The BCL URL changed without any redirect, affecting every OpenStudio Application released up to 1.11.0 - Workaround

[jmarrec]

Issue overview

The bcl.nrel.gov was dropped, and replaced with bcl.nlr.gov, with no redirect whatsoever.

The BCL address has been hardcoded in the OpenStudio SDK for ages, so this broke every user of the OpenStudio SDK's RemoteBCL class, including every release of the OpenStudio Application to date (up to 1.11.0 included)

Patch release

We have issued a v1.11.1 release which is just v1.11.0 + a workaround to replace the RemoteBCL with our own so we could patch the address.. If you can use this version (OpenStudio 3.11.0), then that's the preferred course of action.

Workaround

In order to get the BCL to work with older versions, there is a workaround you can use.

Retrieve the bcl.nlr.gov IP, for eg:

$ dig +short bcl.nlr.gov
192.174.63.71

I do not know if this IP is likely to change in the future or not, so if it doesn't work, try to get the latest IP.

Then edit your hosts file so that bcl.nrel.gov will point to the new IP by adding a new line:

• macOS/Linux: /etc/hosts, needs sudo
• Windows: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts, run editor as Administrator

192.174.63.71   bcl.nrel.gov

Caveats:

• bcl.nlr.gov's IP could change later (it's not pinned), so the hosts entry might need updating if NLR re-homes it.
• bcl.nlr.gov server happily answers requests with Host: bcl.nrel.gov/ SNI bcl.nrel.gov, that might change too

[antoine-galataud]

@jmarrec thanks for the workaround. Just one typo in its description: the IP output of dig and the IP you set in hosts file differ. That could be confusing ;)

[jmarrec]

@jmarrec thanks for the workaround. Just one typo in its description: the IP output of dig and the IP you set in hosts file differ. That could be confusing ;)

Corrected, thanks

[Ski90Moo]

To get the current address, this works in the command prompt on windows: nslookup bcl.nlr.gov

[jmarrec]

We have issued a v1.11.1 release which is just v1.11.0 + a workaround to replace the RemoteBCL with our own so we could patch the address.

• Create 1.11.1 patch changing NREL to NLR #881
• https://github.com/openstudiocoalition/OpenStudioApplication/releases/tag/v1.11.1