Many temp tcpip files in sys$manager directory

[Eitan Ram]

Hi.

Happy new year to everyone.

I found many temp tcpip files in sys$manager directory -
For example: TCPIP$FTP_TEMP20289EB8.TMD.
All are empty - 0 blocks.
What are these files?
Is it safe to delete ?

Thanks for your reply,
Eitan.

[Robert Gezelter]

Eitan,

Welcome to the OpenVMS ITRC Forum! It also appears that you may have posted the first question of 2009.

Which version of TCP/IP Services is running on this machine?

- Bob Gezelter, http://www.rlgsc.com

[Eitan Ram]

Openvms 7.3-2 on Alpha.
TCPIP> sho version

HP TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Alpha Version V5.4 - ECO 5
on a AlphaServer ES40 running OpenVMS V7.3-2

TCPIP>

[Hoff]

I'd have no particular qualms about deleting these files.

Check the dates. Then delete the files. Check your ECO level against current. (As you can look that up as easily as I can, I'll assume you're current for both OpenVMS and for TCP/IP Services.)

If these files are of recent origin and not something left from years past (and particularly if they continue to be created after you've cleaned up the current files) (and if you have a support contract), log a complaint with HP support that something here is leaving temporary files. And that they're leaving temporary files under a TMD and not TMP suffix, if you're so inclined.

And a more general question: How current is your system disk BACKUP? Good enough to restore, if you miss with a DELETE command here, for instance?

--

Here's the release note from a newer release of TCP/IP Services:

4.4 FTP Client Problems Fixed in This Release

The following sections describe FTP client problems fixed in this release.
4.4.1 FTP Client Fails to Delete Interim Files after GET/MGET Commands

Problem:

After an FTP GET or MGET command entered with wildcard characters completes, the temporary TCPIP$FTP_TEMPnnnnnnnn.TMD files created by FTP are supposed to be deleted from the SYS$SCRATCH area. However, if no files match the wildcard criteria, FTP fails to delete any of the temporary files. (If at least one file matches the wildcard criteria, FTP successfully deletes any TCPIP$FTP_TEMPnnnnnnnn.TMD files created in SYS$SCRATCH.)

Solution:

This problem is corrected in this release.

--

the above is from

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/83final/tcprn/tcp_rnpro_004.html

[Eitan Ram]

Thank you very much for your replies.

There are many files (about 10,000) all from the same date - March 2005.
Very few files created later - about 1 file per month.

About system disk backup - Every nighj image backup.

I see that the fix to this problem is in version 5.6 - the current version on the system is 5.4. I'll try to schedule upgrade.

Eitan.

[Steven Schweda]

> I see that the fix to this problem is in
> version 5.6 - the current version on the
> system is 5.4. I'll try to schedule upgrade.

I didn't think that TCPIP V5.6 would work on
VMS V7.3-2. So, unless you were planning to
upgrade VMS, too, ...

> [...] V5.4 - ECO 5 [...]

I'm at V5.4 - ECO 7 (and that does work on
VMS V7.3-2).

On the other hand, the ECO release notes,
SYS$HELP:TCPIP54ECO07.RELEASE_NOTES, suggest
that this problem was solved at around ECO 2:

[...]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corrections for HP TCP/IP Services V5.4 FTP_CLIENT Images
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
[...]
ECO 2 updates
-------------
ECO D 24-MAR-2004

Problem:
TCPIP_BUGS Note 2998

ECO 2 updates
-------------
ECO D 24-MAR-2004

Problem:

After an FTP GET or MGET command issued with wildcards completes,
the temporary TCPIP$FTP_TEMPnnnnnnnn.TMD files created by FTP are
supposed to be deleted from the SYS$SCRATCH area. However, if no
files match the wildcard criteria, FTP fails to delete any of the
temporary files. (If at least one file matches the wildcard criteria,
FTP does successfully delete any TCPIP$FTP_TEMPnnnnnnnn.TMD files
created in SYS$SCRATCH.)
[...]

> [...] all from the same date - March 2005.
> Very few files created later - about 1
> file per month.

How many are being created now (since ECO 2)?

[Willem Grooters]

Given the descriptions, this was caused by ONE process, running in March 2005 on PID 20289EB8, (M)GET ting on wildcard for that many times.

You won't be able to locate that proces, unless you have accounting files and FTP logs from that time.

No need to keep the files. Safe to delete.

[Eitan Ram]

Thank you all.

Eitan.