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IZ71686: CRON CORE DUMPS OR HANGS APPLIES TO AIX 6100-03

A fix is available

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APAR status

  • Closed as program error.

Error description

  • cron has been observed to either core dump or hang. The
    cores can occur in a variety of functions: el_add,
    el_remove, readcron, rm_ctevents, and possibly others.
    The hangs will tend to happen in the el_add and
    el_remove functions, but could occur elsewhere.
    
    The particular instance where this was noticed was
    when there was an invalid entry in a user's crontab,
    and that user updated their crontab. It will not happen
    with every update of the crontab, and will not happen
    with all types of invalid entries.
    
    The code that causes the core/hang is in a function that
    cron uses to send mail to the user to notify them
    of the invalid entry; although this is the only situation
    the core/hang has currently been observed, it
    could potentially happen other times that cron sends
    mail to a user.
    

Local fix

  • WORKAROUND: remove any invalid entries from all user's
     crontabs.
    

Problem summary

  • CRON CORE DUMPS OR HANGS
    

Problem conclusion

  • Avoid the cron core dump by correcting a scenario where a
    pointer could have still pointed to memory that was just freed
    

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

  • APAR number

    IZ71686

  • Reported component name

    AIX 610 STD EDI

  • Reported component ID

    5765G6200

  • Reported release

    610

  • Status

    CLOSED PER

  • PE

    NoPE

  • HIPER

    NoHIPER

  • Submitted date

    2010-03-01

  • Closed date

    2010-03-01

  • Last modified date

    2013-03-28

  • APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

    IZ66355

  • APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

  • Fixed component name

    AIX 610 STD EDI

  • Fixed component ID

    5765G6200

Applicable component levels

  • R610 PSY U831238

       UP10/04/22 I 1000

PTF to Fileset Mapping

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Document Information

Modified date:
28 March 2013