Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!van-bc!ubc-cs!kiwi!mprgate!parker
From: parker@mprgate.mpr.ca (Ross Parker)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.ultrix
Subject: Re: Accounting shutting down?
Message-ID: <2398@kiwi.mpr.ca>
Date: 24 Oct 90 18:22:46 GMT
References: <2392@kiwi.mpr.ca> <15340@cbmvax.commodore.com>
Sender: news@eric.mpr.ca
Reply-To: parker@mprgate.mpr.ca (Ross Parker)
Organization: MPR Teltech Ltd.
Lines: 43

In article <15340@cbmvax.commodore.com>, grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins) writes:
|> In article <2392@kiwi.mpr.ca> parker@mprgate.mpr.ca (Ross Parker) writes:
|> > 
|> > I have a periodic problem on a number of Microvaxes running Ultrix
|> > 3.1 and 2.3. It appears that the system accounting is shutting itself
|> > down for reasons other than disk space.
|>
|> Are you getting the "accounting shutting down" messages on the console,
|> or does it just seem to stop recording?

I unfortunately haven't been checking the error log (sheepish grin). I
know that I periodically do have accounting shut down for disk space
reasons, and unfortunately can't remember what day I caught the problem
I described, so I can't look back to see if this was registered in the
error log.

|> If the problem is frequent, you my put something in crontab
|> the logs accout file size and free space on a periodic basis and see if
|> there's any pattern to this disease.

I've done this already... I run a script every 15 minutes that checks disk
space, the size of the accounting file, and the kernel variable 'acctp'.
If acctp changes (it's a pointer to an internal accounting structure), it
means that accounting has either shut down or started up in the intervening
15 minutes. I check also to see if the size of the accounting file remains
constant for 15 minutes (highly unlikely when things are normal). I mail
myself if acctp changes or if /usr/adm/acct has remained constant. To date,
the only times I've received alarms are:

	- disk space problems
	- nightly accounting run which turns off and restarts accounting.

This script has been going for about a week. I think this is a case of
'the watched pot never boils', as everything seems normal. Grrrrr.....
The problem *used* to be frequent!!!

-- 
Ross Parker			| Why do they put me down?
				| Make out that I'm a clown?
parker@mprgate.mpr.ca		| I drink scotch whisky all day long
uunet!ubc-cs!mprgate!parker	| Yeah I'm gonna save my money
				| (gonna put it all away...)
(604)293-5495			| 'Cause I'm a Scotsman