

acct()                 COHERENT System Call                acct()




Enable/disable process accounting

aacccctt(_f_i_l_e)
cchhaarr *_f_i_l_e;

Process accounting records  who initiates each system process and
how  long  each process  takes  to execute.   These  data can  be
analyzed, to administer the system most efficiently.

The system call  acct enables or disables process accounting.  If
file is not NULL, then accounting  is turned on; if file is NULL,
however, then process accounting is turned off.

It is usual, but not necessary, that file be /uussrr/aaddmm/aacccctt.  file
must exist.   When enabled, the  system appends a  raw accounting
data record  in the  format described by  acct.h to file  as each
process terminates.

acct is restricted to the superuser.

***** See Also *****

ac, acct.h, accton, COHERENT system calls, exit(), sa, times()

***** Diagnostics *****

Successful calls  return zero.  acct returns  -1 for errors, such
as nonexistent file or invocation by a user other than the super-
user.

***** Notes *****

The system writes accounting  records for a process only when the
process exits.  Processes that never terminate and processes run-
ning at the time of a  system crash do not produce accounting in-
formation.




















COHERENT Lexicon                                           Page 1


