Re: PATCH: addressing an issue in smsc_at that makes the modem stop reporting incoming SMSes

Hi,

it's OK now and I applied your patch to cvs. Just stresstested it and it
seems to fix errors like this:
CMS ERROR: Unknown error. -> maybe Sim storage is full? I'll have a look at
it. (500)

Thanks!

Andrija Petrovic wrote:

> Let's try again...
> 
> Best regards,
> Andrija
> 
> Alexander Malysh wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> it doesn't apply cleanly to current CVS. Could you please rediff?
>>
>> Andrija Petrovic wrote:
>>
>>   
>>> I am sorry for messing up with the tabs-spaces issue.
>>> The file should be correct now.
>>>
>>>  From Andreas Fink I have learned that there are problems in reading the
>>> patch when I attach it as an ASCII file. So, I'm sending it gzipped.
>>>
>>> Best regards,
>>> Andrija
>>>
>>> Alexander Malysh wrote:
>>>     
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> patch is OK and I'm willing to apply it BUT: you totally screwed
>>>> indentation. Please use only spaces and not tabs. If you or any other
>>>> fix indentation I will apply this patch to CVS.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks again for your patch.
>>>>
>>>> Andrija Petrovic wrote:
>>>>
>>>>   
>>>>       
>>>>> OK,
>>>>>
>>>>> here's the patch with original text. Once we fix this modem issue,
>>>>> I'll propose another patch that will speed up the process of reading
>>>>> SMSes from the memory (AT+CMGL instead of AT+CMGR).
>>>>> Anyhow, I'm eager to provide my help/collaboration to make smsc_at
>>>>> work in a stable manner.
>>>>>
>>>>> ================================================
>>>>>
>>>>> The main goal of the patch is to follow a simple rule:
>>>>> "If the modem reports an error during SMS sending, don't retry the
>>>>> sending, but ask it what it's got to say"
>>>>>
>>>>> So, any loops related to SMS sending are removed:
>>>>>
>>>>> 1. loop in at2_send_messages has been removed. Messages will be sent
>>>>> one by one from the at2_device_thread main loop -
>>>>> while(!privdata->shutdown) 2. loop in at2_send_one_message has been
>>>>> removed, so the single SMS sending either succeeds or fails
>>>>>
>>>>> Consequences of the patch:
>>>>>
>>>>> 1. the define RETRY_SEND has been renamed to RETRY_WRITE (because it
>>>>> is also used in writing a line to the modem), there is no RETRY_SEND
>>>>> any more 2. the user needs to rely upon the sms-resend-retry mechanism
>>>>> - this works fine AFAIK. E.g. put sms-resend-retry = 5 in the conf
>>>>> file. Without such a line, kannel will not try to resend the SMS
>>>>>
>>>>> Best regards,
>>>>> Andrija
>>>>>
>>>>> P.S.
>>>>>
>>>>> Long story short, the problem is in forcing the modem to send an SMS -
>>>>> even if it reports an error.
>>>>>
>>>>> In the official Kannel version, there is a RETRY_SEND (equal to 3, in
>>>>> smsc_at.h) define that defines how many times an SMS sending process
>>>>> needs to be retried. It's  purpose is illogical - having a complete
>>>>> and logical sms-resend-retry mechanism built in the Kannel logic.
>>>>>
>>>>> In the official Kannel version, if the software receives an error
>>>>> response while trying to send the SMS, it simply tries again in a loop
>>>>> (3 times, due to the value of RETRY_SEND). Such a behavior confuses
>>>>> the GSM modem - on the first forcible SMS sending retry.
>>>>>
>>>>> If the software should report unsuccessful SMS sending through
>>>>>  bb_smscconn_send_failed(privdata->conn, msg,
>>>>> SMSCCONN_FAILED_TEMPORARILY, octstr_create("ERROR"));
>>>>>
>>>>> and let the modem "relax" (by asking it if there are new incoming SMS
>>>>> messages pending) when it receives an error response from the modem, I
>>>>> have seen that Siemens modems (TC 45, MC 39i) would never expose the
>>>>> notorious issue.
>>>>>
>>>>> I have never encountered the issue in the last 15 months - since I
>>>>> altered the logic within smsc_at.c. With the RETRY_SEND mechanism, I
>>>>> have had the issue more than once daily (I operate the GSM modems in a
>>>>> rather intense SMS traffic).
>>>>>
>>>>> Hope this comment will lead to a usable official version of smsc_at.c
>>>>> in the future.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ===========================================
>>>>>
>>>>> Hillel wrote:
>>>>>     
>>>>>         
>>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Andreas is keen to install it, but wants it to be re-sent.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Please put in the subject the word PATCH as otherwise it's not clear
>>>>>> which mail is the patch.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> thanks
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> *From:* Andreas Fink [mailto:[email protected]]
>>>>>> *Sent:* 19 September 2007 11:48 AM
>>>>>> *To:* Hillel
>>>>>> *Subject:* Re: Feature request/wish for Kannel
