Ixia Software Release Notes
IxOS 8.41 EA
Build Number: 8.41.1410.5 (January 24, 2017)


About This Release 

IxOS 8.41 EA is an EA Early Adopter release. This release consolidates all releases since the last release.  It supports Ixia's latest chassis, load modules and software applications that are compatible with this release. 
Ixia is pleased to announce the release the K400 400GE CFP8 and QSFP-DD load modules in this release.

  

Application Compatibility
 The following application releases support IxOS 8.41 EA:

 
      

              Application
              IxOS 8.41 EA
          

      
         
          

              BPS
              Not Supported
          
       
	  

              FLIX OS
              2017.2.0.4 (XGS2-HS & XGS12-HS)
2017.2.77.17 (XGS2-HSL/XGS12-HSL/NovusONE/PSONE)		
          
	 
	  

              HLTAPI
              8.41 EA
          

	  

              IxANVL
              Not Supported
          

	  

              IxChariot
              Not Supported
          

          

              IxLoad
              Not Supported
          

          

              IxNetwork
              8.41 EA
          

          

              IxVM
              Not Supported
          

          

              Licensing
              5.00 EA
          

          

              Metronome
              1.1 EA
          

      




In addition, current interoperability and compatibility coverage for IxOS 
8.41 EA can also be retrieved using the on-line compatibility tool:

http://www.ixiacom.com/support-overview/product-support/product-compatibility-matrix

Licensing 

Ixia Licensing

Any chassis which runs IxServer must have an IxOS license installed on it. 

IxOS 8.41 EA ships with Ixia Licensing 5.00 EA.

IxLicensing 5.00 EA upgrades IxLicensing 4.60 EA and earlier versions. If this is upgraded on release 3.xx, 
Ixia Licensing Utility (ILU) and License Server Plus (LS+) will replace Ixia Registration Utility (IRU)
and License Server (LS). 

Some of the key benefits of this new licensing system are:

    - Simplified activation procedure
    - Improves offline activation using Request files.  
    - Enhanced Host ID calculation to increase uniqueness of Host ID.
    - Allows remote activation of licenses
    - Allows configuration of Proxy settings


For more information about the new IxLicensing system, please refer to the
"Ixia Licensing Management User Guide" provided with the Ixia software, or downloadable
from the Ixia web site.



Installing a License

Ixia Licensing 5.00 EA upgrades Ixia Licensing 4.60 EA and prior versions on the 
machines. If the setup is upgraded from versions prior to 5.00,
the setup cannot be reverted to the previous version and will need to stay at 5.00 EA after the upgrade.

This upgrade can be performed in below 2 ways:

  - Ixia Registration Utility (IRU) to Ixia Licensing Utility (ILU)
  - Previous version of Ixia Licensing Utility (ILU) to the latest version of Ixia Licensing Utility (ILU)

In case of IRU to ILU upgrade, ILU will override IRU and its registration numbers will be migrated as
activation codes in ILU.

During installation the system checks the connectivity with Ixia Licensing web servers. 
Based on the connectivity, you can perform the upgrade in the following ways:

  - Online Migration
  - Offline Migration



Prerequisite Installation Notes

Ixia Licensing 5.00 EA installs .Net 4.0 on Chassis and .Net 4.5.1 on Clients  and VM Chassis.
 
NOTE: Ixia Licensing 5.00 EA installs .Net 4.5.1 on client machines. If an older
      release of an Ixia product containing .Net 4.0 hotfix is installed on top
      of this release, .Net 4.0 hotfix installation may fail. The workaround is
      to uninstall .Net 4.5.1 and then reinstall the older release of Ixia
      product and then modify this release of Ixia Licensing.



Additional Documentation for Licensing

 
Please refer to our website at http://support.ixiacom.com/support-services/product-support/user-guides

You will be required to provide a login and password to enter this section of 
the web site. If you do not have the username and password, please forward your 
request to support@ixiacom.com.

