CHARON-AXP V4.6 Build 166-03 for Windows - Release Notes

Products included in the CHARON-AXP release version 4.6 build 166-03

In this document the term CHARON-AXP is used to refer to all the products below:

CHARON-AXP/4100 for Windows 64bit
CHARON-AXP/DS10 for Windows 64bit
CHARON-AXP/DS20 for Windows 64bit
CHARON-AXP/ES40 for Windows 64bit
CHARON-AXP/GS80 for Windows 64bit
CHARON-AXP/GS160 for Windows 64bit
CHARON-AXP/GS320 for Windows 64bit

Supported software platforms

Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard Edition 64 bit (please notice that only R2 revision is supported)
Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard and Enterprise (SP1) Editions 64 bit (please notice that only R2 revision is supported)
Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate (SP1) Editions 64 bit
Windows 8.1 64 bit

Hosting hardware recommendations

The number of available (Intel or AMD) CPU cores in the hosting server should be at least 1.5 times the number of emulated AXP CPU cores
The recommended number of available (Intel or AMD) CPU cores in the hosting server is 2 times the number of emulated AXP CPU cores
Intel Xeon E5 v3, 3GHz and up are recommended for optimal CHARON-AXP performance
AMD Bulldozer and later CPU architectures are supported
DDR3 1600 MHz RAM and up is recommended for optimal CHARON-AXP performance. The minimum host memory size depends on the amount of HP Alpha memory that is requested from the HP Alpha virtualization layer and on the number of CHARON instances running on one host. The minimum host memory = (2Gb + the amount of HP Alpha memory emulated) per CHARON-AXP instance.
Mid range and high end RAID controllers with at least 1 GB battery powered cache with write back settings are recommended. Using low end RAID controllers might lead to significant performance degradation and issues. RAID10 is preferred. RAID5 is not recommended.

New functionality introduced in build 166-03 since Build 153-09

AlphaServer DS10 emulation has been added to CHARON-AXP/DS10 product (along with existing DS10L and DS15)
Emulated DE602 (Compaq NC3131) network adapter is implemented (ID#4185, #4366)
Emulated PCI-to-PCI bridges and PCI multifunction devices are supported (ID#4407, #4428)
CHARON extended maintenance and internal performance data for CPU, storage and network subsystems can be collected remotely (ID#4144, #4385)
Guest Tru64 and VMS can synchronize its clock with the host time. It allows to keep TOY time always synchronized with the host's time and disable undesirable updates to the TOY from guest OS. Please refer to the documentation for additional details (ID#4144)
CHARON licenses can be controlled via CFG file now: it is possible to specify main and backup key (ID#4249)
HASP_View utility shows multiple available licenses (ID#4059, #4461, #4165)
Network Control Center (NCC) utility supports VLAN and is able to switch off network offload features (ID#4298, #4453)
MkDskCmd utility can extend disk container files (ID#4506)
Logmond utility is significantly improved. It supports CHARON rotating log and multi instance configurations
Network сarrier detection is implemented (ID#4339)

Configuration changes required when upgrading from previous versions of CHARON-AXP to build 166-03

CHARON-AXP license update is required. CHARON uses more secure Sentinel HASP technology. Stromasys might request a c2v file taken from HASP license dongle in order to issue a license update.
CHARON-AXP cannot be managed with Launcher over Remote Desktop connection. Alternative access methods (physical console, HP iLO, TeamViewer) could be used to manage CHARON with Launcher. A recommended practice is to run CHARON as a Service
The user that runs CHARON-AXP must have local administrator privileges
CHARON-AXP executables, libraries, and data (container files/disks) should be excluded from all the antivirus checks, including on-the-fly checks and scheduled scans
HT (Hyper-Threading Technology) should be disabled on the hosting server
DEP (Data Execution Prevention) should be set to "Turn on DEP for essential Windows programs and services only"
Power management and screen saver should be switched off on the hosting server
The Tru64 kernel requires a rebuild for some emulated AXP models that are included in the CHARON-AXP/4100 product
A log folder could be specified instead of a log file name. Rotated log files will be named automatically based on folder name and date/time
If CHARON-AXP is being moved to another hosting platform and direct SCSI access method is used to access some SCSI devices, the new hosting platform SCSI drivers should support the SCSIport method. If drivers supporting SCSIport method are not available, direct SCSI access cannot be used. This is a case for all Windows Server 2012 (R2) and Windows 8.1 systems, and is often seen for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 (R2) systems. The recommended workaround for disk access is to use \\.\PhysicalDriveX method. If any other SCSI device is involved, please contact Stromasys. CHARON-AXP for Linux can be considered to work around the limitation.
If any RAID system is used on CHARON host the corresponding RAID management software must be loaded and it must be ensured that the write cache of the RAID (not disk itself, since there is such option available directly in Windows) is enabled.
For network connections, interface="connection:..." syntax is preferred in CHARON-AXP configuration file
The packet_port keyword in the CHARON-AXP configuration file could be used on any hosting platform instead of platform specific ndis5_chpack_port and ndis6_chpack_port. CHARON configuration file lines:
load ndis5_chpack_port/chnetwrk EWA0 interface="..."
load ndis6_chpack_port/chnetwrk EWA0 interface="..."
could be replaced with:
load packet_port/chnetwrk EWA0 interface="..."
For the emulated network adapters the communication speed and mode is recommended to be commented out (set to automatic). If it is necessary, the example is below:
load DE500BA/dec21x4x EWA interface=EWA0
load packet_port/chnetwrk EWA0 interface="..."
set EWA adapter_mode="100BaseT-FD"
Please note that the actual network communication speed and mode is determined by the Windows network speed and mode settings. This configuration change is required to avoid network timeouts in VMS/Tru64 during negotiation phase
Intelligent packet processing should be switched off for the network adapters dedicated to CHARON-AXP (naming of the parameters depends on the network adapter driver):
- Adaptive interframe spacing
- Flow control
- Interrupt moderation
- Interrupt moderation rate
- Ipv4 checksum offload
- Jumbo packet
- Large send offload
- Disable Priority and VLAN
- TCP checksum offload
- UDP checksum offload
Use "Network Control Center" (NCC) utility to do that.
On VMware, E1000 network adapters should be used for CHARON; virtual appliance network adapters and vSwitch should be set to Promiscuous mode
On VMware, legacy mode should be set for network adapters for some CHARON-AXP configurations, for example:
set EWA0 legacy_mode=true

