V9.2-2 Unable to read registers on I/O card

[mark.foster]

I’m running VMS x86_64 V9.2-2 on a VMware virtual machine on a host running ESXi 6.7.0. I have 2 PCIe arcnet cards on the host that are configured with VMDirectPath for the virtual machine. VMS on the virtual machine can see both cards. I have a custom driver for the cards, and I can successfully use ‘sysman io connect’ to create VMS devices for the cards. However, whenever the driver calls ioc$read_io to read the cards’ registers, it always gets a status of 1 from ioc$read_io with a data value of 0xFF.

Should I be able to read the cards’ registers in VMS V9.2-2? I know the release notes say user drivers are not supported, but I’d like to go as far as I can in getting the driver to work.

Mark Foster
TMEIC Corporation Americas

[mark.foster]

I suspect that there is a wrong parameter on the IO CONNECT ...

I was able to load the driver with autoconfigure, but the driver still can't read the card's registers.

I connected a Windows 7 VM to the card on the same host, and the Windows driver successfully read the registers. It must be something about the software in the VMS VM.

Any more suggestions are welcome

Mark Foster

[roberbrooks]

> Any more suggestions are welcome

If you are not registered as an ISV, you should do that; this forum is mostly
for unofficial support.

I *think* (but do not know for sure) that as an ISV, you might get direct access
to engineering for questions like this.

[arne_v]

Note that there are two levels of ISV's - those that pay for support and those that don't. The engineering access may differ between those.

Also note that the cost for support for an ISV is very attractive. So if paying for support is needed for engineering access, then it should be a viable path.

[babydr]

@The Gang & Arne , You mention 'Very attractive' .
I am going to ask , Would that it be Attractive to a single user on (U.S.A.) Social Security budget ?
Imo , Not quite . But who knows . Maybe I should email sales@vmssoftware.com and see what happens .

Fyi , I am NOT a programmer of any skill level , I just putz around at various things as I can .
But I , as well as many others , are happy that the ol' VMS is growing into a brave new era .

Tia , JimL

[arne_v]

It is no big secret.

https://vmssoftware.com/about/partners/program/

VSI offers 2 different levels of membership, Gold and Bronze. The Gold level has a $750 USD annual fee and includes 9x5 support for internal development/test systems. Bronze membership is free, but it does not provide 9x5 support.

If you are running a software company then 750 is nothing.

It could be different for a hobbyist retiree.

[gdwnldsksc]

My understanding is that - if approved for ISV - you get 'backburnered' aka end of the line for tickets (if they're actual VMS issues and not "tell me how to code this) but they do get addressed.

The $750 gets you true 8x5 support (weekdays, business hours) with actual engagement/support.

Without paying the few tickets i've filed get immediately put in 'backlog' and get addressed when they have time to get to them. With paying, you get treated as any other contract customer.

[babydr]

@ Arne & gdwnldsksc , Thank You both for your valued responses . They are helping me with the questions I am quandering .

Agn , Thank You . JimL