Installation Notes 

Installation on XGS2-SD and XGS12-SD chassis

Starting from IxOS 8.40 EA, the XGS2-SD and XGS12-SD chassis can optionally be converted
to run Native IxOS, for improved stability and performance.
The conversion removes the Microsoft Windows Operating System, and replaces it with IxOS running natively on the chassis.
Once complete the chassis are effectively converted to XGS2-SDL and XGS12-SDL. 
For more information, including the conversion process procedure, please
read the Converting_XGS_SD_to_Native_IxOS.pdf document available on the IxOS Downloads And Update page
(https://support.ixiacom.com/ixos-840-ea)

For installation on Windows, Please follow the Windows Chassis Installation Requirements below.


Installation on XGS2-HS and XGS12-HS chassis

Starting from IxOS 8.13 EA, the XGS2-HS and XGS12-HS chassis can optionally be converted
to run Native IxOS, for improved stability and performance.
The conversion removes the Microsoft Windows Operating System, and replaces it with IxOS running natively on the chassis.
Once complete the chassis are effectively converted to XGS2-HSL and XGS12-HSL. 
For more information, including the conversion process procedure, please
read the Converting_XGS_and_PSOne_to_Native_IxOS.pdf document available on the IxOS Downloads And Update page
(https://support.ixiacom.com/ixos-840-ea)

For installation on Windows, Please follow the Windows Chassis Installation Requirements below.


Windows Chassis Installation Requirements

When installing IxOS 8.41 EA on a chassis, a minimum of 512MB of installed 
RAM and a minimum 2.5GB of free disk space on Drive C: is required. 
 
If your chassis does not meet these requirements, please contact Customer Support
at  support@ixiacom.com or 1-877-FOR-IXIA about appropriate upgrades.
 
On heavily loaded chassis configurations, 1GB of RAM is recommended.
 
 
NOTE: Non-English versions of the Windows operating system are not supported.
 
NOTE: When installing from CD, some virus scanning configurations present 
      a malicious code alert during execution of the Windows autorun feature. If
      this occurs, right-click the CD-ROM drive icon in Explorer and 'Explore' 
      the CD. At the root of the CD, double-click on the index.htm file.

NOTE: "Untrusted publisher" dialog box appears when installing on Windows 7.  
      Microsoft has issued a hotfix to resolve this issue. It is included in the IxOS installer 
      and requires a reboot early in the installation process, if not already installed.
      Please refer to the following Microsoft knowledgebase item for more information: 
      2921916


Installation Features

The IxOS installation program offers the user a selection of five installation 
options: Client, Server, Demo Server, Tcl Server, and Hardware Manager. The 
Server option is normally chosen for installation on Ixia chassis. The Demo 
Server option should NOT be chosen for chassis installations: it is used for 
client installations.

 

Server Configuration Options

There are three options offered for configuring IxOS server operations: Service,
Startup, and Manual (None). 

1. The Service option creates a Windows service for IxServer which can be 
   managed via the Windows Service Control Manager. Desktop shortcuts are not 
   created when using this option. However, Start Menu shortcuts are still 
   available. The usual IxServer user interface is not available. As a result, 
   configuration of IxServer (or Tcl Server) requires the user to stop the 
   services and invoke the server via the Start Menu shortcuts. Once the 
   configuration is complete,  the servers can be closed via the user interface, 
   and the service restarted.

   NOTE: Presently, Telnet connectivity is unavailable when Tcl Server is 
         configured to run as a service.
      
2. The Startup option starts IxServer when any user logs on to the chassis. 
   Start Menu shortcuts are also created.

3. The Manual(None) option simply creates Desktop and Start Menu shortcuts. 
   IxServer and/or Tcl Server are not automatically started when the user logs
   in to the machine or the machine is rebooted. 

   NOTE: Regardless of the service option selection, Demo Server is always configured
         to operate manually.

      

Tcl Version Option

IxOS is now shipping with Active State Tcl 8.5. When Client is selected for 
installation, the user is offered to install Tcl 8.5. If you select Tcl 8.5, 
be sure that your Tcl-based applications will run under this version. 
 
NOTE: When using IxOS 8.41 EA, the Tix 8.5 Tcl extension is delivered
with the Tcl 8.5 installation.

