IRIX® 6.5.18 Release

As of November 8, 2002 IRIX 6.5.18 is releasing with all new systems shipping from SGI worldwide manufacturing centers.

The IRIX 6.5.18 release contains updates for both the maintenance (6.5.18m) and feature (6.5.18f) streams. This release continues the focus on stability, reliability, security and compatibility required in the IRIX 6.5.X quarterly release process.

Approximately 118 customer reported incidents are fixed in this release. In addition to bug fixes, the IRIX 6.5.18 maintenance path delivers several software enhancements and additional installation improvements. Since a major goal of the IRIX 6.5.X release process is to provide a feature stream as stable as the maintenance stream, the same bug fixes and software enhancements are also applied to the IRIX 6.5.18 feature path.

The general distribution process is through the online ordering system. IRIX 6.5.18m and 6.5.18f images are also available for download off Supportfolio.

Software Enhancements delivered by the IRIX 6.5.18 Feature Stream

Filesystems

  • CXFS Manager GUI adds XVM GUI functionality The CXFS Manager graphical user interface (GUI) has been enhanced to contain all of the XVM GUI functionality. Using the CXFS GUI in IRIX 6.5.18f or later release, you can view and configure CXFS filesystems as well as use drag-and-drop to structure volume topologies and administer XVM disks. Command buttons provide shortcuts to some tasks.

  • XVM snapshot feature The XVM snapshot feature provides the ability to create virtual point-in-time images of a filesystem without causing a service interruption. The snapshot feature requires a minimal amount of storage because it uses a copy-on-write mechanism that copies only the data areas that change after the snapshot is created. The XVM snapshot feature is supported in the CXFS XVM GUIs. Use of the XVM snapshot features requires a FLEXlm license.

  • XVM Volume Manager GUI as a standalone product In an environment without cluster services enabled, you can set up and administer logical volumes with the XVM Manager GUI as a standalone product.

  • CXFS Supports IRIX Client-Only Nodes As of 6.5.18f, IRIX nodes may now be CXFS client-only nodes, meaning that they run a minimal implementation of the CXFS and cluster services, and do not contain a copy of the CXFS cluster database. Client-only nodes are installed with the cxfs_client software product.

  • CXFS relocation disabled; CXFS recovery supported on standby nodes In 6.5.18f, CXFS relocation is disabled by default and CXFS recovery is supported only when using standby nodes. This includes recovery (when using standby nodes) of hierarchical storage management (HSM) products using the data management application programming interface (DMAPI).

  • CXFS upgrade: filesystem definitions The structure of the CXFS filesystem configuration was changed with the release of IRIX 6.5.13f. Backward compatibility with earlier versions is no longer maintained as of IRIX 6.5.14f, since all nodes in the cluster must be running the same or adjacent releases.

    If you are upgrading from IRIX 6.5.13f to 6.5.14f or later, there is no further impact. If you are upgrading from 6.5.12f or earlier, you must perform a one-time manual conversion of your CXFS filesystem definitions.

  • CXFS upgrade: cluster nodes For CXFS customers, if you install IRIX 6.5.18f including sysadm_base on a cluster node where the 6.5.13f or earlier version of CXFS is installed, you will need to upgrade to the 6.5.18f version CXFS (sysadm_cxfs) and install 6.5.18f sysadm_cluster.
IRIX 6.5.18 Maintenance and Feature Stream:

Filesystems

  • Support added for UDF filesystems The IRIX 6.5.18 release includes read-only support for the UDF filesystems format typically used for DVDs and packet-written CD-RWs. IRIX support for UDF filesystems does not, however, include support for playing DVD movies. DVDs will be automatically mounted by mediad in the same way that CD-ROMs are automatically mounted.
Device Drivers

  • QLFC enhanced driver messages QLFC has been enhanced to improve its output message format for messages logged to the console and SYSLOG.
Hardware Inventory Command

  • New hinv command support The hinv command with the -v option displays the PCI/PCI-X bus speed of QLogic fibrechannel adapters. The hinv -t scsictlr command displays the SCSI/fibrechannel adapters.
Real-Time

  • Processor timer load management Beginning with IRIX 6.5.18, a user is able to keep the interrupt and processing load generated by interval timers away from specific CPUs. This feature may reduce latency and jitter for real-time applications.
Resource Administration

  • Job limits support clarified Job limit values (rlim_t) are 64-bit in both n32 and n64 binaries. Consequently, n32 binaries can set 64-bit limits. o32 binaries cannot set 64-bit limits because rlim_t is 32-bits in o32 binaries. IRIX supports three Application Binary Interfaces (ABIs): o32, n64, and n32.
Checkpoint and Restart

  • Enhancements to atcheckpoint() and atrestart() At checkpoint time and at restart time, registered functions are called in the same order as the first-in-first-out order of their registration with atcheckpoint() or atrestart(), respectively. This is an important consideration for applications that need to register multiple callback handlers for checkpoint or restart events.
Graphic Workstations

  • New Falls screen saver The Falls screen saver is a new choice that can be selected from the IRIX screen saver control panel. It is an OpenGL depiction of a waterfall.
SGI Software Product Life Cycle Management

  • IRIX support policy In accordance with the SGI software product life cycle management strategy announced in November 2000, SGI will announce support mode changes for various software products on a quarterly basis. To view customer letters containing support mode changes announced since November 2000, as well as the latest IRIX Support Policy documents, visit the IRIX Support Policy Web page located at: http://support.sgi.com/news/support/index.html
Applications CD

  • The following products were added to the IRIX Applications CD:
    • Common Desktop Environment 5.3 (CDE)
    • Java2 v1.3.1_02 JRE
    • Java2 v1.3.1_02 JDK
    • Java2 v1.3.1_02 plugin

  • The following products contain enhancements or new features:
    • InSight, InSight Dev, and InSight Glossary
    • License Tools
    • SCSL
    • SGImeeting
    • Information Searching Execution Environment
    • Fulltest Indexing and Search Enviroment
IRIX 6.5 Application Compatibility Mandate

For those providers asking about quarterly recertification of applications, please take a moment and become acquainted with the application compatibility protections offered by IRIX 6.5. This is a very powerful mandate that allows an application to be developed under IRIX 6.5.X and be run on any IRIX 6.5.Y, regardless of whether Y > X, Y == X, or Y < x.

The Mandate of Application Compatibility in SGI IRIX 6.5 is at URL: http://techpubs.sgi.com/tpl.cgi/view/SGI_Developer/mandate_IRIX

Caveats to Read Before You Upgrade

Users are reminded to review the special "Caveats to Read Before You Upgrade" section of the online Welcome document. Visit the "Caveat and Release Note Updates" link at: http://support.sgi.com/6.5/caveat_updates.html for any late-breaking information.

IRIX 6.5.X Lookahead

IRIX 6.5.19 is in development and is planned to release mid-February, 2003