CHARON-VAX V4.7 Build 171-12 for Windows - Patch Notes

This is the Patch Release Notes for
CHARON-VAX version 4.7 build 171-12 for Windows

a cumulative patch for:
CHARON-VAX version 4.7 build 171-01 for Windows

Published: 28 February 2018

Who should apply the patch?

- This patch is recommended to everyone since it addresses the important security issues found recently

Also:

- Users having lost savesets after backuping to a virtual tape
- Users having not sufficient network performance
- Users experiencing problems with CHARON license
- Users having problems with CHARON licence after applying the NCC "Disable TCP chimney offload for CHARON" feature
- Users experiencing problems with cluster configurations
- Users experiencing Launcher utility crash
- Users having problems with logmond utility
- Users having problems with USB drives mapped to CHARON
- Users having CHARON-AXP version 4.7 installed on their system for CHARON-AXP and CHARON-VAX to have the same build number
- Users having problems with starting CHARON as service
- Users having loss of date/time synchronization after DST change
- Users having a fatal hardware error on CHARON self-test

CHARON configuration changes required:
- None

Problems fixed by the patch:
- To address security issues new Sentinel LDK 7.6 is used for building this release; most up-to-date Sentinel run-time (v7.63) replaces the old one (v6.65) included to the original kit (ID#5211)
- Data loss during backup to virtual tape is fixed (ID#5144, Case #00029944)
- Network performance has been significantly improved (ID#5111)
- Fixed a loss of date/time synchronization after DST change (ID#5029)
- Fixed a problem when VAX 4705 ROM self-test detects a fatal hardware error on the VAX virtual machine (ID#4958, Case #00029315)
- Fixed an INCONSTATE Bugcheck on REBOOT in customer's configuration (ID#4871, Case #00028897)
- Fixed a problem where the patch installation failed if logmond was running as a service (ID#5040, Case #00029500)
- Fixed incorrect reporting license key ID in the log in case if it is too long (ID#4913)
- Fixed an issue when "HASP View" utility never reports that no licenses have been found (ID#4896)
- Fixed a problem when CHARON experienced segmentation violation when starting a service (ID#4838)
- Fixed AdvFS I/O error in SAN cluster setups (ID#3844)
- Fixed the problem when USB floppy drive is offline to VAX/VMS when mapped through RQDX3 (ID#4828, Case #00028645)
- Fixed the logmond utility issue - it did not accept "-" symbols in log prefix (ID#4825, Case #00028633)
- Fixed CHARON service problem which in cluster configuration leaded to emulator's stuck after an overflow of the RX buffer (ID#4821, Case #00028627)
- Fixed "Disable TCP chimney offload for CHARON" functionality (which caused CHARON to lose access to its license) (ID#4298)
- Fixed a bug in SGEC network adapter which affected VMS cluster configuration (ID#4769, Case #00028320)
- NCC is not allowed anymore to change the configuration of a disabled network adapter (ID#4725)
- The default log mode has been set to "append" in the configuration templates (ID#4752)
- Fixed the Launcher utility crash with "Out of Memory" message (ID#4780)
- Fixed configuration sample for SGEC adapter in NCC (ID#4797)
- Mkdisk utility graphics has been updated (ID#4743)
- Launcher utility icon has been fixed (ID#4719)
- Updated CFG template files (c) message to year 2016 (ID#4720)

Installation:
1. Login into account which is used for CHARON management (typically "Administrator" or another account with local admin privileges)
2. Stop all running CHARON virtual machines and close all CHARON utilities (launcher, service manager, logmond if started in the background, etc...)
3. Unpack the patch into a temporary folder
4. Run "InstallShell.exe"
5. If a patch for v4.7.17101 was already installed, please remove it first according to the "Uninstallation" instruction given below
6. Select the patch "CHARON-VAX v4.7.171xx patch for v4.7.17101" in the "Products" dialog
7. Proceed with default installation of this patch product
8. Reboot Windows

Important notes:
- If CHARON-AXP and CHARON-VAX are running on the same server, both must be patched at the same time. Note all CHARON-AXP and CHARON-VAX virtual machines must be stopped before patching any product
- In case either CHARON-AXP or CHARON-VAX is installed & patched, if you install CHARON-VAX or CHARON-AXP later, you will have to answer "No to all" to the question: "The local file has more recent modification date. Overwrite this file?"
- After installation of the patch on Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2 hosts the following problem may occur (very rare):

"The system cannot find the file specified. : EWA0: Failed to create symbolic link to the packet driver"

The following procedure must be applied in this situation:

1. Open up "Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center"
2. Select "Change Adapter settings"
3. Select each network interface used for CHARON and with right click of mouse select "Disable"
4. Select each network interface used for CHARON and with right click of mouse select "Enable"
5. Start CHARON

Uninstallation:
1. Login into account which is used for CHARON management (typically "Administrator" or another account with local admin privileges)
2. Stop all running CHARON virtual machines and close all CHARON utilities (launcher, service manager, logmond, etc...)
3. If the patch distribution is not preserved on the server, unpack the patch into a temporary folder
4. Run "InstallShell.exe"
5. Select the patch "CHARON-VAX v4.7.171xx patch for v4.7.17101" in the "Products" dialog
6. Proceed with default uninstallation of this patch product
7. All the CHARON-VAX v4.7.17101 executables will be restored automatically
8. Reboot Windows

Note: In case of full deinstallation CHARON-VAX v4.7.171xx patch for v4.7.17101 must be uninstalled first, only then - the product itself.

Stromasys SA
28 February 2018