ECO NUMBER: VAXSYSA02_071 ----------- PRODUCT: OpenVMS VAX Operating System -------- UPDATED PRODUCT: OpenVMS VAX Operating System 7.1 ---------------- APPRX BLCK SIZE: 1098 ---------------- COVER LETTER 1 KIT NAME: VAXSYSA02_071 2 KITS SUPERSEDED BY THIS KIT: VAXSYSA01_071 3 KIT DEPENDENCIES: 3.1 The following remedial kit(s) must be installed BEFORE installation of this, or any required kit: None. 3.2 In order to receive all the corrections listed in this kit, the following remedial kits should also be installed: VAXF11X03_071 For an explanation of the cause for the following dependencies, see the MME-related problem descriptions under the section titled "PROBLEMS ADDRESSED IN VAXSYSA02_071 KIT": VAXBACK03_071 VAXDISM01_071 VAXINIT01_071 VAXMOUN04_071 VAXMTAA01_071 4 KIT DESCRIPTION: 4.1 Version(s) of OpenVMS to which this kit may be applied: OpenVMS VAX V7.1 4.2 Files patched or replaced: o [SYS$LDR]ERRORLOG.EXE (new image) o [SYS$LDR]EXCEPTION.EXE (new image) o [SYS$LDR]EXEC_INIT.EXE (new image) -- COVER LETTER -- Page 2 17 November 1998 o [SYS$LDR]IMAGE_MANAGEMENT.EXE (new image) o [SYS$LDR]IO_ROUTINES.EXE (new image) o [SYS$LDR]LOCKING.EXE (new image) o [SYS$LDR]MESSAGE_ROUTINES.EXE (new image) o [SYS$LDR]PAGE_MANAGEMENT.EXE (new image) o [SYS$LDR]PROCESS_MANAGEMENT.EXE (new image) o [SYS$LDR]SYSLDR_DYN.EXE (new image) o [SYS$LDR]SYSTEM_PRIMITIVES.EXE (new image) o [SYS$LDR]SYSTEM_PRIMITIVES_MIN.EXE (new image) o [SYS$LDR]VBSS.EXE (new image) o [SYS$LDR]WORKING_SET_MANAGEMENT (new image) o [SYS$LDR]EXCEPTION.STB (new file) 5 PROBLEMS ADDRESSED IN VAXSYSA02_071 KIT o If a system has been up for 497.1 days without rebooting, the system cell EXE$GL_ABSTIM_TICS (number of 10 millisecond tics since boot) will overflow. This problem can cause some processes to remain indefinitely in the RWMPB or COMO scheduling state. Furthermore, candidate processes for Virtual Balance Set Slot (VBSS) selection can be missed. Code using the EXE$GL_ABSTIM_TICS cell to time other activity could get stuck if a reference counter is large (FFFFxxxx) and the EXE$GL_ABSTIM_TICS value is low due to the overflow (0000xxxx). Most such checks compare to see if the number of tics is larger than the reference value, i.e. has the event come due? o A possible system crash occurs during Host Based RAID Unbinds with MME code enabled. A mailbox read synchronization problem causes the crash. This problem only occurs when a host-based RAID UNBIND command is done while an MME-based application is running. This problem can occur in several different code areas of the operating system. In order to eliminate all known instances of this problem, the following remedial kits (or their supersedants) will also need to be installed: -- COVER LETTER -- Page 3 17 November 1998 o VAXBACK03_071 o VAXDISM01_071 o VAXINIT01_071 o VAXMOUN04_071 o VAXMTAA01_071 o A process using MME could potentially "miss" the VOL1 label on a tape. Also, a process could "hang" trying to send a message to the MME process. o The performance counter PMS$GL_NPAGDYNEXPS (cell) was never incremented above its initial value of zero. It can be displayed by: SDA>CLUE MEM/STAT. o An image activator error occurred with the status SS$_VA_IN_USE. The solution was for the image activator, after cleaning up from the error, to reattempt to activate the image requested. Note that since the failure rarely occurs, based on timing of some unrelated event, a retry should allow image activation to complete successfully. 