NOTE: If the Solaris TCL console doesn't start because it's missing libiconv or libgcc,
follow these steps:
1. extract the archives on the Solaris machine
2. run the commands:
    pkgadd -d libgcc-3.3-sol10-sparc-local
    pkgadd -d libiconv-1.14-sol10-sparc-local
    pkgadd -d libintl-3.4.0-sol10-sparc-local



Operating System Support


Client PC

Windows: 
  - Windows 2008 Server 64-bit   
  - Windows 7 Enterprise 32-bit
  - Windows 7 Enterprise 64-bit
  - Windows 7 Professional 32-bit
  - Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
  - Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit
  - Windows 2012 Server Standard R2 64-bit
  - Windows 8.1 Enterprise 32-bit and  64-bit
  - Windows 10 Pro

The support for the following Operating System has been dropped starting with IxOS 8.21 EA;
  - Windows Vista Enterprise SP2 32-bit and 64-bit - DROPPED

The support for the following Operating System has been dropped starting with IxOS 8.30 EA;
  - Windows XP Professional 32-bit SP3 - DROPPED

UNIX:
  - Fedora Core 14
  - RedHat Enterprise 5.0

Other versions of UNIX platforms may operate properly, but are not officially supported.

VMWare:
  - Server 1.0.2
  - Server 2.0


Chassis

  - Windows XP Professional 32-bit SP3
  - Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit
  
NOTE: The following foreign languages are supported on the chassis running the
above Windows versions:
  - Chinese (traditional and simplified)
  - French
  - German
  - Hebrew
  - Italian
  - Japanese
  - Spanish
  - Swedish


Chassis Management Console Browser Requirements
 

 
      

              Application
              Version
          

      
         
          

              Google Chrome
              32 or newer
          
       
	  

              Mozilla Firefox
              26 or newer
          
	 
	  

              Microsoft Internet Explorer
              11 or newer
          

	  

              Apple Safari
              9.1.3 or newer
          

      




UNIX Installation Notes

In order to run the IxOS GUI client installer on a Unix machine, your client machine must be configured with
an operational X-windows server.

Be sure to set your DISPLAY environment variable to the host name or IP address 
of the client machine on which you want the installer GUI to display. Below are 
examples for setting the DISPLAY environment variable using various shells. If 
you need environment configuration assistance beyond this, please consult your 
System Administrator.

 // enable connections to X Server
 xhost + or xhost [remote hostname]
 
 // set DISPLAY environment variable
  // determine shell
  echo $SHELL

  // depending on what shell you use - Bourne shell (bsh or sh), 
  // Bash (bash- Bourne shell again), C shell (csh) or Korn shell (ksh); 
  // set DISPLAY environment variable:

   // bash:
   export DISPLAY=hostname:0
   
   // bsh or ksh:
   DISPLAY=hostname:0
   export DISPLAY
 
   // csh:
   setenv DISPLAY hostname:0 
   
   
If you are updating an existing installation, be sure to run the installer as the
same user who initially installed the software.

Always run the uninstaller prior to removing any files manually.

If installing as the root user, using an install location is a network-mounted 
file system, ensure the root user has write permission to the file system.

To install the Tcl Client on Linux, perform the following steps: (Note:
the binary file name 'IxOS8.41.XXX.XXXLinux.bin' is used in the example 
below. In most cases, the file name will be different.)

3.1 Copy the 'IxOS8.41.XXX.XXXLinux.bin'  file to the system.

3.2 Before starting the installation, make sure the IxOS binary is executable. 
    If not, type "chmod +x  'filename'" (where 'filename' is the binary file name). 
    Check the permissions of the target directory to make sure full permission 
    is granted.

3.3 Execute the IxOS installer file (use the gui option if installing via console 
    or remote shell).
    Example: ./IxOS8.41.XXX.XXXLinux.bin 

3.4 When the installer prompts, select Tcl version 8.5.
 
3.5 Follow the installation prompts to complete the installation.

If the installation fails, check that there is enough disk space on the system 
by using the "df -ak" command. 

There must enough space in the /tmp folder (to extract the files), and in the 
target folder (where files are to be installed). If the /tmp dir does not have 
enough space, specify the dir by setting IATEMPDIR environment with path to the 
folder where you have enough free space.
The following example show the use of the options:

export IATEMPDIR=/tempdir
./IxOS8.41.XXX.XXXLinux.bin

To install IxOS using tgz package, perform the following steps:

3.1 Create the destination folder.
3.2 Extract and copy all folders and files from the tgz package into the destination folder. 

