Ixia Software Release Notes
IxOS 8.01 EA Patch1
Build Number: 8.01.1213.10 (March 2016)



About This Release

IxOS 8.01 EA Patch1 is an "Early Adopter" release. It supports the complete feature
set of IxOS 8.01 and is intended for use in production test environments.
 
Note: Multiple versions of IxOS 5.10 SP2 or newer may co-exist on either
      a chassis or client PC. However, only a single instance of IxOS can be 
      active at a time.
      

Application Compatibility

The following application releases support IxOS 8.01 EA Patch1:
Application IxOS 8.01 EA Patch1
BPS 8.0.1
FLIX OS 2015.2.1001.99
HLTAPI 8.01 EA
IxANVL 8.95 EA, 8.95 EA SP1
IxChariot 9.20 EA, 7.30 EA SP3
IxLoad 8.01 EA
IxNetwork 8.01 EA
Licensing 4.30 EA Patch1
Test Conductor 3.60 GA
In addition, current interoperability and compatibility coverage for IxOS 8.01 EA Patch1 can also be retrieved using the on-line compatibility tool: http://www.ixiacom.com/support-overview/product-support/product-compatibility-matrix

End of Life - IxOS Load Module Removal

Since the IxOS 6.90 EA release in June 2015, the following load modules have reached their End of Life (EOL) date. These load modules are not supported in IxOS 8.01 EA Patch1, and will not boot up when installed in a chassis running IxOS 8.01 EA Patch1. Please contact Ixia Support for more details, or find the Ixia product lifecycle information at: http://www.ixiacom.com/support-services/end-of-life-announcements
944-0039 LSM10GXM4-01, 10 Gigabit Ethernet Load Module, 4-Port LAN/WAN, For OPTIXIAXM12-02 (941-0009) and OPTIXIAXM2-02 (941-0003) chassis; Full L2/7 support, REQUIRES one or more XFP transceiver options: 948-0003 (XFP-850), XFP-1310, or XFP-1550
944-0040 LSM10GXM8-01, 10 Gigabit Ethernet Load Module, 8-Port LAN/WAN, For OPTIXIAXM12-02 (941-0009) and OPTIXIAXM2-02 (941-0003) chassis; Full L2/7 support, REQUIRES one or more XFP transceiver options: 948-0003 (XFP-850), XFP-1310, or XFP-1550; NOTE: If OPTIXIAXM12-01 (941-0002) chassis is used with this item, see FRU-OPTIXIAXM12-01 (943-0005).
944-0030 LSM1000XMV8-01, Gigabit Ethernet Load Module, 8-Port Dual-PHY (RJ45 and SFP) 10/100/1000 Mbps; for 941-0003 (OPTIXIAXM2-02), 941-0009 (OPTIXIAXM12-02), or 941-0002 (OPTIXIAXM12-01) chassis; 1GB Port CPU memory; Fiber Ports REQUIRE SFP transceivers, options include SFP-LX or SFP-SX
944-0032 LSM1000XMV12-01, Gigabit Ethernet Load Module, 12-Port Dual-PHY (RJ45 and SFP) 10/100/1000 Mbps; for 941-0003 (OPTIXIAXM2-02), 941-0009 (OPTIXIAXM12-02), or 941-0002 (OPTIXIAXM12-01) chassis; 1GB Port CPU memory; Fiber Ports REQUIRE SFP transceivers, options include SFP-LX or SFP-SX
944-0008 LSM1000XMV16-01, Gigabit Ethernet Load Module, 16-Port Dual-PHY (RJ45 and SFP) 10/100/1000 Mbps; for 941-0003 (OPTIXIAXM2-02), 941-0009 (OPTIXIAXM12-02), or 941-0002 (OPTIXIAXM12-01) chassis; 1GB Port CPU memory; Fiber Ports REQUIRE SFP transceivers, options include SFP-LX or SFP-SX
944-0028 LSM1000XMV4-01, Gigabit Ethernet Load Module, 4-Port Dual-PHY (RJ45 and SFP) 10/100/1000 Mbps; for 941-0003 (OPTIXIAXM2-02), 941-0009 (OPTIXIAXM12-02), or 941-0002 (OPTIXIAXM12-01) chassis; 1GB Port CPU memory; Fiber Ports REQUIRE SFP transceivers, options include SFP-LX or SFP-SX
944-0001 LSM1000XMS12-01, Gigabit Ethernet, Load Module, 12-Port Dual-PHY (RJ45 and SFP) 10/100/1000 Mbps, 256MB Port CPU memory
944-0018 LM1000STXS4, Gigabit Ethernet Load Module, 4-Port Dual-PHY (RJ45 and SFP) 10/100/1000 Mbps; Full L2-7 Support. Fiber ports requires SFP transceivers, options include SFP-LX or SFP-SX.

