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BEA Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA Release Notes

Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA Version: 8.1
Date: November 2003

The following topics are discussed in this document.

About BEA Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA

BEA Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA is a domains-based product that provides bidirectional connectivity between BEA Tuxedo 8.1 clients or servers and mainframe applications. The mainframe applications may use Customer Information Control System/Extended System Architecture (CICS TS) and Information Management System (IMS) implicit LU6.2, or any IBM-supported Application Program-to-Program Communication (APPC) or CICS TS interface.

New Product Features

The following new features are available in Version 8.1 of the Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA product:

Support for Tuxedo 8.1
Domain Gateway performance enhancement
Product name change from eLink Adapter for Mainframe to Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA

Dropped Feature Support

The following features are not supported in Version 8.1 of the Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA product:

CrossPlex support
OS/390 USS support
Interoperability with eLink Information Integrator

Product Packaging

The following items are included in the Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA product box:

Product software CD ROM
Documentation CD ROM (Refer to the Where to Get Product Documentation)
Product Installation Guide
Product Release Notes
BEA Systems, Inc. Support Guide, Registration Card, and License

Supported Platforms

The following sections list the supported platforms for each of the Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA components.

Supported Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA Gateway Platforms

Table 1 provides a list of platforms that the Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA Gateway supports.

Table 1 Platforms Supported by the Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA Gateway

Operating System
AIX 5.2
HP-UX 11.0 (32 bit) PA-RISC
Solaris 8 (32 bit on 64 bit SPARC)
Windows 2000 Advanced Server

Note: Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA is a 32-bit application, but can run on a 64-bit machine. However, Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA must run with a 32-bit version of Tuxedo 8.1, but cannot run with a 64-bit version of Tuxedo 8.1.

Supported Communications Resource Manager Platforms and Required Stacks

Table 2 provides a list of platforms and stacks that the CRM supports.

Table 2 Platforms Supported by the CRM

Platform	Stack
OS/390 V2R10 (31 bit) (MVS)	IBM Communications Server V2R10
Solaris 8	DCL SNAP-IX for Solaris Version 7.0.2.2
z/OS V1R4 (31 and 64 bit) (MVS)	IBM Communications Server V1R4

Supported Mainframe Software

Table 3 provides a list of IBM host software supported by Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA.

Table 3 Supported Mainframe Software

Platform
CICS Transaction Server 2.2
IMS Version 7.1

Upgrading from eLink Adapter for Mainframe SNA 3.x or from eLink Adapter for Mainframe 4.x

Use normal installation procedures to upgrade from eLink Adapter for Mainframe SNA 3.x or from eLink Adapter for Mainframe 4.x. No special considerations are necessary.

If you are upgrading from a different version of the supported SNA stack, be sure to modify your DMCONFIG file to select the appropriate stack type for your system. Support for some SNA stacks from previous releases of eLink Adapter for Mainframe is no longer applicable. Only the SNAP-IX stack for Solaris is now supported. If you are upgrading from a previous configuration, you must change to the supported stack. Refer to Supported Platforms for more information.

A new license key is required for Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA 8.1. Refer to BEATuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA Installation Guide for instructions on installing the software.

Known Problems

When using this release of BEA Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA, you may encounter some issues that can make Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA inoperable. The following sections describe these issues and provide workarounds where possible.

If an entry includes a CR (Change Request) number, a possible solution may exist in a future BEA Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA release where BEA will provide vendor specific code to fix the problem. Refer to this number to conveniently track the solution as the problems are resolved.

Please contact BEA Customer Support for assistance in tracking the unresolved problems identified with a CR number. For contact information, see the section, Contacting BEA Customer Support.

1	CR061031	CRM does not shut down when CRMDOWN command is issued.
	Problem	When a `CRMDOWN` command is issued, the CRM attempts to call `gethostbyname()`, but the call fails. The CRM returns -1, logs the error message `"gethostbyname failed to find host,"` and does not shut down.
	Platform	OS/390 or z/OS
	Workaround	The `CRMDOWN` command resolves the IP address using a default TCP/IP dataset, for example `TCPIP.TCPPARMS.(TCPDATA)`. This dataset contains parameters for TCP/IP and methods to communicate with the name server. If this TCP/IP dataset is not available in the default location, the `CRMDOWN` command fails and returns -1. If you are encountering this error, include the dataset which contains the TCP/IP information in the JCL which executes the `CRMDOWN` command.

Fixed Problems

This section describes known problems from the prior release of the eLink Adapter for Mainframe that have been fixed with the current release of the Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA software. The following table lists a Case or CR (Change Request) number for each problem.

