IZ68662: traceroute subagent crashed on Solaris in gethostbyname.

IBM Tivoli 4.0.0-TIV-SSM-FP0010
IBM Tivoli 4.0.0-TIV-SSM-FP0011
IBM Netcool System Service Monitor SSM 4.0 Fix Pack 12 README 4.0.0-TIV-SSM-FP0012
IBM Netcool System Service Monitor SSM 4.0 Fix Pack 13 README 4.0.0-TIV-SSM-FP0013
IBM Netcool System Service Monitor SSM 4.0 Fix Pack 14 README 4.0.0-TIV-SSM-FP0014
IBM Netcool System Service Monitor SSM 4.0 Interim Fix 1 README 4.0.0.14-TIV-SSM-IF0001
IBM Netcool System Service Monitor SSM 4.0 Interim Fix 2 README 4.0.0.14-TIV-SSM-IF0002
IBM Netcool System Service Monitor SSM 4.0 Interim Fix 3 README 4.0.0.14-TIV-SSM-IF0003
IBM Netcool System Service Monitor SSM 4.0 Interim Fix 4 README 4.0.0.14-TIV-SSM-IF0004
IBM Netcool System Service Monitor SSM 4.0 Interim Fix 5 README 4.0.0.14-TIV-SSM-IF0005
IBM Netcool System Service Monitor SSM 4.0 Interim Fix 6 README 4.0.0.14-TIV-SSM-IF0006
IBM Netcool System Service Monitor SSM 4.0 Interim Fix 7 README 4.0.0.14-TIV-SSM-IF0007
IBM Netcool System Service Monitor SSM 4.0 Interim Fix 8 README 4.0.0.14-TIV-SSM-IF0008
IBM Netcool System Service Monitor SSM 4.0 Interim Fix 1 README 4.0.0.15-TIV-SSM-IF0001

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• Analysing the core file, pstack shows multiple threads in
  gethostbyname_r with the same parameters except for the first.
  They are actually all calling gethostbyname, and called by the
  traceroute subagent.
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  USERS AFFECTED:
  Users of the traceroute subagent on Solaris.
  ****************************************************************
  PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:
  traceroute subagent crashed on Solaris in gethostbyname.
  ****************************************************************
  RECOMMENDATION:
  Upgrade to Fix Pack 9 for SSM 4.0.
  ****************************************************************
  

Problem conclusion

• The issue for Solaris at least was the unsafe use of the
  non-re-entrant gethostbyname() function in multiple threads.
  This has been fixed for Solaris and Linux where gethostbyname is
  not thread safe. All other platforms are documented as having
  thread safe implementations of gethostbyname so should not be a
  problem.
  
  The fix for this APAR is contained in the following maintenance
  packages:
  | fix pack | 4.0.0-TIV-SSM-FP0009
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

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

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

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  NETCOOL SYS SVC

• Fixed component ID

  5724P4300

Applicable component levels

• R400 PSN

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