ECO NUMBER:     VAXAUDS01_062
             PRODUCT:        OpenVMS VAX OPERATING SYSTEM 6.2
             UPDATE PRODUCT: OpenVMS VAX OPERATING SYSTEM 6.2




                                COVER LETTER


1  KIT NAME:

     VAXAUDS01_062


2  KITS SUPERSEDED BY THIS KIT:

     VAXAUDS01_070 - For OpenVMS VAX V6.2 only


3  KIT DESCRIPTION:

     3.1  Version(s) of OpenVMS to which this kit may be applied:

     OpenVMS VAX V6.2


     3.2  In order to receive the full fixes  listed  in  this  kit  the
          following remedial kits also need to be installed:

     None


     3.3  Files patched or replaced:


      o  [SYSEXE]AUDIT_SERVER.EXE (new image)



4  PROBLEMS ADDRESSED IN VAXAUDS01_062 KIT


      o  When the AUDIT_SERVER is requested to exit, typically due to  a
         system  shutdown,  it  could  potentially  hang in "HIBernation
         state not processing any  messages  in  MBA3:".   This  problem
         could  potentially cause other processes to go into RWMBX state
         when the mailbox fills up and then hang the system.

      o  The  AUDIT_SERVER  process  could  potentially  corrupt   saved
         registers  on the stack, overwritting them with the lock status
         value of 00000001.

         A second problem manifests  itself  as  two  hung  AUDIT_SERVER
         processes in a VMScluster, both stuck in Local Event Flag (LEF)
         waiting for the other to release  a  different  doorbell  lock.
         When this problem occurs, processes may begin backing up in the
         RWMBX state trying to write new messages to MBA3:.

      o  SET AUDIT/SERVER=NEW_LOG file will not always work as expected,
         sometimes  not  at  all and sometimes only from one node in the
         cluster.

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5  PROBLEMS ADDRESSED IN VAXAUDS01_070 KIT FOR OPENVMS VAX V6.2


      o  The AUDIT_SERVER allocates extra space for a log file, but  the
         old  log  file  was not being truncated when creating a new log
         file.  The AUDIT_SERVER now truncates the  old  log  file  when
         creating a new one.



6  KIT INSTALLATION RATING:

     The following kit  installation  rating,  based  upon  current  CLD
     information,  is provided to serve as a guide as to which customers
     should apply this remedial kit.  (Reference attached Disclaimer  of
     Warranty and Limitation of Liability Statement)

     INSTALLATION RATING:

       INSTALL_3 : To  be  installed  by  customers  experiencing  the  problems
           corrected.



7  INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:

     Install this kit with the VMSINSTAL utility  by  logging  into  the
     SYSTEM account, and typing the following at the DCL prompt:

         @SYS$UPDATE:VMSINSTAL VAXAUDS01_062 [location of the saveset]

     The saveset location may be a tape drive, or a disk directory  that
     contains the kit saveset.

     The images in this kit will not take effect  until  the  system  is
     rebooted.

     If you have other nodes in your VMS  cluster,  they  must  also  be
     rebooted  in  order  to make use of the new image(s).  If it is not
     possible or convenient to reboot the entire cluster at this time, a
     rolling re-boot may be performed.

                    ************* NOTE ************

     A  reboot  can  be  avoided  by  stopping   and   re-starting   the
     AUDIT_SERVER.   HOWEVER, if the system is experiencing the problems
     described in this remedial kit, stopping the AUDIT_SERVER may cause
     the  system to hang.  If that happens you must reboot the system to
     recover.

     To stop and restart the AUDIT_SERVER:

        $SET AUDIT/SERVER=EXIT   (to stop)

        $SET AUDIT/SERVER=START  (to restart)

-- COVER LETTER --                                              Page 3
                                                      12 February 1998


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