6 PROBLEMS ADDRESSED IN VAXSYSA01_071 KIT o Updates to application ACE get lost. Customer code locks the ACL, reads their ACE, updates a count field, re-writes the ACE, and unlocks the ACL. The change to the count gets lost. In order to get this full fix you must also install the VAXF11X03_071 remedial kit. 7 PROBLEMS ADDRESSED IN VAXSYS04_071 KIT o An application (DSM) hangs when processes were going into a RWMBX state. DEFMBXBUFQUO was increased in case DSM didn't specify the sizes of its mailboxes. Later the processes went into RWNPG. -- COVER LETTER -- Page 4 17 November 1998 8 PROBLEMS ADDRESSED IN VAXSYS03_071 KIT o Users creating protected subsystems, with subsystem identifiers granted to executable images, fail to work properly in manipulating queues via $SNDJBC[W]. Although the image will have the subsystem identifier granted, it will be returned with a NOPRIV error. 9 PROBLEMS ADDRESSED IN VAXSYSA02_071 KIT o OpenVMS VAX systems using the SYS$SET_SECURITY or SYS$CHANGE_ACL system services to protect File Objects are inconsistent. o OpenVMS could potentially create processes in the same group UIC with the same process name. On OpenVMS VAX systems, SS$_NOSLOT could be returned when there is one process entry slot left, the last one used. o SECREFNEG bugchecks can occur when running heavy loads on SMP systems. The SECREFNEG bugcheck occurs when the reference count on a section is decremented; the count ends up negative, rather than at zero. o A potential problem exists when a batch job process termination message is sent to the JOB_CONTROL process. If the Job Controller's mailbox is full at the time the message is sent, the message could be dropped and lost. The result could be that SHOW QUEUE shows "executing" jobs with no associated process on the system. o If the quorum disk, that is on an HSD10 or served by another member of the cluster, becomes unavailable and then a single system is rebooted, the system will hang during SYSINIT. This quorum disk is put into mount verification. The system will not exit and it will remain hung in mount verification until the quorum disk is again available. This problem happens regardless of the number of votes and status of "quorum". 10 KIT INSTALLATION RATING: The following kit installation rating, based upon current CLD information, is provided to serve as a guide to which customers should apply this remedial kit. (Reference attached Disclaimer of Warranty and Limitation of Liability Statement) INSTALLATION RATING: 1 : To be installed by all customers. -- COVER LETTER -- Page 5 17 November 1998 11 INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS: Install this kit with the VMSINSTAL utility by logging into the SYSTEM account, and typing the following at the DCL prompt: @SYS$UPDATE:VMSINSTAL VAXSYSA02_071 [location of the saveset] The saveset location may be a tape drive, or a disk directory that contains the kit saveset. The images in this kit will not take effect until the system is rebooted. If you have other nodes in your VMS cluster, they must also be rebooted in order to make use of the new image(s). If it is not possible or convenient to reboot the entire cluster at this time, a rolling re-boot may be performed. Copyright (c) Compaq Computer Corporation, 1998 All Rights Reserved. Unpublished rights reserved under the copyright laws of the United States. The software contained on this media is proprietary to and embodies the confidential technology of Compaq Computer Corporation. Possession, use, or dissemination of the software and media is authorized only pursuant to a valid written license from Compaq Computer Corporation. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY THIS PATCH IS PROVIDED AS IS, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT, ARE HEREBY EXCLUDED TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. IN NO EVENT WILL COMPAQ BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOST REVENUE OR PROFIT, OR FOR SPECIAL, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, HOWEVER CAUSED AND REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY, WITH RESPECT TO ANY PATCH MADE AVAILABLE HERE OR TO THE USE OF SUCH PATCH.