topic Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions? in Operating System - OpenVMS

TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Robert Atkinson — Thu, 17 Jun 2004 06:42:17 GMT

We're running a production system on VMS 7.2-2 and testing our upgrade to VMS 7.3-2.

One thing we've found is that we are getting blank pages at the start of some printouts, when we send setup modules. In this case, an escape sequence to put the printer into landscape.

This seems to be caused by the TELNET symbiont on 7.3-2 sending CRLF, whereas VMS 7.2-2 only sends CR.

I've attached the trace dumps for both.

Has anyone else seen this problem.

Robert.

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Robert Atkinson — Thu, 17 Jun 2004 06:43:13 GMT

And the other trace file....

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Anton van Ruitenbeek — Thu, 17 Jun 2004 06:52:38 GMT

Robert,

Telnet isn't from VMS but TCPIP. Which version of TCPIP youre using ?

Do you have also set up the needed TCPIP$TELNETSYM_ logicals ?
These logicals must be active before starting the queue. So if logicals are changed, the queue need to be stopped and started. These logicals are only used when the queue is started. So sort of dynamic for new queues.

I think the following logicals wil help you:
TCPIP$TELNETSYM_RAW_TCP = "TRUE"
TCPIP$TELNETSYM_SUPPRESS_FORMFEEDS = "35"

Minimize and structure youre messages and environment:
TCPIP$TELNETSYM_LOG_KEEP = "3"
TCPIP$TELNETSYM_NO_OPCOM = "TRUE"
TCPIP$TELNETSYM_SCRATCH = ":[TELNETSYM]

AvR

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Wim Van den Wyngaert — Thu, 17 Jun 2004 06:57:23 GMT

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/DOC/732final/6526/6526pro_051.html

You may have lost a logical (2nd bullet).

If not what are/were your tcp versions ?

Wim

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Robert Atkinson — Thu, 17 Jun 2004 07:03:44 GMT

The producation system is running 5.1 Eco3 and the upgrade node is running 5.4, so definitely a change there.

I've checked the logicals, and everything seems to be the same.

Any other ideas?

Rob.

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Willem Grooters — Thu, 17 Jun 2004 07:20:53 GMT

Robert,

Having compared the dumpfiles, I don't see the difference in CR/LF and CR. In boths dumps, records seem bo be ending with the combination (hex) 0D0A.

Assuming that the dump are from the same (or a very similar) file - the second has one 80-character line moreat the end - most significant is a difference in initialisation. I don't know whether this is a symbiont thing, but I hardly think that would make a real difference.

I would take a good look at the form definitions.

Willem

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Robert Atkinson — Thu, 17 Jun 2004 07:25:51 GMT

Willem,
if you look at the 'initialisation' (where the setup module is sent) for the text "&l2E", this is where the LF is sent as an extra piece of data.

I believe this is causing the blank page, but why are 5.1 and 5.4 doing different things?

Rob.

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Wim Van den Wyngaert — Thu, 17 Jun 2004 08:35:11 GMT

Robert,

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/73final/6526/6526pro_042.html#telnetsym_formfeed_suppression

Your logicals holds a different value or the behaviour changed. As I understand it, it should contain 35 or you will get the formfeeds.

Wim

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Robert Atkinson — Thu, 17 Jun 2004 08:37:20 GMT

Willem, both systems are set the same :-

Beta:
(LNM$SYSTEM_TABLE)

"TCPIP$TELNETSYM_IDLE_TIMEOUT" = "0 00:00:10.00"
"TCPIP$TELNETSYM_RETRY_INTERVAL" = "0 00:00:30.00"
"TCPIP$TELNETSYM_SUPPRESS_FORMFEEDS" = "34"
"TCPIP$TELNET_NO_REM_ID" = "TRUE"

Delta:
(LNM$SYSTEM_TABLE)

"TCPIP$TELNETSYM_ENABLE" = ".1.."
"TCPIP$TELNETSYM_IDLE_TIMEOUT" = "0 00:00:10.00"
"TCPIP$TELNETSYM_RETRY_INTERVAL" = "0 00:00:30.00"
"TCPIP$TELNETSYM_SUPPRESS_FORMFEEDS" = "34"
"TCPIP$TELNET_ENABLE" = ".1.."
"TCPIP$TELNET_NO_REM_ID" = "TRUE"

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Jan van den Ende — Fri, 18 Jun 2004 03:06:35 GMT

Robert,

your TCPIP$TELNETSYM_SUPPRESS_FORMFEEDS specifies "34", so I would _EXPECT_ you to get the foemfeeds, but, on _BOTH_ systems.
So I think you WILL get rid of your undesired formfeeds by adjusting the value (remember to re-start your queues!),

but, the question remains; "Why the difference between the versions?????"