Licensing

Ixia Licensing

Any chassis which runs IxServer must have an IxOS license installed on it. IxOS 8.01 EA Patch1 ships with Ixia Licensing 4.30 EA Patch1. IxLicensing 4.30 EA Patch1 is Ixia's new license management system. Ixia Licensing Utility (ILU) and License Server Plus (LS+) are replacing Ixia Registration Utility (IRU) and License Server (LS) used in earlier versions of IxLicensing. 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 4.30 upgrades Ixia Licensing 3.x, Ixia Licensing 4.25.x and prior versions on the machines. The reverse is not allowed. Upgrade can be performed for following scenarios: - Ixia Registration Utility (IRU) to Ixia Licensing Utility (ILU) - Old 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, the migration can be performed using following methods: - Online Migration - Offline Migration

Prerequisite Installation Notes

Ixia Licensing 4.30 installs .Net 4.0 on Chassis and .Net 4.5.1 on Clients and VM Chassis. NOTE: Ixia Licensing 4.30 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://www.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

Chassis Installation Requirements

When installing IxOS 8.01 EA Patch1 on a chassis, a minimum of 512MB of installed RAM and a minimum 2GB of free disk space on Drive C: is required. In addition, be sure that at least 400MB of temporary space is available. 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.

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 8.01 EA Patch1, 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 XP Professional 32-bit SP3 - 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 8.01 EA Patch1; - Windows Vista Enterprise SP2 32-bit and 64-bit - 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

UNIX Installation Notes

In order to run the GUI installer, 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 'IxOS8.01.XXX.XXXLinux.bin' is used in the example below. In most cases, the file name will be different.) 3.1 Copy the 'IxOS8.01.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 –i gui option if installing via console or remote shell). Example: ./IxOS8.01.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 ./IxOS8.01.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/ixos8.01 IXIA_VERSION=8.01.XXX.XXX TCLLIBPATH=/export/home/ixos8.01/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

Contact List Change: 4150211; Date: 2013/09/24

USA, Canada and Latin America Customer Support

Hours: 6:00am PST to 6:00pm PST
Email: support@ixiacom.com
Phone: +1-818-595-2599

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

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

Asia Pacific Customer Support

Hours: 09:00 to 17:30 local time (Singapore)
Email: support-asiapac@ixiacom.com
Phone: +91-80-4939-6410

Japan Customer Support

Hours: 09:00 to 17:30 local time (Japan), Business days
Email: support-japan@ixiacom.com
Phone: +81-3-5326-1980
Fax: +81-3-3348-7733

Additional Documentation

Please refer to our website at http://www.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

LMOC192 Laser ON/OFF Button

Each port on an LMOC192 load module has a manual Laser ON/OFF button. The operation of this button is controlled by the setting in the Chassis Properties dialog Safety tab in IxExplorer. The default setting is "Override Laser Safety Button", which automatically turns the lasers on for all ports in the chassis during IxServer start up. If the "Enable Laser Safety Button" radio button is checked instead, the laser buttons on the chassis can be operated manually. If the mode is changed in this tab, the chassis must be rebooted to enable the change. When changing a cable with the laser enabled, first turn off the laser, insert the cable, and then turn on the laser.

Laser Warnings

The LMOC192 and 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.

Installing / Uninstalling Load Modules

Modules in the XGS12-SD, XGS12-HS, XGS2-SD, XGS2-HS, XG12, XM12, and XM2 can be installed/uninstalled with the chassis 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 SFP (or SFP+) 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 SFP cage is SHARP. To avoid injury, ALWAYS keep the SFP cage covered. Affected load modules include these: - NGY and NGY-NP with SFP+ interface, 2/4/8-port, all models - Dual PHY SFF cards with RJ45 and SFP Gigabit (TXS and STXS) - LSM1000XMV 4/8/12/16-port, all models - LSM1000XMS12/12R - LSM1000XMVDC 4/8/12/16-port - LSM1000XMVDC16NG GigE, 16-Port Dual-PHY - LSM1000XMVDC4NG GigE, 4-port Dual-PHY - LSM1000XMSP12 - ASM1000XMV12X/12XRTP - AFM1000SP - ELM1000ST2 - Xcellon FlexAP10G16S 10GbE SFP+ LAN - Xcellon FlexFE10G16S 10GbE SFP+ LAN - Xcellon-FlexAP10/4016SQ 10/40GbE LAN - Xcellon-Ultra NP (formerly ACCELERON-NP and XP) - Xdensity XDM10G32S 10GbE SFP+ load module - Xdensity XDM10G8S 10GbE SFP+ load module 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.

Known Issues List

IxOS Framework

Bug Number Notes
1392158 Antivirus services (such as, McAfee) when enabled can impact on overall IxOS responsiveness. It can introduce some delay in IxOS startup and it's operations. Please keep any unnecessary antivirus services stopped in the IxOS Windows machine.
1392159 Pending Windows updates can keep the overall CPU load high on the Windows chassis. The result of it can introduce slowness in IxOS operations. Please check and install any pending windows updates if chassis responsiveness becomes slow.


Resolved Defects List

IxOS-FPGA

Bug Number Notes
1387799 Occasionally 100G PerfectStorm port stops transmiting and receiving when operating at the highest speed. This issue is now resolved.

IxOS-Framework

Bug Number Notes
1386123 When changing the mode of the card or restarting the System, occasionally, IxServer may report false hardware failures (SGC timeouts) and stop working correctly. The behavior gets exacerbated when McAfee antivirus is enabled on the IxOS system. This issue is now resolved.