Problems fixed in CHARON-AXP v4.6 build 166-03 since Build 153-09

The performance measurements package included into the kit is updated (ID#4424)
CFG templates have been corrected and updated (ID#4240, 4369, 4377)
Oracle 10g cannot be properly installed on AS2100, AS1000, AS1000a and AS400 (ID#3813)
Sentinel NetTime license is not cached and CHARON stops after SL expiration (ID#4179)
Segmentation Violation while installing Oracle 10g on AlphaServer 400/1000/1000A (ID#4531)
SRM console may display an incomplete list of the configured PCI devices (ID#4507)
Driverless Sentinel HL Network license inserted in a host is not accessible on this host unless the Sentinel run-time is installed (ID#4502, 4496)
"ide0" is reported as being offline in CHARON log file despite the fact that no "ide0" is configured in *.cfg file (ID#4493)
Physical tape file name may be changed after copying come files to it under Tru64 (ID#4491)
Emulators may detect some physical tapes as "Virtual SCSI Tape" (ID#4480)
CHARON experienced some issues after host hardware upgrade (ID#4478)
AS1000 and AS1000A cannot boot from DGA disk - both virtual and physical (ID#4476)
In some specific configurations CHARON installation may experience network problems (ID#4354)
In some specific configurations CHARON-AXP/DS/ES is unable to start as it crashes immediately (ID#4201, 4362)
"Logmond" utility may not work properly in some configurations (ID#4188)
The customer cobol application hangs while on real hardware it works fine (ID#3415, 3563)
Modem communication failures on an attempt to connect to CHARON (ID#2642)
VMS boot: Date 29-FEB-2012 jumped to 1-MAR-2012 (ID#3570)
After starting WebUI, creating a new service and starting it, Java console does not appear, local "Putty" console is used instead (ID#3632)
The following configuration:
"load KGPSA FGA bus = pci_0 device = 4 function = 0
load KGPSA FGB bus = pci_0 device = 4 function = 1"
fails with an assertion check (ID#4007)
During installation of WebUI component a message "The operation was not completed successfully.." is displayed. This problem may appear if the previous CHARON kit was just deinstalled and recommended reboot has not been performed. To avoid this problem please always accept the reboot proposition in CHARON installation (ID#4036)
Emulator runs beyond license expiry date when host time is moved backward (ID#4058)
Some network issues are detected on AS4100 if VMS 6.2-1H3 is the guest operating system (ID#3794)
WebUI: Console cannot be opened when it is selected as "Java Telnet Applet" (ID#4128)
WebUI: "Instance Manager" page shows that the console is "unavailable" (ID#4130)
WebUI: Create an instance and select it in the menu, go to the "Log View" page, press "Select Date" link: the date is not displayed, a yellow page "TemplateDoesNotExist at /calendar_page/" is displayed instead (ID#4131)
Low performance on OpenVMS/AXP V7.2-1 with CHARON-AXP/ES40 (ID#3964)
NCC fails to dedicate a bridged virtual adapter to CHARON (ID#4097)
NCC fails to dedicate a virtual ethernet adapter to CHARON (ID#4099)
CPUSPINWAIT crash in some specific configurations of host system (if the host is not dedicated to CHARON) (ID#4114)
CHARON-AXP fails to run as service if the statistics counters are enabled (ID#4220)
Launcher does not preserve all the settings of CHARON service on its update operation (ID#4098)
WebUI: Unclear warning/error message "Model name wasn't found in the file". (ID#4178)
WebUI: Prompt "Instance hadn't been started", but actually it has been started (ID#4195)
WebUI: Some part of output display is hidden in Java applet console (ID#4196)
Extra symbol ")" in LOG file, for example "(MicroVAX 3100 Model 98))" (ID#4214)
Launcher does not update an existing CHARON service correctly (ID#4208)
PMAD-AA incorrectly reports its MAC/station address to VMS 5.5-2H4 (ID#4255)
Network Control Center (NCC) reports lack of privileges if local administrative account is used (ID#4256)
Timed-out I/O operation to SAN quorum disk (ID#3581)
WebUI: When the "Select disk type" menu is open it is almost impossible to select a big disk at the end of the list: the menu is closed too quickly (ID#3592)
There may be a BUGCHECK 1CC during OpenVMS 7.3-2 backup (ID#3792)
SAN storage is lost, Tru64 experiences an AvdFS exception as a result (ID#3955)
WebUI: Some difficulties to open up the WebUI login page right after the kit installation (ID#4177)
CHARON-AXP/DS/ES is unable to start as it crashes immediately (ID#4201)
Transferring a big file with FTP fails on Tru64 if DE602 network card is used (ID#4275)
OpenVMS guest system time jumped back 15 years on host reboot (ID#4276)
In some cases CHARON is unable to connect to FC Fabric via LPe12002 (ID#3938)
Segmentation violation CHARON emulating DS20 on HP Proliant DL380p G8 (ID#4034)
For reason unknown does VMS 8.3 experience CPUSPINWAIT crash on DL380 Gen8 3.0GHz system at 3.2GHz in turbo mode (ID#4307)
Backup problem. If MKB402 (INIT and MOUNT/FOR) is used VMS logs 3 errors each time. Backup is Ok but the error count increases each time INIT and MOUNT commands are executed. (ID#4327)
Emulated DE602 is not shown in AXP SRM console (ID#4330, 4293)
Incorrect info in LOG file when local license is removed and network or SL license is catched (ID#4349)
AS1000a crashes in storage.dll (ID#4333)
Issues with Basestar running on OpenVMS 7.3-1 (ID#4350)
Exception 800706B5 at emulator startup (ID#4382)
Virtual KGPSA generates device errors of type device attention (ID#4232)
Some utils shows wrong version info at About dialogs (ID#4388)
Incorrect info in LOG about host OS (ID#4425)
DE602 ARP problems (ID#4452)
Unable to start a CHARON instance as a service. Starts OK as an application. (ID#4458)
Installation of OpenVMS83/Tru51B cannot proceed if Java Console is used in WebUI (ID#3671). It is recommended to use Putty terminal emulator
On AS400 the "ERRFMT BUGCHECK" may appear while backing up an OpenVMS 6.2-1H3 boot disk. This message does not affect the backup, restore and boot from restored disk (ID#3123)

