PK93510: PIPED ERRORLOG FREQUENTLY LOSES INITIALIZATION ERROR MESSAGE

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• When both ErrorLog and CustomLog directives use a piped program
  and the CustomLog directive refers to a program that can't be
  started, the ErrorLog will not be written. (For example the path
  to the piped program for CustomLog has a typo and it points to a
  nonexistent path.) And the attempt to start IBM HTTP Server from
  apachectl command failed without displaying any message.
  
  If the ErrorLog points to a file (e.g. ErrorLog logs/error_log)
  or the ErrorLog refers to a program that also cannot be started,
  the appropriate error messages are written or displayed as
  appropriate.
  
  The loss of messages when the base ErrorLog is a piped logger is
  due to a race between the piped logger startup (subject to the
  OS scheduler) and the signals sent subsequent to an
  initialization error
  The fix is to delay the processing which ultimately results in
  termination of the piped logger.  This processing currently
  happens immediately after the config/initialization error is
  detected but the piped logger may not have had time to fully
  startup and open/write its log file.
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:  IBM HTTP Server users with a piped logger   *
  *                  configured for the main ErrorLog and        *
  *                  diagnosing a terminal startup failure.      *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: Fatal startup messages may be lost      *
  *                      when piped logging is configured.       *
  *                      Runtime messages are NOT affected.      *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:  If a startup failure is actively being      *
  *                  diagnosed and no message is written to the  *
  *                  piped error log, apply this fix.            *
  ****************************************************************
  When the initialization error occurs very close to where the
  piped logger is invoked, IBM HTTP Server terminates the
  piped logger before it has had time to log the message.  Since
  the ErrorLog is opened just before any configured access logs,
  a message for an error opening an access log has the highest
  chance of being lost.
  

Problem conclusion

• When encountering a fatal configuration error, IBM HTTP Server
  delays for a fraction of a second before killing its children,
  which include piped loggers responsibel for logging the error.
  
  This fix is targeted for IHS fixpacks:
  - 6.0.2.39
  - 6.1.0.29
  - 7.0.0.7
  

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

  IBM HTTP SERVER

• Fixed component ID

  5724J0801

Applicable component levels

• R60A PSY

     UP

• R60H PSY

     UP

• R60I PSY

     UP

• R60P PSY

     UP

• R60S PSY

     UP

• R60W PSY

     UP

• R60Z PSY

     UP

• R61A PSY

     UP

• R61H PSY

     UP

• R61I PSY

     UP

• R61P PSY

     UP

• R61S PSY

     UP

• R61W PSY

     UP

• R61Z PSY

     UP

• R700 PSY

     UP