What's new for V5R4

Changed functions

• Call log

  Call logs are important records of the data that flows to or from the modem during a PPP session. They are saved or deleted based on the Start TCP/IP Point-to-Point (STRTCPPTP) command OUTPUT parameter (*ERROR or *PRINT or *NONE).

  In previous releases, call log spooled files were named call lognnnnnn, where nnnnnn was the job number of the nnnnnn/QTCP/QTPPPSSN job.

  In V5R4, all PPP sessions run in thread nnnnnn/QTCP/QTPPPCTL. Call log spooled files are named CLmmmmmmmm, where mmmmmmmm is the thread ID. This allows you to match session messages in the QTPPPCTL job log (which have a Thread .... 00000028 field) with the corresponding call log.

• QTPPPSSN and QTPPPL2SSN

  • QTPPPSSN and QTPPPL2SSN (L2TP) jobs are PPP session jobs in releases prior to IBM^® i5/OS™ V5R4. They were started and ended with STRTCPPTP and End Point-to-Point TCP/IP (ENDTCPPTP) commands or by QTPPPL2TP when a tunnel was established or ended. They can also be started or ended automatically as links were started or ended by the multilink protocol.

    As of V5R4, PPP no longer uses QTPPPSSN and QTPPPL2SSn jobs. Sessions run as threads in QTPPPCTL.

  • In releases prior to i5/OS V5R4, Work with Point-to-Point TCP/IP Profiles (WRKTCPPTP) command option 14 (Work with job) brought up the active session job. Occasionally it will start QTPPPL2TP if there was no active PPP session for the L2TP profile.

    In V5R4, WRKTCPPTP option 14 brings up QTPPPCTL if a session thread is active in that job.

• Message log

  In V5R4, there is a new message log spooled file for session messages. It collects messages from the session thread, messages from the initial thread that are the result of work on the behalf of the session, and messages from spawned processes into one spooled file.

  A message log spooled file is named MLmmmmmmmm, where mmmmmmmm is the thread ID. This allows the matching of call logs, message logs, and session messages in the QTPPPCTL job log (which have a Thread .... 00000028 field).

• QTPPPCTL and QTPPPL2TP

  In V5R4, QTPPPCTL job uses multiple system threads to run sessions as threads instead of as separate processes (QTPPPSSN and QTPPPL2SSN).

  QTPPPCTL job starts a secondary session and link threads to replace the old QTPPPSSN and QTPPPL2SSN session and link jobs.

  QTPPPCTL job is returned on application programming interfaces (APIs) and the iSeries™ Navigator GUI when session jobs are requested.

• Ethernet adapters

  In V5R4, the list of Ethernet adapters that support PPPoE expands to include type 2743, 2760, 2838, 2849, 287F, 5700, 5701, 5706, 5707, and 573A Ethernet adapters.

• PPPoE

  In V5R4, PPPoE can share the same adapter as IPv4 and IPv6 traffic.

How to see what's new or changed

To help you see where technical changes have been made, this information uses:

• The image to mark where new or changed information begins.
• The image to mark where new or changed information ends.

To find other information about what's new or changed this release, see the Memo to users.