[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference azur::mcc

Title:DECmcc user notes file. Does not replace IPMT.
Notice:Use IPMT for problems. Newsletter location in note 6187
Moderator:TAEC::BEROUD
Created:Mon Aug 21 1989
Last Modified:Wed Jun 04 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:6497
Total number of notes:27359

2105.0. "IP Autoconfig Crashes System" by MAIL::CLAYTON (Merlin Clayton DTN 445-7217) Tue Jan 14 1992 15:58

I have the MCC EFT V1.2 loaded and running in our demo center on a VS3100
w/16MB memory.  I'm running it with a local name space, not DNS.

When I try to run the IP Autoconfig function it crashes the system.

The steps that I get through successfully are:

1. create domain "sto_tcpip" from iconic map
2. select domain "sto_tcpip"
3. select IP Autoconfig from Application list menu
4. create initial IP config file ("C")
5. edit IP config file ("E")

When I try to 'run the IP autoconfig utility' with menu option "A", the
procedure get's partially through the autoconfig then crashes the system.

I've double checked my sysgen parms and process quotas, and everything looks
ok from that perspective.

Is this a known problem?

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I do have a dump file available from the crash, and the sequence of events
are easily, and consistently reproduceable.

Merlin
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
2105.1QAR 2124TOOK::MINTZErik Mintz, DECmcc DevelopmentTue Jan 14 1992 16:172
Entered as QAR 2124 at priority 1
2105.2DO you run with full privs?TOOK::NAVKALWed Jan 15 1992 15:0433
	Hi Merlin,

	Well the good news is that I can reproduce the crash! The bad news is
	I am not quite sure what causes it. Let me give you my findings first.
	
	Okay the crash I observed happens under following situation. Please 
	verify that your situation is identical.

	1. IP is invoked from Iconic map.
	2. The account had all the privileges enabled.
	3. option -p and -h were specified in the cf file.
	5. The option host-permit was specified too.

	Under the above condition UCX software causes the VMS operating system
	to crash. Merlin, since you have the dump file, is it possible for
	you to run SDA and let me know the image that caused the crash?


	I also found that IP runs to its completion when the process  has the
	following privileges. 

		NETMBX, TMPMBX, OPER

	The above privileges are all that the software needs. I am still puzzled as
	to why a software should run fine with less privs and run wild if the privs
	are turned on! But then again I know what happens when you leave the kids home 
	alone!!

	I will post here my findings as I know better about the problem.

	- Anil
2105.3Basic Privs - No CrashMAIL::CLAYTONMerlin Clayton DTN 445-7217Thu Jan 16 1992 14:4218
Anil,

I was running MCC with full privs originally.  I turned off all but the 
necessary privs for UCX (OPER, BYPASS, SYSPRV) and it did NOT crash!  Is 
this an undocumented feature?

However, after running the config and registration process from the IMPM,
the procedure still did not populate the targeted domain eventhough it 
completed with success and said it found 20 nodes in two networks.  Is 
there another step I need to run to populate the domain?

I'm also working without documentation.  Last time I looked, I didn't see any
documentation for the Autoconfig function on WORDY.  Is this documentation
available elsewhere?


Merlin
2105.4Documentation is in the release notesTOOK::MINTZErik Mintz, DECmcc DevelopmentThu Jan 16 1992 15:0713
Crashes are not a feature, regardless of your privs... :-)

>I'm also working without documentation.  Last time I looked, I didn't see any
>documentation for the Autoconfig function on WORDY.  Is this documentation
>available elsewhere?

There is some draft documentation at the end of the release notes.
The final documentation is still being written, so it is not
available on WORDY.

-- Erik
2105.5Did you specify the full name of the domain?TOOK::FIGWERUlla Figwer LKG2-2/T2 x226-7858Thu Jan 16 1992 15:4137
Hello Merlin,

> However, after running the config and registration process from the IMPM,
> the procedure still did not populate the targeted domain eventhough it 
> completed with success and said it found 20 nodes in two networks.  Is 
> there another step I need to run to populate the domain?

A few thoughts...

It is not necessary for you to create a domain before invoking the
Autoconfiguration application.  Autoconfiguration will create domain(s)
for you, starting with the top level domain you specify when you run
the utility.

The Autoconfiguration chapter of the release notes discusses namespace
planning and mentions a prefix file, MCC_AUTOCONFIG_PREFIX.DAT.
Autoconfiguration uses the prefixes specified in this file to generate
fullnames for all entities to be registered.  This includes domains.
The default prefix for the DOMAIN entity class is .MCC.DOMAIN.

Thus, if you have not modified MCC_AUTOCONFIG_PREFIX.DAT, the full
specification of the domain created by Autoconfiguration would be
".MCC.DOMAIN.STO_TCPIP".

Try opening ".MCC.DOMAIN.STO_TCPIP" and see what happens.  If this domain is
not populated, it is possible that Autoconfiguration ran into problems
registering entities in the domain.

If this is the case, the file TRACE_REGISTRATION.LOG in the directory
[<top dir>.IP.STO_TCPIP] would offer hints as to what went wrong.

Let us know what you find!

Regards,

Ulla Figwer
2105.6Did you chech the DNS for dirs in prefix file?TOOK::NAVKALSun Jan 19 1992 18:1836
	Re: .3

	I am running IP autoconfig with the following three privileges.
	TMPMBX, NETMBX, and OPER. I don't need any additional privileges.

