Digital Equipment Corporation - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL _____________________________________________________ DECserver 200 Software Patch Release Notice V3.3-BL39 This notice is intended to describe all current patch releases for the DECserver 200 terminal server software Version BL39. The notice will be distributed on the DECserver 200 starter kit, and will be updated periodically, as new patches are released, and as starter kit updates are released. A detailed description section is included in this file for each given software patch. This section will include a small description of the actual problem, the identifying characteristics of the given problem, and any workarounds which are available to avoid the problem until the given patch can be installed. REVISION HISTORY REV # DESCRIPTION DATE 1.0 DS200 V3.1 BL37A 03-APR-91 2.0 DS200 V3.1 BL37B 22-NOV-91 3.1-BL37C DS200 V3.1 BL37B 20-JUL-92 3.2 DS200 V3.2 BL38 29-JUL-93 3.3 DS200 V3.3 BL39 21-JAN-94 DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 2 CONTENTS 1 DECSERVER 200 PATCH RELEASES . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1.1 DECserver 200 V3.1 BL37A . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1.1.1 Choppy Output To The Terminal . . . . . . . . . 4 1.1.1.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . . 4 1.1.1.2 How To Work Around The Problem . . . . . . . . 4 1.1.2 Port Hang In "disconnecting" State. . . . . . . 5 1.1.2.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . . 5 1.1.2.2 How To Work Around The Problem . . . . . . . . 5 1.2 DECserver 200 V3.1 BL37B . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1.2.1 Modem Signals Not Timing Out . . . . . . . . . . 6 1.2.1.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . . 6 1.2.1.2 How To Work Around The Problem . . . . . . . . 6 1.2.2 Server Crashes When Port Goes Offline . . . . . 7 1.2.2.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . . 7 1.2.2.2 How To Work Around The Problem . . . . . . . . 7 1.2.3 Printing To A Port From A LATmaster Host Fails Occasionally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 1.2.3.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . . 8 1.2.3.2 How To Work Around The Problem . . . . . . . . 8 1.2.4 LA120 Printer Output Gets Corrupted . . . . . . 9 1.2.4.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . . 9 1.2.4.2 How To Work Around The Problem . . . . . . . . 9 1.2.5 Cannot Disable Output Flow With Hardware Flow Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 1.2.5.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . 10 1.2.5.2 How To Work Around The Problem. . . . . . . 10 1.2.6 Code 217 Crashes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 1.2.6.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . 11 1.2.6.2 How To Work Around The Problem . . . . . . . 11 1.2.7 Bursty Output To Terminal . . . . . . . . . . 12 1.2.7.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . 12 1.2.7.2 How To Work Around The Problem . . . . . . . 12 1.3 DECserver 200 V3.1 BL37C . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 1.3.1 Code 003, 004, 00A, 00B And 100 Crashes . . . 13 1.3.1.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . 13 1.3.1.2 How To Work Around The Problem . . . . . . . 13 1.3.2 "SET PORT" Crash Code 200 . . . . . . . . . . 14 1.3.2.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . 14 1.3.2.2 How To Work Around The Problem . . . . . . . 14 1.4 DECserver 200 V3.2 BL38 . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 1.4.1 Code 100 Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 1.4.1.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . 15 1.4.1.2 How To Work Around The Problem . . . . . . . 15 1.4.2 Stale Start Slot Request . . . . . . . . . . . 16 1.4.2.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . 16 1.4.2.2 How To Work Around The Problem . . . . . . . 16 1.4.3 299 Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 1.4.3.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . 17 1.4.3.2 How To Work Around The Problem . . . . . . . 17 1.4.4 719-insufficient Resources . . . . . . . . . . 18 1.4.4.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . 18 1.4.4.2 How To Work Around The Problem . . . . . . . 18 1.4.5 Stuck In Queue Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 3 1.4.5.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . 19 1.4.5.2 How To Work Around The Problem . . . . . . . 19 1.4.6 Power Up/Power Down Of Terminal Hangs Port . . 20 1.4.6.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . 20 1.4.6.2 How To Work Around The Problem . . . . . . . 20 1.5 DECserver 200 V3.3 BL39 . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 1.5.1 High CPU Utilization . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 1.5.1.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . 22 1.5.1.2 How To Work Around The Problem . . . . . . . 22 1.5.2 SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT Messages Flood The Network From Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 1.5.2.1 How To Identify The Problem . . . . . . . . 23 1.5.2.2 How To Work Around The Problem . . . . . . . 23 DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 4 1 DECSERVER 200 PATCH RELEASES This section describes the current patch releases available for the DECserver 200 V3.1 software product. 1.1 DECserver 200 V3.1 BL37A This release is the first patch to the DECserver 200 V3.1 (BL37) software release. The BL37 image has been superseded by the BL37A image and should no longer be given to customers. The BL37B image replaces BL37A in the starter kit. 1.1.1 Choppy Output To The Terminal - This problem relates to the server retransmitting a packet after a delay of 1 second. The data on the server gets backed up and then sends all the data at once to the system. This causes a jerky screen. 