High CPU usage and poor web service performance on PAM node after attempt to finalize session recordings

Products

• CA Privileged Access Manager (PAM)

Issue/Introduction

A PAM cluster node shows high CPU utilization and UI performance is very poor. The problem appears to have started when a PAM administrator tried to finalize or repair old session recordings that had status "Encoding Error" or "Encoding in Progress" in the Sessions > Session Recordings page.

Environment

4.2.0

Cause

There was a problem with a service call when an action to complete an old session recording was started on a node that did NOT write the recording. The call was meant to be forwarded to the node that wrote the recording, but due to an internal problem could come back to the calling node, resulting in a web service call loop.

Resolution

This problem is fixed in 4.2.1 and newer releases, see the following item on page Resolved Vulnerabilities and Issues in 4.2.1:

35604187    DE612833    Frequent very high CPU utilization when attempting to make session recording files with errors viewable

For 4.2.0 a node reboot would stop the loop.