Merge 'ignore-siml-failure' and document.

documentation/RELEASE_NOTES.html

@@ -17,6 +17,16 @@
 
 -->
 
+<h3>Changed SIML failure behavior</h3>
+
+<p>A failure when fetching the simulation mode through <tt>SIML</tt> will not
+put the record into INVALID alarm state anymore. Instead, as long as the
+record's current alarm severity (<tt>SEVR</tt>)is NO_ALARM, its alarm status
+(<tt>STAT</tt>) will be set to LINK_ALARM without increasing the severity. This
+allows clients to get some notification of a failing or bad <tt>SIML</tt> link
+without otherwise affecting record processing.</p>
+
+
 <h3>dbVerify() has been restored to dbStaticLib</h3>
 
 <p>This routine was removed in Base-3.16.1 but has been reimplemented in this
@@ -24,6 +34,7 @@ release by special request. Note that the error message strings that it returns
 when verification fails have changed, but are still designed for display to the
 user.</p>
 
+
 <h3>Simulation mode improvements</h3>
 
 <p>Records that support simulation mode have two new fields, <tt>SSCN</tt>