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ok so you want me to go through houndreds of mails to find the patch?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 19.09.2007, at 10:24, Hillel wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi Andreas,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I think you should read what Andrija Petrovic wrote as it seems there
>>>>>> are
>>>>>>
>>>>>> problems with both AT+CNMI operation and AT+CMGR.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Both patches seem to have been submitted but never implemented.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Rgds
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> From: Andrija Petrovic [mailto:[email protected]]
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sent: 19 September 2007 10:09 AM
>>>>>>
>>>>>> To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Subject: Re: Feature request/wish for Kannel
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I'd better not answer directly to your direct question. Direct answer
>>>>>> is
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "this patch has nothing to do with SIM card being filled up, but
>>>>>> applying
>>>>>>
>>>>>> this patch will stop the SIM card from being filled up" :).
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> A complete answer should take into account the mode of operation of
>>>>>> the AT
>>>>>>
>>>>>> modem.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 1. If the mode of operation is AT+CNMI (waiting for new message
>>>>>>
>>>>>> notifications), there is no reason why the modem should fill up the
>>>>>> SIM
>>>>>>
>>>>>> card. Of course - with the current (unstable) version of smsc_at the
>>>>>> SIM
>>>>>>
>>>>>> card used to fill up. Therefore, when I started working with Kannel,
>>>>>> SIM
>>>>>>
>>>>>> overfilling was my primary concern. It turned out that once the modem
>>>>>>
>>>>>> started working correctly, with no "freezing" due to SMS send
>>>>>> misbehavior,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> the SIM card never received a single SMS. All SMSes were consumed by
>>>>>> the
>>>>>>
>>>>>> AT+CNMI mechanism (through +CMT notifications). When I say "never",
>>>>>> that
>>>>>>
>>>>>> means 15 months on 3-4 modems synchronously, receiving up to 940
>>>>>> SMSes/day,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> with peaks up to 30 SMSes/minute. (the figure of 30 SMSes/minute may
>>>>>> be
>>>>>>
>>>>>> another topic for discussion, due to the hard limit of 10
>>>>>> SMSes/minute for
>>>>>>
>>>>>> sending...)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 2. If the mode of operation is AT+CMGR (reading the SMSes that
>>>>>> reached the
>>>>>>
>>>>>> SIM card), my actual patch did not address this problem. This part of
>>>>>>
>>>>>> smsc_at will be a matter of my next patch. Mr Andreas Fink did not
>>>>>> take
>>>>>>
>>>>>> advantage of the AT+CMGL command (listing all the SMSes in the SIM
>>>>>> card).
>>>>>>
>>>>>> That command speeds up the process of reading the SMSes from the SIM
>>>>>> card by
>>>>>>
>>>>>> at least an order of magnitude. In May of 2006 I submitted a rather
>>>>>> large
>>>>>>
>>>>>> patch that solved this problem, but the patch never made it to
>>>>>> submission.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> So, if you ask me, do not use the sim-buffering option for now.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Best regards,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Andrija Petrovic
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> P.S. Just as a curiosity - what do you use Kannel for? What is the
>>>>>>
>>>>>> exploitation scenario? Please, do not answer if it is a business
>>>>>> secret or
>>>>>>
>>>>>> any type of confidential information.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hillel wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Will your patch fix the problem with the SIM card filling up and not
>>>>>> being
>>>>>>
>>>>>> cleared out and so new SMSs not being able to come in?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Andreas Fink
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Fink Consulting GmbH
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Global Networks Schweiz AG
>>>>>>
>>>>>> BebbiCell AG
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Tel: +41-61-6666330 Fax: +41-61-6666331  Mobile: +41-79-2457333
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Address: Clarastrasse 3, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
>>>>>>
>>>>>> E-Mail:  [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> www.finkconsulting.com www.global-networks.ch www.bebbicell
>>>>>> <http://www.bebbicell>.ch
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ICQ: 8239353 MSN: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> AIM: smsrelay
>>>>>> Skype: andreasfink
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Yahoo: finkconsulting SMS: +41792457333
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>>       
>>>>>>           
>>>>       
>>
>>

-- 
Thanks,
Alex