Known restrictions of build 166-03

Do not use the "Disable TCP chimney offload" feature of "CHARON Network Control Center" (NCC) utility since it may lead to some critical problems relevent to CHARON license checking. If for any reason you have already used this feature proceed with the following:
1. Run CMD with administrative privileges
2. Issue the command: netsh interface tcp show chimneyapplications
3. Then for each installed CHARON executable from the list run the following command: netsh inter tcp delete chimneyapplication "C:\<full path to CHARON executable.exe>"
Note that the following models of HP Alpha refuse to start with the associated "cpu_architecture" parameter:
- AlphaServer 2000 5/250 (starts only with cpu_architecture = EV4)
- AlphaServer 2000 5/300 (starts only with cpu_architecture = EV4)
- AlphaServer 2000 5/375 (starts only with cpu_architecture = EV4)
- AlphaServer 2100 5/250 (starts only with cpu_architecture = EV45)
- AlphaServer 2100 5/300 (starts only with cpu_architecture = EV45)
- AlphaServer 2100 5/375 (starts only with cpu_architecture = EV45)
- AlphaServer 2100 5/400 (starts only with cpu_architecture = EV45)
This problems is under investigation and will be fixed in next releases (ID#4697)
The total number of devices (both controllers and units, including disks) displayed by CHARON SRM console is limited to 48. Note that it does not affect the actual number of configured devices provided to CHARON guest OS.
Note that CHARON network adapters "adapter_mode"/"EIx0_MODE" environment variable "100BaseT-FD" value leads to improper working of the virtual network adapters. It is recommended to use other values instead (if it is acceptable) or the default "Auto" value to make CHARON network adapters collect the speed and the duplex settings directly from the mapped host network adapter. (ID#4676)
CHARON cannot correctly define the total number of available CPUs on mutli CPU groups systems (NUMA architecture, etc) - it reports only a number of the CPUs found in its first group. This problem will be fixed in future releases.
As a workaround, enable "Node interleaving" from the BIOS (if available) to make the BIOS report the total number of available CPUs (as a part of one consolidated NUMA group) to the operating system.
For example, on HP Proliant servers, the configuration sequence looks like the following:
a) Boot the server, press F9 and enter BIOS setup.
b) Select "Advanced Options" -> "Advance Performance Tuning Options" -> "Node Interleaving", set it to "Enabled".
c) Boot Windows.
HW partitioning is not supported in CHARON, but it can present the same HW layout with its possibility to run multiple instances in the same time.
SRM console shows the configured virtual disk names differently for same *.vdisk containers on each CHARON start (ID#4498)
OpenVMS/AXP Version 8.4 installation CD media is not mountable under VMS V7.2-1H1. It is a VMS version restriction (ID#4054)
Using WebUI is not recommended as it consumes host resources
Auto-refresh works incorrectly in "Make Virtual Vdisk" utility of WebUI (ID#4045)
Older AMD and Intel CPUs without support of CMPXCHG16B instruction could run CHARON-AXP translated code incorrectly. It is recommended not to use those CPUs. If such CPUs are detected on the hosting server, CHARON-AXP writes the following message in its log file:

WARN :1:0000033B:axpcpu.cxx( 462): Host CPU feature 'CMPXCHG16B' not implemented by the host CPU - performance limited.

CHARON-AXP does not emulate LSI 53C810 SCSI controller. CHARON-AXP emulates Qlogic KZPBA SCSI controller, which is the reason for the earliest supported VMS version to be 6.2-1H3, earliest supported Tru64 version to be 3.2. (ID#2291).
If the driver for KZPBA is installed on an earlier version of VMS or Tru64 before system transfer to CHARON-AXP, it will function on CHARON-AXP.
OPA0 console of CHARON service does not appear if non "Administrator" user is starting the service (ID#3209)
DS20 initialization might take long time on Windows Server 2008 R2 (ID#3194)
Digital UNIX 4.0g fails to install on AS4100 if FC is configured. Specific Tru64 patches and firmware versions might be required. SAN device should be set to SCSI-2 mode (ID#3191)
DE500BA is not available under OpenVMS 6.2-1H3 on AS1200/AS4000/AS4100 (ID#3091)
DE500BA device error count after boot is not 0 on OpenVMS 8.2/8.3 (ID#2963). There are no negative side effects
Direct SCSI access only supports Windows SCSI devices which use a SCSIport driver. These include most of the device drivers on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 (R2), but does not work on Windows 7 and Server 2008 (R2). If SCSIport is not supported (and Storport method is used instead), direct SCSI access cannot be used.
This is most likely to be the case for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 (R2) platforms.
Performance tests could hang VMS 6.2-1H3 on emulated AS400.
CHARON-AXP does not emulate VGA adapters, thus OPA0 is always a system console. Applications hardcoded to use OPA0 and TTA0 as their own interfaces may not function correctly.

Network speed auto negotiation works with some restrictions (see the table below). It is always recommended to use full duplex mode on the hosting server.

Host settings	VMS (autodetect mode)	Tru64 (autodetect mode)
1 Gbps full duplex	100 Mbps full duplex	100 Mbps full duplex
1 Gbps half duplex	100 Mbps half duplex	100 Mbps half duplex
100 Mbps full duplex	100 Mbps full duplex	100 Mbps full duplex
100 Mbps half duplex	100 Mbps half duplex	100 Mbps half duplex
10 Mbps full duplex	10 Mbps full duplex	10 Mbps full duplex
10 Mbps half duplex	10 Mbps half duplex	10 Mbps half duplex

The virtual Alpha firmware is designed to show a maximum of 48 devices. More devices are supported in VMS and Tru64