1	CR037634	Transaction still alive in Tuxedo after a session break with CICS.
	Problem	A CICS client calls a Tuxedo server in two-phase commit through Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA, if the connection between CICS and Tuxedo is broken after CICS calls Tuxedo and before it does a Syncpoint; when CICS does the Syncpoint, it falls in abend ASPR. When the connection is re-established, the transaction on the Tuxedo side remains always in an active status.
	Platform	Windows
2	CR077185	Interactive system unavailable; CRM crash.
	Problem	If IMS or CICS is unavailable on the mainframe side, when the TMA SNA system boots up and then shuts down, an error is received to check for bad LU name.
	Platform	OS/390
3	CR080284	Specified codepage in DMCONFIG not getting used.
	Problem	Unable to overwrite use of the DEFAULT codepage when DMCONFIG parameter CODEPAGE is defined.
	Platform	SUN Solaris
4	CR081030	Invalid return code not handled by the CRM.
	Problem	The race condition code is not handled by the CRM.
	Platform	OS/390
5	CR082137	CRM monitor on MVS generates CRMAPI RC=-2.
	Problem	When trying to start the Address Space of the CRM using the new installation, the following ERROR CRM client message results: rejected - incompatible software/protocol version (CRMAPI RC=-2).
	Platform	OS/390
6	CR083477	Failover is not available when a CICS link is unavailable.
	Problem	After running CRMLKOFF and then shutting down CICS, the transaction goes into an error condition TPESYSTEM due to unavailability of the CICS link. See also CR084730.
	Platform	All
7	CR084730	GWSNAX does not detect when the CRM is down
	Problem	Some of the clients receive a TPESYSTEM error when the CRM is down. Failover does not occur. See also CR083477.
	Platform	OS/390
8	CR086402	The CRM trace shows the tctxt field in hexadecimal and sometimes in decimal.
	Problem	The tctxt filed is not consistently shown as a hexadecimal.
	Platform	OS/390
9	CR087136	APPC return code 46 not translated.
	Problem	The CRM crashes when APPC return code 46 is not translated correctly. See also CR081030.
	Platform	OS/390
10	CR089680	Failure with Input/Output in crmutsk.
	Problem	In an outbound conversation, the CRM receives a return code that produces an internal error, a conversation dump, and an output failed code.
	Platform	SUN Solaris
11	CR090714	SNACRM_READY sent after SNACRM_ROLLBACK.
	Problem	With an outbound conversation, the CRM does not take into account the SNACRM_ROLLBACK once the synclevel 2 protocol has started. The SNACRM_ROLLBACK is received due to a Tuxedo transaction timeout. After receiving the SNACRM_ROLLBACK message, the CRM still sends the SNACRM_READY message to the Gateway and waits for a response that never comes. The GWSNAX ignores receiving the SNACRM_READY message when the Tuxedo Transaction has been aborted by timeout.
	Platform	OS/390
12	CR091054	CRM segmentation fault issued.
	Problem	When stressing the application, a segmentation fault is issued.
	Platform	OS/390
13	CR091996	No message in ULOG when Gateway stops after CRM failure.
	Problem	There is no message written in the ULOG when the Gateway is stopped. For monitoring purposes, a message should be written to the ULOG stating the reason why the Gateway stopped.
	Platform	All
14	CR092949	Delay between the APIs RECEIVE_AND_WAIT and RECEIVE_IMMEDIATE.
	Problem	There is a delay of about 135 seconds between the verbs RECEIVE_AND_WAIT and RECEIVE_IMMEDIATE.
	Platform	OS/390
15	CR096457	Message queues remain after GWSNAX is shut down via CRMDOWN.
	Problem	When GWSNAX performs a CRMDOWN on the mainframe side, the GWSNAX stops but the associated message queues are not cleaned up.
	Platform	All
16	CR097201	Outbound conversation task timeout in CRM results in a backout issued to CICS/IMS.
	Problem	For request in transaction mode coming from Tuxedo to CICS with synclevel 2, if blocking time expired, Tuxedo sends rollback to CRM but no APPC traces can be seen.
	Platform	SUN Solaris
17	CR112945	CRM does not reflect codepage in use in CRM trace.
	Problem	Codepage information is not in the CRM trace information or passed to the ULOG.
	Platform	OS/390
18	CR121214	GWSNAX server on Tuxedo gets the "DEAD MIGRATING" status when CRMDWN is performed.
	Problem	When CRMDWN is performed to stop the CRM, the GWSANX server on Tuxedo receives the "DEAD MIGRATING" status.
	Platform	All

Where to Get Product Documentation

Documentation for this product is available from the following locations:

On the BEA corporate Web site. From the BEA Home page at http://www.bea.com, click on Product Documentation or go directly to the "e-docs" Product Documentation page at http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/index.html. The Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA Product Documentation will have a link on the following location:

Tuxedo 8.1 Product Documentation at the following URL: http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13203_01/tuxedo/tux81/index.htm

On the Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA Online Documentation CD. The documentation CD includes Web-browsable HTML and easy-to-print Adobe Acrobat PDF documentation for this product.

To access the PDFs, open the Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA documentation Home page, click the PDF files button and select the document you want to view or print. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can get it for free from the Adobe Web site at http://www.adobe.com.

