IFL 7.1 update MPICH file locking problem

[TimP]

Since installing the recent 7.1 update, programs running under MPICH in XP, with more than 1 process, are denied permission to OPEN files which they have opened and closed. This happens with .exe files left over from the previous compiler, as well as with newly rebuilt ones. Is this an intended behavior, or a stricter enforcement of some security restriction?

[Steven_L_Intel1]

It seems to me from your description that this has nothing to do with 7.1, especially as you say old EXEs show the same behavior. File locking is a file system thing, anyway - the Fortran libraries don't get involved.

Steve

[TimP]

Certainly,it comes to mind that the .exe files built with the latest compiler might work with the run-time library from the previous version. In that case, it's a compiler issue only to the extent that we can't separate the run-time library from the compiler.

Others have been mentioning that they saw a new requirement to put a pause in a script, between IFL-built programs which use the same files. I'm left to guess there is some kind of delay before a closed file is available to be re-opened, and that the library is not synchronous in this respect. If so, it would be helpful to know how to reduce the delay, or, if it's only a matter of half a second or so, to have a reliable way of accomodating it.

[Steven_L_Intel1]

It's interesting - I've seen this thing about a close not being "synchronous" on a couple of different operating systems. The Fortran library does the close, the close returns, but the file system hasn't quite let go of the file yet. Nothing much the Fortran library can do about this except insert its own delay, which is inappropriate.

Tim, I suppose you know how to file a support request...

Steve

[TimP]

Apparently, there are several causes outside of IFL, MPICH, and XP, for this problem. Combining the following solved it:

1. Microsoft patch Q811493 has been implicated. They recommend un-installing it, unless you wish to protect against that specific vulnerability. It's one of the suggested but non-critical patches.

2. United Devices UD.exe being installed but inactive is a problem. It's similar to seti, one of the programs which runs as a screensaver and does non-profit distributed analysis.

3. After getting rid of the above, log out and back in, and delete the files which have been left locked.