Very Computer

I have discovered 3 files / directories all with the same Inode number which
has been causing the listed CORE_DUMPS on our AIX 4.3.2.0 system. I have
other duplicated Inodes in the error log, so I'm hoping to get pointers to
use to resolve each of these duplicate Inode cases one by one. What I'd like
to do is the following:

1. >>Safely<< delete the -MULS file entirely as it's no longer needed.

2. Preserve the cispub71 directory AND the  file
/usr/lpp/bos.html.en_US.cmds/deinstlbos.html.en_US.cmds.cmds5.al but resolve
the duplicate Inode usage.

Any pointers as to how to accomplish these two task >> safely <<? I can do
this work on the weekend and restore files / directories from a current tar
tape, if needed.

Quote:>>>>> Also anyone know of any reason why these items would have been given

the same Inode number in the first place???

The -MULS item was from a load of an AIX 3.2.5 'tar -pxv' tape, the cispub71
directory was from a AIX 3.2.5 volume group imported into an AIX 4.3.2
system, and the
/usr/lpp/bos.html.en_US.cmds/deinstlbos.html.en_US.cmds.cmds5.al was from an
AIX software load from AIX 4.3 install media.

Thanks!
ken abrahamsen

# oslevel
4.3.2.0
## errpt -a|pg
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
LABEL:          CORE_DUMP
IDENTIFIER:     C60BB505

Date/Time:       Mon May 10 17:01:08
Sequence Number: 913
Machine Id:      000081827100
Node Id:         Rita
Class:           S
Type:            PERM
Resource Name:   SYSPROC

Description
SOFTWARE PROGRAM ABNORMALLY TERMINATED

Probable Causes
SOFTWARE PROGRAM

User Causes
USER GENERATED SIGNAL

        Recommended Actions
        CORRECT THEN RETRY

Failure Causes
SOFTWARE PROGRAM

        Recommended Actions
        RERUN THE APPLICATION PROGRAM
        IF PROBLEM PERSISTS THEN DO THE FOLLOWING
        CONTACT APPROPRIATE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

Detail Data
SIGNAL NUMBER
          11
USER'S PROCESS ID:
      101402
FILE SYSTEM SERIAL NUMBER
          11
INODE NUMBER
       18539
PROGRAM NAME
uvsh
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
??
??
??
Unable to generate symptom string.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
# pwd
/
# ls -aliRFN|pg|grep 18539
18539 -rw-rw-rw-   1 root     sys          137 Apr 06 1995  -MULS
18539 drwxrwsr-x  17 root     cispub     29184 May 10 17:05 cispub71/
18539 -rw-r-----   1 root     system     33215 May 03 1998
bos.html.en_US.cmdsl
#

# pwd
/u0/aix325/uv.325/u1/uv/catdir
# ls -ali|pg
18539 -rw-rw-rw-   1 root     sys          137 Apr 06 1995  -MULS

# pwd
/usr/lpp/bos.html.en_US.cmds/deinstl
# ls -ali|pg
18539 -rw-r-----   1 root     system     33215 May 03 1998
bos.html.en_US.cmds.cmds5.al

TIA.
ken abrahamsen

Ummmm.... if files are on different file systems, then they can have
whatever inode numbers they want.  Inodes must only be unique within a
file system, not across file systems.  The very fact that they have
different mode strings indicates that they can't be on the same file
system.  I doubt that a file system with two inodes with the same
number would even be mountable, much less usable.

I think you are barking up the wrong tree.  What is the program that
is coredumping?  The errpt says 'uvsh', and it's dying with signal 11,
i.e. good old segmentation violation.  That program is the culprit.
It has nothing to do with duplicate inodes.  Did you just see this in
the errpt and decide that it's a problem, or are these core dumps
causing a system problem?  If you've got software developers on your
system, they are probably dumping core all the time.  Or you've got a
buggy application.  In any case, AIX will gladly log all of these core
dumps into the error log for you, just in case you're interested.

Hope this helps.
--
Greg Wimpey  Despammify address to reply

: I have discovered 3 files / directories all with the same Inode number which
: has been causing the listed CORE_DUMPS on our AIX 4.3.2.0 system. I have
: other duplicated Inodes in the error log, so I'm hoping to get pointers to
: use to resolve each of these duplicate Inode cases one by one. What I'd like
: to do is the following:

: 1. >>Safely<< delete the -MULS file entirely as it's no longer needed.

: 2. Preserve the cispub71 directory AND the  file
: /usr/lpp/bos.html.en_US.cmds/deinstlbos.html.en_US.cmds.cmds5.al but resolve
: the duplicate Inode usage.

: Any pointers as to how to accomplish these two task >> safely <<? I can do
: this work on the weekend and restore files / directories from a current tar
: tape, if needed.

: >>>>> Also anyone know of any reason why these items would have been given
: the same Inode number in the first place???

A file or directory that has the same inode number as another file
or directory is a hard link.  A hard-linked directory is a very
bad thing.  You can try using unlink (or look at the example of
fsdb that a gentleman from Purdue posted earlier today) to rid
your system of errant hard links.   (This assumes that these files
are in the same filesystem, which is non-controversial as they
appear to be in the same directory.)  An important question
is whether you have a good backup of this filesystem.