IV20128: ON AIX THE ITNM_STOP SCRIPT CAN SOMETIMES FAIL TO RETRIEVE THE PPID OF THE PROCESSES

IBM Tivoli Network Manager IP 3.9.0 Fix Pack 3, 3.9.0-TIV-ITNMIP-FP0003
IBM Tivoli Network Manager IP 3.9.0 Fix Pack 4, 3.9.0-TIV-ITNMIP-FP0004
IBM Tivoli Network Manager IP Edition 3.9.0 Fix Pack 5, 3.9.0-TIV-ITNMIP-FP0005

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• Product: Tivoli Network Manager
  Version: 3.8, 3.9
  Platform: AIX
  Component: itnm_control_functions.sh
  
  Symptom:  itnm_stop fails to retrieve the PPID of the processes.
  
  The itnm_control_functions.sh script on AIX calls this function:
  
      'AIX')
          # Get list of parent pids (%P) and group ids (%r). We
  want the group
          # ids of the processes whose parents have the supplied
  parent pid.
          child_groups=`${ps_dir}/ps -eo "%P %r" | grep -v grep \
                  | grep \^$ppid | awk '{print $2}' | sort -nru`
          ;;
      esac
  
  The problem is that the list of data returned by ps sometimes
  has a leading space at the beginning of the line, and sometimes
  doesn't (more often it does)!
  So far no explanation has been found as to why, but here is the
  evidence from tests on AIX 6.1
  
  To begin with at the start of the output the ps command returns
  results without a leading white space and so the additional grep
  \^$ppid works.
  bash-3.2# ps -eo "%P %r"   | grep 4259974
  4259974 2359506
  4259974 3604644
  4259974 3670168
  4259974 3801318
  4259974 3932284
  4259974 4063366
        1 4259974
  4259974 4325382
  4259974 4391084
  4259974 4522190
  4259974 4587660
  4259974 4653198
  4259974 4718736
  4259974 4784276
  4259974 5046450
  4259974 5308606
  4259974 6095046
  4259974 6160392
  4259974 6226130
  4259974 6291678
  4259974 6356994
  4259974 6946816
  4259974 7209182
  4259974 7274722
  ^^^^^^^
  [NOTE: no white space]
  
  But later on the exact same command returns results with a
  leading white space at the beginning of the line.  The effect is
  that the grep for \^$ppid fails to retrieve anything, since the
  first character is white space:
  bash-3.2# ps -eo "%P %r"  |grep 4259974
   4259974  2359506
   4259974  3604644
   4259974  3670168
   4259974  3801318
   4259974  3932284
   4259974  4063366
         1  4259974
   4259974  4325382
   4259974  4391084
   4259974  4522190
   4259974  4587660
   4259974  4653198
   4259974  4718736
   4259974  4784276
   4259974  5046450
   4259974  5308606
   4259974  6095046
   4259974  6160392
   4259974  6226130
   4259974  6291678
   4259974  6356994
   4259974  6946816
   4259974  7209182
   4259974  7274722
  ^^^^^^^^
  [NOTE leading white space]
  bash-3.2# ps -eo "%P %r" | grep \^4259974
  bash-3.2# ps -eo "%P %r" | grep \^4259974
  bash-3.2# ps -eo "%P %r" | grep \^4259974
  bash-3.2# ps -eo "%P %r" | grep 4259974
   4259974  2359506
   4259974  3604644
   4259974  3670168
   4259974  3801318
   4259974  3932284
   4259974  4063366
         1  4259974
   4259974  4325382
   4259974  4391084
   4259974  4522190
   4259974  4587660
   4259974  4653198
   4259974  4718736
   4259974  4784276
   4259974  5046450
   4259974  5308606
   4259974  6095046
   4259974  6160392
   4259974  6226130
   4259974  6291678
   4259974  6356994
   4259974  6946816
   4259974  7209182
   4259974  7274722
  
  If the output of ps can't be predicted then the script using it
  will have to account for either form.
  

Local fix

• One workaround is to strip off any white space from the
  beginning of the line from the output before assigning it to
  $child_groups by adding sed 's/^ *//'  e.g.
  
          child_groups=`${ps_dir}/ps -eo "%P %r" | sed 's/^ *//'|
  \ grep -v grep | grep \^$ppid | awk '{print $2}' | sort -nru`
          ;;
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
  * ITNM 3.9 itnm_stop users.                                    *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
  * itnm_stop fails to retrieve the PPID of the processes when   *
  * PPID has a leading space in it.                              *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  * Modify  itnm_control_functions.sh script then add sed in AIX *
  * section of  $child_groups.                                   *
  * sed 's/^ *//'  e.g.                                          *
  *                                                              *
  * | fix pack | 3.9.0-ITNMIP-FP0003                             *
  ****************************************************************
  

Problem conclusion

• | fix pack | 3.9.0-ITNMIP-FP0003 - Workaround provided. Code has
  been fixed.
  

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

  TIV NETWK MGR I

• Fixed component ID

  5724S4500

Applicable component levels

• R390 PSN

     UP

• R390 PSY

     UP

• R401 PSN

     UP

• R401 PSY

     UP