PH10602: CLEARTOOL COMMANDS REPORT "CLEARTOOL: ERROR: GETGRGID_R BUFFER OVERFLOW" WHEN LARGE USER GROUPS ARE IN USE ON UNIX

Rational ClearCase Fix Pack 8 (9.0.1.8) for 9.0.1
Rational ClearCase Fix Pack 9 (9.0.1.9) for 9.0.1
Rational ClearCase Fix Pack 10 (9.0.1.10) for 9.0.1
Rational ClearCase Fix Pack 11 (9.0.1.11) for 9.0.1

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• When performing IBM Rational Clearcase operations, the various
  tools may report "getgrgid_r buffer overflow" when started. This
  error will generally not block ClearCase operations, but it is
  possible.
  
  This message is caused when either:
  1) the user running the clearcase commands is a member of a
  group containing a very large number of users; or
  2) a ClearCase object (element, metadata type, VOB, etc.) is
  owned by a group containing a very large number of users.
  
  For this issue to occur, the group in question needs to contain
  tens of thousands of users assuming an average user name length
  of 8 characters. The system call in question returns the full
  list of group members, by name, in a string buffer. If this list
  of names cannot fit into a clearcase-supplied buffer, this error
  occurs.
  
  This starts occurring in ClearCase 9.0.1 as the system call used
  to get group information was changed from getgrgid(), which is
  not thread-safe because it uses uses a system-managed common
  buffer for the process, to getgrgid_r(), which is thread save
  because it requires the calling thread to provide and manage the
  output buffer. Unfortunately, in some cases, the maximum buffer
  size used may not be adquate.
  
  Note that this is more common in Active-Directory-integrated
  hosts due to:
  1) User names are generally longer: "Robert.Jones" instead of
  "rjones"; and
  2) Default membership in various domain-wide groups, like
  "Domain Users."
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
  * ClearCase sites with company-wide groups.                    *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
  * ClearCase sites with company-wide groups having thousands of *
  * long-named users may cause ClearCase core to run out of      *
  * buffer space.                                                *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  

Problem conclusion

• A fix is available in ClearCase version 9.0.1.8
  

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

  CLEARCASE WIN

• Fixed component ID

  5724G2900

Applicable component levels

• R901 PSY

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