1.1.1.1 How To Identify The Problem - Significant delays are experienced on DS200 servers talking to VAX4000's via the LAN. A burst of 20 to 30 characters in the packet heads to the system, rather than 2 to 3 characters which is the norm. The server counts both a re-transmit as well as a duplicate packet. 1.1.1.2 How To Work Around The Problem - Install BL37A or later as soon as possible. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 5 1.1.2 Port Hang In "disconnecting" State. - The DS200 ports hung in disconnecting state. These are remote ports doing reverse LAT. The DS200 is offering reverse LAT services connected to a protocol converter. When an interactive user on another DS200 breaks to LOCAL> and issues a disconnect session command to disconnect the reverse LAT port, the reverse LAT port is stuck in a DISCONNECTING state. 1.1.2.1 How To Identify The Problem - The problem has been isolated to a user logged in to a local DS200 port and connects to a service port that offers the user access to data by way of a protocol converter. When the user is finished, hit the break key on the local server port to disconnect from the service. The break is sent to the remote server port via Ethernet. It proceeds to terminate communications with the service port by dropping the modem signals. A modem disconnect cancels all timers associated with the port, which in turn causes the port to hang, never calling the break character routine, thus not turning the port back on. 1.1.2.2 How To Work Around The Problem - Install BL37A or later as soon as possible. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 6 1.2 DECserver 200 V3.1 BL37B This release is the second patch to the DECserver 200 V3.1 (BL37) software release. The BL37A image has been superseded by the BL37B image and should no longer be given to customers. The BL37B image replaces BL37A in the starter kit. 1.2.1 Modem Signals Not Timing Out - If MODEM is enabled and RI is brought high, the server will assert DTR and RTS signals. If no subsequent signals are supplied, the server will not timeout the raising of the DTR and RTS signals. 1.2.1.1 How To Identify The Problem - The server port is set to MODEM and DTRWAIT enabled. The access is set to LOCAL. If a call is answered by the MODEM but the caller quickly hangs up, RI (pin 22) will go high just as if the modem was trying to connect. The server asserts DTR and RTS. Since the modem handshake has not completed due to the hang-up, the server never sees CTS, DCD, and DSR as input signals. The port did not timeout and drop DTR and RTS signals resulting in a hung port. 1.2.1.2 How To Work Around The Problem - Install BL37B image or later as soon as possible. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 7 1.2.2 Server Crashes When Port Goes Offline - The DS200 crashes when the VMS command "STOP/PROCESS/ID=" is used to stop a process created through a DECserver 200 port, after the port had gone to an offline state. 1.2.2.1 How To Identify The Problem - On occasion when the DECserver 200 port has become stuck in the disconnecting state, the "logout port" command to reset the port does not work, but rather keeps the port in the disconnecting state. A connect to a local terminal must be made and break enabled in order to get the port to idle state. 1.2.2.2 How To Work Around The Problem - Install BL37B image or later as soon as possible. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 8 1.2.3 Printing To A Port From A LATmaster Host Fails Occasionally - This problem sometimes occurs when LAT master node attempts to print or otherwise output data to a DS200 port when the host is the master and no service name is specified. 1.2.3.1 How To Identify The Problem - Print jobs to a specific server port (as defined in LATCP) fail when printing from a LATmaster Host which has previously established a circuit to the DS200 with the host as master. If the port is busy at the time, the print job is queued successfully, both on the server as well as the Host print queues. When the port becomes available, the print job will abort and the host may indicate a data set hang-up error for the particular print job. 1.2.3.2 How To Work Around The Problem - Install BL37B image or later as soon as possible. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 9 1.2.4 LA120 Printer Output Gets Corrupted - LA120 printer buffer overflows and printouts are corrupted due to the loss of Xoff between two consecutive sessions. 1.2.4.1 How To Identify The Problem - The problem can be identified by data corruption in print jobs at the end of one job and the beginning of the next one. This can be further isolated by monitoring the printer port status on another terminal. It will be observed that between jobs the "Output Xoffed" field will quickly go between "YES" and "NO". 1.2.4.2 How To Work Around The Problem - Install BL37B image or later as soon as possible. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 10 1.2.5 Cannot Disable Output Flow With Hardware Flow Control - The DS200 supports both hardware (CTS/RTS or DSR/DTR) and software (Xon/Xoff) flow control. As part of this functionality it allows "splitting" input and output flow control (i.e., allows using either one, the other or both). 1.2.5.1 How To Identify The Problem - When hardware flow control is used (either CTS/RTS or DSR/DTR) enabling and disabling the output flow control has no effect on the port output. 1.2.5.2 How To Work Around The Problem. - Install BL37B image or later as soon as possible. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 11 1.2.6 Code 217 Crashes - 1.2.6.1 How To Identify The Problem - On DECserver 200s with more than 3 reverse LAT services, attempting a Host Initiated Connect to any of these services will cause the server to crash with a code 217 crash. 