The firmware does not support the command recall using the up/down arrow keys.
The VMS 7.x Monitor utility shows the maximum CPU quantity instead of actually configured quantity. It does not apply to VMS 8.x
Running Alpha Linux on the virtual Alpha is not supported
Use of IDE is limited to ATAPI CDROM on the host machine. No iSCSI support is planned for IDE. UETP may produce error messages if IDE emulation is used.
A Telnet session from OpenVMS running on emulated host freezes console output. The console output can hang when the virtual serial line sends XOFF/XON sequence. The TELNET client sends XOFF to the remote node's TELNET server to suspend output, but for unknown reason XON is discarded and remote node's TELNET server is unable to resume output. The console remains "frozen" as the remote site is not sending any output to it. When that happens, the local node is reachable over network, and can be unlocked by typing the 'break' character - usually "Ctrl-]" and exiting telnet session by typing "exit" at "TELNET>" prompt.
Emacs hangs if the OPA0 console is used. Emacs works fine over an SSH connection.
Running as a Service may fail as the Service manager may not be able to identify all configured disks.
CHARON-AXP does not support Microsoft virtual network adapters (i.e. MS bridges, etc.).
CHARON-AXP has limited support for teamed network adapters. They can be used only if the MAC address of the virtual VMA or Tru64 network adapter is not changed during CHARON-AXP session. In which case the desired MAC address should not be set manually in the properties of the network team or in the CHARON-AXP configuration file using the "station_address=XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX" configuration option.
VMS 7.2-1 should be patched to the latest level in order to use Emulex FC adapters in pass-through mode.
Please note that CHARON-AXP has not been tested with SAN attached storage over 2TB per disk in size.
Tru64 temperature monitoring should be disabled. It could cause Tru64 version 5.x shutdown with the message: "system fan has failed, system is shutting down now". If installing Tru64 from scratch, do not install envmon package. If it is already installed, disable automatic startup by booting into SINGE USER mode and issue the following commands:
# mount -u /
# mount /usr
# rcmgr set ENVMON_CONFIGURED 0
then "exit" (Ctrl-D) to multi user mode.
A "CRC error" appears while "$ BACKUP/LIST/REW MKA100:..." on OpenVMS Alpha Version 8.4 (ID#2925)

Problems fixed in previous releases

Problems fixed in CHARON-AXP v4.5

The VMS command "$ SHOW DEVICES" does not show all DGA disks (ID#4049)
Launcher does not allow to edit CFG file upon termination of emulator (ID#4055)
Fixed AXP crash immediately on startup (ID#4201)
HASP runtime environment has been upgraded to the latest stable version (ID#4258)
Removed Field Test kits special license requirements (ID#4263)
Fixed an issue appeared with multiple tape drives in SCSI Pass Through mode (ID#4327)
Fixed AXP crashing on scanning storage bus (ID#4333)
Fixed AXP segmentation violation crash (ID#4334)
Assertion check on installation of Digital UNIX v4.0g on AlphaServer 400 (ID#4057)
Fixed an AXP crash booting from Tru64 4.0g installation media container file (ID#4041, #4047)
Fixed ES40 with 3 CPUs spontaneous crash (ID#4066)
AlphaServer 400: no CPU IDLEing (ID#4089)
Fixed incorrect results of some math operations on GS series (ID#4106)
Assertion while type Ctrl^P on OpenVMS boot (ID#4161)
CHARON Launcher does now update existing services correctly (ID#4208)
Fixed UDID and WWID reported incorrectly for FC virtual disks in SRM console (ID#4042)
Unable to create a dump of system disk to DUMP_DEV attached via FC (ID#3691)
AlphaServer DS15 and AlphaServer DS25 may display an infinite loop of network messages (ID#4048)
Documentation included in the WebUI has been updated (ID#3667)
Sample CFG files have been updated (ID#3730)
Incorrect discovery of LUNs on HP XP24000 Storage (ID#3755)
Unable to restore Putty console in WebUI (ID#3890)
Putty does not appear on pressing "Open Console" (ID#3903)
On Windows 2012 WebUI has a problem with starting Putty terminal emulator (ID#4050)
CHARON console does not appear in WebUI if running on WinXP x64 (ID#3956)
The Launcher flashes up with its help window on exit (ID#4033)
WebUI: Cannot key in password in WebUI Java console (ID#3670)
WebUI: Installation of OpenVMS8.3/Tru5.1B cannot proceed using Java Console (ID#3671)
AlphaServers DS15, DS25 and ES45 are supported by WebUI (ID#4013)
IndentationError at /console_info/ in WebUI (ID#4025)
Launcher should keep existing CHARON services after service update procedure (ID#4026)
Bugcheck after OpenVMS backup, FC physical disk (ID#3899)
Virtual FC disks / FC disks boot failed (ID#3962, 3963)
CHARON cannot detect cdrom even if "set ide container="\\.\CdRom0" is specified in CFG file (ID#3965)
Physical tape is detected as hard disk in CHARON (ID#3966)
Vdisk is detected incorrectly in an automatic test (ID#3968)
Switch to Sentinel LDK 6.4 (ID#3971)
WebUI: "network information" category displays nothing on Windows 2012 (ID#3975)
Configured DKA devices are not seen on AS800 (ID#3984, 3894)
Log file specification for emulator log and console log should work identically (ID#3988)
NCC does not allow to see monitoring information if emulator is running (ID#3922)
Drivers INF files suggest incorrect version - 15301 instead of 15302. The SYS files have correct version (ID#4017)
MTD cannot access SCSI tape directly while CHARON can (ID#3927)
FS communication may result in timeouts (ID#3934)
Remote node is not reachable when "ace_mode=true" (ID#3211)
Node lost connection to virtual $1$DGA quorum disk (ID#3700)
When entered "monitor all" under OpenVMS 8.4, emulator ES40, it crashed with "Illegal instruction" message. (ID#3716)
AS400 hangs on when OpenVMS boots (FC disk) (ID#3719)
Exception when stopping emulator on SIGTERM (ID#3726)
Clicking on WebUI license viewer pops up hasp_view window (ID#3751)
WebUI License Viewer does not work if RDP is used to connect to CHARON host (ID#3769)
Assertion check failed while running modified DISK_QIO_TEST (ID#3773)
FGA unable to set up DMA for host BLP64 (ID#3785)
If the instance limit is exceeded the log file does not contain the corresponding message (ID#3799)
Some problems with FC disks on ES45 (ID#3807)
Update of CHARON services does not work as expected (ID#3808)
OpenVMS 7.2-1H1 and 7.3-2: error while installation (ID#3810)
MKDISK utility does not calculate the disk sizes properly (ID#3812)
The license change on the fly operation is not logged in CHARON log file (ID#3816)
AS4100, VMS 6.2-1H3 network issues (ID#3832)
ES45 crashes with INCONSTATE at boot time, VMS 7.3-2 and VMS 8.2 tested (ID#3845)
WebUI contains incorrect CFG templates (ID#3855)
Launcher crashes in case of Unicode/ASCII mixed messages in CHARON log file (ID#3871)
A console with debug messages is shown on exit from WebUI (ID#3612)
AlphaServer ES45 does not accept its license (ID#3800)

