From: pSeries AIX Geek (aixgeek@YAHOO.COM)
Date: Sun Feb 02 2003 - 13:43:02 EST
Everything that has been said is true.
Keep in mind, depending on the nature of the users and
what type of work they are doing, that you *might*
want to let them create very large core files.
Since a core entry of -1 is NOT the default, someone
had a reason (even if it's laziness) for doing so...
--- Jerry Gelaude <ggelaude@SUMINET.NET> wrote:
> Hi Michelle,
>
> From the following AIX 4.3 documentation link for
> the
> /etc/security/limits file,
>
>
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/doc_link/en_US/a_doc_lib/files/aixfiles/limits.htm
>
> Begin Excerpt
>
> Note: Changing the limit does not affect those
> processes that started
> by init, or alternatively, ulimits are only used by
> those processes
> that go through the login processes
>
> The /etc/security/limits file defines process
> resource limits for
> users. This file is an ASCII file that contains
> stanzas that specify
> the process resource limits for each user. These
> limits are set by
> individual attributes within a stanza.
>
> Each stanza is identified by a user name followed by
> a colon, and
> contains attributes in the Attribute=Value form.
> Each attribute is
> ended by a new-line character, and each stanza is
> ended by an
> additional new-line character. If you do not define
> an attribute for a
> user, the system applies default values.
>
> If the hard values are not explicitly defined in the
> /etc/security/limits file but the soft values are,
> the system
> substitutes the following values for the hard
> limits:
>
> Resource Hard Value
> Core Size unlimited
> CPU Time cpu
> Data Size unlimited
> File Size fsize
> Memory Size unlimited
> Stack Size unlimited
> File Descriptors unlimited
>
> If the hard values are explicitly defined but the
> soft values are not,
> the system sets the soft values equal to the hard
> values.
>
> core Specifies the soft limit for the largest core
> file a user's
> process can create.
>
> fsize Identifies the soft limit for the largest file
> a user's process
> can create or extend.
>
> Note: Use a value of -1 to set a resource to
> unlimited.
>
> Except for the cpu attribute, each attribute must be
> a decimal integer
> string representing the number of 512-byte blocks
> allotted to the
> user. The cpu attribute is a decimal integer string
> representing the
> amount of system unit time in seconds.
>
> End Excerpt
>
> If there is a value of
> core = -1
> and the hard value is
> core_hard = 4096
> The maximum core file size limit should be 4096
> times 512 byte blocks
> or 2097152 bytes as the hard_core limit.
>
> If there is a core of
> core = -1
> fsize = -1
> and no entry for core_hard, then the core size will
> be unlimited.
>
> Michelle, I think that you may be correct. Per the
> 4.3.3
> documentation, there doesn't appear to be any size
> limit on the core
> file. If your "core_hard" value is not set, the
> documentation is a
> little vague as to if the "fsize" value, which Aaron
> mentioned, would
> stop the core dump. Are your "fsize" values set to
> a block value or
> are they -1. If they are -1, then you are large
> file enabled and if
> there is no "core_hard" value set, there is cause
> for concern.
>
> I wish you the best of luck on your new assignment.
>
> Regards,
> Jerry Gelaude
>
> AIX 4.3 Documnetation pages
>
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/ds_form?lang=en_US&viewset=AIX
> AIX 5L Documentation pages
>
http://publibn.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/ds_form?lang=en_US&viewset=AIX
>
> On Wed, 29 Jan 2003 17:02:13 -0500, you wrote:
>
> >-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> >Hash: SHA1
> >
> >I will take a stab at this. I think there are 2
> limiting factors if
> >core is set to -1:
> >
> >1. If the file system is not large file enabled,
> the core can only be
> >1GB.
> >2. "fsize" in /etc/security/limits
> >
> >At 12:17 PM 1/29/2003 -0800, you wrote:
> >I've inherited the job of admin'ing several AIX
> >servers. I noticed today while looking through the
> >/etc/security/limits file that several users have
> core
> >set to -1, which according to the note implies an
> >"unlimited" value. I'm on my way down to talk to
> >these users (they are all IT dept people, not just
> >Joe-Blow users) to find out why this is so.
> >
> >However, I would like to know is there an instance
> >anyone can think of why core would need to be set
> to
> >- -1?
> >
> >Does that not imply that if a core dump starts, if
> it
> >needs to, it will continue to write the core file
> >until the fssize is met? In most cases, fssize is
> set
> >to -1 as well, so wouldn't that mean that the
> >filesystem could potentially fill up with a core
> file?
> >
> >Thanks,
> >M
> >
> >__________________________________________________
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