How to login into system showing "Error accessing system authorization file"/"Inv

[Graff]

One of our cluster machines (a XP1000 running VMS 8.3) is currently

displaying a worrying error message when attempting to login:

Username: *******Error accessing system authorization file

Invalid record size

I've never seen this error in 25 years of using VMS systems, but this

looks like the SYSUAF file has been corrupted, or replaced with some other file.

Not quite sure how the latter could have happened, but it's possible.

My problem is that there are no interactive sessions currently into that

machine, so how can I get access to the machine to determine what is the

problem?  A regular login fails, as shown above.  A conversational boot

requires a log in after the system boots, so that will suffer from the

same problem.  Is there any other way to get into the system?

Gareth

[Volker Halle]

Gareth,

there are 'emergency login procedures' documented for OpenVMS.

Please see   http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/204

In your case, you will need use use the UAFALTERNATE method or the OPA0: method.

Volker.

[Hein van den Heuvel]

As Volker indicates, you may have to reboot and use UAFALTERNATE

Before you do so, did you try alternate usernames, preferably far away in the sorting order?

The message suggest it applies to a specific record, others may well be accessible.

Hein