98/01/28 ComOS 3.7.2c3 Interim Release Note Introduction The new Livingston Enterprises ComOS(R) 3.7.2c3 interim software release is now available for the PortMaster(R) 3 Integrated Access Server. This release note applies only to the PortMaster 3. This release is provided at no charge to all Livingston customers. This release note documents commands and features added between ComOS release 3.7.2 and 3.7.2c3 on the PortMaster 3. Note - This interim release is recommended only for customers who are experiencing the problems described and are unable to wait for the next maintenance release. Note - You must use PMconsole(TM) 3.5.3 when upgrading to ComOS 3.7.2c3; see "Upgrade Instructions" below. If you are running Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0, you must use PMconsole for Windows 3.5.1.4. ComOS 3.7.2c3 uses roughly the same amount of memory as ComOS 3.7. Read "Upgrade Instructions" thoroughly before upgrading. Contents Introduction Bugs Fixed in ComOS 3.7.2c3 New Feature in ComOS 3.7.2c3 Limitations in ComOS 3.7.2c3 Upgrade Instructions Bugs Fixed in ComOS 3.7.2c3 During system startup, the Stac compression card on the PortMaster 3 sometimes failed to initialize. This problem is now fixed. This release is recommended for any PortMaster 3 using the Stac compression card. When Redhat Linux incorrectly sends out-of-window TCP data on a Telnet or rlogin session from the PortMaster, the PortMaster was temporarily reporting a large window size that was confusing Linux. The PortMaster now properly advertises a window size of zero (0) until the TCP window is emptied, for better interoperability with versions of Linux that have this problem. When the ISDN device driver runs out of receive buffers an error condition occurs that causes an immediate system reboot. This symptom has been reported as "random reboots" and will generally always send the console message "munich_next_rd: NO BLOCKS" just before the PortMaster reboots. Running out of receive buffers is now properly handled, and no longer causes a reboot. The modem code for the "True Digital 56K Card" has been improved. A software condition that caused the modem to not generate initial modem tones during the answer sequence has been fixed. Interoperability problems with several V.34 modems have been fixed. The occasional failure to properly complete self-test has been fixed. A "No Tone" problem has been fixed. For example, suppose a user connected to port S0 allocates modem (DSP) M0. The user on S0 disconnects, and at the same time another user dials in on S1. The modem was already back in the ready state, S1 allocated M0. When S0 ran its cleanup process it re-initialized the modem, disconnecting the user on S1 before they hear any tones. When this happened the console printed an error message about "m_comio_save != NULL". If m0 is active when "set m0 on" is entered on the command line, the modem suspended service for a minute or two. This problem is fixed. The LAPM code in the modems has been improved with regard to the LAPM timer and the Echo Canceller training. New Feature in ComOS 3.7.2c3 The following command has been added in ComOS 3.7.2c3. Lastcall Command Use this command when you want to hot-swap a modem card without disconnecting users. If the modem m0 is active, you can enter the command "set m0 lastcall" to force the modem into ADMIN mode as soon as the user logs out. This ADMIN mode is not saved, so a reboot brings it back to normal operation. The "set mX on" command will also return the modem to normal operation. The modem status displayed by the "show mX" and "show modems" commands is ACT(LC) instead of ACTIVE, to show that the modem status is Active (Last Call). Note that if circuits are available to the PortMaster 3 but no modems are available, the PortMaster 3 will send a user busy signal back to the Telco when another call comes in, which gives the user a busy signal, instead of forwarding them to the next line in the hunt group. The Telco may be able to configure the line for "forward when busy." Limitations in ComOS 3.7.2c3 The number of Total Calls to a modem can be misreported by the "show m0" command when data-over-voice ISDN calls are counted as calls but not connections. This happens when a data-over-voice ISDN call is identified as analog and a modem is allocated to answer the call, incrementing the Total Calls counter for that modem. When the PortMaster 3 detects the HDLC frame on the call, it releases the modem, but does not decrement the Total Calls counter. This behavior causes no problem for the actual connection, but the "show m0" command will report misleading numbers. The "show mX" command on a K56flex modem sometimes displays invalid numbers for "Connection Failures." These statistics are used only on the old "True Digital V.34 Card", not on the "True Digital 56K Card", and can be ignored. Upgrade Instructions WARNING! YOU MUST USE PMINSTALL