Hello Everyone!
I am trying to put together (actually to rework) a batch subsystem. I
have a "working" version, but it is really annoying in several ways...
The system currently working requires that I run a xterm on my console
which sleeps for all but about 20 minutes a day. It kicks in at 10 p.m.
and starts running our "night queue." The night queue consists of between
0 and 50 scripts per night, which run applications on our database which
we would rather not do during the day -- either because the information is
changing and we want a snapshot, or because the process is intensive
enough that we don't want it to slow down our users.
The way our current system works is it goes to each of 5 queues and runs
each script by doing an "su {owner} -c {scriptname}". This particular
method is my largest gripe. The script starts up the database and feeds
it several commands, but it appears that the database recognizes the
"user" as root, rather than the UID of the script owner.
I want what happens inside the database to be subject to the security we
have set up for the user. Otherwise, I have to set up ROOT with ALL
privileges and I leave a security hole because users will be able to do
things in batch mode that they cannot do during the day...
The use of "su" also has the unfortunate requirement that the process have
standard input and output. This means I have to run it in a window,
rather than via cron.
Is there some sort of trick to doing what I want (i.e. allow root to "be"
another user)? Is it impossible? Have I confused you all as much as I am
confused?
Or am I just really stupid???
Brad
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brad Wilkin IT - Information Systems
DB/Systems Administrator Lewis & Clark College
wilkin_at_lclark.edu Portland, OR 97219
http://www.lclark.edu/~wilkin (503) 768-7244
Received on Sat Mar 08 1997 - 01:22:55 NZDT