Ethernet Communications Server Terminal Server Release Notes (TOPS-20) February 1986 The Terminal Server Release Notes contain update information and other miscellaneous items not included in the rest of the Terminal Server documentation set. SOFTWARE VERSION: Terminal Server V2.1 The information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment by Digital Equipment Corporation. Digital Equipment Corporation assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document. The software described in this manual is furnished under a license and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of such license. No responsibility is assumed for the use or reliability of software on equipment that is not supplied by Digital or its affiliated companies. Copyright (c) 1986 by Digital Equipment Corporation. All Rights Reserved. The following are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation: DEC PDP UNIBUS DECmate P/OS VAX DECnet Professional VAXcluster MicroVAX Rainbow VMS MicroVMS RSX VT And the Digital logo: ___________________________ | | | | | | | | TM | d | i | g | i | t | a | l | |___|___|___|___|___|___|___| Page iii CONTENTS 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TERMINAL SERVER V2.0 AND V2.1 . 1 2 USING TERMINAL SERVER V2.1 WITH TOPS-20 LAT SERVICE NODES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 RESTRICTIONS ON HOST-INITIATED CONNECTIONS . . . . . 2 4 BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY OF SERVER SOFTWARE . . . . . 2 5 TROUBLESHOOTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6 DEFAULT PASSWORDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7 COMMAND SYNTAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 8 CONNECTING TO TERMINAL SERVER V2.1 SERVICES . . . . 3 9 PORT FLOW CONTROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 10 SIDE EFFECTS OF USING THE BREAK KEY . . . . . . . . 5 11 USING PARITY WITH TERMINALS AND PERSONAL COMPUTERS . 5 12 PORTS WITH DEDICATED SERVICES . . . . . . . . . . . 5 13 USING THE TEST COMMAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 14 VT200 TERMINALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 15 FILE TRANSFERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 16 EXITING FROM THE REMOTE CONSOLE PROGRAM (RMTCON.EXE) 7 17 REPORTING PROBLEMS AND ERRORS . . . . . . . . . . . 7 18 DISTRIBUTION OF YOUR TERMINAL SERVER GUIDES . . . . 8 19 HOW TO ORDER ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION . . . . . . 11 TERMINAL SERVER V2.1 RELEASE NOTES 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TERMINAL SERVER V2.0 AND V2.1 Ethernet Terminal Server V2.1 is an enhanced replacement for the current Ethernet Terminal Server V2.0 product. The V2.1 software provides the functionality of the V2.0 software with added features to allow the server to: o Provide optional password protection at connection time for services offered by the server. Users who wish to connect to such services may be prompted for a password before their connection can be completed. The server manager can assign a unique password to each service. o Automatically log out from the server those users with no sessions. This feature can be enabled on a port-by-port basis and uses a timer interval that can be modified by the server manager. o Automatically drop modem signals on a dial-in port with a dedicated service when the user logs out of from the service. The port must have the autoconnect feature disabled. o Provide a single command that a user can invoke to prepare a LAT session for applications (such as file transfers with personal computers) that require data transparency. o Permit non-privileged users to set any subset of the server groups for their individual ports, rather than just one or all groups. In addition, the V2.1 software includes V2.0 bug fixes and a variety of minor enhancements. For a complete description of the features of Terminal Server V2.1, refer to the Terminal Server Operations Guide and User's Pocket Guide. 1 TERMINAL SERVER V2.1 RELEASE NOTES 2 USING TERMINAL SERVER V2.1 WITH TOPS-20 LAT SERVICE NODES Terminal Server V2.1 has two new features that cannot be used when the server is communicating with TOPS V6.1 service nodes: o The server can accept (and optionally queue) host-initiated connections to provide transparent printer support for LAT service nodes. Server command are provided to manage the queuing of host-initiated connections. o The server can pass physical terminal characteristics (such as speed and parity), server name, and port name to LAT service nodes. Terminal Server V2.1 uses an enhanced version of the LAT protocol (V5.1) in implementing these features. A LAT service node must also implement the same version of the protocol in order to take advantage of these features. TOPS V6.1 supports only the LAT V5.0 protocol. Therefore, these features are unavailable to TOPS-20 systems. 3 RESTRICTIONS ON HOST-INITIATED CONNECTIONS This style of connection to the Terminal Server is supported only from VAX/VMS and MicroVAX/VMS V4.2 (or later) systems which are running the LATplus/VMS V1.0 software. In addition, this style of connection is supported only for use in remote printer applications. LATplus/VMS software is available with Terminal Server V2.1 VMS and MicroVMS kits and cannot be ordered separately. However, these VMS systems can connect to printers on Terminal Servers that have been downline loaded from TOPS-20 load hosts. 