Ultrix panic: iput i_count < 1

[avolio at decuac.UUCP]

In article <636 at varian.UUCP>, david at varian.UUCP (David Brown) writes:

> We're running Ultrix 1.2 (with DECnet/Ultrix) on a VAX 750 (RA81, TU80,
> 2 DMZ32, and DELUA).  In the last couple of weeks we started crashing
> about once a day or two with the message
> 
> 	panic: iput i_count < 1 !

Hmmm.  The error comes from the iput routine in ufs_inode.o.  This
routine is to "Decrement reference count of an inode structure.  On
the last reference, write the inode out and if necessary, truncate and
deallocate the file."  Basically it is in a section of code that
should not happen.  (But I guess it may ... I mean it isn't marked
"YOU CAN NEVER GET HERE" :-))  The routine just found out that the
reference count -- the link count I guess -- is less than 1.  I guess
my first guess would be hardware problems (since I am in software).
Are "fsck's" being done properly?  Any other error messages on the
console or in /usr/adm/messages?  I am led to believe by Digital
Review that there are some perceived problems with a disk you mention
in your list.  You might have that checked out.  (Our RA81 has never
given us a problem.  I am just reporting what I read...)

-Fred-