From:	MERC::"uunet!CRVAX.SRI.COM!RELAY-INFO-VAX" 25-APR-1992 05:45:39.03
To:	info-vax@sri.com
CC:	
Subj:	VMS 5.5 Queue Manager

Would like to relate some troublesome problems I have been having with
the new Queue Manager process for VMS 5.5. Yes, I know it is a completely
new design and DEC has aknowledged problems with it.

I manage a small cluster and decided to setup the majority of my queues,
both batch and print to "AUTOSTART" queues. In fact if you read the release
notes and new features manual, DEC strongly suggests you should make this
change to your queues. I converted most of mine and I like the new features
but did not expect some of the problems I have encountered.

The other night I get a phone call from one of my operators telling me all
the queues, both print and batch have disappeared. I dailin from home and
sure enough all queues are gone. As it turns out, he had been trying for
about 45 minutes to restart the queue manager and used:

	$ START/QUEUE/MANAGER/NEW

Which explains why all the queues are gone. I quickly recreated all my
queues, that was not big deal I am concerned as to how I lost the Queue
Manager process.

Yes the Queue Manager process completely terminated, my guess is the queue
files were corrupted, but I do not know for sure based on how things were
when I got the trouble call.

I look at the SYS$SYSTEM directory and low and behold I have a whooping
14 QMAN$QUEUE_MANAGER.DMP files created in the span of aprox 1 hour. This
was later explained to me by a DEC engineer as the Queue Manager process
picking up bad data from somewhere and continually tripping over it. I also
have 3 new PRTSMB.DMP files but have been getting these recently and had
been working with DEC on the cause of those as well. My operator tryed
rebooting the system to fix the queues and I believe that is why I did
not find more of these dumps as I suspect the queue manager process was
in a loop tripping over this so called bad data. It probally would have 
enventually filled up my system disk.

I am working with DEC software support and I now have the situation under
control <knock on wood!!>. I sent a tape containing QMAN and PRTSMB dumps
to them for further analysis. Here is what they identify as the cause of
the problem:

	1. The following queue 2 queue commands are entered without a 60 
	   second delay between them.

		$ STOP/QUEUE/RESET queue_name

		$ START/QUEUE      queue_name

	This sequence causes havoc with the fragile queue manager process,
	and was noted in the VMS 5.5 release notes.

	I am sure my shop is not the only one where you have DCL procedures
	for your operators to simplify their jobs. Of course with type_ahead
	you can see how the commands are entered without waiting the 60
	seconds.

I also noted that the problems occurred when the operators were trying to
stop and/or start two specific queues. These print queues are remote devices
with modem control turned on. I took the "AUTOSTART" attribute off these
and that actually seems to have solved the problem <fingers crossed>.

I am not looking for help, nor am I trying to freak other VAX/VMS system
programmers/managers out. I just wanted to relate my problems, I would like
to hear from anyone whom has had similar VMS 5.5 problems out of curiousity.

						Steve
 
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# Stephen LaBelle                              #
# Systems Programmer                           #
# Metropolitan State College of Denver         #
# Denver, Colorado                             #
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# Bitnet    :   LABELLES@MSCD.BITNET           #
# Internet  :   labelles@zeno.msc.colorado.edu #
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Live long and prosper.....