	I am still trying to see what the problem is with full privileges.
	I do not plan on considering this as a "feature". Crashing
	VMS is no small offense.

	Re your problem about notes not getting registered, have 
	you checked if the DNS has the directories indicated in the 
	prefix file (MCC_AUTOCONFIG_PREFIX.DAT)? The command to be 
	used for checking the presence of the default dirs indicated in
	the prefix files is as follows:

	$ mcr dns$control

	DNS> SHOW DIR . known child
	:
		The output should indicate MCC as  one of the children.
	DNS> SHOW DIR .MCC know child
	
		This command should indicate (at least) two children.
	.ip
	.DOMAIN


	If you have the above dirs defined, and you are still experiencing a
	problem, let us know.

	

	Regards,

	- Anil
2105.7UCX Required SYSPRV and BYPASSMAIL::CLAYTONMerlin Clayton DTN 445-7217Mon Jan 20 1992 10:4223
	Re: .6

>	I am running IP autoconfig with the following three privileges.
>	TMPMBX, NETMBX, and OPER. I don't need any additional privileges.

	UCX would not run unless I added SYSPRV and BYPASS to my process
	privs.

>	Re your problem about notes not getting registered, have 
>	you checked if the DNS has the directories indicated in the 
>	prefix file (MCC_AUTOCONFIG_PREFIX.DAT)? The command to be 
>	used for checking the presence of the default dirs indicated in
>	the prefix files is as follows:

	Remember, I'm running with a local namespace, not DNS, so the above
	is N/A.

	Regards,

	- Anil
2105.8Progress so far is very slow..TOOK::NAVKALMon Jan 20 1992 14:3263
>>	UCX would not run unless I added SYSPRV and BYPASS to my process
	privs.

        I don't understand why your UCX should require the extra privs. 
	Can you get hold of UCX installation guide and verify the privs needed?

	As I said I have no problem running UCX with bare minimum pirvs. 
	Infact if you don't specify ping option you don't even need 
	the OPER privledges.

>>	Remember, I'm running with a local namespace, not DNS, so the above
	is N/A.


	Sorry I missed that. Can you register any thing at all? 


	I am still working on the original VMS crash problem. The progress thus
	far is as follows:

  +--------+--------------+--------+--------+------------------------+--------+ 
  |Topology| O/S  Version |Privs   |Invoked |Options                 |  Result|
  |        |              |enabled |from    |                        |        |
  +--------+--------------+--------+--------+------------------------+--------+ 
  |IP      | VMS  5.4-3   | NETMBX |DCL     |-h -p                   |  Worked|
  |        |              | TMPMBX |        |host-permit nn.nn.0.0   |  just  |
  |        |              | OPER   |        |mask        255.255.0.0 |  fine! |
  |        |              |        |        |                        |        |
  |        |              |        |        |host        nn.nn.0.0   |        |
  |        |              |        |        |mask        255.255.0.0 |        |
  +--------+--------------+--------+--------+------------------------+--------+
  |IP      | VMS  5.4-3   | NETMBX |Iconic  |-h -p                   |  Worked|
  |        |              | TMPMBX |map     |host-permit nn.nn.0.0   |  just  |
  |        |              | OPER   |        |mask        255.255.0.0 |  fine! |
  |        |              |        |        |                        |        |
  |        |              |        |        |host        nn.nn.0.0   |        |
  |        |              |        |        |mask        255.255.0.0 |        |
  +--------+--------------+--------+--------+------------------------+--------+
  |IP      | VMS  5.4-3   | ALL    |DCL     |-h -p                   |  Worked|
  |        |              |        |        |host-permit nn.nn.0.0   |  just  |
  |        |              |        |        |mask        255.255.0.0 |  fine! |
  |        |              |        |        |                        |        |
  |        |              |        |        |host        nn.nn.0.0   |        |
  |        |              |        |        |mask        255.255.0.0 |        |
  +--------+--------------+--------+--------+------------------------+--------+
  |IP      | VMS  5.4-3   | ALL    | Iconic |-h -p                   | VMS    |
  |        |              |        | Map    |host-permit nn.nn.0.0   |        |
  |        |              |        |        |mask        255.255.0.0 |Crashed!|
  |        |              |        |        |                        |        |
  |        |              |        |        |host        nn.nn.0.0   |  �     |
  |        |              |        |        |mask        255.255.0.0 |  �     |
  +--------+--------------+--------+--------+------------------------+--------+

        � The crash dump was not enabled so I lost the data! :(
	� Another m/c on which we managed to crash VMS is being shipped to
	  COMNET show and is off line right now. :( :(

	
 So the bottom line is I am now enabling a crash dump on my boot node
 run the utility, and hope for the crash! If I get the crash I will report
 my findings here.

	- Anil
2105.9UCX PrivsMAIL::CLAYTONMerlin Clayton DTN 445-7217Mon Jan 20 1992 17:3912
Anil,

When I first tried to run the IP auto config with the minimum privs that 
you suggested, I got a UCX error something to the effect of insufficient
privs.  I went back and scanned the UCX release notes for required privs
and found a reference to obne functions requiring BYPASS and SYSPRV, so 
I added these privs to my process privledges.

Next time I did the auto config, it worked.

Merlin