VMSSL EXEC DOES NOT PROPERLY HANDLE UNFORMATTED TRANSITION DISK
APAR Identifier ...... PK12501 Last Changed ........ 05/10/21
VMSSL EXEC DOES NOT PROPERLY HANDLE UNFORMATTED TRANSITION DISK
Symptom ...... IN INCORROUT Status ........... CLOSED PER
Severity ................... 3 Date Closed ......... 05/10/13
Component .......... 5735FAL00 Duplicate of ........
Reported Release ......... 510 Fixed Release ............ 999
Component Name TCP/IP V2 FOR V Special Notice
Current Target Date .. Flags
SCP ...................
Platform ............
Status Detail: SHIPMENT - Packaged solution is available for
shipment.
PE PTF List:
PTF List:
Release 3A0 : UK08125 available 05/10/21 (1000 )
Release 440 : UK08126 available 05/10/21 (1000 )
Release 510 : UK08127 available 05/10/21 (1000 )
Parent APAR:
Child APAR list:
ERROR DESCRIPTION:
Customer is configuring the SSL server for initial use. A
minidisk other than that provided with the z/VM system has
been designated for use as the SSL server transition minidisk.
However, this minidisk has not been CMS formatted prior to
initialization of the SSL server. SSL server initialization
reports the messages that follow:
DTCSSL2426E Disk xxxx is not linked.
DTCSSL2429I Attempting to define VDISK for use as TRANSDEVICE
DTCSSL2437E Unexpected result from command: DEFINE VFB-512 xxxx
DTCSSL2437E RC=92
DTCSSL2430E VDISK definition failed
DTCSSL2431W DTCPARMS values cannot be passed to the SSL server
Server initialization continues and Linux is IPLed, but
Linux initialization problems are encountered due to the
lack of a transition device.
LOCAL FIX:
None.
PROBLEM SUMMARY:
****************************************************************
* USERS AFFECTED: All users of the z/VM TCP/IP SSL Server. *
****************************************************************
* PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: Error processing in the VMSSL EXEC for *
* handling an unformatted or otherwise *
* inaccessible SSL server transition *
* minidisk requires improvement. *
****************************************************************
* RECOMMENDATION: APPLY PTF *
****************************************************************
When the VMSSL EXEC is used to initialize the z/VM SSL server,
logic within this exec writes configuration data to a designated
'transition' minidisk so that configuration parameters can be
passed to the 'vmssl' daemon that runs once Linux has
initialized. If problems are encountered when this disk is
accessed, the VMSSL EXEC then will attempt to make use of an
in-storage virtual disk (VDISK) to propagate the given
configuration data. However, the ability to define and use such
a device is controlled by the z/VM system configuration (which
by default does not define storage for this purpose). Thus, the
fall-back attempt to use a VDISK can itself fail, and selected
configuration parameters still might not be passed to the Linux
environment as expected. In addition, the use of differing
device types under the described failure scenarios might also
introduce later Linux initialization problems when device checks
performed.
From investigating various failure scenarios, it has been
determined that the current transition disk error handling
should be simplified and modified to cancel server
initialization when a problem is identified.
PROBLEM CONCLUSION:
Logic within the VMSSL EXEC 'PlaceOnDisk' routine has been
modified to better report CMS access problems associated with
the SSL server transition minidisk, and to cancel the server
initialization process in the event of such a problem. With
these changes, the 'GetVdisk' routine is no longer
required; thus, this routine and any associated calls to it
have been removed.
TEMPORARY FIX:
COMMENTS:
MODULES/MACROS: VMSSL
SRLS: NONE
RTN CODES:
CIRCUMVENTION:
MESSAGE TO SUBMITTER: