20000727: ldm-mcidas AREA decoders

>From: Eirh-Yu Hsie <address@hidden>
>Organization: CU/CIRES
>Keywords: 200007271547.e6RFl4T20317 ldm-mcidas LDM lwtoa2 pnga2area

Hsie,

>I need some help!!!
>From last Sunday, I had problem with the ldm-mcidas AREA decoders - lwtoa3 and
>pnga2area.  I do not think I change any permission on any directory or the
>entry in pqact.conf.  But I keep getting:
>
>Jul 27 15:10:45 cumulus pqact[14952]: pbuf_flush (33) write: Broken pipe
>Jul 27 15:10:45 cumulus pqact[14952]: pipe_dbufput: -closepnga2area-l/home/ldm
> /l
>ogs/ldm-mcidas.log-ddata/mcidas-rCA,1100 write error
>Jul 27 15:10:45 cumulus pqact[14952]: pipe_prodput: trying again
>Jul 27 15:10:45 cumulus pqact[14952]: pbuf_flush (33) write: Broken pipe
>Jul 27 15:10:45 cumulus pqact[14952]: pipe_dbufput: -closepnga2area-l/home/ldm
> /l
>ogs/ldm-mcidas.log-ddata/mcidas-rCA,1100 write error
>Jul 27 15:10:45 cumulus pqact[14952]: pbuf_flush (33) write: Broken pipe
>Jul 27 15:10:45 cumulus pqact[14952]: pipe_dbufput: -closepnga2area/al4data/wr
> k2
>/gempak/SOUNDER/14km/CTP/CTP_20000727_1300 write error
>Jul 27 15:10:45 cumulus pqact[14952]: pipe_prodput: trying again
>Jul 27 15:10:45 cumulus pqact[14952]: pbuf_flush (33) write: Broken pipe
>Jul 27 15:10:45 cumulus pqact[14952]: pipe_dbufput: -closepnga2area/al4data/wr
> k2
>/gempak/SOUNDER/14km/CTP/CTP_20000727_1300 write error
>Jul 27 15:10:45 cumulus pqact[14952]: child 15369 terminated by signal 9
>Jul 27 15:10:45 cumulus pqact[14952]: child 15368 terminated by signal 9
>Jul 27 15:10:45 cumulus pqact[14952]: child 15366 terminated by signal 9
>Jul 27 15:10:45 cumulus pqact[14952]: child 15365 terminated by signal 9
>Jul 27 15:11:13 cumulus pqact[14952]: pbuf_flush (34) write: Broken pipe
>Jul 27 15:11:13 cumulus pqact[14952]: pipe_dbufput: -closelwtoa3-l/home/ldm/lo
> gs
>/ldm-mcidas.log-ddata/mcidas write error
>Jul 27 15:11:13 cumulus pqact[14952]: pipe_prodput: trying again
>Jul 27 15:11:13 cumulus pqact[14952]: pbuf_flush (34) write: Broken pipe
>Jul 27 15:11:13 cumulus pqact[14952]: pipe_dbufput: -closelwtoa3-l/home/ldm/lo
> gs
>/ldm-mcidas.log-ddata/mcidas write error
>Jul 27 15:11:13 cumulus pqact[14952]: child 15385 terminated by signal 9
>Jul 27 15:11:13 cumulus pqact[14952]: child 15384 terminated by signal 9
>Jul 27 15:11:37 cumulus pqact[14952]: pbuf_flush (34) write: Broken pipe
>Jul 27 15:11:37 cumulus pqact[14952]: pipe_dbufput: -closelwtoa3-l/home/ldm/lo
> gs
>/ldm-mcidas.log-ddata/mcidas write error
>Jul 27 15:11:37 cumulus pqact[14952]: pipe_prodput: trying again
>Jul 27 15:11:37 cumulus pqact[14952]: pbuf_flush (34) write: Broken pipe
>Jul 27 15:11:37 cumulus pqact[14952]: pipe_dbufput: -closelwtoa3-l/home/ldm/lo
> gs
>/ldm-mcidas.log-ddata/mcidas write error
>Jul 27 15:11:37 cumulus pqact[14952]: child 15407 terminated by signal 9
>Jul 27 15:11:37 cumulus pqact[14952]: child 15406 terminated by signal 9
>Jul 27 15:12:16 cumulus pqact[14952]: pbuf_flush (34) write: Broken pipe
>Jul 27 15:12:16 cumulus pqact[14952]: pipe_dbufput: -closelwtoa3-l/home/ldm/lo
> gs
>/ldm-mcidas.log-ddata/mcidas write error
>...
>...
>
>All other decoders are running correctly.

The fact that the error is occurring for both lwtoa3 and pnga2area seems
to indicate one of two things (one of which you say is not the problem):

o the output directory for the decode is not writable by the user
  running the LDM

o the specification for the decoder in pqact.conf is relying on the
  PATH for the user running the LDM

You say that the first item is not an option, so let's concentrate on
the second.  Since the problem started occurring last Sunday, I'll
assume that it was working fine before.  Was your LDM restarted on
Sunday?  If so, is it possible that it was started by a user other than
the normal one that runs the LDM?  Or, is it possible that the PATH
sepecification for the user that started the LDM changed so that pqact
can no longer find lwtoa2 and pnga2area?  Finally, is it at all
possible that the execute permissions were changed on lwtoa3 and
pnga2area?

I am betting that the problem is that lwtoa3 and pnga2area are not
executable in the current run of the LDM.  I have seen this happen
where the 'ldm' user has two different shell environment files, one of
which is the standard one (and has a complete PATH specification) and
the other is some sort of a test one (that doesn't have a complete PATH
specification.  If I am in the right area here, the fix would be to
shut down the LDM, verify 'ldm's environmental settings; and then
restart the LDM.  If the problem is more exotic than this, I would be
glad to poke around if you gave me a login.

Tom