Jan

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Robert Atkinson — Fri, 18 Jun 2004 03:31:16 GMT

Jan,
you're barking up the wrong tree, mate.

There are no formfeeds in the datastream, other than those in the file itself.

The problem occurs when setup modules are sent. If I send the data without the modules, there is no blank page.

As I've said, I'm fairly convinced that it is the LF being sent after the setup module that is actually causing the balnk page, because this is seen by the printer as printable data. In v5.1 this LF is not sent.

Rob.

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Anton van Ruitenbeek — Fri, 18 Jun 2004 05:50:51 GMT

Robert,

I've posted this before, but I don't see it, so now again (something wrong at W$dozes ?)

I know with previous versions that the logical "UCX/TCPIP$TELNETSYM_ENABLE" was needed. Now I cannot find the value/need for it.
With IP 5.x I don't use this anymore and I don't get this problem. At the web I can even not find the logical again.
Maybe you should consider to remove this, stop/start the queue again (dont forget the /reset).

Manual: 23:
'TELNETSYM adds escape (0xFF) bytes in the data stream so they are not mistakenly interpreted as TELNET protocol IAD commands.'
'TELNETSYM can remove (suppress) any form feeds (0x0c) characters that the OpenVMS print symbiont adds to the beginning or end of print jobs. Use TCPIP$TELNETSYM_SUPPRESS_FORMFEEDS logical name to control this function, as described in Section 23.6.4.1'
And reading this section I think you set a value of 35 or 17.

Yes, still I don't understand the differend interpretation. It is cheap to say, but don't forget it's IP. Some bugs are features.

AvR

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Willem Grooters — Fri, 18 Jun 2004 08:10:15 GMT

Robert,

NOT the same. Delta holds:

"TCPIP$TELNETSYM_ENABLE" = ".1.."

might be a result of different cut-'n-paste, but if not:
What the dots stand for - presumibly non-printable characters. I don't know what this logical does (didn't look it up) but if this system that prints that extra linefeed or causing a formfeed to start (blank page?) you may have found the reason.

Willem

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Wim Van den Wyngaert — Fri, 18 Jun 2004 08:18:26 GMT

Willem,

The logicals are defined by the startup procedure (tcpip generate servi).
But normally they are removed after startup (on my version 5.3 eco3).

Maybe startup went wrong ?

Wim

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Robert Atkinson — Fri, 18 Jun 2004 08:42:58 GMT

OK, restarted IP services, which has got rid of the _enable logical.

Retested printing, but still producing a blank page.

I really honestly and truly think someone has changed the symbiont, possibly without realising the impact.

Rob.

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Wim Van den Wyngaert — Fri, 18 Jun 2004 09:47:28 GMT

Robert,

You're probably right. But if I was you, I would try the 35 and see if it works. Maybe the old 34 worked incorrectly and worked as 35.

HP should make a web interface where you can select an exe and see al the modifications that are done (within a VMS version). Even the smallest one.

Wim

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Willem Grooters — Fri, 18 Jun 2004 10:23:14 GMT

Wim,

For patches this already exists - What exe's have been changed is in patch release notes. The idea to have an interface where the history of chnages in _executables_ could be traced has my approval!

Willem

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Jan van den Ende — Fri, 18 Jun 2004 12:54:14 GMT

Wim, Willem,

if this idea becomes a request and needs supporters: count me in.

jpe

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Martin Hebron — Mon, 21 Jun 2004 10:47:50 GMT

I think it will work if you retry it.
Martin H

Re: TELNET Symbiont Changed Between VMS Versions?

Jeremy Stubbs — Wed, 23 Jun 2004 05:29:21 GMT

There was a change in the past along these lines:

By default TCPIP will add a at the end of each print job , but in cases were a setup module is used at the start of a print job (i.e. to reset the printer ) if the setup module contains non ANSI standard escape sequences TCPIP will insert a additional formfeed between the setup module and the print job.

Really a SETUP module with none ANSI standard escape sequences should be wrapped in EscPEsc\

However a third bit setting was added to the suppress formfeed setting. Thus to retain your previous setting of 34, but also suppress the adding of the FF to the SETUP module you should now set it to 42

34 had bits 5 and 1 set. Setting bit 3 increases this to 42 (i.e add 8)

Hope this helps,

Jed