NIS+/rsh/ssh confusion

[Gordon Morrison_1]

I have a strange one here, with top points for a solution:
We use NIS+ and have a user set up to automatically collect files nightly from all our servers via rsh/rcp - or if that fails, via ssh/scp. All servers are set up to allow passwordless logins for this user from the golden host using rsh or ssh or both.
I'm having a problem with 2 rp4440's running 11.11
While logged in as the data-collection user on our golden host, I try to ssh to a problem host, and I get:

syscfg@sd-a:/usr/local/syscfg> ssh hrp4409
warning: Authentication failed.
Disconnected; connection lost (Connection closed.).

...so I try rsh:

syscfg@sd-a:/usr/local/syscfg/.ssh2> rsh hrp4409
Password:
Please wait...checking for disk quotas
(c)Copyright blahblah... Successful login

(Note that I had to supply a password)

I think this is a bit strange, so I logout and log straight back in again via rsh:

$ ^D
logout
Connection closed.
syscfg@sd-a:/usr/local/syscfg> rsh hrp4409
Please wait...checking for disk quotas
(c)Copyright blahblah...

(Note that I didn't need a password this time)

Getting stranger, so I look in syslog:

$ tail -24 /var/adm/syslog/syslog.log
Jun 21 14:41:53 hrp4409 syslog: Patrol syslog check message Wed Jun 21 14:41:53 2006
Jun 21 14:47:32 hrp4409 syslog: Authentication Failed
Jun 21 14:48:11 hrp4409 above message repeats 29 times
Jun 21 14:47:32 hrp4409 nis_cachemgr: Authentication Failed
Jun 21 14:48:11 hrp4409 above message repeats 201 times
Jun 21 14:48:32 hrp4409 syslog: Authentication Failed
Jun 21 14:48:33 hrp4409 nis_cachemgr: Authentication Failed
Jun 21 14:51:53 hrp4409 syslog: Patrol syslog check message Wed Jun 21 14:51:53 2006
Jun 21 14:51:53 hrp4409 sshd[14409]: Authentication Failed
Jun 21 14:51:52 hrp4409 syslog: Authentication Failed
Jun 21 14:51:54 hrp4409 above message repeats 10 times
Jun 21 14:51:54 hrp4409 sshd[14409]: authdes_refresh: keyserv(1m) is unable to encrypt session key
Jun 21 14:51:54 hrp4409 sshd[14409]: Authentication Failed
Jun 21 14:52:00 hrp4409 above message repeats 4 times
Jun 21 14:52:00 hrp4409 syslog: Authentication Failed
Jun 21 14:52:00 hrp4409 rlogind[14455]: Authentication Failed
Jun 21 14:52:00 hrp4409 rlogind[14455]: authdes_refresh: keyserv(1m) is unable to encrypt session key
Jun 21 14:52:00 hrp4409 rlogind[14455]: User account "syscfg" is disabled.
Jun 21 14:52:00 hrp4409 rlogind[14455]: Authentication Failed
Jun 21 14:52:00 hrp4409 login: Authentication Failed
Jun 21 14:52:12 hrp4409 syslog: Authentication Failed
Jun 21 14:52:13 hrp4409 rlogind[14469]: Authentication Failed
Jun 21 14:52:13 hrp4409 rlogind[14469]: Authentication Failed
Jun 21 14:52:13 hrp4409 above message repeats 2 times

(Note that syslog reports syscfg user is disabled, but I still manage to login)
The syscfg user is NOT disabled. It has beeen known to become disabled in the past, but is currently set to never be disabled. (nispasswd -x -1 syscfg)

I can continue to rsh & ssh to this box without a password for a while, but before too long it reverts back to the above scenario.

I am frustrated & confused and will be grateful for any assistance.

[opronin]

A question:
"syscfg user" is local account or NIS?
Specially on the server where you have the issue.

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

Seems like the use password changed or the NIS database is out of sync or corrupt.

Focus on that as a problem area.

Note that support for NIS+ is dropped in HP-UX v3.

May be time for a move.

SEP

[Gordon Morrison_1]

syscfg user is a NIS+ account, not local to the machine.
We are in the process of looking at alternatives to get rid of NIS+ but it won't happen anytime soon.
Is it possible to resync NIS+ on this machine without disruption?
I resolved a similar (but worse!) problem on another machine by re-clienting it, but caught a lot of flak.
Thanks

[Gordon Morrison_1]

I was all set to just create a local syscfg user, when it sorted itself out overnight. I am assuming that NIS+ resynced itself.