XCOM 11.6 SP03 xcomtcp ping on secure port 8045 returns no values

Products

• XCOM Data Transport
• XCOM Data Transport - Windows

Issue/Introduction

Using the base version of XCOM 11.6 SP03 i.e. CA XCOM Data Transport r11.6 20035 SP03 64bit

XCOM is listening on default ports unsecure 8044 and secure 8045 (confirmed by netstat command).
Certificates for secure port usage have been installed into %XCOM_HOME%\Ssl directory.

"xcomtcp -ping" to the unsecure port 8044 is successful:
C:\Program Files\CA\XCOM> xcomtcp -ping REMOTE_SYSTEM=127.0.0.1 PORT=8044 SECURE_SOCKET=NO TRNENCRL_CIPHER=ALL
Copyright (c) 2012 CA.  All rights reserved.
XCOMN0882I PING INFO FOR 127.0.0.1
XCOMN0882I RELEASE=r11.6   SP03 GEN LEVEL 20035    SYSTEM NAME=TEST1  SYSTEM ID=WIN1 
XCOMN0882I NEGOTIATED CIPHER=XCOM

"xcomtcp -ping" to the secure port 8045 returns no values:
C:\Program Files\CA\XCOM> xcomtcp -ping REMOTE_SYSTEM=127.0.0.1 PORT=8045 SECURE_SOCKET=YES TRNENCRL_CIPHER=ALL
Copyright (c) 2012 CA.  All rights reserved.

Also a secure loopback transfer results in just this message: XCOMN0029I Locally initiated transfer started.
The xcom.log showed corresponding transfer ends with: XCOMN0436E TP ended abnormally.
The *.TRA file created with XTRACE=10 ends with:
*****
LOGGED >>> 2025/01/23 17:05:17 TID=000002 PRG=xcomtcp PID=8656 IP=127.0.0.1  PORT=8045;    XCOMN0811I Starting Secure TCP/IP Connection.;
    Opened log file C:\Program Files\CA\XCOM\xcom.log
    
LOGGED >>> 2025/01/23 17:05:17 TID=000002 PRG=xcomtcp PID=8656 IP=127.0.0.1 PORT=8045;    XCOMN0813I Secure TCP/IP Connection Requested.;
    lu62     8287: XallocTcp: pcparmblock = YES
    lu62     8295: Simulated Fmh-5 record: 12 05 02 ff 00 03 d1 00 40 08 e7 c3 d6 d4 e2 c5 d5 c4 
*****

Environment

XCOM™ Data Transport® for Windows

Resolution

Suspecting an SSL configuration problem, support advised to back up %XCOM_HOME%\Ssl directory and clear out all files except those present at install time
Running makeca.bat to create self-signed certificate showed message:
Loading 'screen' into random state
No random.pem file was created and no cassl.pem was created in directory certs.

Support recreated the same behaviour running makeca.bat in house on a Windows 10 machine using the base version of 11.6 SP03 (r11.6 20035 SP03 64bit).
On another Windows Server 2019 VM the problem did not occur, so the behaviour seems variable and perhaps depends on some Windows OS environmental factors.
On the Windows 10 machine Support installed the latest XCOM for Windows11.6 SP03 patch which contains all cumulative fixes including updates to the file %XCOM_HOME%\openssl.exe and related Broadcom software CAPKI that provides the SSL support. The makeca.bat problem was then resolved.
The end user also installed the same patch and the original secure port "xcomtcp -ping" and transfer problems were also resolved.

Additional Information

XCOM for Windows 11.6 SP03 Solutions page: XCOM Data Transport for Windows Family Server WINDOWS NT 11.6