4 BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY OF SERVER SOFTWARE Terminal Server V2.1 is compatible with other existing products that implement the LAT protocol. This compatibility will be ensured dynamically by the server software and will not require any intervention on the part of the server manager. 5 TROUBLESHOOTING Chapter 5 of the Terminal Server Operations Guide has been expanded to include more information on how to recognize and recover from some of the more common problems and mistakes that occur when managing Terminal Servers and LAT networks. 2 TERMINAL SERVER V2.1 RELEASE NOTES One problem that is not documented in the Operations Guide occurs when the server is running low on available pool or has reached its current node limit. If the server receives a multicast message from a new node under the circumstances above, the node will be announced as "unknown" rather than "reachable". The server will increase the resource error count in the SHOW SERVER display each time this event occurs. Refer to Chapter 5 of the Operations Guide concerning ways to reduce occurrences of server resource errors. 6 DEFAULT PASSWORDS The default log-in password is ACCESS. This password is requested on those ports for which a SET PORT PASSWORD ENABLED was issued before the user logged in. The default privilege password is SYSTEM. This password allows a nonprivileged user to gain access to privileged functions. You should change both of these passwords after successful installation of the software, and thereafter on a regular basis. Change the passwords using the following TSC commands: TSC> DEFINE LOGIN PASSWORD new-password TSC> DEFINE PRIVILEGED PASSWORD new-password 7 COMMAND SYNTAX The command syntax for the server and TSC utility has been modified slighty to accomodate new V2.1 functionality. Some existing V2.0 commands have new parameters, and new commands have been added. The command syntax for unprivileged and secure users are backwards compatible so that either the V2.0 or V2.1 syntax is accepted. Certain privileged commands have been changed, however, such that the server cannot provide backwards compatibility to the V2.0 syntax. Please review the new command syntax as specified in the Terminal Server Operations Guide to note the changes. You may have to change your TSC command files if they used V2.0 privileged commands such as SET SERVICE. 8 CONNECTING TO TERMINAL SERVER V2.1 SERVICES If users of Terminal Server V1.0 or LAT-11 V1.1 terminal servers attempt to connect to a Terminal Server V2.1 server that offers more than one service, those users will always be connected to the first 3 TERMINAL SERVER V2.1 RELEASE NOTES service that is offered, rather than the service they specify in the CONNECT command. If a Terminal Server V2.1 server offers more than two services, the LAT-11 V1.1 and Terminal Server V1.0 servers will not show that node as reachable in the SHOW NODES display. These problems originate in the LAT-11 V1.1 and Terminal Server V1.0 software products, and upgrading to Terminal Server V2.1 software is recommended where possible. Using the TSC program, a maximum of 200 services can be permanently defined in the server image on a load host. If more than 200 services are defined, the server may display a halt error code during initialization, following a downline load. Refer to Appendix B of the Operations Guide for more information on codes displayed by the server. 9 PORT FLOW CONTROL There are several situations that arise on a port where flow control mechanisms (on either the server or the port device) can cause port I/O to be blocked unintentionally: o Resumption of a session may block terminal I/O if flow control has been disabled with a SET SESSION PASSALL or SET PORT FLOW DISABLED command. o If a line card has been hotswapped out and back in, terminal I/O may become blocked. On remote-access ports, it may be necessary to force the port device to recycle or logout its side of the connection to unblock the I/O. o When output is in progress to a terminal and the BREAK key is used to get back to local mode, some types of terminals (such as VT125s) may block I/O. In most cases, entering or entering and exiting SETUP mode on the terminal will resume I/O. On VT200 series terminals, is may be necessary to use the "Clear Comm" option in the SETUP directory while in SETUP mode. Some types of applications programs issue system service calls to enable "pass-all" mode when they begin execution. With "pass-all" enabled, these programs are passed any XON/XOFF characters that are sent from the terminal. I/O may become blocked if the server has received an XOFF character from the terminal when this mode is enabled. To recover, press BREAK, enter , and resume the session. To avoid the situation, use the server's SET SESSION PASSALL command prior to running the application program. 