1    Release Notes

This chapter provides information that you must be aware of when working with Tru64 UNIX 4.0G and TruCluster Server 1.6 Patch Kit-0003.

1.1    Patch Process Resources

Compaq provides Web sites to help you with the patching process:

1.2    Required Storage Space

The following storage space is required to successfully install this patch kit:

Base Operating System

TruCluster Server

1.3    Release Note for TruCluster Server

If you are installing only TCR patches, you MUST rebuild the kernel and reboot the machine for the changes to take effect. If removing only TCR patches, you MUST also rebuild the kernel and reboot the machine for the changes to take effect.

1.4    Release Note for Tru64 UNIX Patch 211.00

This patch contains changes to the rexecd reference page.

OPTIONS
 
  -s  Causes rexecd to check for the ptys keyword in the /etc/securettys file
      and to deny execution of the request if it is from root and on a pseudoterminal.
 
DESCRIPTION
 
   6.  The rexecd server then validates the user as is done at login time
       and, if started with the -s option, verifies that the /etc/securettys
       file is not setup to deny the user.  If the authentication was suc-
       cessful, rexecd changes to the user's home directory, and establishes
       the user and group protections for the user.  If any of these steps
       fail, the connection is aborted with a diagnostic message returned.

1.5    Release Note for Tru64 UNIX Patches 352.00 and 354.00

This patch delivers version V1.0-032 of the libots3 library. Version 2.0 of the libots3 library is delivered with the Compaq FORTRAN Compiler, Versions 5.3 ECO1 and 5.4, or the Developers Tool Kit (DTK) (OTABASE subset). If libots3 V2.0 is already installed on your system, and you install this patch, you will receive the following informational message:

Problem installing:

- Tru64_UNIX_V4.0G / Software Development Environment Patches:

Patch 00XXX.00 - Fix for parallel processing support library

./usr/shlib/libots3.so: is installed by:

OTABASE212 and can not be replaced by this patch.

This patch will not be installed.

To determine what version of libots3 library is installed on your system, execute the following command:

# what /usr/shlib/libots3.so

libots3.so:

libots3.a V2.0-094 GEM 27 Feb 2001

1.6    Release Note for Tru64 UNIX Patch 48.00

If the system configurable parameter lsm:lsm_V_ROUND_enhanced is set (value = 1), the enhanced read round robin policy is activated. This new policy stores the last block accessed by the previous I/O request. When returning for another block in round robin (V_ROUND) mode, that value is compared to the current read. If it is within a predefined, user-configurable value (lsm:lsm_V_ROUND_enhance_proximity) then the same plex is used. Otherwise, the next plex is used as for a normal round robin behavior.

The two new additional tunable parameters are lsm_V_ROUND_enhanced set to 0 by default (V_ROUND_enhanced read is not activated), and lsm_V_ROUND_enhance_proximity is set to 512 by default.

Append tuning changes to the /etc/sysconfigtab file.. Refer to the Tuning notes following for a description of the newlsm_V_ROUND_enhanced and lsm_V_ROUND_enhance_proximity tunable parameters. These tunable parameters are configured in the lsm stanza. For example: 

lsm:
lsm_V_ROUND_enhanced = 1
lsm_V_ROUND_enhance_proximity = 1024

Note

If you already have an lsm stanza in your sysconfigtab file, then only add the two lsm_V_ROUND entries.

Tuning

The purpose of this patch is to increase performance with sequential reads. This patch introduces a new enhanced round robin mode where the last block read is now compared to the next block to read and a check is added to see if last block number-next block number is less than or equal to lsm_V_ROUND_enhance_proximity. If it is, read from the same plex. This is to attempt to hit the disk cache, and so increase performance.

The relevant tunable parameters are as follows:

sm_V_ROUND_enhanced -- This variable activates the new enhanced round robin read policy if it is set to TRUE (1). Otherwise the policy is deactivated. DEFAULT = 0

lsm_V_ROUND_enhance_proximity -- This variable indicates the proximity in which the last read and new read must lie in an attempt to read data from the disk's cache by reading from the same plex. The variable can be adjusted from 0 to 4096. DEFAULT = 512

1.7    Release Note for Tru64 UNIX Patch 356.00

The following sections contain release notes for Patch 356.00

1.7.1    mountd Reference Page Update

The following is an update for the mountd reference page.

SYNOPSIS
        mountd [-d] [-i] [-n] [-s] [-r] [-R] [exportsfile]
 
FLAGS
...
  -r    Have mountd listen for requests on a reserved port.  This is thedefault behavior.
 
  -R    mountd may listen on an unreserved port.

1.7.2    UFS delayed metadata mount option

This new mount option allows for disabling synchronous metadata writes on a specified file system. The new mount option is delayed.

To maintain the file system's consistency, UFS metadata (such as inode, directory, and indirect blocks) is updated synchronously by default.

Metadata updates are typically performed synchronously to prevent file system corruption after a crash. The trade-off for filesystem integrity, however, is performance. In some cases, such as a file system serving as a cache, performance (faster metadata update) is more important than preserving data consistency across a system crash; for example, files under /tmp, or web proxy servers such as Squid.

This has two results. One, multiple updates to one block become only one block write as opposed to multiple writes of the same block with traditional synchronous metadata update. Two, users can experience much better responsiveness when they run metadata-intensive applications because metadata writes will not go out to the disk immediately, while users get their prompt back as soon as the metadata updates are queued.

