Fwd: Crash identified in Notes, Domino,

From: Xander Teunissen (thejianat_private)
Date: Fri Jan 14 2000 - 11:00:36 PST

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    Following advisory was released on the Lotus site
    (http://www.support.lotus.com/sims2.nsf/c7835bf039c01dc285256688006fae9b/35b
     578b76f3ec78e85256859007173ec=3FOpenDocument)
    
    Lotus Customer Support Technote
    
    Title:             Crash Identified in Notes, Domino, and MTA with Date
    Conversions
    
    Product Area:      Domino Server, Notes
    
    Product:           Domino Server 5.x, Domino Server 4.6x, Domino Server
    4.5x, Notes Client 5.x, Notes Client 4.6x,
                       Notes Client 4.5x
    
    Topic:             Workstation/Desktop \\ Application Development \\
    Macro/Agent/LotusScript
    
    Number:            177362
    
    Date:              01/12/2000
    
    
    
    
    Problem:
    
    A crash occurring with dates following the year 2000 and prior to 1950 has
    been identified. This crash has been reported in
    some cases as follows:
    
              When using Simple Action agents to send a message that includes a
    copy of a document
              When using the NotesDocument.RendertoRTItem method in LotusScript
              With the Domino 4.6x SMTP MTA
    
    
    In the case of agents, whether the crash occurs on the Notes client or the
    Domino server depends on whether the server or the
    client was responsible for running the agent. If the server executes the
    action, as in the case of background agents, the Agent
    Manager task on the Domino server can crash. If the agent is executed by a
    user, the Notes client can crash. If you are running
    the agent manually from a Notes client, the agent may crash right away or
    shortly after the agent completes. When it crashes the
    Notes client, the crash occurs in NLNOTES.EXE.
    
    If you are running the agent as a scheduled agent on a server, you may see
    the following error:
    
         "OLEMAINTHREAD WNDNAME: namgr.exe - Application Error."
    
    
    If running LotusScript using the RendertoRTItem method as a scheduled
    agent, Agent Manger (NAMGR.EXE) can crash on
    the RenderToRTItem method, with the same RIP file as shown below in Summary
    1. If the LotusScript agent is run manually,
    however, the Notes client does not crash. Instead, the date/time value in
    the rich text field displays garbage characters at the
    end of the field. For example, the time/date value appears as follows:
    
         "Date: 01/04/2000 11:08:08 A A=3F=3F =B7 =A6=A6=A6=A6=B7 =A6=A68"
    
    instead of as,
    
         "Date: 01/04/2000 11:08:08 AM".
    
    
    These agents functioned as expected prior to 1/1/2000, but have crashed
    since the clock changed over to the year 2000.
    
    Solution:
    
    Lotus has identified a potential fix that appears to address all reported
    occurrences of this issue. We are working with all due
    diligence to make corrected code available via Quarterly Maintenance
    Updates (QMUs) as soon as possible. Current plans are
    to release R4.5.6c, R4.5.7g, R4.6.3d, R4.6.4d, R4.6.5c, R4.6.6c, R5.0b,
    R5.0.1c, and R5.0.2c with the fix and to include it
    in all upcoming Quarterly Maintenance Releases (QMRs) [that is, R4.6.7,
    R5.0.3, and forward].
    
    In most cases, the issue has been seen when you send a mail message that
    includes a copy of a document and that document
    tries to force a post-1999 (or pre-1950) date value into a text field. For
    example, the problem has been identified in some
    cases in which a mail message attempts to manipulate a copy of a document
    that has a time/date value stored but defined on the
    form as a Text field. The issue occurs in cases where the included
    document's Form contains a Text field that is being populated
    by a date value, for example: @Created. As the document is being copied
    into the new message, a conversion takes place that
    results in a crash. This issue can occur if the date value in the Text
    field is prior to 1950 or any year after 1999, not just for the
    year 2000. The issue does not occur in all Forms that have a Text field set
    to a date.
    
    To avoid the crash, use one of the following workarounds:
    
         1. Change the definition of the field on the form from a text field to
    a time/date field.
         2. Make sure the value returned by the formula is a text value by
    using the @Text function in the formula for this text
         field.
         3. Do not include a copy of the document in the message.  An
    alternative would be to use a doclink instead if applicable,
         for example, a doclink to someone's mail file would not be appropriate.
    
    This issue can be encountered when the included document is from users who
    use the "Gray Gradient with Lines" letterhead in
    their mail files that are based on the Notes 4.5x or 4.6x mail template.
    Take the following steps to correct this letterhead:
    
         1. Select Subforms in the list of design elements in the mail file.
         2. Edit the subform called "Gray Gradient and Lines." Change the field
    "tmpDate" to type Time.
    
    
    Supporting Information:
    
    Summary of RIP files
    
      Summary of RIP:
    
    The following two additional RIP summaries occurred when a customer was
    running the agent as a scheduled agent:
    
      Summary 1.
    
      Summary 2.
    
    The following RIP summary details a crash in the SMTP MTA Outbound Message
    Conversion task:
    
      Summary 3.
    
    
    For more information regarding Lotus's policies and practices regarding the
    Year 2000, please visit Lotus' Year 2000 web site at:
    http://www.lotus.com/year2000.
    
    This information is current as of the date set forth above, is provided for
    informational purposes only, and is furnished "as is" without warranty
    of any kind, express or implied. This information is not, and should not be
    construed to be, a warranty or an extension or modification to the
    terms of any applicable warranty. The limited warranty for Lotus products
    is solely as contained in the software agreement governing your use
    of Lotus software. Lotus' assessment of the Year 2000 readiness of its
    products is an ongoing effort, and the information contained herein is
    subject to change. To ensure you have current and accurate information
    about the Year 2000 readiness of Lotus products, you should
    periodically refer to the Lotus Year 2000 web site.
    
    Lotus products identified as Year 2000 ready may require user intervention,
    such as the application of a maintenance release or update, or the
    installation of the latest version release. The IBM Year 2000 Product
    Readiness Database (accessible through Lotus' Year 2000 web site or
    directly at http://www.ibm.com/year2000) includes information for Lotus
    software products to denote situations in which such action may be
    required and includes additional information that might prove useful to our
    customers and partners.
    
    This information, other Year 2000 related Technotes published by Lotus, and
    all other information contained on Lotus' and IBM's past and
    present Year 2000 web site pages regarding products and services offered by
    Lotus, IBM and IBM's subsidiaries are "Year 2000 Readiness
    Disclosures" under the Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act
    of 1998, a U.S statute enacted on October 19, 1998. This
    designation also applies to information delivered through or derived from
    Lotus' and IBM's past and present Year 2000 web site pages, such as
    electronic and printed Product Readiness Reports, various editions of the
    Lotus White Papers and FAQs, and other materials.
    
    Lotus' and IBM's Year 2000 web site pages have been and will continue to be
    Lotus' primary mechanism for communicating Year 2000
    information.
    
    Copyright 2000. Lotus Development Corporation. All rights reserved.
    
    -------Phoenix-Boundary-07081998---
    



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