VERSION 3.5.3 OR LATER TO PERFORM THIS UPGRADE! If you are upgrading using PMconsole for Windows, you must use PMconsole for Windows version 3.5.1.4 or later. If you are upgrading from ComOS 2.3 or 2.4 to ComOS 3.7.2c3, you must first upgrade to ComOS 3.0.4, reboot, and then upgrade to ComOS 3.7.2c3. *** NOTE! If the upgrade fails, do NOT reboot! Contact Livingston *** *** Technical Support without rebooting. *** The upgrade process on the PortMaster 3 erases the configuration area from nonvolatile memory and saves the current configuration into the nonvolatile memory. Never interrupt the upgrade process, or loss of configuration information can result. The upgrade does not otherwise affect your stored configuration in the PortMaster. If you want to back up your PortMaster configuration before upgrading, choose the Backup PortMaster button in PMconsole for Windows, or run pmreadconf on UNIX. The pmreadconf utility takes three arguments: the hostname or IP address of the PortMaster, the administrative password for the PortMaster, and the name of the file to place the configuration in. If you ever need to reload the configuration, move the backup file into the /usr/portmaster/data directory and run pminstall to reload it. Here is an example: cd /usr/portmaster pmreadconf Pmname Pmpassword data/Pmname.conf chmod 600 data/Pmname.conf The installation software can be retrieved by FTP from ftp://ftp.livingston.com/pub/le/software/System/Tarfile.tar.Z. Replace System and Tarfile.tar.Z with the names of the files. You can retrieve the upgrade image at the same time. The following example shows an administrator retrieving the SunOS pminstall and PortMaster 3 upgrade image: umask 22 mkdir /usr/portmaster cd /usr/portmaster ftp ftp.livingston.com (Enter anonymous) (Enter your email address; it will not echo.) binary cd /pub/le/software/sun4 get pm_3.5.3_sun4.tar.Z pm.tar.Z cd /pub/le/upgrades get pm3_3.7.2c3 quit uncompress pm.tar.Z tar xvf pm.tar rm pm.tar mv pm3_3.7.2c3 data pminstall PMconsole 3.5.1.4 for Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 is available on ftp://ftp.livingston.com/pub/le/software/pc/pmw3514.exe in a self-extracting file. Transfer that file via FTP, run the file to install PMconsole for Windows, move the upgrade file into the data directory, run PMconsole for Windows, and click on the Upgrade icon. PMconsole for the following operating systems can be found under ftp://ftp.livingston.com/pub/le/software/ bsdi/pm_3.5.3_BSDOS_2.0.tar.Z BSD/OS 2.0 and 2.1 sgi/pm_3.5.3_IRIX_5.2.tar.Z SGI Irix 5.2 linux/pm_3.5.3_Linux.tar.Z Linux 1.2.13 ELF rs6000/pm_3.5.3_RS6000_4.1.tar.Z RS6000 AIX 4.1 alpha/pm_3.5.3_alpha_T3.0.tar.Z Digital Alpha OSF/1 T3.0 hp/pm_3.5.3_hp9000_10.01.tar.Z HP 9000 HP/UX 10.01 sun4/pm_3.5.3_sun4.tar.Z SunOS 4.1.4, 5.5.1 on Sparc sun86/pm_3.5.3_sun86_5.5.tar.Z Solaris x86 2.5.1 pc/pmw3514.exe Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 The following upgrade image is available at ftp://ftp.livingston.com/pub/le/upgrades/ ComOS Upgrade Image Product _________ _____________ _____________________________________ 3.7.2c3 pm3_3.7.2c3 PortMaster 3 Copyright and Trademarks Copyright 1998 Livingston Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. PortMaster, ComOS, and ChoiceNet are registered trademarks of Lucent Technologies, Inc. PMconsole and IRX are trademarks of Lucent Technologies, Inc. ProVision is a service mark of Lucent Technologies, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Notices Livingston Enterprises, Inc. makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents or use of this publication, and specifically disclaims any express or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, Livingston Enterprises, Inc. reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes to its content, any time, without obligation to notify any person or entity of such revisions or changes. Contacting Livingston Technical Support Livingston provides technical support via voice, fax, electronic mail, or through the World Wide Web at http://www.livingston.com/. Please specify that you are running ComOS 3.7.2c3 if you are reporting problems with this release. Internet service providers (ISP) and other end users in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, and Pakistan should contact their authorized Livingston sales channel partner for technical support; see http://www.livingston.com/International/EMEA/distributors.shtml. For North and South America and Asia Pacific customers, technical support is available Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. U.S. Pacific Time (GMT -8). Dial 1-800-458-9966 within the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii), Canada, and the Caribbean, or 1-510-737-2100 from elsewhere, for voice support. Otherwise, fax to 1-510-737-2110, or send email to support@livingston.com (asia-support@livingston.com for Asia Pacific customers).