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PCSI Tips: A simple multi-architecture PRODUCT INSTALL installation kits

Here is a summary and overview of creating a multi-architecture PCSI kit for OpenVMS; a kit that installs different files on different OpenVMS architectures…

Exploring the SHOW NETWORK and related DCL commands

The OpenVMS DCL command SHOW NETWORK and START /NETWORK commands can sometimes perform inconsistently or can display bad or stale data, including incorrect host names and host addresses. This DCL command is not directly integrated with any of the networking stacks installed on OpenVMS and does not display live data, and is dependent on the correct invocation and operation of some ill-documented DCL command procedures.

Command procedures which don't always get invoked either manually, or in the system startup of all systems, or if certain logical names such as the NET$IGNORE_DECNET logical name are defined.

The workings of these DCL commands are not particularly well documented, unfortunately.

OS X Tips: troubleshooting diagnostics

If you are working with OS X and the system should become unresponsive, beachball — the so-called system wait cursor — or otherwise fail to respond to user input — before you reach for the long-press on the power button — see if you can collect some diagnostic data using the sysdiagnose command.

The unofficial VSI OpenVMS FAQ

Since VSI unfortunately hasn't managed to communicate† with many of the folks using OpenVMS and largely lacks a web presence, here are answers to some of the more common questions involving HPE and VSI and OpenVMS software and layered products...

LINKER Tips: Multiple-line SYMBOL_VECTOR

When building a shareable image on OpenVMS Alpha and OpenVMS I64, it's possible to encounter the error:

%ILINK-F-CMDTOOLONG, command line too long in options file filename

With the symbol vector.

The OpenVMS error messages and recovery helpfully tells you:

CMDTOOLONG, command line too long in options file ' file-name '
        Facility: LINK, Linker Utility
        Explanation: An options file line is too long.
        User Action: Shorten the line and relink.

But what to do with the symbol vector, if that's too large? If you have too many entry points to declare?

OpenSSL SSL1 Kit and Dependent Products

With the end of support for OpenSSL 1.0.0 and prior from the OpenSSL folks, including OpenSSL 0.9.8 that has been integrated with and used by OpenVMS, the folks at HPE have released the SSL1 SSL/TLS kit for OpenVMS Alpha and OpenVMS I64, based on the OpenSSL 1.0.2c release.

Caution: the current OpenSSL version is 1.0.2f.

This SSL1 kit can be installed and operate (mostly) alongside the old 0.9.8 series SSL kit. The migration requires manual steps. Check the SSL1 release notes for details.

With the availability of the SSL1 kit, there are various dependent products that now also need updates. Most of these updates are now available.

Extracting the firmware .bin file for an iLO update

When upgrading firmware for an HP / HPE iLO management processor, you either need the BIN file — which isn't always available for download — or a platform-specific installer kit — and of course not all platforms have installer kits at the HPE iLO support and download site, such as for OpenVMS.

Various Omissions and Oddities in the OpenVMS C limits.h

While porting some code, some omissions in the C limits.h include file might become visible.

APNs and abnormal TCP flag attack detected

OS X Server with Apple Push Notification Services (APNs) enabled can cause ZyXEL ZyWALL USG series devices to log blizzards of errors:

alert Firewall abnormal TCP flag attack detected, DROP local-IP-address:55024 apple-IP-address:2195 ACCESS BLOCK

Key detail here is the target port is used by APNs, and disabling APNs via Server.app does end the blizzard.

Why this is happening, I don't yet know. This will eventually involve Wireshark, most likely.

Tips: Change TCP/IP Services Host IP Address

To reconfigure OpenVMS TCP/IP Services IP networking to a new IP address, the following general sequence is used. Details of changing the IP address do differ somewhat by the TCP/IP Services version, so the example output displays shown here — from V8.4 with TCP/IP Services V5.7 — may or will differ slightly from what you might see. While some prompts and possibly some command option numbers might change, the general sequence is the same across the versions.

HPE OpenVMS Patch Availability (for Prior Version Support Customers) is ending

Per published OpenVMS roadmaps, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HP, HPE) Prior Version Support with Sustaining Engineering for OpenVMS Alpha V7.3-2 ends in less than 100 days.

There will be no Sustaining Engineering support available with any Prior Version Support offering, when Standard Support ends for OpenVMS Alpha V8.3 and for OpenVMS I64 V8.3 and V8.3-1H1, in less than 100 days.

Beyond Prior Version Support, the Sustaining Engineering service offering is the specific service offering that HPE requires of customers when creating new patches for problems identified past the end of Standard Support, if patches are deemed necessary.

Downsizing from an OpenVMS cluster node to standalone

When you're downsizing your OpenVMS configuration and/or when you no longer need clustering and its associated large financial costs, you will need to change some parameter settings, and may encounter startup errors during bootstrap.

In particular, if you bootstrap a host that is clustered without a current clustering license, you can receive an error around the lack of the cluster licensing product authorization key (PAK) at bootstrap.

Apache CSWS V2.2-1 requires Stream_LF HTML files

CSWS Apache V2.2-1 has a compatibility problem with HTML files not using RMS sequential files and Stream LF format, and rendering in Microsoft Internet Explorer 11, when running on OpenVMS I64, per HP OpenVMS - CSWS: Non STREAM_LF files will be handled incorrectly by CSWS V2.2-1.

HLRL: Distributed Network Programming

From the HoffmanLabs Reading List (HLRL), a write-up on low-latency high-scale network programming…

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