ptx/X.25 V4.5.0 Release Notes


Introduction

These release notes support Version 4.5.0 of the ptx®/X.25 communications software. Read this document before you install the ptx/X.25 software on your system.


Product Compatibility

The following software products are prerequisites for ptx/X.25 V4.5.0:


Systems and Boards Supported


Configurations for Running X.25 over Synchronous Lines

Table 1. Supported Boards on NUMA-Q® Systems

Boards

Max. Virtual Circuits

Model

Max. Boards

Max. Lines per Board (Max. Speed)

Clocking Type

4096 per system

SCC-P (pci/SYNC)

16 per system

4 linesa per board.

External


a. Each line can be configured as RS232, EIA530, or X.21.

Table 2. Supported Boards on S27, S81, S2000/4x0, S2000/7x0, and S5000 Systems

Boards

Max. Virtual Circuits

Model

Max. Boards

Max. Lines per Board (Max. Speed)

Clocking Type

2048 per system

DCP 8804

3 per MULTIBUSTM

12 per systema

2 RS-422 (64 kbps) and 2 RS-232-C (19.2 kbps)b

External

SCC-V

3 per VMEbus

12 per systema

2 RS-422 (64 kbps) and 2 RS-232-C (19.2 kbps)b

External


a. ptx/X.25 supports a maximum of 12 boards (DCP 8804 and SCC-V) in systems that contain both MULTIBUS and VMEbus.

b. Line throughput on this board is limited to the lowest actual line speed being used on the board. For example, if you use one 64-kbps line and one 19.2-kbps line, the throughput on the 64 kbps line will be limited to 19.2 kbps. To maximize throughput when running multiple lines at different speeds, Sequent recommends that you use multiple boards and group the lines such that only one line speed is used on a board.

Table 3. Supported Boards on S16 and S2000/2x0 Systems

Boards

Max. Virtual Circuits

Model

Max. Boards

Max. Lines per Board (Max. Speed)

Clocking Type

2048 per system

SCC-V

3 per VMEbus 3 per system

2 RS-422 (64 kbps)

and 2 RS-232-C (19.2 kbps)a

External


a. Line throughput on this board is limited to the lowest actual line speed being used on the board. For example, if you use one 64-kbps line and one 19.2-kbps line, the throughput on the 64 kbps line will be limited to 19.2 kbps. To maximize throughput when running multiple lines at different speeds, Sequent recommends that you use multiple boards and group the lines such that only one line speed is used on a board.


ATTENTION

The size of the X.25 address format structure has increased to 64 bytes.


Table 4. Supported Boards on S3, S2000/40, and ELS Systems

Boards

Max. Virtual Circuits

Model

Max. Boards

Max. Lines per Board (Max. Speed)

Clocking Type

2048 per system

SCC-IX

2 per system

2 X.21 lines (19.2 kbps)

External

SCC-IR

2 per system

2 RS-483a (1 Mbps)

External


a. RS-423 ports are suitable for use as CCIT- recommended X.21bif or RS-232-C interfaces.


Supported Media for X.25-over-LLC Connections

Table 5. Supported Boards on NUMA-Q Systems

Board Providing EthernetTM Interface

Device Name

ETHER-P

pe


Table 6. Supported Boards on Ethernet Media

Board Providing Ethernet Interface

Device Name

ETHER-V

eg

ETHER-I

we

CSM

csme


Support is not provided for the SCED board (se).


ATTENTION

The maximum number of supported PVCs on ptx/X.25 is 1024.



New Features in This Release

ptx/X.25 V4.5.0 does not contain new features. This release is compatible with threads but does not use threads.


Software Installation

To install ptx/X.25 V4.5.0 from the CD, refer to the DYNIX/ptx and Layered Products Software Installation Release Notes. After completing the steps listed in these DYNIX/ptx release notes, follow the instructions listed in the subsections below. If this product has been installed previously on your system, you must deinstall the product before installing V4.5.0. Instructions for deinstalling ptx/X.25 are included in these installation instructions.