3.3 After installation, set the following variables:(Note: Examples below match
    the sample installation; they must be altered to match user installation.)

        IXIA_HOME=/export/home/ixos8.41
        IXIA_VERSION=8.41.XXX.XXX
        TCLLIBPATH=/export/home/ixos8.41/lib

3.4 Optionally, specify the following environment variables to specify the 
    location of the log, sample, and results files for IxOS:

	IXIA_LOGS_DIR=$IXIA_HOME/logs
	IXIA_RESULTS_DIR=$IXIA_HOME/results
	IXIA_SAMPLES=$IXIA_HOME/samples
	IXIA_TCL_DIR=$IXIA_HOME/lib

3.5 If the Tcl option was installed with an IxOS installation, add Ixia's bin 
    and lib directory to the PATH and LD_LIBRARY_PATH variable in order to use it. 
    For example:

        IxiaLibPath=$IXIA_HOME/lib
        IxiaBinPath=$IXIA_HOME/bin
        PATH=$IxiaBinPath:$PATH
        LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$IxiaLibPath:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
 
        

Downgrading to a previous version of IxOS

When downgrading to a release of IxOS prior to 5.10 SP2 on a chassis, all Ixia
applications must be un-installed from the chassis and re-installed after the 
IxOS downgrade is completed. Please perform the following steps using the 
Add/Remove Programs application.

    1. Un-install current IxOS installation.
    2. Un-install all Ixia applications.
    3. Un-install StatEngine and all PCPU packages
    4. Install IxOS 
    5. Install previously un-installed application. Note, these application 
       installations install StatEngine if required. There is no need to 
       install this separately.
 
Note, any card, port, stream, etc., files generated by IxOS are forward 
compatible but not backward compatible.

Tcl/Tk Support for Client Applications 

Tcl Server was first supplied free of charge starting with IxOS 3.80 EA. 
Installation of this feature is optional; it should only be installed if 
required for specific application.
 
Installation and operation of the Tcl Server is required for IxChariot when 
running hardware performance pairs, for IxANVL when running VNIC (Virtual 
Network Interface Card) and for IxAuthenticate. The Tcl Server can be installed 
on either the Ixia chassis or a separate Windows workstation. 

The following limitations exist with respect to Wish and Tcl shell support:

   Tcl shell does not run on any version of Windows with Ixia software. Under
   Linux or Solaris, the Tcl shell runs on any version of Tcl greater than or 
   equal to 8.3.

How to Report Problems 



        
            

                
                    
 USA, Canada and Latin America Customer Support

                    

                    

                      Hours:
                      6:00am PST to 6:00pm PST
                    

                    

                      Email:
                      support@ixiacom.com
                    

                    

                      Phone:
                      1-818-595-2599

                    

                    

                      e-Fax:
                      1-818-449-0992 
                    

                    

                		
            
     
            

                
                    
 Europe, Middle East, and Africa Customer Support

                    

                    

                      Hours:
                      07:00 to 17:30 GMT
                    

                    

                      Email:
                      support-emea@ixiacom.com
                    

                    

                      Phone:
                      +40-21-301-5699
                    

                    

                		
            

            

                
                    
 India Customer Support

                    

                    

                      Hours:
                      09:00 to 17:30 local time
                    

                    

                      Email:
                      support-india@ixiacom.com
                    

                    

                      Phone:
                      +91-80-4939-6410
                    

                    

                		
            

            

                
                    
Japan Customer Support

                    

                    

                      Hours:
                      09:00 to 18:00 local time (Japan), Monday through Friday
                    

                    

                      Email:
                      support-japan@ixiacom.com
                    

                    

                      Phone:
                      +81-3-5326-1980
                    

                    

                      Fax:
                      +81-3-3348-7733
                    

                    

                		
            

            

                
                    
 Asia Pacific Customer Support

                    

                    

                      Hours:
                      09:00 to 17:30 local time (Singapore)
                    

