Skip to main content

We are running Acu 9.1.1 on Windows - on WInXP, Win7, etc., we do a C$SYSTEM call to invoke a function, using 98 as the flags, the command executes and control returns to Cobol upon completion (this is the expected behaviour).  When we run the exact same program, same system call, on Windows8, the command executes asynchronously, returning control to Cobol immediately.  This causes problems because we expect the command to execute fully before returning. Is this different behaviour in Windows8, or do we need to upgrade from 9.1.1 to 9.2 for Windows 8, or is there something else happening here?

Thanks

Tony

We are running Acu 9.1.1 on Windows - on WInXP, Win7, etc., we do a C$SYSTEM call to invoke a function, using 98 as the flags, the command executes and control returns to Cobol upon completion (this is the expected behaviour).  When we run the exact same program, same system call, on Windows8, the command executes asynchronously, returning control to Cobol immediately.  This causes problems because we expect the command to execute fully before returning. Is this different behaviour in Windows8, or do we need to upgrade from 9.1.1 to 9.2 for Windows 8, or is there something else happening here?

Thanks

Tony

Hi Tony,

Yes this is addressed in 9.2.0 by this ECN ...  ECN-4210 SUBJECT: On Windows 8, C$SYSTEM fails to wait for a console-mode program  ... When running on Windows 8, and calling C$SYSTEM with a non-GUI program, and without using cmd.exe, the runtime would return immediately to the COBOL

program, without letting the command finish. This meant that the COBOL program could not get the exit code of the command.

You could request a patch for your version and have this ECN in the patch

We are running Acu 9.1.1 on Windows - on WInXP, Win7, etc., we do a C$SYSTEM call to invoke a function, using 98 as the flags, the command executes and control returns to Cobol upon completion (this is the expected behaviour).  When we run the exact same program, same system call, on Windows8, the command executes asynchronously, returning control to Cobol immediately.  This causes problems because we expect the command to execute fully before returning. Is this different behaviour in Windows8, or do we need to upgrade from 9.1.1 to 9.2 for Windows 8, or is there something else happening here?

Thanks

Tony

I can ask sales - but does an upgrade from 9.1.1 to 9.2.0, at customer sites, require a new AcuRCL (on Windows)?  Updating runtimes at a customer site is always a huge chore for us, and we do it typically only if absolutely necessary......

Thanks

Tony

We are running Acu 9.1.1 on Windows - on WInXP, Win7, etc., we do a C$SYSTEM call to invoke a function, using 98 as the flags, the command executes and control returns to Cobol upon completion (this is the expected behaviour).  When we run the exact same program, same system call, on Windows8, the command executes asynchronously, returning control to Cobol immediately.  This causes problems because we expect the command to execute fully before returning. Is this different behaviour in Windows8, or do we need to upgrade from 9.1.1 to 9.2 for Windows 8, or is there something else happening here?

Thanks

Tony

Yes, going to 9.2 would require that you change the AcuRCL, the runtime, and thin client acuthin.exe. If you were going to get a patch .. only the 9.1.1 runtimes on Windows 8 machine would need to be changed.

We are running Acu 9.1.1 on Windows - on WInXP, Win7, etc., we do a C$SYSTEM call to invoke a function, using 98 as the flags, the command executes and control returns to Cobol upon completion (this is the expected behaviour).  When we run the exact same program, same system call, on Windows8, the command executes asynchronously, returning control to Cobol immediately.  This causes problems because we expect the command to execute fully before returning. Is this different behaviour in Windows8, or do we need to upgrade from 9.1.1 to 9.2 for Windows 8, or is there something else happening here?

Thanks

Tony

Again, thanks - I downloaded the 9.1.2.1 runtime with the patch, and that works successfully.  I did try just copying the runtime files over the 9.1.1 runtime files, but that didn't work - it reported the runtime was not licensed.  I had to run activator and enter the 9.1.1 codes again - any way around that?

Also - does this problem also exist with Server 2012?  Most of our customers run thin client, so in practice we won't see this problem often on a Windows 8 (since most of those will be running as clients).  However, since Server2012 came out around the same time as Win8, I wondered if the same problem afflicts it?

We are running Acu 9.1.1 on Windows - on WInXP, Win7, etc., we do a C$SYSTEM call to invoke a function, using 98 as the flags, the command executes and control returns to Cobol upon completion (this is the expected behaviour).  When we run the exact same program, same system call, on Windows8, the command executes asynchronously, returning control to Cobol immediately.  This causes problems because we expect the command to execute fully before returning. Is this different behaviour in Windows8, or do we need to upgrade from 9.1.1 to 9.2 for Windows 8, or is there something else happening here?

Thanks

Tony

As far as licensing .. you'll see C:ProgramData\\Micro Focus\\extend\\9.1.1 .. holds the licenses you expanded with the 9.1.1 activator ... 9.1.2 licenses will go into C:ProgramData\\Micro Focus\\extend\\9.1.2 .. you can use a script with the activator to direct your licenses to a directory of your choosing like the bin directory. So far, we've only seen this with Windows 8 .. as Microsoft did some tweaks to cmd.exe in Windows 8.

We are running Acu 9.1.1 on Windows - on WInXP, Win7, etc., we do a C$SYSTEM call to invoke a function, using 98 as the flags, the command executes and control returns to Cobol upon completion (this is the expected behaviour).  When we run the exact same program, same system call, on Windows8, the command executes asynchronously, returning control to Cobol immediately.  This causes problems because we expect the command to execute fully before returning. Is this different behaviour in Windows8, or do we need to upgrade from 9.1.1 to 9.2 for Windows 8, or is there something else happening here?

Thanks

Tony

Directing the license files to a specific folder sounds like a plan - I can't find anything in the documentation on option for activator to specify the destination folder - can you direct me to where to find that information?

We are running Acu 9.1.1 on Windows - on WInXP, Win7, etc., we do a C$SYSTEM call to invoke a function, using 98 as the flags, the command executes and control returns to Cobol upon completion (this is the expected behaviour).  When we run the exact same program, same system call, on Windows8, the command executes asynchronously, returning control to Cobol immediately.  This causes problems because we expect the command to execute fully before returning. Is this different behaviour in Windows8, or do we need to upgrade from 9.1.1 to 9.2 for Windows 8, or is there something else happening here?

Thanks

Tony

Here is the link to the information about Activator command line options:

community.microfocus.com/.../21159.activator-command-line-options.aspx

Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement