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How to use the Rational ClearCase albd_list utility

Question & Answer


Question

How do you use the IBM Rational ClearCase albd_list utility to determine a process identification number (PID) for ClearCase server processes on Windows, Linux or UNIX?

Cause

You can use the albd_list utility to help identify specific ClearCase server processes (such as albd, admin, vob, view, db etc...) by listing out its associated PID. This helpful when troubleshooting issues where the logs identify a pid in the error or if you want to end (kill) all processes related to a specific VOB or view name but do not want to shut down ClearCase services on the server.

Answer

Table of contents:



Identify a specific ClearCase server process

Find the process identifier (PID) for a given VOB or view using albd_list:

Note: By default, albd_list is located in the following location:

Windows: C:\Program Files\Rational\ClearCase\etc\utils\albd_list

UNIX: /opt/rational/clearcase/etc/utils

Usage: albd_list [-s <vob_or_view_storage>] [host]


Example: (Windows)

C:\Program Files\Rational\ClearCase\etc\utils>albd_list
albd_server addr = 66.189.33.57, port= 371
PID 404:
view_server, udp socket 1049: version 3; BUSY
Storage path c:\ClearCase_Storage\views\xp_view.vws
UUID a88a80fc.61924fb8.8e44.4d:b6:ef:ed:69:1c
view_server, udp socket 1049: version 4; BUSY
Storage path c:\ClearCase_Storage\views\xp_view.vws
UUID a88a80fc.61924fb8.8e44.4d:b6:ef:ed:69:1c
view_server, tcp socket 1050: version 3; BUSY
Storage path c:\ClearCase_Storage\views\xp_view.vws
UUID a88a80fc.61924fb8.8e44.4d:b6:ef:ed:69:1c
view_server, tcp socket 1050: version 4; BUSY
Storage path c:\ClearCase_Storage\views\xp_view.vws
UUID a88a80fc.61924fb8.8e44.4d:b6:ef:ed:69:1c
statistics_server, tcp socket 1050: version 1; BUSY
Storage path c:\ClearCase_Storage\views\xp_view.vws
UUID a88a80fc.61924fb8.8e44.4d:b6:ef:ed:69:1c
statistics_server, tcp socket 1050: version 1; BUSY
Storage path c:\ClearCase_Storage\views\MADDOG\xp_view.vws
UUID a88a80fc.61924fb8.8e44.4d:b6:ef:ed:69:1c

PID 1732:
vob_server, udp socket 1369: version 3; BUSY
Storage path c:\ClearCase_Storage\VOBs\my_test_vob.vbs
UUID adaaa72b.a7af4d27.b1b9.6d:29:fe:e0:7e:8b
Albd_list complete

Note: The output reveals the PID as well as the path to VOB or view storage so knowing either the PID number or the name of the VOB or view is all that is needed to identify the problem item.




End (Kill) a specific server process

If necessary, you can stop the PID from running ending or killing the process:

Example: (Windows)

End the server process by using the Task Manager on Windows.

  1. Open the Task Manager:
    • Right-click Task Menu Bar (or press ALT-CTRL-DEL)
    • Click Task Manager from the menu
  2. Select the Processes tab
  3. Find the correct PID that matches the VOB or view server process that you need to stop
  4. To stop the VOB or view process that matches the PID:
    • Right-click the PID
    • Click End Process

Example: (UNIX)
  1. Open a command prompt and type:

    ps -ef | grep <PID>

  2. Kill the process:

    kill -9 <pid>

Note: The albd_list utility has an option to list out the server processes running on a remote host, however, you may need to be logged directly into the host that the VOB or view is stored on before you can end (kill) the process (if needed) as the process for the VOB or view runs locally on the host that it is stored on.


Contact remote albd_server process



How can you determine if your host is able to contact a remote albd_server process?

Use the command: albd_list <remote_host>

For example:

%> albd_list host1
albd_server addr = 9.01.02.123, port= 371
Albd_list complete

Note: If albd_list returns the minimum results above (other processes may be returned if VOBs or views are running on the remote host), this means that you can establish a TCP/IP connection with the remote host's albd_server process.

If however albd_list returns the following output:

%> albd_list host2

albd_contact call failed: RPC: Unable to receive; errno = [WINSOCK] Connection reset by peer
noname: Error: Unable to contact albd_server on host 'host2'
cannot contact albd

This means one of the following likely problems needs to be investigated:
  • Remote albd_server is not started
  • No TCP/IP connection possible between local and remote hosts

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Document Information

Modified date:
16 June 2018

UID

swg21148639