1.2.6.2 How To Work Around The Problem - Install BL37B image or later as soon as possible. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 12 1.2.7 Bursty Output To Terminal - 1.2.7.1 How To Identify The Problem - The symptoms of the problem are seen when data is being output to either a screen or a printer. There will be 1 second pauses in the data stream. This can be further identified by large numbers of retransmitted and duplicate messages. 1.2.7.2 How To Work Around The Problem - Upgrade to BL37B as soon as possible. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 13 1.3 DECserver 200 V3.1 BL37C This release is the third patch to the DECserver 200 V3.1 (BL37) software release. The BL37B image has been superseded by the BL37C image and should no longer be given to customers. The BL37C image replaces BL37B in the starter kit. 1.3.1 Code 003, 004, 00A, 00B And 100 Crashes - 1.3.1.1 How To Identify The Problem - Server crashes with one of the above listed crash codes. Large numbers of framing errors on ports or heavy input to the server (such as in file transfers) could produce this problem. Due to the nature of this bug, other crash codes could possibly be encountered such as: 226, 217, 271, 299, etc. very very seldom. Before attempting to isolate any of these crashes, please upgrade the server image to BL37C and start from there. 1.3.1.2 How To Work Around The Problem - Install BL37C image or later immediately. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 14 1.3.2 "SET PORT" Crash Code 200 - 1.3.2.1 How To Identify The Problem - Server Crashes with code 200 when a non-priviledged user tries to perform a "SET PORT ". Where is any valid port number and is any alphanumeric character. 1.3.2.2 How To Work Around The Problem - Install BL37C image or later immediately. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 15 1.4 DECserver 200 V3.2 BL38 This release is the the first of DECserver 200 V3.2 (BL38) software release. The BL37C image has been superseded by the BL38 image and should no longer be given to customers. The BL38 image replaces BL37C in the starter kit. 1.4.1 Code 100 Crash - 1.4.1.1 How To Identify The Problem - A port with reverse lat hooked to a Hayes Modem running 1200. Also high framing errors on the port set up this way. 1.4.1.2 How To Work Around The Problem - Install BL38 image or later immediately. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 16 1.4.2 Stale Start Slot Request - 1.4.2.1 How To Identify The Problem - If the host re-solicits too quickly while the server is in the modem cycle time it will send a status reject for that latest ID and try to start a session on the stale ID. LAT/Master rightly rejects the stale start slot request. 1.4.2.2 How To Work Around The Problem - Install BL38 image or later immediately. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 17 1.4.3 299 Crash - 1.4.3.1 How To Identify The Problem - A 299 crash occurs and there is activity at the local prompt as well as a noisy line. 1.4.3.2 How To Work Around The Problem - Install BL38 image or later immediately. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 18 1.4.4 719-insufficient Resources - 1.4.4.1 How To Identify The Problem - Performing a "Show Server Status" command after recieving a 719 error one can observer the memory used percentage as being extremely high. Also is related to the CODE=100 crashes which also will occur on the same system. 1.4.4.2 How To Work Around The Problem - Install BL38 image or later immediately. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 19 1.4.5 Stuck In Queue Problem - 1.4.5.1 How To Identify The Problem - Connections to port will get rejected in the following manor "DSN-I-LATSTAT, LAT rejection code is 0", or code 5 which indicates the queue entries have been maxed out. Also, one can observer the queue with a "Show Queue" command. 1.4.5.2 How To Work Around The Problem - Install BL38 image or later immediately. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 20 1.4.6 Power Up/Power Down Of Terminal Hangs Port - 1.4.6.1 How To Identify The Problem - Powering up the terminal or powering down the terminal with DSRLOGOUT or AUTCONNECT ENABLED can cause sporatic hangs of the port. 1.4.6.2 How To Work Around The Problem - Install BL38 image or later immediately. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 21 1.5 DECserver 200 V3.3 BL39 This release is the the first of DECserver 200 V3.3 (BL39) software release. The BL38 image has been superseded by the BL39 image and should no longer be given to customers. The BL39 image replaces BL38 in the starter kit. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 22 1.5.1 High CPU Utilization - 1.5.1.1 How To Identify The Problem - The server manager issues a SHOW SERVER STATUS command. The CPU utilization is 70% or higher when no one is using the server. 1.5.1.2 How To Work Around The Problem - Install BL39 image or later immediately. DECserver 200 Software Patch Releases - COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Page 23 1.5.2 SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT Messages Flood The Network From Server - 1.5.2.1 How To Identify The Problem - A port is used as a remote access mode, queueing is enabled for server and signal check is enabled for port. The device is powered off and a user queues a job to the remote access port. The server sends SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT message every 2 milliseconds on to the network and slowing every device on the network down. Once the device is turned on the activity stops. 1.5.2.2 How To Work Around The Problem - Install BL39 image or later immediately. [End of memo file "DS2033.RELEASENOTES"]