributes, see the DECnet-Plus DECdts Management manual.

7.2 Time Synchronization Change

With DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS Version 7.1, the DTSS module has been modified to synchronize time more effectively.

In previous versions, when a DTSS client was running on a system, the DCL command SET TIME and the system service $SETTIME were disabled to allow the DTSS module to synchronize the system clocks in a network.

With Version 7.1, the SET TIME command and $SETTIME system service are enabled if a DTSS clerk is not able to locate a DTSS server with which to synchronize the time. When the DTSS clerk locates a DTSS server, it synchronizes the central time with the server and disables the SET TIME command and the $SETTIME system service.

7.3 Automatic Time Zone Changes on Rebooting Clusters

If all members of a cluster are down when daylight saving time (DST) takes effect and automatic time zone changes are enabled, then members may reboot with the incorrect local time. If you anticipate that the cluster will be down during the change to or from daylight saving time, you should disable automatic time zone changes and make the changes manually.


Chapter 8
FTAM, Virtual Terminal, and OSI Applications Kernel

This chapter discusses issues applicable to this release of FTAM, Virtual Terminal (VT), and OSI Applications Kernel (OSAK) software.

8.1 OSI Applications Installation Change

Prior to this release, the OSI applications (OSAK, FTAM, and VT) started automatically after you installed DECnet.

Beginning with this release, you start the OSI applications after you install DECnet-Plus, as follows:

  1. Install DECnet-Plus.
  2. If you have existing versions of the OSI applications running, stop the applications by executing the following shutdown procedures in this order:
    $ @sys$manager:osif$stop                ! Shuts down FTAM 
    $ @sys$startup:vt_stop                  ! Shuts down VT 
    $ @sys$startup:osak$stop                ! Shuts down OSAK 
    
  3. Start Version 7.1 of OSAK by executing the following startup procedure:
    $ @sys$startup:osak$start 
    
  4. Start Version 7.1 of FTAM and VT, as applicable, by executing the following startup procedures:
    $ @sys$startup:osif$startup             ! Starts FTAM 
    $ @sys$startup:vt_start                 ! Starts VT 
    
  5. Include the startup procedures for OSAK, FTAM, and VT, as applicable, in your systartup_vms.com file so that the OSI applications start at boot time.

8.2 FTAM

This section discusses issues related to FTAM software.

8.2.1 Downstream Processing Support in OSIF$FAL

This version of FTAM includes additional support for downstream file processing when using the FTAM responder (OSIF$FAL.EXE).

OSIF$FAL creates the OSIF$FILEINFO logical name. When translated, this logical name provides information about all files that were opened via an FTAM F-OPEN-REQUEST during the FTAM association. The information currently available includes the local RMS file name and the FTAM processing mode for the file. Each piece of information is delimited by a slash (/).

For example:

$ show logical osif$fileinfo 
   "osif$fileinfo" [SUPER] = "dka500:[tmp]file1.txt;1/48"  (lnm$process_table) 
        = "dka500:[tmp]tmp.tmp;9/48" 

The osif$responder.com procedure located in SYS$SYSTEM has been enhanced with sample DCL code that demonstrates how this information can be parsed and used.

8.2.2 COPY Command Enhancement

Prior to this release, when you copied a file from a local file to a remote alias, the following command automatically created the output file name "." on the target system:

copy/app=ftam file.ext alias"user pwd":: 

As of this release, the name you specify on the initiating system is the name created on the target system by the COPY command.

8.2.3 DAP/Gateway

Support now exists for the DAP/FTAM gateway append function.

8.2.4 RMS Record I/O Performance Enhancements

This version of FTAM includes changes that enhance performance with RMS when doing record-oriented I/O. In addition to internal changes, two logical names now allow some control over initial file creation and extend sizes. These logical names are most useful when you know in advance that a typical file will exceed a certain size, and that FTAM is acting as the receiver of data.

The logical names are:
Logical Name Action
OSIF_FILE_ALQ Controls initial file allocation size (in blocks)
OSIF_FILE_DEQ Controls extension size (in blocks)


Note

If a future_filesize parameter is supplied in the F-CREATE-REQUEST, the logical names are ignored.

You can define the logical names in any appropriate location, such as in sys$system:osif$responder.com. For example:

$ define OSIF_FILE_ALQ 1000   ! allocate files initially at 1000 blocks 
$ define OSIF_FILE_DEQ  500   ! extend by 500 blocks when needed 

Limited performance testing has been done with FTAM-1 fixed files. Increases in performance ranges are dependent on the platform and other variables. Because many factors influence performance, actual increases vary.

8.3 Virtual Terminal

This section discusses issues related to Virtual Terminal (VT) software.

8.3.1 CTRL-@

A previous release note item incorrectly stated that the SET command in Local Command Mode would not accept CTRL-@ as a valid value for the break, command, or disconnect characters. You may specify CTRL-@ as the break, command, or disconnect character by using the circumflex-character notation (by typing the circumflex (^), followed by the "at-sign" (@)).

8.3.2 Amode Repertoire

The SEND command in Local Command Mode no longer incorrectly indicates that a character is not in the Amode-default repertoire.

8.3.3 Responder

The Virtual Terminal responder no longer stops accepting connections after several connections have been established and aborted.

8.3.4 VT/LAT Gateway

The VT/LAT gateway no longer hangs if an unknown LAT service is provided at the LAT service name prompt.

8.4 OSI Applications Kernel (OSAK)

This section discusses issues related to OSAK software.

8.4.1 New Features

This section contains information about new features in the OSAK software and programming interfaces.

8.4.1.1 Handling of Default Transport Templates

If no transport template is specified in the osak_associate_req (API and ROSE) or spi_connect_req (SPI) call, OSAK takes the following actions:

8.4.2 OSAK Version 1.1 Support Terminated

With this release of DECnet-Plus, Digital no longer supports the OSAK Version 1.1 interface. The software is provided with this release of the DECnet-Plus software, however, but will be removed from the next release.

If you use the OSAK Version 1.1 interface, you should migrate to the OSAK Version 3.0 SPI (session programming interface). The OSAK Version 3.0 SPI provides the same capabilities as the OSAK Version 1.1 interface.

For detailed information about the OSAK Version 3.0 SPI, see the DECnet-Plus OSAK SPI Programming Reference manual.

8.4.3 Known Problems and Restrictions

This section contains details on problems and restrictions in the OSAK software and the OSAK programming interfaces.

8.4.3.1 Misleading OSAK Error Message: SPM Congestion at Connect Time

When OSAKserver receives an association request that specifies a nonexistent user identity, it generates the error message "SPM Congestion at Connect Time."

If you see this error, check that the user name and password specified in the request are correct. If the user name is correct but the password is incorrect, the OPCOM message %LOGIN-F-INVPWD is logged. If the user name is incorrect, no OPCOM message is logged.

8.4.3.2 Documentation Omission

In the DECnet-Plus OSAK SPI Programming Reference manual, the following OSAK parameter block parameters were omitted from the SPI routine descriptions. Although the parameters are listed in Section 1.2 and described in Section 1.4.2, they should also appear in the Parameters Used table as follows:
Parameters Used Data Type Access
[user_context] Address read only
port_id osak_port write only

The parameters should be listed for all SPI routines that have the OSAK parameter block argument, except for the following:

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