Using the Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA Online Documentation

You can install the HTML files on your server or client, or leave them on the CD. If you copy the files to your system, you should maintain the directory structure that was provided on the CD. However, you can move that directory structure to any location. The files are located on the CDROM in the tuxedo/eam/v81 directory. Note the filename path to the directory where you install them on your server or client.

The Online Documentation CD includes a Java search applet to help you find Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA topics in the documentation. To use the search capabilities, your browser must have Java support enabled. For information on limitations of the search capabilities, see Documentation CD Search Applet Limitations.

To view the documentation, you need a Web browser that supports HTML 4.0 features including tables and frames. Netscape Navigator 7.0 or Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later are recommended. When you install the HTML files, they will be located in a directory on your system. You should keep the HTML files that are contained within a directory together. However, you can move that directory to any location.

Note: It is recommended that you locate the HTML browser and the HTML files on the same client or server device.

Accessing the Documentation

To begin viewing the online documentation, use one of the following methods to open the HTML file in a Web browser:

Use the following path to access the document from the CD.

<cdrom>/docs/tuxedo/eam/v81/index.htm

Use the following path to access the document installed to a Web server.

http://(directory path to Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA HTML files)/index.htm

On UNIX systems, you may need to mount the CD before you are able to access the index.htm page. For mounting instructions on UNIX platforms, refer to the installation instructions in the Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA Online Documentation CD-ROM.

Printing the PDF File

You must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print the PDF file. If you do not have this reader, you can obtain it free of charge from the Adobe Systems Incorporated home site at www.adobe.com. (Please note that the Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA Documentation PDF page contains a hot link to this site.)

Printing from the Web Browser

You can print a copy of this document, one file at a time, from the Web browser. Before you print, make sure that the topic you want is displayed and selected in your browser. (To select a topic, click anywhere inside the frame you want to print. If your browser offers a Print Preview feature, you can use the feature to verify the topic you are about to print.)

Documentation CD Search Applet Limitations

The Online Documentation CD includes a Java search applet to help you find Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA topics. The following sections describe current limitations with the search applet.

Special Characters

The search applet does not find strings containing some special characters, such as slashes(/) and/or dollar signs ($). The Java search applet does find strings containing underscores (_) and periods (.). Attempts to search for strings with unsupported special characters result in a "No matches" message.

UNC Path Names

The Java search applet uses a pre-compiled search database of topics. Because of the way the search database is built, you must adhere to one of the following options to use the documentation CD search feature:

Use the CD on a local CD reader.
Map a network drive to a remote, shared device that contains the CD or a copy of the CD's content; in your browser, use the network drive to find and open the index.htm file in the CD's top documentation directory.
Copy the CD's content to a local drive on your system.
Copy the CD's content to a Web server on your corporate Intranet. Make sure that index.htm is the default file name used by the Web server software. The Online Documentation CD contains a file called index.htm, which is the home page for the online documentation. The path name for this file on the CDs is \docs\tuxedo\<product>\<version>\index.htm.

If your Web server software does not allow you to use a file named index.htm, make a copy of index.htm and rename the copy with the default file name you must use, such as default.htm. Keep both the original index.htm file and your renamed copy of it in the same directory.

You cannot use the search applet if you have accessed the CD or a copy of its content through a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path. For example, UNC paths are used by the Windows NT Network Neighborhood. The search applet does not interpret relative paths to the matched target *.htm pages because the UNC path is added to the beginning of each link. To use the documentation CD search feature, please use one of the four recommended methods listed earlier in this section.

Only the search applet's results list is affected by this UNC limitation. You can use UNC paths, such as accessing the documentation CD on a Network Neighborhood system's shared CD device, for all other relative hyperlinks on the CD.

Additional CD Search Tip

The search applet returns a list of HTML files that contain the search keyword(s) you enter. When you double click an entry in the search results list, the applet displays the target HTML file. To get the name of the book containing this HTML file, click the [TOP] hyperlink. The book's title page (which shows the name of the book) is displayed. You can then click the Back button in the browser to return to the HTML file that was originally displayed.

Browser Error on UNIX Platforms

If the search applet does not work on your UNIX platform, try using the latest Netscape browser for the platform and add the Netscape Java Archive (JAR) file to your CLASSPATH environment variable. The path to the JAR file is in the directory in which you installed Netscape. For example:

CLASSPATH=mytools/netscape/communicator/program/java/classes

After you revise the CLASSPATH variable, exit Netscape and then restart Netscape in the updated environment. When you access the search page, the search feature should work properly.

Contacting BEA Customer Support

If you have any questions about this version of Tuxedo Mainframe Adapter for SNA, or if you have problems installing and running the software, contact BEA Customer Support through BEA WebSupport at www.bea.com. You can also contact Customer Support by using the contact information provided on the Customer Support Card, which is included in the product package.

When contacting Customer Support, be prepared to provide the following information:

Your name, e-mail address, phone number, and fax number
Your company name and company address
Your machine type and authorization codes
The name and version of the product you are using
A description of the problem and the content of pertinent error messages