Problems fixed in CHARON-AXP v4.4

NDIS driver problems were not logged in a correct instance log if several instances of CHARON were running (ID#3249)
CDROM disk cannot be be mounted (ID#3705)
Flood of "UDID:9999 WWID..." messages appeared in CHARON console (ID#3708)
Problem using shared PhysicalDrive on iSCSI for TruCluster ASE (ID#3734)
Service Manager reported missing license incorrectly on startup (ID#3744)
CHARON didn't start and didn't report any error message if a wrong component was set in CFG file (ID#3747)
Charon was terminated too early if the license key became unavailable (ID#3754)
CHARON Service could not create a log file (ID#3774)

Problems fixed in CHARON-AXP v4.3

Launcher crashed after Oracle installation on AS4100 under Tru5.1B (ID#3142)
Sequential backup to tape image took long time for large files and multiple savesets (ID#3315, 3508)
Console was unable to obtain UDID of logical units on HP P2000 G3 (ID#3438)
Arithmetical error fixed in some COBOL and FORTRAN calculations (ID#3415, 3563)
Couldn't initialize FC disks in OpenVMS (under Windows 7) (ID#3660)
OpenVMS 6.2-1H3 with disks over 128GB didn't work. Geometry parameter for large disks have to be set at 255/255 (ID#3662)
CHARON crashed on Spec2000 test (ID#3663)
No UDID was displayed for LUN 0 of HP P2000 (ID#3650)

Problems fixed in CHARON-AXP v4.2

Storage configured as Removable was not actually removable: usage of virtual CD-ROM locked it image file (ID#3251)
CHARON-AXP crashed with exception 000007FEFD5AAA7D: Exception (000006BA) when running as service (ID#3294)
Menu numbering in some application display menu were out of sequence (ID#3132)
Couldn't boot OpenVMS from $1$DGA0 (ID#3697)
CHARON couldn't initialize FAT-formatted floppies (ID#3698)
HASP RTL version control mismatch during CHARON installation (ID#3426)
"F6" didn't stop Charon if physical VT100 was used as console (ID#3483)
FCMGR RESCAN VERBOSE failed to discover FC fabric (ID#3519)
8 SAN paths on EVA configurations didn't fit in BOOTDEF_DEV (ID#3520)
AS1200 configuration and documenation mismatch (ID#3521)
A fix for HPARITH problem had been introduced by excluding a certain AXP CPU instruction from DIT translation (ID#3493)
Fixed an assertion on dropping secondary lock while on-page structure is locked (ID#3425)
Guard Page Violation exception walking through exception stack had been fixed (ID#3424)
CHARON-AXP failed to reboot if boot disk is on FC SAN issue was fixed (ID#2774, #2775)
Serial port (TTA) mapping did not work correctly on Tru64 (ID#3133)
Unable to boot from NETAPP LUN issue had been fixed (ID#3399)
Errors while multiple backups with DGA disks have been fixed (ID#3407)
Tru64 5.1B couldn't see DGA disk during installation on AlphaServer 800 emulator (ID#3430)
AS400 emulator didn't work with DGA disks (ID#3431)
Tru64 UNIX 5.1b fails to install on GS80 when FC is configured (ID#3192)
AS4100 hanged with Tru64 Version 4.0D with applied Patch Kit 9 (ID#3436)
Backup license allowed CHARON-AXP to work longer than expected (ID#3484)
Fixed CHARON-AXP/GS80, CHARON-AXP/GS160: Fatal controller error after OpenVMS 8.3 installation on DGA disk (ID#3498)
Exception (C000001D) at 00000000289C0200: Illegal Instruction messages have been fixed (ID#3500)
AS4100 model used to use EV5 and not the EV5.6 as of the 5/400 model it was supposed to emulate (ID#3504)
Tru64 5.1B various installation problems (ID#3432)
SRM console FC related command implementation have been improved
RWZ53 MO disk did not work with CHARON-AXP/4100 emulating AS400 (ID#3119)

Problems fixed in CHARON-AXP v4.1

CHARON-AXP networking didn't work on VMware (ID#3023)
CHARON crashed while performing 'newfs' on physical scsi disk partition (ID#3113)
Fixed inconsistent disk naming in TruCluster configurations (ID#3108)
CHARON Service Manager behavior fixed on uninstallation (ID#3321)
Physical drive initialization: medium is offline under OpenVMS 6.2-1H3 issue had been fixed (ID#3330)
Fixed CHARON-AXP (AlphaServer 2100) unable to boot generic kernel (genvmunix) of DEC OSF/1 V3.2A (ID#3391)
Fixed "fc rescan" failed on some models (ID#3397, 3420)
Fixed Tru64 being not bootable in multiuser mode (ID#3404)
set term/speed=*** command did not work with physical VT100 (ID#3409)
Fixed "Host stopped responding" message displayed if VT100 terminal worked via LAT (ID#3124)
Fixed the appearence of non fatal "ERRFMT BUGCHECK" message on boot from a backup disk created by CHARON-AXP (ID#3123)
CHARON-AXP networking on VMware on Windows 2008 R2 was not working. Please install a patch to bring CHARON-AXP to the build level 129-05. (ID#3023)
CHARON-AXP service is unable to show its console window if RDP is used for connection to the host (ID#3179, 3180)
CHARON-AXP may report the host operating system incorrectly in its log (ID#3167)
The license expires at the day before the correct day (ID#3189)
An A (UNIX) in os_bootflags while booting VMS enters a tight loop on CHARON-AXP (ID#3195)
"Auto Negotiation detected link down" message is reported on OpenVMS 7.2-1H1 (ID#2953)
Failed to construct a UFS file system on physical drive during Tru64 5.1B installation (ID#2991)
OpenVMS device error count is equal to 1 for virtual disks RZ22, RZ23 that have been created with the MKDISK utility (ID#3071)
AS800 emulator does not perform the "power off" command properly (ID#3094)
GS320 emulator is unable to boot any OS (VMS, Tru64) (ID#3125)
AS800 emulator: incorrect required licenses units (ID#3090)
Mode pages 3 and 4 is not implemented for SCSI CD-ROMs (ID#2983)
Inconsistent PCI bus configuration naming for AlphaServer DS10L emulator (ID#3148)
CHARON-AXP Services issue on Windows Vista Business 64bit: CHARON execution failure on the service installation and the service termination if RDP is used (ID#3138)
Inconsistency in CHARON-AXP service dependencies: lost of dependency on the TCP/IP service (ID#3137)
CHARON-AXP service stopped unexpectedly 15 minutes after it was started. Log is clear of any problem reports (ID#3134)
CHARON-AXP service failed to start/stop at scheduled time (ID#3115)
HP Tru64 V5.1B fails to initialize FC adapter (ID#3103)
Strange message is displayed without any mis-functioning: "Invalid thread identifier. : OPA0: Failed to stop the application." (ID#3084)
Launcher hungup: Service Install Dialog does not Respond (ID#3083)
SPEC2k test running on Tru64 fails on gzip test (only on CHARON-AXP running on AMD platform) (ID#3037)
Some problems with PBXDA-xx: "Failed to locate pci_5" (ID#3147)
CHARON-AXP fails when performing 'newfs' operation on physical scsi disk partition (ID#3113)

