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High cpu usage for "random" process with dsmc and dsmadmc

Troubleshooting


Problem

A Tivoli Storage Manager client is installed on AIX. Running dsmc or dsmadmc cause the AIX "random" process to use 65% CPU.

Symptom

The "ps aux" output on AIX shows the "random" process using 65% cpu.

Diagnosing The Problem

In this case, the Tivoli Storage Manager client v6.4.0.1 was installed on AIX AIX 7.1 at level 7100-01-06-1241. Because of apar IC80341, the following environment variables were used to avoid a delay on client startup :

export ICC_IGNORE_FIPS=YES
export ICC_TRNG=ALT

As a result of using those environment variables, the AIX "random" process used 65% cpu.

Run dsmc or dsmadmc from an AIX shell. From another shell, run "ps aux" (or topas, nmon) and examine the cpu utilization of the AIX "random" process. For example :

ps aux | grep random

Resolving The Problem

In this case, in order to implement the fix for AIX apar IV12985, the AIX maintenance was upgraded from AIX 7.1 level 7100-01-06-124 to level 7100-02,. Following the upgrade, the AIX "random" process no longer used a high amount of cpu.

[{"Product":{"code":"SSGSG7","label":"Tivoli Storage Manager"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU058","label":"IBM Infrastructure w\/TPS"},"Component":"Client","Platform":[{"code":"PF002","label":"AIX"}],"Version":"All Supported Versions","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB26","label":"Storage"}}]

Document Information

Modified date:
17 June 2018

UID

swg21625554