VMS PROPATH error (293) when running programs on AppServer
PROBLEM: A Progress client will receive the error 'File not found'
(293) when running a program using AppServer V8.1a on VMS from a
direcotry other than the working directory of the process who
originally started the AppServer broker.
SOME VMS HISTORY:
When a process spawns a child process on VMS the child process does
not carry over the characteristics of the parent process. Instead,
it is treated as a new process logging into the system and
automatically executes the SYS$MANAGER:SYLOGIN.COM and
SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.COM command scripts. In order to start a broker on
VMS you must always verify that the logicals are properly setup
in either of these files.
In Version 7, Progress provided a DLC:PROGRESS_SETUP.COM command
script which includes defining logicals, installed executables in
shared memory, etc. to assist customers. This is usually added the
the SYS$MANAGER:SYSLOGIN.COM or SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.COM command files.
With Version 8.1A and Appserver, the Progress code included the
following piece of code which automatically executed the
DLC:PROGRESS_SETUP.COM file.
SET DEF SYS$LOGIN
DEFINE/NOLOG DLC "<installation directory>"
IF F$SEARCH("DLC:PROGRESS_SETUP.COM") .NES. "" THEN
@DLC:PROGRESS_SETUP.COM
SOME APPSERVER HISTORY:
When you start an AppServer broker you must set the following
logicals in order for the AppServer to behave properly.
DEFINE PROAPBK BIN:_PROAPBK.EXE
DEFINE PROAPSV BIN:_PROAPSV.EXE
DEFINE PROPATH "<program directory1,program directory2,etc>"
Where <program directory> are the directories where the application
programs exist in. When a Progress client connects to the AppServer
and runs an Application Program, it first searches the PROPATH set
prior to the AppServer broker starting. When the
DLC:PROGRESS_SETUP.COM command script is executed it redefines the
PROPATH to the following, ignoring the other directories it was
previously set to:
DEFINE PROPATH
",<instpath>/TTY,<instpath>,<instpath>/BIN,<instpath>/PROBUILD/EUCAPP"
Therefore, a Progress Client connecting to a VMS AppServer broker can
only execute programs in the home directory of the user who started
the AppServer originally (denoted by the comma in PROPATH).
RESOLUTION:
There will be no modifications to the Progress commerical code as
Version 8.1a is the last release for the VMS platform. However, there
are two workarounds to enabling progress clients run programs on the
AppServer in other directories.
Option 1: Rename the DLC:PROGRESS_SETUP.COM command script so that
the Progress code will not locate the file and execute it. This will
retain the original PROPATH logical prior to the AppServer broker
starting. This is the recommended option.
Option 2: Modify the DLC:PROGRESS_SETUP.COM file to include those
program directories in the propath. This is not the recommended
option as many systems have several applications which may use
a different group of directories.
9/9/97
Progress Software Technical Support Note # 17231