ATTENTION

The installation should be done only while the system is not being used to support an existing X.25 network. It is recommended that you do the installation in single-user mode. If you perform the installation in single-user mode, you must mount the /usr filesystem.



Saving the Current Configuration (Optional)

To save your current configuration, complete the following steps:

  1. Log in as root.

  2. Enter the following command:

    # /usr/lib/x25/savx25conf directory 

    The directory parameter must specify an existing, writable directory. All X.25 configuration information is saved in various subdirectories and files under this directory. The installation instructions describe how to restore this saved configuration after installing the new version of ptx/X.25.

    When the configuration information has been saved, the following message appears:

    Current X.25 configuration has been saved in directory

Restoring a Saved Configuration (Optional)

After the new ptx/X.25 software is installed, you can restore a previously saved ptx/X.25 configuration. This can only be done if you have saved your current configuration as just described (in "Saving the Current Configuration").


ATTENTION

The configuration files supplied with the version of ptx/X.25 that you just installed will be overwritten by the saved configuration files. If you want to save the new configuration files before overwriting them, follow the procedure in "Saving the Current Configuration," found earlier in these installation instructions.


To restore a previously saved configuration, complete the following steps:

  1. If you have not already done so, log in as root.

  2. Enter the following command:

    # /usr/lib/x25/rstx25conf  directory

    The directory parameter must specify the directory in which you saved the configuration.

  3. When the following message appears, press y and Return to confirm that you want to restore the saved X.25 configuration.

            WARNING         WARNING         WARNING
    Restoring X.25 configuration will overwrite existing files.
    It will overwrite some files even if you are not using them
    currently.
    Are you sure you want to restore X.25 configuration? (y/n)

  4. If your /usr/lib/x25/x25d.action file contains a reference to xlogind, the following message appears:

    Please edit the file /usr/lib/x25/x25d.action 
    to change /usr/etc/xlogind to /bin/login

    You may want to edit this file, because the xlogind program is no longer used in the ptx/X.25 product.

  5. When the X.25 configuration files have been restored, the following message appears:

    Saved X.25 configuration has been restored
  6. If the HDLC Baud Rate parameter in any of the restored configuration files is set to a non-zero value, the following message appears:

    The Level II parameter HDLC Baud Rate MUST be set to 0 if
    clock is provided by an external source. This parameter
    must be set correctly for the X.25 network to operate.
    The following parameter files have this parameter set to
    a non-zero value. If you use them, be sure to check this
    parameter's value.

    List of files
    .
    .
    .

    A non-zero HDLC baud rate indicates that clocking will be provided by an internal source. Internal clocking is only supported on the SCC-I board. If you are using ptx/X.25 with an SCC-V or DCP 8804 board, the HDLC baud rate must be set to 0. You can change this parameter on the "Other Level 2 Parameters" form during ptx/X.25 configuration.


    ATTENTION

    The following applies to new SYNC boards on NUMA systems:

    If external clocking is used, the "HDLC Baud Rate" parameter value has no effect.

    The following applies to DCP boards on S5000 systems:

    If you set the HDLC Baud Rate to some value other than zero and if external clocking is used, the link will not come up. In other words, you will not be able to use the X.25 link (if configured as a DCE).

    If the link is configured as a DTE, a non-zero value has no effect.


  7. When the following prompt appears, press Return, then y and Return:

    The format of parameter files has changed for this release
    of ptx/X.25.
    The following parameter files are not valid

    List of files
    .
    .
    .
    EOF (Press <Return> here)
    Would you like me to fix ALL of them? (y/n)

    This will convert the restored configuration files to the new format. Note that if you do not convert these files, you cannot use them with this release of ptx/X.25.

    Ignore error messages with the following form:

    /usr/lib/x25/x25fixfile: error in file filename for parameter use_d_bit
  8. Once the saved configuration files have been restored, you can remove the saved directory structure. Before removing the directory, ensure that there are no files in the directory that you wish to save. Then enter the following command:

    # rm -r  directory

    The directory parameter is the directory in which you saved the configuration.