4 TERMINAL SERVER V2.1 RELEASE NOTES The SET SESSION PASSALL command also should be used to disable flow control for a session when doing operations such as personal computer file transfers. The host application, however, may override this. When doing file transfers, be sure to follow the directions in the Terminal Server User's Pocket Guide to insure that flow control is handled properly. The directions can be applied to most situations that require the server to not intercept special characters in the data stream. 10 SIDE EFFECTS OF USING THE BREAK KEY The use of the BREAK key on some terminals may cause some characters typed to be ignored if the characters are typed very quickly after the BREAK. Subsequent characters are echoed and handled correctly. The source of the effect is within the terminal itself and is not related to the Terminal Server software. The terminals known to exhibit this side effect are the VT101, VT102, and VT220. 11 USING PARITY WITH TERMINALS AND PERSONAL COMPUTERS Using certain terminals and personal computers with odd parity enabled may cause an anomaly when using the BREAK key to force the server port into local mode. It is possible to get a BELL when you enter the first character after the BREAK instead of having the typed character echoed. On some terminals, the BELL may occur on the BREAK itself. Characters typed after the BELL are processed normally. You might also notice that the number of parity errors, as shown in the SHOW PORT and SHOW COUNTERS displays, has increased at the same time. 12 PORTS WITH DEDICATED SERVICES If a port has been defined to have a dedicated service, the server simulates a "hardwired" connection to the node which offers the service. Depending on what other parameters have been set for the port, the server may require the user of the port to press as many as four times before receiving a login prompt from the service node. 5 TERMINAL SERVER V2.1 RELEASE NOTES The parameters which affect the behavior of a port in this situation are AUTOBAUD and AUTOCONNECT. Disabling the autobaud feature forces the server to requires two less keystrokes. Enabling the autoconnect feature may save two additional keystrokes. 13 USING THE TEST COMMAND The test pattern that is output to a terminal when the user issues a TEST command can usually be stopped when the user presses any key on the keyboard. The local mode prompt is then displayed, and the user may issue another command. If the optional PORT keyword is used in the TEST command, however, the user will be able to stop the test pattern to the terminal only if or the local switch character is pressed. 14 VT200 TERMINALS The function keys on the VT200 series of terminals are not supported in local mode. For example, the HELP key will not display a help message in local mode. 15 FILE TRANSFERS ASCII and binary file transfers between an TOPS-20 LAT service node and a Digital personal computer are supported. The Terminal Server User's Pocket Guide explains the general procedure for file transfers. Part of that procedure requires that once you have logged into the service node using the PC in terminal emulation mode, you should issue a server command to disable flow control for the session, and then disable flow control at the service node before starting the transfer. There are two steps that are necessary to disable flow control for a TOPS-20 session: 1. Either before or after the session has been established, enter local mode on the server and issue a SET PORT FLOW CONTROL DISABLED command. Note that this command cannot be issued by a server user whose port has been set as "secure" by the server manager. 6 TERMINAL SERVER V2.1 RELEASE NOTES 2. Resume (or establish) the session to the TOPS-20 service and issue a SET TERMINAL NO PAUSE command after you have logged in. To re-enable flow control after a file transfer over a TOPS-20 session, you must go through two steps again: 1. From the TOPS-20 service node, issue a SET TERMINAL PAUSE command. 2. Return to local mode on the server and issue a SET PORT FLOW CONTROL ENABLED command. The user who has a "secure" server port cannot issue this command. Refer to the TOPS-20 Commands Reference Manual for more information on the usage and applications of PAUSE and other terminal parameters. 16 EXITING FROM THE REMOTE CONSOLE PROGRAM (RMTCON.EXE) Do not issue either an NCP LOAD NODE or an NCP TRIGGER NODE command within one minute of entering to exit from the Remote Console Program. Entering either of these commands from the host within the one-minute period causes the Terminal Server to loop. If the server does loop, you will need to press the START button on the Communications Server hardware unit to reload the Terminal Server. 17 REPORTING PROBLEMS AND ERRORS Use Software Performance Reports (SPRs) to report any problems with the Terminal Server. SPR forms are included in your software distribution kit. Additional forms can be obtained from your local Digital office. 