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The following is a step-by-step summary of how UNIX system accounting works:
acctwtmp adds a ``boot'' record to /var/adm/wtmp. In this record, the system name is shown as the login name in the wtmp record. ``Raw Accounting Data'' summarizes how the raw accounting data is gathered and where it is stored.
turnacct, invoked with the on option, begins process accounting. Specifically, turnacct on executes the accton program with the argument /var/adm/pacct.
remove ``cleans up'' the saved pacct and wtmp files left in the sum directory by runacct.
File in /var/adm | Information | Written By | Format |
---|---|---|---|
wtmp | connect sessions | login, init | utmp.h |
date changes | date | ||
reboots | acctwtmp | ||
shutdowns | shutacct shell | ||
pacct? | processes | kernel (when process ends) | acct.h |
turnacct switch creates new file when old one reaches 500 blocks | |||
fee | special charges | chargefee | |
acct/nite/disktacct | disk space used | dodisk | tacct.h |
Raw Accounting Data
When a process ends, the kernel writes one record per process, in the form of acct.h, in the /var/adm/pacct file.
Two programs track disk usage by login: acctdusg and diskusg. They are invoked by the shell script dodisk.
Every hour cron executes the ckpacct program to check the size of /var/adm/pacct. If the file grows past 500 blocks (default), turnacct switch is executed. (The turnacct switch program moves the pacct file and creates a new one.) The advantage of having several smaller pacct files becomes apparent when trying to restart runacct if a failure occurs when processing these records.
If the system is shut down using shutdown, the shutacct program is executed automatically. The shutacct program writes a reason record into /var/adm/wtmp and turns off process accounting.
If you provide services on a request basis (such as file restores), you can keep billing records by login by using the chargefee program. It allows you to add a record to /var/adm/fee each time a user incurs a charge. The next time runacct is executed, this new record is picked up and merged into the total accounting records.