USERDB: Unable to read from /var/adm/userdb/44. Run userdbck

[esehhil]

Hi all,

Just installed HPUX v11.31 U7 on a rx2800.

About 5 times a day, I notice this error in the syslog:

"USERDB: Unable to read from /var/adm/userdb/44. Run userdbck"

When I run the userdbck, no problem is reported.

I have not been able to reproduce the problem manually by  logging in, out, changing pwd, start stop applications...

The error messages appears during the day when users are logged on, nothing found during i.e. the weekend. My conclusion is that this is triggered by user activities somehow.

As I understand is this related to the settings in /etc/default/security and /etc/security.dsc,but no changes are made there.

Anyone who knows if it's possible to check more details about the problem, i.e. finding out what's trigger the error or know what 44 in the userdb is referring to?

Any answer is appreciated.

BRB

//Håkan

[Duncan Edmonstone]

Is it always file  /var/adm/userdb/44 ??

What user is that? ( strings  /var/adm/userdb/44 )

There are some notes in the internal knowledge base to indicate this error can be seen when there are authentication issues for example when using LDAP/Kerberos - are you just using /etc/passwd for authentication? Or something else?

[BowlesCR]

Are you using jails/chroot by doing /./ in the homedir path?

I have a few boxes where that deprecated behavior is in use, and we get those userdb warnings anytime someone logs into the jailed account. Using ChrootDirectory instead in sshd_config is the way to fix it in that case.

[esehhil]

When checking the content of /var/adm/userdb/44 I've got following output:

# strings /var/adm/userdb/44
bardlar0
login_time=0x4f1d14bd
login_origin=optosoem
auth_ftime=0x4f1d14b9
auth_forigin=optosoem
:root
login_time=0x4f210869
login_origin=optosoem
auth_ftime=0x4f158d2b
auth_forigin=localhost

It seems somehow be related to user bardlar0 and also root is mentioned.

I'm not sure what conclusions that can be drawn from this.

BR

//Håkan 

[esehhil]

Yes, I'm only using passwd for authentication.


BR

Håkan

[S_Logan]

Hi,

Please refer this document link:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?cc=us&lc=en&docname=c02869783

HTH

Surendar

How to assign KUDOS! Click the STAR!

HP Guided Troubleshooting - www.hp.com/support/hpgt

[Ismail Azad]

Hi,

The SMSE log files used in /var/adm/userdb range from 00-ff i.e in hexadecimal and the 44 corresponds to the user bardlar0. So I suggest that you investigate this user account as far as the SMSE security settings are concerned. It is clearly this account that is causing the problem. How about posting a userdbget on this account?

Regards

Ismail Azad

[esehhil]

Hi Ismail,

Thanks for your advice. I have investigated on the user bardlar0, but can not find anything that differ from the other users. I have tried to re-create the user but the problem remains.

I have also tried your advice to run userdbget on this user, but the command does not give any output at all. The fact is that userdbget does not give an output for any user or not even for userdbget -a

Following syntax has been used:

#userdbget -u bardlar0 

and

#userdbget -a

No output at all just a new prompt.

BR

//Håkan