HP DCE for OpenVMS Alpha and OpenVMS I64

This document, the Release Notes for HP DCE for OpenVMS Alpha and OpenVMS I64 Version 3.2 (January 2005), outlines the new features, installation guidelines, and known issues for the HP Distributed Computing Environment.

Key Highlights of Version 3.2:

• OpenVMS I64 Support: This is the first release of HP DCE specifically ported to and supporting the OpenVMS I64 platform (Version 8.2), in addition to OpenVMS Alpha (Version 7.3-2 and higher).
• IEEE Floating Point Support: DCE RPC now supports both G_FLOAT (default on Alpha) and IEEE floating-point types (default on I64). A new API, rpc_set_local_float_drep, allows developers to specify the non-default floating-point type in their applications.
• RPC Socket Buffer Tuning: A new system-wide logical, RPC_USE_DEFAULT_SOCKET_BUFFER_SIZE, enables RPC Runtime to utilize system-default socket buffer sizes, rather than its internal 4KB default.
• FAILSafe IP Environment: DCE RPC has been enhanced for compatibility with FAILSafe IP environments.
• Incorporates V3.1 Features: All new features introduced in DCE Version 3.1 are also part of Version 3.2, including support for time synchronization with DECnet Time Service, enhancements for CDS migration, the TRY_PE_SITE option for Security Server load balancing, and performance improvements in the CDS Clerk.

Core Services Provided: HP DCE for OpenVMS offers Remote Procedure Call (RPC), an Interface Definition Language (IDL) compiler, Threads service, Cell Directory Services (CDS), Distributed Time Service (DTS), and DCE Security Services (based on Kerberos). The Runtime Services Kit is included with the OpenVMS license, while other kits (Application Developer's, CDS Server, Security Server) require separate licenses.

Installation and Configuration:

• Upgrades from DCE Version 3.0 or 3.1 require a prior shutdown or cleanup of DCE and RPC. Version 3.2 on OpenVMS I64 necessitates a fresh installation.
• For OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.3-2 and higher, the RPC Runtime V4.0 Kit must also be installed.
• Installation is managed via the DCE$INSTALL.COM procedure, and configuration through DCE$SETUP CONFIGURE.
• The document also provides specific instructions for integration with TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS (UCX), MultiNet, and TCPware.

Important Restrictions and Known Bugs:

• Global Page Requirements: Minimum global pages have increased to 7350 for Alpha and 17500 for I64 (with 90 free global sections for I64).
• Integrated Login & Authentication: Integrated Login is incompatible with OpenVMS external authentication; improper management of the LGI_CALLOUTS SYSGEN parameter can prevent system logins.
• RTI RPC: Remote Task Invocation (RTI) RPC is not supported on OpenVMS I64 due to the retirement of its underlying OSI TP Runtime Library.
• System Shutdown: It is critical to shut down DCE and RPC on all nodes sharing a common system disk before reinstallation to avoid system instability or login failures.
• Case-Sensitivity: Some DCE utilities are case-sensitive; DCL command line input may require quotation marks for proper interpretation.
• Public Key Routines: Public Key technology is not supported on OpenVMS in this release due to its obsolescence.
• POSIX Command Line: Support for the POSIX command line interface is not available for V3.2.
• Thread Safety: The C RTL sleep routine is not thread-safe; thread-safe alternatives are recommended for DCE applications.
• Certain installation warnings (e.g., files not replaced due to higher generation numbers) and registration failures (e.g., DCE$KERNEL image on I64) can generally be ignored.

Addressed Problems: Version 3.2 addresses numerous issues from previous versions, including IDL compiler warnings, problems with DTSD daemon termination, KINIT password handling, various startup failures (including those with FAILSafe IP), issues with temporary file cleanup, timezone discrepancies, ACMSxp process hangs, TCP connection closure problems, utc_mulftime output errors, UTC.H compilation issues, and potential denial-of-service vulnerabilities. All fixes included in Version 3.1 are incorporated into this release.