                    

                      Email:
                      support-asiapac@ixiacom.com
                    

                    

                      Phone:
                      +91-80-4939-6410
                    

                    

                		
            

            

                
                    
China Customer Support

                    

                    

                      Hours:
                      09:00 - 18:00 local time (Beijing time), Monday through Friday
                    

                    

                      Email:
                      support-china@ixiacom.com 
                    

                    

                      Phone:
                      400-898-0598 (Greater China region)
                    

                    

                      Phone:
                      +86-10-5732-3932 (Hong Kong customers)
                    

                    

                      Fax:
                      +86-10-8454-9198

Additional Documentation 

Please refer to our website at http://support.ixiacom.com/support-services/product-support/user-guides.

You will be required to provide a login and password to enter this section of 
the web site. If you do not have the username and password, please forward your 
request to support@ixiacom.com.

Field Notices 

Laser Warnings

The 10G load modules may use a Class III laser. Precautions should be 
taken to prevent personal injury. The spring-loaded safety cover should always be 
securely in place over the port when there is no cable installed. Avoid exposure
and never look directly into an open port aperture.
 


Inserting / Removing Load Modules

Modules in the XGS12-SD, XGS12-HS, XGS12-HSL, XGS12-SDL, XGS2-SD, XGS2-HS, XGS2-HSL, XGS2-SDL, XG12, XM12, and XM2 can be inerted/removed while the chassis is still operational.  

For all chassis types, use caution when inserting or removing multi-slot modules 
to evenly insert and remove. Load modules are tightly spaced; avoid contacting 
the adjoining modules while inserting and removing.


Safety Notice Regarding Ixia Load Modules

WARNING: In order to prevent accidental injury to personnel, do not leave transceiver 
(SFP/SFP+/QSFP/QSFP28/CXP/CFP4) cages uncovered on Ixia load modules. When transceivers 
are not installed, port end caps (Part No. 503-006) must be used. The metal edge of 
the transceiver cage is SHARP. To avoid injury, ALWAYS keep the transceiver cage covered.
   
Contact Ixia Technical Support to obtain end caps. Please reference Ixia Product
safety notice Part No. 913-0715 Rev A, June 2009. For additional information
refer to Chapter three of the IXOS Getting Started Guide under the section, 
Notes, Cautions and Warnings.


Use Ejector Tabs Properly

Ejector tabs on load modules are to be used only to eject a load module from
the chassis backplane connector. They are not designed to support the weight
of the load module. Ejector tabs can bend or break if used improperly as handles
to push, pull, or carry a load module.

What's New in IxOS

IxOS 8.41 EA Features

K400 400GE Load Modules
944-1150: K400 CFP8-400GE 1-port, 2-slot CFP8 400GE load module with the native CFP8 physical interface, L2-3 support (944-1150). Compatible with the XGS12-HSL rack mount chassis (940-0016), the 2-slot high performance XGS2-HSL chassis (940-0014), the XGS2-SDL, 2-slot Standard Performance chassis (940-0013), and the XGS12-SDL, 12-slot chassis (940-0015).
944-1152: K400 QSFP-DD-400GE 1-port, 1-slot QSFP-DD 400GE load module with the native QSFP-DD physical interface, L2-3 support (944-1152). Compatible with the XGS12-HSL rack mount chassis (940-0016), the 2-slot high performance XGS2-HSL chassis (940-0014), the XGS2-SDL, 2-slot Standard Performance chassis (940-0013), and the XGS12-SDL, 12-slot chassis (940-0015).
944-1151: K400 CFP8-R400GE 1-port, 2-slot CFP8 400GE reduced load module, with the native CFP8 physical interface, L2-3 support and reduced protocol emulation scale (944-1151). Compatible with the XGS12-HSL rack mount chassis (940-0016), the 2-slot high performance XGS2-HSL chassis (940-0014), the XGS2-SDL, 2-slot Standard Performance chassis (940-0013), and the XGS12-SDL, 12-slot chassis (940-0015).
944-1153: K400 QSFP-DD-R400GE 1-port, 1-slot QSFP-DD 400GE reduced load module with the native QSFP-DD physical interface, L2-3 support and reduced protocol emulation scale (944-1153). Compatible with the XGS12-HSL rack mount chassis (940-0016), the 2-slot high performance XGS2-HSL chassis (940-0014), the XGS2-SDL, 2-slot Standard Performance chassis (940-0013), and the XGS12-SDL, 12-slot chassis (940-0015).
905-1032: UPG-QSFP-DD-R400GE is a FIELD UPGRADE that upgrades the reduced performance K400 QSFP-DD-R400GE 1-port, 1-slot, L2-3 load module (944-1153) to have an increased number of transmit streams and higher L23 IxNetwork protocol emulation of the QSFP-DD-400GE full feature, L2-3 load module (944-1152) model. Note: At the time of order placement of the purchase of the upgrade, please provide the serial number of the desired QSFP-DD-R400GE load module to install the upgrade on.
905-1033: UPG-CFP8-R400GE is a FIELD UPGRADE that upgrades the reduced performance K400 CFP8-R400GE 1-port, 1-slot, L2-3 load module (944-1151) to an increased number of streams and have the higher L23 IxNetwork protocol emulation of the CFP8-400GE full feature, L2-3 load module (944-1150) model. Note: At the time of order placement of the purchase of the upgrade, please provide the serial number of the desired CFP8-R400GE load module to install the upgrade on.

