Conference iamok::inspect_srf

1689.0. "%INSPECT-E-INTERR" by GIDDAY::REINHOLD () Tue Feb 11 1997 00:08

    Gidday,
    
    	   This is not so much a problem, but it is solution to an
    undocumented problem. One of our software engineers have been battling
    this one for a long time (over 2 years), and after a lot more effort 
    than should really have been expended, the solution was found. Following 
    is the extract of the problem and of the fix. Although it may not fix every
    case of this error, it may help to diagnose it further.
    
    	   
    
    					Cheers,
    						Dave
    
    
    ----------------- The Problem --------------------------------------
    
    The following processing errors occurred while assembling the report
    file for node DOCKER:
    
    ** Unknown final test status received for this test
    
       Test #     = 15
       Collection = Privileged Accounts
       Status code= 8630018
       Message    = %INSPECT-E-INTERR, internal error encountered
    
    The following processing errors occurred while assembling the report
    file for node EXMICE:
    
    ** Unknown final test status received for this test
    
       Test #     = 16
       Collection = Nonprivileged Accounts
       Status code= 8630018
       Message    = %INSPECT-E-INTERR, internal error encountered
    
    
    ----------------- THE Solution ---------------------------------
    
    It appears that the DECinspect program has significant problems with
    dates in the Account Authorization file.  
    
    It was found then that some Account entries (automatically generated
    ones mostly) had date of dd-mmm-2772.  Those were fixed but the problem did
    not go away.  There were some more dates in the year 1967 - I got rid of
    those too - still the errors occurred.
    
    This time I have found that a VOID number in a numeric field will also
    cause this problem.  Specifically - there was a blank field in
    PASSWORDLIFETIME.
    I reset these fields to a (null) value using the option /NOPWDL and the
    errors have disappeared.  It was difficult to find this as the DECinspect
    logs are not helpful.  Finding the actual problem was a series of tests
    and an educated guess in the end.
    
    A very curious note on this is that a system running VMS V7.1 (as SNYBOY is)
    DOES NOT get this error! However, systems running V6.1 or 6.2 DO!  Same
    DECinspect, same authorization files. Perhaps VMS engineering has done
    something between versions.....
    
    It was also extremely frustrating because once the actual errors were fixed
    I then ran across almost every other known problem DECinspect has -
    failing to finish and not allowing another one to be started; the CHANNELCNT
    problem which requires a reboot to change - were the two most common.