Re: Defunct processes : SE 7.1 on AIX 4.1

Nick Leporacci, Jr. wrote: > > I'm not sure if this is the correct group for this problem so please bear > with me. When running an Informix query (SQL), a defunct process is being > generated. If the session is killed by the Administrator or by a connection > timeout, the defunct process continues to run and keeps the table locked > from the previous instruction (UPDATE,INSERT,DELETE) until the > Administrator kills the defunct process. My question is, why is a defunct > process being initiated and what is its purpose? > > Informix SE V7.1 > AIX 4.1.2 What do you mean by "defunct"? If it this is a process that has the word <defunct> in process status listing (those are usually called zombies), then your question is puzzling, for two reasons: zombie is a process that has exited, and occupies just a process table slot. It doesn't do anything, so I don't know how it keeps your table locked. Another one is that you cannot kill zombie process, because it is already dead; either its parent does a wait call on it, or you kill the parent, and then init does that (see other responses in this thread). By the way, who is this processes' parent? But, since you say that administrator kills the defunct process, this must be something else. Regards, Dragi "Bonzi" Raos +--------------------------------------------------------+ | 4-MATE Information Engineering Inc. | +--------------------------+-----------------------------+ | 4-MATE | Tel: +385 (1) 242-116 | | Kosa bb | +385 (1) 242-126 | | 10000 Zagreb | Fax: +385 (1) 242-121 | | Hrvatska (Croatia) | e-mail: bonzi@4mate.hr | | | URL: http://www.4mate.hr | +--------------------------+-----------------------------+