Conference azur::mcc

2921.0. "Hot spices: cma bl10" by TOOK::BURGESS () Sat May 02 1992 16:25

We are currently performing tests with CMA BL10 
to evaluate its possible use in the next release on DECmcc (VMS and ULTRIX).

As to be expected our *utterly awesome* test suite has uncovered
some early build and run-time problems with this new CMA baselevel
which promises performance improvements, bug fixes, and greater interoperablility
and compatibility for its layered clients.

It feels like continually breaking in new pairs of shoes...
I reckon that this exactly how the MCC clients feel.

\Pete

            <<< CLT::DISK$CLT_LIBRARY3:[NOTES$LIBRARY]CMA.NOTE;1 >>>
                           -< DECthreads Conference >-
================================================================================
Note 5.15                       CMA software kits                       15 of 15
R2ME2::BUTENHOF "Better Living Through Concurrency!" 49 lines  30-APR-1992 14:54
                       -< DECthreads BL10 announcement >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are pleased to announce that Baselevel 10 of DECthreads is now available for
internal use. You can find the various files in the following directory:

			CLT::CLT$LIBRARY:[CMA.KITS.BL10]

This baselevel is being made available to any internal Digital project that
wishes to use DECthreads BL10 and chooses, at its own discretion, to accept the
risks of depending on an unreleased version of DECthreads. 

DECthreads BL7 (with some minor updates) is now available in VAX VMS V5.5
and DEC OSF/1 V1.0 (also known as "Tin"). DECthreads BL10 will be available
in VAX VMS V6.0 ("Blade") and OpenVMS Alpha V1.0 FT2. We expect that BL10 or
a later baselevel will be released with the next version of DEC OSF/1
("Silver"), and also with a future version of the traditional BSD-based
ULTRIX on VAX and MIPS platforms.

If your product has a business requirement to make DECthreads BL10 available
with your product prior to its release on one or more operating systems,
please contact Jean Fullerton (CLT::J_FULLERTON), the DECthreads Engineering
Manager, to discuss packaging issues.

We appreciate your willingness to use and test DECthreads; and we welcome your
feedback. If you enter a QAR on DECthreads BL10, you should expect an answer
within 5 days (although in some cases it may take longer to completely resolve
and close the QAR).

The pthread interfaces will change as the IEEE 1003.4a POSIX thread standard
evolves (for those who have been holding their breath, 1003.4a/D6 balloting
closes on May 1, 1992). We have not yet determined whether we will enhance
DECthreads to conform to Draft 6, or whether we will wait until a final
standard is available. The DECthreads team is committed to maintaining
upwards compatibility in the Digital proprietary interface to DECthreads (the
"CMA" prefix interface).

The DECthreads release notes with instructions on which files to copy are in:

	CLT::CLT$LIBRARY:[CMA.KITS.BL10]BL10-NOTES.PS (or BL10-NOTES.TEXT)

To access this directory via DFS, use the following mount point (which
corresponds to the CLT$LIBRARY logical name on node CLT):

	.ZKO.S.CLT.KITS_1

If you have any questions about DECthreads that are not answered by the release
notes, please let us know. We hope use of BL10 goes smoothly. 

Enjoy! 

Your DECthreads project team

	For CMA bl10 for MCC_THREAD_CREATE2 the default stack size on ULTRIX has changed
	from (32k?) to less than 4k bytes.

	Programs which do not explicitly specify a stack size may no longer work.
	The symptoms are - with dbx :  segv trying to access a stack value
			wo dbx:  sendsig -- failed to grow stack

	The best programming practices would be to supply explicit stack size
	values with MCC_THREAD_CREATE2.


	

    Until developers fix their code (eg try selecting notification
    from the application menu) a work around is

    setenv MCC_STACK_EXTENSION 64