Thanks. I'll check out the NTP angle. Regards, Larry G. Elkins elkinsl@xxxxxxxxx 214.954.1781 > -----Original Message----- > From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > [mailto:oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Cary Millsap > Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 9:31 PM > To: 'Oracle-L (E-mail)' > Subject: FW: Strange Elapsed In Raw Trace > > > Oracle tim values can wrap. But I would expect that seeing that event = > would > be exceptionally rare. > > The original posting looks like something Mike Brown of Glen Raven just > discussed with me last week in Charlotte. If your db server is an NTP > client, then it's possible for an e or ela value to look like a huge > positive integer on platforms where the Oracle porters haven't been = > careful > in regarding negative numbers as actual negative numbers. For example, > consider the following sequence of events: > > e0=3D gettimeofday returns n seconds since Epoch > Oracle dbcall processing takes place > NTP adjustment takes place, setting the clock back k seconds > More Oracle dbcall processing takes place > e1 =3D gettimeofday returns n - k seconds since Epoch (k>0) > Oracle calculates e =3D e1 - e0 =3D (n - k) - n =3D -k > Oracle mistakenly emits e=3D-k in unsigned integer format > ...which looks like a colossal positive e value > > Happens at least on Oracle for HP-UX. > > > Cary Millsap > Hotsos Enterprises, Ltd. -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l