IDS Forum

Re: Logical Log files MISSING

Posted By: VIKAS HIVARKAR
Date: Thursday, 6 November 2008, at 6:34 a.m.

Hello Martin,

Your Note :"this is not 100% error proof as there still is a gap between checking for a running "ontape -a -d" process and starting a new one. "
came true and the server missed backing of one more logical log yesterday.

I tried

if ( `test x${BACKUPLOGS} = xY` ) then

## $BACKUP_CMD 2>&1 >> /dev/null

COUNT=`ps -aef | grep "ontape -a -d" |grep -v grep | wc -l`

if [ $COUNT -eq 0 ]; then

$BACKUP_CMD 2>&1 |tee -a $LOG > $CPLOG

EXIT_STATUS=$?

it worked well untill yestarday and we missed backing yet another logical log and writing the description along with error = 2 in my log file.

only 11.10 FC3 will help us when it arrives and till then we have to live with this bug.

Could you please explain me what stituation helped your Note come true ?
yes there was heavy loading at the time when this happened.

Any improvement i can do with the workaround in alarmprogram.sh ?

Regards
Vikas

------------------------------------------------------------
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Re: Logical Log files MISSING

Posted By: Martin Fuerderer <Send E-Mail>
Date: Monday, 13 October 2008, at 5:05 a.m.

In Response To: Re: Logical Log files MISSING (Davis Kwong)

Hi,

most likely (> 98%), the problem is what Davis described
in his answer (see below). If you want to be 100% sure,
then you have to modify your alarm program script (or
whatever script/program actually executes the ontape
command) to capture the output of the ontape processes
in a file. If you see messages indicating that some
temporary file cannot be renamed and/or removed
because it does not exist (errno 2), then this is the
described problem.

Besides taking a level-0 archive when the situation of
log file backup loss occured, you may consider the
following to improve the situation:

a) in your script/program add some code to first
check whether an "ontape -a -d" command is already
being executed (e.g. using "ps ..." output). If so, then
do not start a new "ontape -a -d". The one that is
running will backup all the used log files anyway
(except the current log file).
Note: this is not 100% error proof as there still is a

gap between checking for a running "ontape -a -d"

process and starting a new one.

b) Capture all ontape output (stdout and stderr) to a
file and put in your alarm program some additional
code to check this file for above dscribed errors.
If such an error is detected, write a warning (to online.log
or whatever) because now surely it is time to do a
level-0 archive ...
Note: this may also not bee 100% error proof. An error

may still slip your attention. It highly depends on the

implementation of the error checking/scanning ...

c) The respective defect is: idsdb00165611 (for IDS 11.10).
While in the upcoming 11.50.xC3 this is fixed already,
you may contact IBM Informix Tech Support (check
your contract) to get a fix of this problem for
your IDS 11.10 ...

Regards,
Martin
--
Martin Fuerderer
IBM Informix Development Munich, Germany
Information Management

IBM Deutschland Research & Development GmbH
Chairman of the Supervisory Board: Martin Jetter
Board of Management: Erich Baier
Corporate Seat: Boeblingen, Germany
Reg.-Gericht: Amtsgericht Stuttgart, HRB 243294

ids-bounces@iiug.org wrote on 10.10.2008 21:55:01:

