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Note 2.15                  Updates to the RPC software                  15 of 17
VXCERN::TIMBL "Tim Berners-Lee CERN/DD"             163 lines  25-OCT-1989 20:58
                           -< Version 2.4 Released >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Version 2.4 for VMS is now officially out. I hope I haven't made any
    serious blunders in preparing the files. The release notes follow. The
    major enhancement is working over TCP. Comments here or to VXCERN::RPC
    please.
    
    
    
    
    
	Release 2.4 of CERN/DD's Remote Procedure Call system		Oct 89
	-----------------------------------------------------

These release notes accompany a VMS distribution of the RPC system from CERN/DD
Online Group. This release covers the RPC compiler (RPCC) and the run time
support system for VAX/VMS.  The run time support systems for other
environments, and the utilities provided for managing distributed systems, are
available separately. 


	Installation
	------------

To install this software, DO NOT USE VMS/INSTAL. Just make a suitable directory
([XXX.RPC] below) and unwrap the files with BACKUP: 

 $ CREATE/DIR [XXX.RPC]
 $ BACKUP VXCRNB::DISK$D1:[RPC.DISTRIBUTION_KIT]RPC_VMS024.A/SAV [XXX.RPC]

The file SETUP.COM should be run at login time. It may be run from the system
or the user login command file:

 $ @[XXX.RPC]SETUP

When you install this software, please mail VXCERN::RPC with your name and
institute so that we can inform you of updates.

Version 2.4 is a back-compatible upgrade over version 2.3.  A summary of the
principal changes follows. (Differences between version 2.3 and earlier versions
are listed in the VAX/NOTES scheme VXCERN::RPC, topics 2.*). 

Note that the rpc compiler RPCC.EXE is linked to run on VMS V5 systems. If you
are still using VMS V4, then you must relink it from the object module
provided:

	$ LINK/NOTRACEBACK/EXE=RPCC.EXE RPCC.OBJ

_______________________________________________________________________________

	Differences of Version 2.4 from Version 2.3
	-------------------------------------------

Compiler:

    o	The PRAGMA CAST allows rpcs to be streamed.  If a procedure has
	no OUT parameters, and you are running over a reliable medium
	(NOT raw ethernet or rs232), then the pragma allows you to
	supress the return message, so that the client can procede
	immediately without waiting for a reply.  This takes full advantage
	of protocols such as DECnet and TCP which handle streams of messages
	efficiently.

    o	PILS substrings, in C, have indeces running 1..n (like in pascal)
	rather than 0..n-1.

    o	A bug has been fixed in the passing of records in C.

    o	A bug, which caused the compiler to loop if a very long command line
	qualifier was given, has been fixed.

    o	A bug has been fixed in the pasing of records containing strings
	by FORTRAN clients.

Run Time Libraries:

    o	Option files have been produced, as some system libraries
	should be linked with user code, along with the RPC library chosen.
	Therfore, in your command file, use /OPT instead of /LIB:

	e.g.	$ LINK MYCLIENT, CLIXX, RPC$LIB/OPT

    o	A library (RPC$LIBC) is provided for running over TCP/IP, when
	one programs in C.
	Stubs should be compiled RPCC/SGENERICC=.../CGENERICC and
	then CC without the /DEFINE=VAXVMS qualifier. For TCP addressing
	formats, see the v2.4 RPC User Manual. Examples are:

	    UXOCB1:1234.TCP		Connect to port 1234 on node UXOCB1

	    123.12.43.67:1234.TCP	Connect to port 1234, node 123.12.43.67

	    *:1234.TCP			Serve all connections to port 1234

	This library requires the wolongong WIN/TCP product to be installed.

	This is the first release of RPC$LIBC, so we are particularly
	interested in feedback from users.

	This library has a 1500 byte limit on parameters passed; the library
	RPC$LIBC8K is the same has a 8000 byte limit.

    o	The addressing format .CATS has been removed. If you want to
	use ISO TP4 or X25 media, then specify .IEEE or .X25 respectively.

    o	A bug has been fixed in the returning of DECNET names by
	RPC_CALLER_ADDRESS

Unix connection:

	Operation over TCP allows communication with Unix systems and
	derivatives. For these systems, source files are available separately
	to be recomplied on your machine. These files also run on OS9.

Documentation:

    o	This is not shipped with the tape. Copies of the RPC User Manual
	may be obtained from Anne Perrelle as below.