Decnet and the Powerhouse Licence Server

Tue, 23 Mar 1999 11:48:28 +1100

We logged a call with Cognos Sydney about an error generated by our license server. When we run out 
of (user) licences the following message is given to users when they try to run our Powerhouse 
application (a quick application launched from a command file):

%SYSTEM-E-ACCVIO, access violation, reason mask=!XB, virtual address=!XH, PC=!XH, PS=!XL 
%NONAME-W-NOMSG, Message number 00000000 
%SYSTEM-F-ABORT, abort 

Our call dealt with the lack of a suitable error message for users and support staff. Quiz supplies 
the following message in the same circumstances:

*E* Licensing: PH-AXP-RUNTIME(30) PH-AXP-REPORTING-ONLY PH-AXP-RUNTIME-WITH-REPORTING(10) 
PH-AXP-DEVELOPMENT(1) Licensed
number of users already reached (-4,132)

Version details:

VMS - Version 7.1 with the following patches

	ALPF11X02_071,  ALPLAT02_071, ALPRMS02_071, ALPSCSI02_071, ALPY2K01_071. 

DECnet (quoting from our Network Systems Manager)

	"DECnet has the same version number as the OS, because it's a System Integrated Product. We 
installed it at the same time, from the same CD-ROM, as VMS 7.1, so I guess the version number is 
7.1 as well. You may need to point out it's DECnet-Plus (i.e. DECnet Phase V, alias DECnet/OSI) as 
recommended by Digital/Compaq."

Powerhouse - version 710F2

We received the following reply from Cognos Support (no names no pack drill):

[start of response]

The bottom line is that you are running DECNET OSI (PHASE 5) and
the flex licensing is known to 
only work with DECNET PHASE 4.
So this error could be caused by running DECNET PHASE 4 as our 
Ottawa specialist tested your case on our machine and he gets the correct
error message.

This version is also known to add characters to the first line in the
license 
file as shown on 
your fax.  You can try cleaning out this characters.

Cannot guarantee that it will ever work with this version of DECNET.

Development is still working on this bug.

This call is marked as resolved.

[end of response]

Our Network Systems Manager has complained to us and I quote (easier than writing something new):

[start of quote]

 It is not acceptable for their licensing software (without which you can't use their products) to 
depend on DECnet at all, given that DECnet is an optional component of VMS, and would be an extra 
cost for most users who would be running some variety of TCP/IP. It is even worse for it to require 
a superseded version of DECnet: Compaq strongly advises DECnet users to upgrade to Phase 5 and 
charges them an extra fee for support for Phase 4. I'm sure Phase 4 support will stay around for a 
long time, but Cognos shouldn't enforce its use.

As for the problem being "resolved", they should find another word to describe the outcome. 

[end of quote]

Has anyone had similar problems? Is the reply from Cognos the last word?

John Hogan
Box Hill Institute
Melbourne Australia
Contact Address: j.hogan@bhtafe.edu.au
Home Page: http://www.bhtafe.edu.au/
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Subscribe: "subscribe powerh-l" in message body to majordomo@lists.swau.edu
Unsubscribe: "unsubscribe powerh-l" in message to majordomo@lists.swau.edu
powerh-l@lists.swau.edu is gatewayed one-way to bit.listserv.powerh-l
This list is closed, thus to post to the list, you must be a subscriber.