Known Issues List

IxOS CLI

Bug Number Notes
1467070 During Native IxOS installation, if chassis reboots, sometimes logging into chassis within about 10 minutes (after the chassis is up) will not show Chassis Status as "INSTALLING SOFTWARE" and users will be temporarily logged into older version of IxOS or WebPlatform CLI.

K400

Bug Number Notes
1458828 Port level BERT APIs return 0 (success) upon execution even though BERT mode is implemented only at card level.
1459855 In advanced scheduler, adding or duplicating oversubscribed streams can lead to different rates being set among the streams.
1459865 There is a probability that a card will be in a state where some bit errors are introduced in the datapath, possibly resulting in PCS Illegal Codes and Idles being detected and counted, as well as frames containing bit flips being marked as CRC errors.
1460448 Checksums of packets with inner L4 protocols will not match with packet view if there are more protocols following the inner L4 protocol, even though both checksums are correct in this case
1462214 The "View Preamble in Packet View" functionality under the Preamble tab is not supported.
1462301 Incorrect UDP checksums may be observed if UDP length is overridden.
1462447 Performance: Redundant reads for statistics are taking more than the expected time when the average frame rate calculation is enabled
1462449 Performance: Config write time is high when using maximum number of streams
1462939 Data integrity frames and sequence frames may be missing when signature offset for a packet is less than 8
1463573 Transceiver related information is not available under Tap Settings
1464628 The KP4-FEC Alignment Marker error insertion is not supported
1465561 "Tx Ignore Rx Link Faults" functionality under Link Fault Signaling tab is not supported
1465807 Maximum number of possible frames may not be captured when capture slice size is set between 64-127
1466329 When port is in BERT mode, setting loopback mode works from IxExplorer but not from TCL.
1466543 PCS Remote faults are seen when inserting link faults
1466550 Link fault state may not be as expected when continuously inserting errors
1467035 A chassis with K400 load module may boot slow compared to equal number of other cards in other releases. Also boot up time for a chassis with pre existing cards may increase with the introduction of K400 cards even if some cards are replaced by this card. This is because of the boot up sequence of K400 cards are different. Optimizations in this boot up process will be done in following releases.
1467095 Random and Custom options are not supported under PCS Lane Mapping
1467106 Delay Variation is not supported
1467461 In rare occasions, if old file in chassis has not been cleaned up for a long time using "cleanup-disk-space" command in IxOS CLI, the mcc_store partition on the chassis may run out of disk space and the load module may fail to boot
1467743 While doing multiple mode switch from LAN to BERT fail message related to C2C status may come in IxServer
1467847 BERT Error Insertion is not supported
1467886 CFP8 support is not integrated with the WebGUI for BERT mode
1467936 Certain hot-swap events might cause the QSFP-DD Tap coefficients to be set to 0. This can be mitigated by performing a card Hardware Reset.