Problems fixed in older versions

Service start problem on Windows 2008: CHARON Service Manager cannot detect state of CHARON service correctly (ID#2266)
The message "MODEL NOT INSTALLED" occurs when trying to start Charon on Windows 7/2008/2008R2/Vista via the Launcher utility. Workaround: Run the "Launcher.exe" utility from Administrator (right click of the mouse on the executable, "run from Administrator" option). (ID#2557)
The message "Failed to locate the "TTAx" for the line xx" displayed for intentionally not configured TTA lines is removed (ID#2650)
A problem stopping CHARON if it is running service in "automatic" mode from the CHARON Service Manager utility. (ID#2624)
Sometimes the "Failed to create symbolic link to the packet driver" error blocks CHARON-AXP normal networking despite its configuration is correct (ID#2554, 3182)
UETP fails on a tape image if CHARON runs on VMware (ID#2427)
Unable to install AS2x00/AS4x00 emulators ("--install" command) (ID#2294)
Windows Server 2008 CN: "Invisible" Installation Log (empty log file) (ID#2678)
ds10l.exe installation fails on Win2008 Chinese version (ID#2685)
DE435 is offline with VMS 6.2-1H3 on AS4100 (ID#2680)
The firmware does not detect DE450 adapter and therefore does not print it in the device list (ID#2652)
DE450 remains OFFLINE in VMS (ID#2653)
Problem using CDROM on an HP blade server via USB (ID#2651)
Digital UNIX 4.0B fails to install on AlphaServer 400 (ID#2631)
Console logs are not appended to by default (ID#2628)
AS400 Emulator crash while installing Digital UNIX 4.0F (ID#2619)
AS2000 and AS2100 unable to "create an instance of the component dec_21040" (ID#2597)
Incorrect behavior on HALT command in kernel mode (ID#2595)
ES40 Emulator crashed when performing the SWINGBENCH test (ID#2586)
"-FILE" boot option of the SRM console was not implemented (ID#2102)
A file "mkdisk.vtable" is absent in the kit -- without it MKDISK cannot start (ID#2589).
The configuration template for the AS400 model has incorrect HW_MODEL syntax and is missing the PKB bus (ID#2373).
Incorrect text encoding in the NetDiag help on Chinese systems (ID#2373).
Tru64 V5.1B was unable to load driver for DEC 21040 PCI Ethernet Adapter (ID#2304).
CHARON-AXP crashed on UETP test (ID#2348).
Ticket #7079: Charon crashed on a production system with segmentation violation (ID#2389)
The old .BIN files lead to CHARON misbehavior. It should be replaced for new one (ID#2447)
A disk device goes offline suddenly with the "mount verification in progress" message (ID#2512)
Tru64/tar utility is unable to write if the output device is a tape. (ID#2383)
Failed to unload the virtual tape on Tru64. (ID#2385)
VMS 7.2-1 booted on DS10L and DS20 with FC Pass-Through enabled hangs VMS. (ID#2390)
Some configured disks disappeared from the OpenVMS environment (SRM console) under CHARON-AXP/B108 AS4100.(ID#2393)
CHARON-AXP/ES40 is unable to boot Tru64 from FC attached disk (ID#2412).
TOY data (including data/time) is not saved (ID#2414).
Install procedure does not issue warnings when unsupported host platform is used (ID#2431).
Putty Console does not work (no proper session is available) when CHARON-AXP runs as a service (ID#2452).
Ticket #7682: "BOOT EWA0" command in the SRM console leads to the emulators hanging (ID#2469).
ID#2470 - Ticket #7684: BOOT DKA500 may boot from wrong device.
ID#2471 - Ticket #7687: Pressing "F6" button terminates emulator. The default behavior has been changed to "none".
Ticket #7716: SRM console HELP command is missing (ID#2472).
Network Control Center utility does not recognize teamed interfaces (ID#2331)
Some license messages are absent in the LOG file, for example "the license is expired" (ID#2040)
NFS issue: "cp" command never ends and the "cp" process becomes zombie (ID#2257)
SRM variables get saved in wrong console variables (ID#2295)
Handling of some exceptional cases in DIT2 due to resource lock must be implemented to avoid possible overflow (ID#2404).
Grammar error in message text: some typos have been corrected (ID#2428)
Embedded network adapters and additional ones (having the same name) conflict without any notification (ID#2429)
System hangs OpenVMS 7.1-2 with printing jobs (ID#2441)
Compilation of C code using FP flags /FLOAT=IEEE /IEEE=DENORM result in zero values (ID#2446)
log_method="append" does not work if specified separately from the other configuration commands for the logging definition (ID#2450).
Utilities help does not start on "F1" on Windows 2008 / Vista operating systems (ID#2498)
Ultrium tape drive fails on all VMS commands (ID#2386)
Ticket #7774: Problems NDIS6 driver - memory leak was found (ID#2490)
Many question marks sometimes displayed in the Network Control Center Chinese help file (ID#2373)
Tape error: "-BACKUP-F-NOTANSI, tape is not valid ANSI format" (ID#2521)
Exception (C0000005): Segmentation violation occurs on different configuration and applications (ID#2527, 2528, 2534, 2510)
The OpenVMS V8.3 CPUSANITY bugcheck while performing KGPSA initialization
Outgoing FTP hang problem on GS80/GS160 models (ID#1999)
A problem with Fortran compiled code generating exceptions (ID#145)
Several problems with physical tapes including tape initialization, label handling, tape restore and Files-11 file system on the tape
A problem reporting version 2.2 instead of 2.3 in the SRM console
A problem with VMS freezing during shutdown
A problem with freezing VMS boot after "%PKQDRIVER-W- PKA0, Chip reset failed, trying again" error message
A problem with EW devices not showing up at AS2x00 CRM console
A problem with multi instance configuration preventing more than one CHARON-AXP instance from running
A problem with certain CPU affinity configurations causing "division by zero" crash
"Back" button does not always work during installation
An error message could appear during uninstallation of CHARON-AXP through Control Panel
Setting particular disk and tape types with media_type parameter on KZPBA is not supported for \\PhysicalDriveX configuration style
Emulated PCI network adapter DE435 is not recognized in the AXP SRM console, however it is recognized and works for the guest OS.
CHARON-AXP may wrongly report that no license is present if the correct license is present.
Too many scheduled starts and stops of CHARON-AXP service in a short period of time could cause CHARON-AXP crash.
AlphaServer model 2100 could have problems with initializing of the network controller (DECchip 21040).
CHARON Network Control Center utility does not have proper Simplified Chinese interface.
Ultrium SCSI-1 DAT-72 tape drives currently do not work with CHARON-AXP.
Virtual tape cannot be unloaded and container file replaced on Tru64.

