HP OpenVMS Systems

Process(es) Holding RMS File Open? (FLK)

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The Question is:

 
How do I determine which process is blocking access to a given file, resulting
 in $ COPY command failing, without using trial-and-error STOP/ID to narrow it
 down?.
 
There are several processes listed in the output of SHOW DEVICE/FILES
 SYS$SYSDEVICE: command as having a link to the RIGHTSLIST.DAT file......but
 when I try to $ COPY it, the command fails with "%COPY-E-OPENIN, error opening
 SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE]RIGHTSLIST.
DAT;254 as input
-RMS-E-FLK, file currently locked by another user".
 
The six processes are as follows:
 
SECURITY_SERVER 00000211
AUDIT_SERVER    0000020B
QUEUE_MANAGER   0000020E
FRTLSERVICER    0000022C
SLC_MAIN        0000022F
Intruder Alert  00000234
 
The hardware and software configururation is exactly-mirrored on another Alpha,
 but the COPY command works ok on that system!.
 

The Answer is :

 
  Please use AMDS or Availability Manager to determine processes that are
  holding open files -- AMDS and Availability Manager are quite good at
  this task.  Newer versions of SDA can also be useful, as can certain
  SDA commands such as SHOW PROCESS/CHANNEL.
 
  OpenVMS itself tends to hold RIGHTSLIST and other core files open, and
  this is one of the central reasons why the OpenVMS system management
  documentation around the BACKUP of the system disk is written as it is.
 
  Commands useful for overriding locks and copying open RMS files include
  CONVERT/SHARE and BACKUP/IGNORE=INTERLOCK, though the resulting contents
  of the copied files may or may not be consistent; these commands can
  potentially produce output files that are corrupted, as the interlocks
  that are being ignored here were implemented to ensure data consistency.
  (For a related discussion of the perils of BACKUP/IGNORE=INTERLOCK usage,
  please see the OpenVMS FAQ.)
 

  

     

     
answer written or last revised on ( 9-FEB-2004 )
     
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