Do not use the delayed option on the / or /usr file systems. Use the delayed option only on file systems that do not need to survive across a system crash.

Usage

To enable the delayed option, run:

mount -o delayed <device> <mount point>

or

mount -u -o delayed <mount point>

1.8    Release Note for Tru64 UNIX Patch 274.00

This patch provides the X server support for the new 3DLabs Oxygen VX1 PCI graphics card. In order to obtain full support for this graphics card, you must also select Patch 255.00, which is the driver portion of the patch.

A list of supported platforms is available on the following web page:

http://www.compaq.com/alphaserver/products/options.html

1.9    Release Note for Tru64 UNIX Patch 196.00

This patch contains a solution for the following issue:

Compaq has advised owners of DS10, DS10L, ES40 AlphaServers, and XP900 AlphaStations that Compaq has determined in laboratory testing that there is a theoretical possibility that during read and write operations to the floppy disk on these systems, a single byte of data may be inaccurately read or written without notice to the user or system. The potential for this anomaly exists only if floppy disk read or write operations are attempted while there is extremely heavy traffic on these Alpha systems' internal input/output busses.

Although Compaq has observed the anomaly only in laboratory tests designed to create atypical system stresses, including almost constant use of the floppy disk drive, Compaq has informed owners of the remote possibility that the anomaly could occur so that they may take precautions to prevent it.

Compaq recommends that the solution be installed by all DS10, DS10L, ES40 AlphaServers, and XP900 AlphaStation customers.

The solution to this issue is also available as an individual, manually installed patch kit named floppy_CSP_v40g.tar.gz, available from:

http://ftp1.support.compaq.com/public/unix/v4.0g

1.10    Release Note for Tru64 UNIX Patch 255.00

This patch provides support for new graphics cards.

1.10.1    3DLabs Oxygen VXI Graphics Card

This patch provides the driver support for the 3DLabs Oxygen VX1 graphics card. In order to obtain full support for this graphics card, you must also select Patch 274.00, which is the X server portion of the patch.

If you have a system with this new graphics card, you will need to reconfigure and rebuild the kernel after installing this patch.

To reconfigure and rebuild the kernel, follow these steps:

  1. Shut down the system:

    # /usr/sbin/shutdown -h now

  2. Boot genvmunix to single-user mode:

    >>> boot -fi genvmunix -fl s

  3. After the system boots to single-user mode, mount the file systems, run the update command, and activate the swap partition:

    # sbin/bcheckrc

    # /sbin/update

    # /sbin/update

  4. Run doconfig to create a new kernel configuration file and rebuild the kernel:

    # /usr/sbin/doconfig

    Note

    Do not specify the -c option to doconfig. If you do, doconfig will use the existing kernel configuration file which will not have the appropriate controller entry for the 3DLabs Oxygen VX1 graphics card.

  5. Save the old /vmunix file and move the new kernel to /vmunix.

  6. Shut down the system:

    # /usr/sbin/shutdown -h now

  7. Boot the new kernel:

    >>> boot

If you remove this patch from your system after you have rebuilt the kernel to incorporate support for the 3DLabs Oxygen VX1 graphics card as described you will need to rebuild the kernel again to restore generic VGA graphics support. To do this, follow the steps given previously. The doconfig utitlity running on the original, unpatched genvmunix will not recognize the 3DLabs Oxygen VX1 graphics card and will include generic VGA graphics support in the resulting kernel.

1.10.2    DEGPA-TA Gigabit Ethernet Device

This patch provides support for DEGPA-TA (1000BaseT) Gigabit Ethernet device. If you have a system with this new Ethernet device, you will need to reconfigure and rebuild the kernel after installing this patch.

To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Shut down the system:

    # /usr/sbin/shutdown -h now

  2. Boot genvmunix to single-user mode:

    >>> boot -fi genvmunix -fl s

  3. After the system boots to single-user mode, mount the file systems, run the update command, and activate the swap partition:

    # /sbin/bcheckrc

    # /sbin/update

    # /sbin/swapon -a

  4. Run doconfig to create a new kernel configuration file and rebuild the kernel:

    # /usr/sbin/doconfig

    Note

    Do not specify the -c option to doconfig. If you do, doconfig will use the existing kernel configuration file which will not have the appropriate controller entry for the new graphics card.

  5. Save the old /vmunix file and move the new kernel to /vmunix.

  6. Shut down the system:

    # /usr/sbin/shutdown -h now

  7. Boot the new kernel:

    >>> boot

If you remove this patch from your system after you have rebuilt the kernel to incorporate support for the new Ethernet card as described previously, you will need to rebuild the kernel. To do this, follow the steps given previously. The doconfig running on the original, unpatched genvmunix will not recognize the new Ethernet driver.

1.11    Release Note for DEC 7000 Upgrades to AlphaServer 8400

This release note concerns systems that were upgraded from DEC 7000 to AlphaServer 8400 that have not installed the DWLPA-AA, DWLPB-AA, or the KFTIA. These are the I/O enhancements for the AlphaServer 8400.

Add the following information to the /sys/conf/SYSTEMNAME file:

bus             tiop0      at tlsb0     vector    tioperror
bus             pci0       at tiop0     slot  0
callout after_c "../bin/mkdata pci"
 
bus             isp0       at pci0      slot  0 vector    ispintr
controller      scsi0      at isp0      slot  0

You must do this on every reconfiguration of the system.