New functionality introduced in previous releases

New functionality introduced in version 4.5 build 153-07

CHARON-AXP is supported on VMware ESXi from version 4.1 Update 1 up to version 5.5
New emulated models AlphaServer DS15, AlphaServer DS25 and AlphaServer ES45 have been added to corresponding products CHARON-AXP/DS10, CHARON-AXP/DS20, and CHARON-AXP/ES40 (ID#3523)
Configurable WWID for virtual KGPSA adapter (ID#3875)
DG devices may contain up to 5 digits in their names, for example DGA15000 (ID#3790)
SRM Console version, OpenVMS PALcode version and Tru64 UNIX PALcode version can be explicitly set (ID#3870)
All the help files have been converted to CHM format (ID#3818)
"PhysicalDrive" specification may include drive number, serial number or WWID (ID#3667)
"system_serial_number" setting is introduced to set AlphaServer's serial number (ID#4096)
Command line version of the Mkdisk utility is able to report progress of disk creation (ID#3793)
PCI board (HBA) model is logged in CHARON log file (ID#3801)
InstallShell is able to upgrade old NDIS5/6 driver installed by other CHARON kit (ID#3819)
"hasp_view" utility has been improved for Sentinel SL (EMS) HASP AdminMode license (ID#3847)

New functionality introduced in version 4.4 build 148-02

CHARON-AXP version changed to 4.5. A license update is required (ID#3701)
CHARON-AXP is supported on VMware ESXi 5.1
CHARON Production license dongle could be replaced with Backup or Spare dongle, and vice versa, without stopping CHARON. The backup/spare dongle is only accepted if CHARON instance configuration parameters remain unchanged (ID#3690)
CHARON license expiration date can be updated without stopping CHARON. Please notice that CHARON instance configuration parameters for active instances should remain unchanged (amount of CPU's etc.) (ID #2966, #3206)
A beta version of CHARON Web User Interface (WebUI) is introduced. WebUI components could be selected in the installation procedure
Network license protection is supported by CHARON-AXP. Network licensing is available from Stromasys as a service (ID#3095, 3546)
HASP_View utility is improved in order not to decrease Backup license counter (for Sentinel HASP section only), to detect Remote Desktop sessions and to view Network licenses (ID#3310, 3742, 3757, 3539, 3637)
Log rotation mechanism and improved log filtering is implemented. New log file is created once a week (ID#2281, 2608, 2989)
Missing license on startup is now logged (ID#3116, 3775)
Console log can be stored in a separate file (ID#3587)
Console variable "date" is implemented in order to read date and time from the host OS (ID#2743)
"geometry" CFG file option is introduced to specify size of tape image and, optionally, size of "early-warning" area at the end of tape image (ID#2561)
\\Changer device class has been implemented to provide access to tape changer devices on Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 (ID#3369)
Installation procedure is improved, silent (batch) mode is implemented (ID#3618, 3532, 3388)
CHARON Launcher improvements: updates CHARON services instead of recreating them; reads rotated log files (ID#3679, 3501, 3723, 3550, 3752)
Service Manager utility is improved (ID#3724, 3550)
CHARON Emulex PassThrough driver supports HP 82E 8Gb Dual-port PCI-e FC HBA (ID#3739)
Configuration templates are updated; CPU architecture, AXP model, system ID, and LURT could be set in the config file. CHARON rejects illegal set of parameters (ID#3260, 3307, 3511, 3541)
Network Control Center reports critical issues even in silent mode (ID#3617)

