TCPIP REL NOTES.PDF

This document, "Digital TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Release Notes," version 4.0A, updates the previous 4.0 release for Digital's TCP/IP protocol suite (UCX) on OpenVMS Alpha and VAX systems.

Key Updates and New Features:

• IP Multicasting: Now supported, primarily affecting application programming interfaces (APIs).
• BIND Server Enhancements: Includes cluster load balancing, support for Well Known Services (WKS) entries, and round-robin scheduling for client requests.
• Management Utility Improvements: Introduces new commands and qualifiers for SLIP, TCP service management, troubleshooting, and DNS server cluster load balancing.
• Sun Remote Procedure Calls (RPC): Implements ONC RPC and XDR protocols (RFC 1790), adds a DCL RPCGEN command, and a supporting function library. Note that new RPC development requires DEC C.
• Socket Programming: Enhancements for thread safety and dynamic event flag allocation, supporting DECthreads environments.
• FTP: Added the SET ERROR_LEVEL command for default error tolerance.
• TELNET: New /CREATE_SESSION and /DELETE_SESSION qualifiers for command procedures, and support for creating outbound TELNET pseudo-devices.
• Remote Copy (RCP): A new command for copying files between internet hosts, supporting various options for logging, preserving attributes, and recursive copies.
• Incoming RLOGIN Proxies: Allows proxies to eliminate username/password prompting for valid inbound RLOGIN requests.

Corrected Problems:

• Fixed issues with the TELNETSYM print queue hanging when stopping jobs for non-responding printers.
• Resolved problems with CREATE DIRECTORY and CREATE CONTAINER commands, particularly with wildcard proxy host specifications.
• Addressed BIND Server issues, including SHOW NAME_SERVICE command functionality and an ACCVIO on startup for undefined BIND servers.
• Improved NFS Server reliability (preventing cessation of errlog/OPCOM messages) and NFS Client behavior (immediate directory updates, corrected GRPPRV privilege requirements, and a fix for ADF deletion issues with SET DIRECTORY /VERSION_LIMIT).

Known Problems and Restrictions:

• Network Time Protocol (NTP): Requires specific steps for time-zone offset configuration and service management.
• TELNETSYM: The print queue can still hang when attempting to stop a job for a non-responding printer using DELETE /ENTRY.
• SMTP: Does not set the RFC 822 CC: header and has issues with mixed local and remote addresses for multiple recipients (a workaround is provided).
• Installation/Configuration: The UCX$CLEANUP procedure may ask additional questions, and UCX$CONFIG.COM omits instructions for NTP Server peers (to be fixed in a future kit).
• NFS Client/Server (OpenVMS-to-OpenVMS): BACKUP/VERIFY may produce spurious errors, accessing CMS libraries via NFS is not recommended, and OpenVMS POSIX applications are not supported with NFS Client.
• Remote Copy (RCP): May display unpredictable error messages for invalid user/password on remote hosts.
• NFS Client: The Master File Directory (MFD) of an OpenVMS server's disk is not world-readable, and mounting a protected MFD directly will fail. OpenVMS clients unintentionally read the MFD, causing issues with protected MFDs.
• VMScluster Systems: UCX$CONFIG stores node-specific data in SYS$COMMON. Binding sockets to cluster aliases should be avoided due to potential periods of inactivity.
• Management Commands: SET NOROUTE does not support partial wildcards, SET SERVICE changes require a service restart, and DISABLE SERVICE does not stop existing processes.
• Sun RPC: The new Sun RPC interface requires compilation with DEC C; VAX C is not supported.