Configuring the Product

If this is the first installation of ptx/X.25 on this system, refer to the ptx/X.25 Administration Guide. Read the first chapter and follow the quick-start configuration procedure at the end of the chapter.

If you have installed ptx/X.25 on this system before and you have saved and restored the previous configuration, no additional configuration is required.


Building a New Kernel

After installing ptx/X.25, you must rebuild the kernel for the new version to take effect. You can complete installing other products before building a new kernel.

To use the ptx/X.25 product, you may have to set a number of kernel configuration parameter values, depending on the number of X.25 lines being configured and also the number of virtual circuits being supported over those lines. Before placing the system into production, read ptx/X.25 Kernel Parameters in the ptx/X.25 Administration Guide to determine if sufficient kernel resources will be available for your production needs. Additional tuning of the kernel may be needed to support your configuration in such areas as the number of stream resources provided.


Documentation Set

The following manuals are available with the ptx/X.25 V4.5.0 release.


Problem Report Summary

This section describes the major problems that are known to exist in this version of the product. If a procedure to work around a particular problem is known, the procedure is included in the problem report. Unless otherwise stated, fixes for the problems listed here will be considered for inclusion in a future version of the product.


247823 - X.25 Menus Are Inconsistent Regarding FOUND Column

In the ptx/X.25 menus, a "Found?" column appears in the Modify Line Configuration (x25prechgln) menu and in the ptx/X.25 Network Operations menu entitled StopX.25 Lines (x25dspstoplns). The x25prechgln may show "YES" for the Found? column, but the x25dspstoplns menu may show "NO" (unless x25dspstoplns is running as an LLC device).

Workaround: None.


248409 - padd Sends Inefficient Packet Sizes

padd sends some packets with a size of one byte.

Workaround: None.


248509 - Menu Fails to Download Firmware on Reset Sync Board

If a sync board with an active X.25 line is reset, all attempts to load the board fail unless one explicitly brings the already dead lines down to that board.

Workaround: Select all lines that were active on the board, in the Stop X.25 Lines menu. Press S to bring them down. This will yield the following error; ignore it:

x25netd: Line <ID> was not running.

Now attempt to download using the "Download X.25 Boards" option, which will succeed.


248520 - Attempting to Start a Line on a panicked Card Kills All Other Lines

When a card has panicked or stopped, and an attempt is made to start a line on the dead card without first reloading the card, all other lines on all other sync cards unlink.

Workaround: Don't do the above-mentioned procedure! Remember to download the firmware on the panicked board before attempting to bring the lines back up.


249157 - n_snd of EXPIDITED DATA (INTR) Is Successful but Is Not Sent

If the system has an outstanding INTR (that is, it did not receive an INTRC) and it attempts to send a new INTR, the n_snd() completes, but the INTR is not sent out.

Workaround: None.


Problems Fixed in This Release

241065 - Keeping x25trace Running While Starting X.25 Panics Under the Manufacturing Kernel

241329 - Clear Code 0x07, Line Hangs

242055 - System panicked While Running OSI Stress Test over X.25

243385 - X.25 Link Dies with ptx/AGENT Application

245072 - Unlink of a Line Returns EINVAL errno

246006 - Panic While Running X.25 Functional Tests

246732 - Sys: Panic: os:runqueues: svcproc 0x305eb30 queue 0xfe60b080 SPL

247464 - DOUBLE PANIC: Too long in Read-side Service Procedure of X.25

247723 - FUNC: x25stat Gives Errors with Misleading Information

248291 - X.25 Lines Shut Down on Sync Card Abort


Submitting Problem Reports

When submitting problem reports (mailbugs) on ptx/X.25, please ensure that you include all of the following information:

Some ptx/X.25 problems may require more information. If this is the case, Customer Support will contact you.