New functionality introduced in version 4.2 build 142-02

CHARON-AXP version changed to 4.2.
CHARON-AXP is supported on VMware ESXi 5.0
Emulated DEC-KGPSA-CA (Emulex LP8000 FC PCI) controller is introduced, providing users with ability to access container files and physical drives/LUNs as virtual SAN disks. Please refer to the user manual for the configuration details
Shared storage clustering support based on shared physical SCSI storage is introduced for Tru64
Shared storage clustering support based on emulated SAN disks/LUNs is introduced. VMS and Tru64 5.1 shared storage clusters are supported. Tru64 4.x shared disk clusters are not supported in the current release.
NetApp SAN storage support is introduced
"geometry" option has been added to the KZPBA controller (ID#3330)
Disk I/O performance is improved by deep queueing of I/O requests
TL891 hardware tape library support is introduced
Virtual tape size could be limited through CHARON-AXP configuration file
Virtual CDROM container file can be replaced without stopping CHARON
SRM console variable "date" is introduced. Accessing this variable from VMS/Tru64 provides them with the time read from the hosting server
CHARON-AXP automatically replaces the old .ROM file with a new one on the first run after CHARON-AXP upgrade. Please notice that ROM parameters have to be reconfigured
CHARON-AXP installation and uninstallation does not require CHARON-AXP license to be present
CHARON-AXP Spare license is supported (limited by support contract expiration date and execution counter). License viewing utility is updated
Some CHARON-AXP DIT cache parameters are configurable. Those options are available under Stromasys field engineering supervision only
A standalone utility to monitor CHARON log file and trigger an external batch in case of CHARON-AXP license failure is introduced (ID#2415)
The CHARON Service Manager removes all the installed services on complete CHARON deinstallation
CHARON-AXP configuration templates are updated to reflect new configuration options

New functionality introduced in version 4.1 build 129-04

CHARON-AXP version changed to 4.1.
CHARON-AXP is supported on VMware ESXi 4.1 update 1.
CHARON-AXP comes with the maximum amount of RAM allowed by emulated model. Please refer to the product SPDs for the details.
The following license information could be updated without stopping CHARON-AXP: expiration date and backup time counter. This change allows CHARON evaluation or annual licenses to be updated "on the fly" to the permanent production licenses or to the next year annual licenses. Please notice that other CHARON configuration parameters should remain unchanged.
Additional CHARON-AXP instances and products could be added to the license "on the fly".
New Alpha emulated models are added to CHARON-AXP/4100 product:

AlphaServer 800 (single AXP CPU)
AlphaServer 1000 (single AXP CPU)
AlphaServer 1000A (single AXP CPU)
AlphaServer 1200 (dual AXP CPUs).

IDLE Utility is supported for single CPU Alpha emulators.
CHARON network packet driver name "packet_port" in CHARON configuration file has been made platform independent. It is still possible to use "ndis5_chpack_port" and "ndis6_chpack_port" names of the driver, however it's recommended to update CHARON-AXP configuration file (see section 5).
All network connections have "Half Duplex 10BaseT" mode by default.
The Installation procedure displays the End User Agreement and asks user to agree with it in order to proceed.
The CHARON Service Management Utility has been changed to be present in the Windows Tray at all times. It can be accessed and used to manage CHARON-AXP application

New functionality introduced in version 2.4 build 118-05

A new product, CHARON-AXP/GS320, is now available for AlphaServer GS320 replacements. Please refer to the SPD for details
A new emulated model AlphaServer 400 supporting 1 AXP CPU and up to 1 GB of memory is included into CHARON-AXP/4100
CHARON-AXP supports Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
The Network Control Center supports all AXP network interfaces
DCI-1100 is supported via the pass-through driver
Support of the PBXDA-BB and PBXDA-AC serial line adapters is available via the DIGI pass-through driver
Ctrl-P, CONTINUE and CRASH commands implemented in SRM console
CHARON utilities support for simplified Chinese Windows has been introduced
Logging message format and content has been improved. Logfiles are opened in append mode by default
The 'repeated messages' logging filter is enabled by default
MkDisk utility has been expanded to handle .VDISK metadata
A full de-installation removes all CHARON settings and files.
SRM Console and advanced network configuration settings have been documented

New functionality introduced in version 2.3 build 108-00

A new product, CHARON-AXP/4100, has been introduced. It supports the emulation of AlphaServer 2000, 2100, 4000, and 4100. The earliest supported guest OS versions are: VMS 6.2-1H3 and Tru64 4.0F. SPD is available from http://www.stromasys.com. Please refer to the CHARON-AXP manual for details.
CHARON-AXP is now delivered with half of the CPUs available for the particular model by default. For example, CHARON-AXP/GS80 can have up to eight AXP CPUs, hence the base license includes four CPUs.
Support for 64bit Windows Server 2008 Standard and Enterprise (SP2) Editions and 64bit Windows Vista Business (SP2) Edition.
Multiple instances of CHARON-AXP can run on a hosting server simultaneously. Please refer to the CHARON-AXP manual for details.
Connection to a physical FDDI network is supported using pass-through mechanism with physical DEPFA FDDI network adapter in the hosting server.
Emulated AXP CPU performance has been improved. Please see SPDs and Product Announcements for the details, which are available from http://www.stromasys.com
Significant network stability and performance gains after fixing a problem in the rx sequencer delay algorithm.
DE435 network adapter emulation has been introduced, supporting VMS versions 6.2-1H3 and later.
For disk and tape containers on KZPBA a particular type (for example, HSZ80) can be set using the media_type parameter, which may be necessary for Tru64 to recognize them.
The Internal disk table has been extended to recognize RZ1ED, RZ1EF disk types.

New functionality introduced in version 2.2 build 104-00

Fiber Channel (SAN attached) storage can be used with emulated PCI KGPSA adapter if a specific Emulex HBA is used in the hosting server. Please refer to the User Manual for the details. The SAN target has to be configured for CHARON-AXP guest operating system. The configuration has been tested with both OpenVMS and Tru64.
SRM console functionality had been improved to include FC configuration and booting commands.
On Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP physical SCSI disks and SAN LUNs can be attached to CHARON-AXP using \\.\ScsiN:X:Y:Z notation. Please check the manual for details. There are three formats supported:
\\.\SCSI<port-no>:<target-id>
\\.\SCSI<port-no>:<target-id>:<lun>
\\.\SCSI<port-no>:<path-no>:<target-id>:<lun>
iSCSI disks can be attached to KZPBA SCSI controller using \\.\PhysicalDrive notation provided that they are created with Microsoft iSCSI Initiator (other initiators have not been tested).
CHARON-AXP has Simplified Chinese interface and logfile if installed on Windows with Simplified Chinese localization.

Distribution and Installation

The kit is distributed as a standard CHARON installation. The installer version is 6.9.
Make sure there are no CHARON-AXP configurations running before the installation.
Run the "InstallShell.exe" file in the CHARON-AXP installation folder. Choose the products to install and proceed with suggested steps. Note that the distribution media may contain more products than allowed by your license.

Product Documentation and Knowledge Base