7 TERMINAL SERVER V2.1 RELEASE NOTES When completing an SPR form, please describe only one problem per form. An SPR can be used for: o Software errors o Documentation errors when the documentation comment form is not appropriate o Inquiries o Suggestions o Follow up on a previously submitted SPR Because problems are often difficult to reproduce with different system configurations, please include as much detail as possible when reporting a problem. Define as precisely as possible the state of your system when the problem occurred and indicate the sequence of events or commands that caused the problem. Attempt to reproduce the situation - if it can be reproduced - using the minimum number of commands. If one of your user programs causes a problem in the Terminal Server, and you are unable to send the program to Digital, try to reproduce the problem with a standard utility. If this is not possible, try to describe the operation of the program around the suspected failure area. If the problem is difficult to describe or isolate, it is recommended that you force a crash dump of the server at the time the problem occurs. Refer to Chapter 5 of the Terminal Server Operations Guide for instructions on forcing crash dumps. Crash dumps may be created manually, or the server may automatically force a crash dump if an internal error has been detected. When available, please send such crash dump file(s) to Digital on 1600 BPI magnetic tape with a short description of how the dumps were copied onto the media. NOTE All media sent to Digital with an SPR will be returned to the sender. 18 DISTRIBUTION OF YOUR TERMINAL SERVER GUIDES The documentation set for your Terminal Server consists of a number of separate guides. Some are packaged with the Terminal Server software, some with the Terminal Server hardware. Here is a summary of the guides and their intended readers. 8 TERMINAL SERVER V2.1 RELEASE NOTES These guides are packed with the Terminal Server software: o Terminal Server Operations Guide This guide presents the information needed to operate and manage the Terminal Server. Give this guide to the person responsible for installing, maintaining and managing your Terminal Server. o Terminal Server Software Installation Guide (TOPS-20) This contains the information necessary to install and down-line load the server software. It is intended for the system manager of a load host or for your network manager. o Terminal Server User's Pocket Guide (1 copy) This guide presents details on how to use an interactive terminal connected to a Terminal Server. Each terminal user should have a User's Pocket Guide except those for whom the server manager sets up a dedicated service. You may need more User's Pocket Guides. See the last section in these Release Notes for information on how to order additional documentation. o Terminal Server Identification Card This card provides space to record information about the Terminal Server hardware unit and information to identify the server in DECnet databases. The system manager of the server's primary load host should keep this card. o LAT Network Manager's Guide This is a reference guide that describes the LAT architecture and the configuration guidelines that apply to LAT terminal servers and service nodes. Give this guide to your network manager. This guide has not yet been updated to reflect changes made to the architecture to support new features such as connection solicitation. These guides are packaged with the Ethernet Communications Server hardware: o Site Preparation and Planning Guide This provides the planning information you need prior to installing the Ethernet Communications Server. This guide is intended for the hardware installers. 9 TERMINAL SERVER V2.1 RELEASE NOTES o Operations and Maintenance Guide This provides checkout information, an operational summary, and servicing information for the Ethernet Communications Server. It should remain with the hardware unit. o Installation Guide This contains the information required to install the Ethernet Communications Server hardware unit. The hardware installers use this guide. 10 TERMINAL SERVER V2.1 RELEASE NOTES 19 HOW TO ORDER ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION DIRECT TELEPHONE ORDERS In Continental USA In Canada In New Hampshire or Puerto Rico call 800-267-6146 or Alaska or Hawaii call 603-884-6660 call 800-258-1710 DIRECT MAIL ORDERS (US and Puerto Rico*) DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION P.O. Box CS2008 Nashua, New Hampshire 03061 DIRECT MAIL ORDERS (Canada) DIGITAL EQUIPMENT OF CANADA LTD. 940 Belfast Road Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1G 4C2 Attn: P&SG Business Manager or approved distributor INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION Peripherals and Supplies Centers P&SG Business Manager c/o Digital's local subsidiary or approved distributor * Any prepaid order from Puerto Rico must be placed with the Local Digital Subsidiary: 809-754-7575 11 TERMINAL SERVER V2.1 RELEASE NOTES Ethernet Communications Server Terminal Server DOCUMENTATION ORDER NUMBERS Ethernet Communications Server Terminal Server Operations Guide (AA-BT83C-TK) Ethernet Communications Server Terminal Server Software Installation Guide (TOPS-20) (AA-FA57A-TM) Ethernet Communications Server Terminal Server User's Pocket Guide (AV-X021C-TK) Ethernet Communications Server Terminal Server Identification Card (AV-EF44A-TE) Local Area Transport (LAT) Architecture Network Manager's Guide (AA-DJ18B-TK) Ethernet Communications Server Site Preparation and Planning Guide (EK-DECSA-SP) Ethernet Communications Server Operations and Maintenance Guide (EK-DECSA-OP) Ethernet Communications Server Installation Guide (EK-DECSA-IN) 12