> ids-bounces@iiug.org wrote on 10/10/2008 10:01:44 AM:
>
> > Hello,
> >
> > IDS 11.10.FC2W4 on solaris 10
> >
> > Ontape for backing up of logical log files to a directory using the
> > alarmprogram.sh script
> >
> > I see that manyyy logical log files are missing from the logical log
> backup
> > directory..
> >
> > -rw-rw---- 1 informix informix 20578304 Oct 7 23:11
> proddb_1_Log0000020073
> > -rw-rw---- 1 informix informix 20578304 Oct 7 23:11
> proddb_1_Log0000020074
> > -rw-rw---- 1 informix informix 20578304 Oct 7 23:11
> proddb_1_Log0000020075
> > -rw-rw---- 1 informix informix 20578304 Oct 7 23:11
> proddb_1_Log0000020076
> > -rw-rw---- 1 informix informix 20578304 Oct 7 23:11
> proddb_1_Log0000020077
> > -rw-rw---- 1 informix informix 20578304 Oct 7 23:11
> proddb_1_Log0000020078
> > -rw-rw---- 1 informix informix 20578304 Oct 7 23:12
> proddb_1_Log0000020079
> > -rw-rw---- 1 informix informix 20578304 Oct 7 23:12
> proddb_1_Log0000020080
> > -rw-rw---- 1 informix informix 20578304 Oct 7 23:12
> proddb_1_Log0000020081
> > -rw-rw---- 1 informix informix 20578304 Oct 7 23:12
> proddb_1_Log0000020082
> > -rw-rw---- 1 informix informix 20578304 Oct 7 23:12
> proddb_1_Log0000020083
> > -rw-rw---- 1 informix informix 20578304 Oct 7 23:12
> proddb_1_Log0000020085
> > -rw-rw---- 1 informix informix 20578304 Oct 7 23:12
> proddb_1_Log0000020086
> > -rw-rw---- 1 informix informix 20578304 Oct 7 23:12
> proddb_1_Log0000020087
> > -rw-rw---- 1 informix informix 20578304 Oct 7 23:12
> proddb_1_Log0000020088
> >
> > i checked in onstat -l and found that log with uniqid
> >
> > a3180d77e0 142 U-B---- 20066 5:1290053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d7848 143 U-B---- 20067 5:1300053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d78b0 144 U-B---- 20068 5:1310053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d7918 145 U-B---- 20069 5:1320053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d7980 146 U-B---- 20070 5:1330053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d79e8 147 U-B---- 20071 5:1340053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d7a50 148 U-B---- 20072 5:1350053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d7ab8 149 U-B---- 20073 5:1360053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d7b20 150 U-B---- 20074 5:1370053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d7b88 151 U-B---- 20075 5:1380053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d7bf0 152 U-B---- 20076 5:1390053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d7c58 153 U-B---- 20077 5:1400053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d7cc0 154 U-B---- 20078 5:1410053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d7d28 155 U-B---- 20079 5:1420053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d7d90 156 U-B---- 20080 5:1430053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d7df8 157 U-B---- 20081 5:1440053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d7e60 158 U-B---- 20082 5:1450053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d7ec8 159 U-B---- 20083 5:1460053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d7f30 160 U-B---- 20084 5:1470053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d7f98 161 U-B---- 20085 5:1480053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d8028 162 U-B---- 20086 5:1490053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d8090 163 U-B---- 20087 5:1500053 10000 10000 100.00
> > a3180d80f8 164 U-B---- 20088 5:1510053 10000 10000 100.00
> >
> > So the Logical log 20084 is missing from the logical log backup
> directory.
> > and there are manyyyy more...
> > Plssss let me know what could be the reason and what more do i have to

> look
> > for.
>
> This is a bug that is fixed in 11.50xC3
>
> The problem is that when log files are filled rapidly (matter of
seconds)
> and
> the alarmprogram.sh is used to perform automatic ontape backup to
> directory,
> the alarmprogram.sh which invokes ontape may cause ontape to run when
> there,
> is already another ontape running that is backing up a logfile to
> directory.
> This can cause the loss of the logfile that was being backed up by the
> ontape that was already running.
>
> The current workaround is that when this is detected, take a level 0
> archive.
> Since you are on 11.10, I'll see if we can backport the fix to 11.10.
>
> Thanks. Davis.
>
> >
> > the logical log directory has RWX to user and group informix and no
other
> than
> > the dbas so at first i dont think any one would delete that log.
> >
> > any idea what should i do with this ....
> >
> >
> >

Messages In This Thread

• Re: Logical Log files MISSING
  VIKAS HIVARKAR -- Thursday, 6 November 2008, at 6:34 a.m.
  • Re: Logical Log files MISSING
    MIKE MAGIE -- Thursday, 6 November 2008, at 9:39 a.m.
  • Re: Logical Log files MISSING
    Martin Fuerderer -- Thursday, 6 November 2008, at 10:27 a.m.
    • Re: Logical Log files MISSING
      Art Kagel -- Thursday, 6 November 2008, at 1:56 p.m.

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