Problem(Abstract)
On AIX platform connection to the database server failing with invalid password message, when Informix strarted with user 'informix'. However, if you start it as user 'root', problem does not occur.
Following is a different manifestation of the similar problem.
With user 'informix' connecting to database server using 'dbaccess -> Query-language -> Select Database' worked fine. However, same user failing with invalid password message during 'dbaccess -> Connection -> Connect -> Database Server -> User Name -> Password'. This problem occurred with TCP/IP as well as shared memory connections.
Symptom
The following message will be recorded in the message log file when the connection to the database server fails:
Check for password aging/account lock-out.
listener-thread: err = -952: oserr = 0: errstr = informix@hostname: User (informix@hostname)'s password is not correct for the database server.
Cause
AIX 6.1 and later implemented a Loadable Password Algorithm (LPA) mechanism that allows easily deploy new password encryption algorithms. Each supported password encryption algorithm is implemented as a LPA load module that is loaded at runtime when the algorithm is needed. The supported LPAs and their attributes are defined in the /etc/security/pwdalg.cfg system configuration file. By default only user 'root' can read this system configuration file.
# ls -ld /etc/security /etc/security/pwdalg.cfg
drwxr-x--- 9 root security 4096 Jun 28 09:13 /etc/security
-rw-r----- 1 root security 3807 Mar 04 2010 /etc/security/pwdalg.cfg
Resolving the problem
Informix does not support LPA. However, changing permission of the system configuration file may be a possible solution.
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21663148