[squid-users] Too few authenticator processes are running

We have a RedHat 7.2 box running squid-2.4.STABLE1-6. Today we started
getting these errors in /var/log/messages:

(squid): Too few authenticator processes are running
squid[26701]: Squid Parent: child process 5208 exited with status 1
dansguardian: Error connecting to proxy

In the cache.log, we get squid restarting about once a minute:

(squid_ldap_auth): error.c:221: ldap_parse_result: Assertion `r !=
((void *)0)' failed.
2005/11/14 20:35:09| WARNING: authenticator #1 (FD 26) exited
2005/11/14 20:35:09| storeLateRelease: released 0 objects
(squid_ldap_auth): error.c:221: ldap_parse_result: Assertion `r !=
((void *)0)' failed.
2005/11/14 20:35:11| WARNING: authenticator #2 (FD 27) exited
(squid_ldap_auth): error.c:221: ldap_parse_result: Assertion `r !=
((void *)0)' failed.
2005/11/14 20:35:35| WARNING: authenticator #3 (FD 28) exited
(squid_ldap_auth): error.c:221: ldap_parse_result: Assertion `r !=
((void *)0)' failed.
2005/11/14 20:35:37| WARNING: authenticator #4 (FD 29) exited
(squid_ldap_auth): error.c:221: ldap_parse_result: Assertion `r !=
((void *)0)' failed.
2005/11/14 20:39:20| WARNING: authenticator #5 (FD 30) exited
(squid_ldap_auth): error.c:221: ldap_parse_result: Assertion `r !=
((void *)0)' failed.
2005/11/14 20:49:21| WARNING: authenticator #6 (FD 31) exited
[root@shamlx2-eth0 squid]# -DEN> tail -100 cache.log
2005/11/14 20:34:23| WARNING: authenticator #3 (FD 28) exited
(squid_ldap_auth): error.c:221: ldap_parse_result: Assertion `r !=
((void *)0)' failed.
2005/11/14 20:34:28| WARNING: authenticator #4 (FD 29) exited
(squid_ldap_auth): error.c:221: ldap_parse_result: Assertion `r !=
((void *)0)' failed.
2005/11/14 20:34:28| WARNING: authenticator #5 (FD 30) exited
(squid_ldap_auth): error.c:221: ldap_parse_result: Assertion `r !=
((void *)0)' failed.
2005/11/14 20:34:33| WARNING: authenticator #6 (FD 31) exited
(squid_ldap_auth): error.c:221: ldap_parse_result: Assertion `r !=
((void *)0)' failed.
2005/11/14 20:34:33| WARNING: authenticator #7 (FD 32) exited
(squid_ldap_auth): error.c:221: ldap_parse_result: Assertion `r !=
((void *)0)' failed.
2005/11/14 20:34:38| WARNING: authenticator #8 (FD 33) exited
(squid_ldap_auth): error.c:221: ldap_parse_result: Assertion `r !=
((void *)0)' failed.
2005/11/14 20:34:38| WARNING: authenticator #9 (FD 34) exited
(squid_ldap_auth): error.c:221: ldap_parse_result: Assertion `r !=
((void *)0)' failed.
2005/11/14 20:34:40| WARNING: authenticator #10 (FD 35) exited
(squid_ldap_auth): error.c:221: ldap_parse_result: Assertion `r !=
((void *)0)' failed.
2005/11/14 20:34:43| WARNING: authenticator #11 (FD 36) exited
2005/11/14 20:34:43| storeDirWriteCleanLogs: Starting...
2005/11/14 20:34:43| 65536 entries written so far.
2005/11/14 20:34:43| 131072 entries written so far.
2005/11/14 20:34:43| 196608 entries written so far.
2005/11/14 20:34:43| 262144 entries written so far.
2005/11/14 20:34:43| 327680 entries written so far.
2005/11/14 20:34:43| 393216 entries written so far.
2005/11/14 20:34:43| 458752 entries written so far.
2005/11/14 20:34:44| 524288 entries written so far.
2005/11/14 20:34:44| 589824 entries written so far.
2005/11/14 20:34:44| 655360 entries written so far.
2005/11/14 20:34:44| Finished. Wrote 665962 entries.
2005/11/14 20:34:44| Took 1.0 seconds (667070.0 entries/sec).
FATAL: Too few authenticator processes are running
Squid Cache (Version 2.4.STABLE1): Terminated abnormally.
CPU Usage: 22.240 seconds = 9.850 user + 12.390 sys
Maximum Resident Size: 0 KB
Page faults with physical i/o: 361
Memory usage for squid via mallinfo():
       total space in arena: 65102 KB
       Ordinary blocks: 65072 KB 15 blks
       Small blocks: 0 KB 0 blks
       Holding blocks: 568 KB 3 blks
       Free Small blocks: 0 KB
       Free Ordinary blocks: 30 KB
       Total in use: 65640 KB 101%
       Total free: 30 KB 0%
2005/11/14 20:34:47| Starting Squid Cache version 2.4.STABLE1 for
i386-redhat-linux-gnu...

Any ideas as to what might have happened? Here's the squid.conf:

icp_port 0
hierarchy_stoplist cgi-bin ?
acl QUERY urlpath_regex cgi-bin \?
no_cache deny QUERY
maximum_object_size 25600 KB
cache_dir ufs /squidcache 9500 16 256
ftp_user anonymous@domain.com
redirect_program /usr/local/bin/squidGuard
redirect_children 20
authenticate_program /usr/lib/squid/squid_ldap_auth -u cn -b
dc=domain,dc=com -s sub -D cn=squid,ou=dept,dc=domain,dc=com -w squid -f
(&(memberof=CN=internet,cn=users,dc=domain,dc=com)(samaccountname=%s))
server.domain.com
authenticate_children 20
authenticate_ttl 8 hour
acl all src 0.0.0.0/0.0.0.0
acl localhost src 127.0.0.1/255.255.255.255
acl manager proto cache_object
http_access allow manager localhost
acl SSL_ports port 443 444 563 2346 8443
acl Safe_ports port 80 # http
acl Safe_ports port 21 # ftp
acl Safe_ports port 443 444 563 # https, snews
acl Safe_ports port 70 # gopher
acl Safe_ports port 210 # wais
acl Safe_ports port 1025-65535 # unregistered ports
acl Safe_ports port 280 # http-mgmt
acl Safe_ports port 488 # gss-http
acl Safe_ports port 591 # filemaker
acl Safe_ports port 777 # multiling http
acl CONNECT method CONNECT
acl PURGE method PURGE
http_access allow PURGE localhost
acl ldap proxy_auth REQUIRED
http_access deny manager
http_access deny PURGE
http_access deny !Safe_ports
http_access deny CONNECT !SSL_ports
http_access allow ldap
http_access allow localhost
http_access deny all
icp_access deny all
cache_mgr support@domain.com
cachemgr_passwd cachemgr all
snmp_port 0
Received on Mon Nov 14 2005 - 20:06:57 MST