IDS Forum

Re: ontape -r Problem

Posted By: Art Kagel
Date: Friday, 13 July 2012, at 7:27 a.m.

In Response To: ontape -r Problem (SASCHA KURATIS)

The first thing I would do is to perform an external archive during some
quiet time. At least that way you will have an image that you know you can
restore. I don't remember if 7.31 had built-in support for external
archives (onmode -c block / onmode -c unblock). If not, then you will have
to shutdown the instance in order to take a save chunk archive using OS
tools or some archive utilility.

Once that's done, you could restore the external archive to your test
system and a) test the upgrade, and b) figure out what's wrong with the
production server. I would run onchecks to see if there is any damage to
the reserved pages or other root structures then I would call IBM and see
if they will take a look at this for you. Are you still under support?

Finally, I would plan on upgrading to 11.70 by building a clean empty
instance and import the data from the 7.31 instance either by
dbexport/dbimport (or similar tools like my myexport/myimport utility or
hploader) or by using ER since this server is an ER participant already.
This would get rid of any internal problems in the current server's
structures rather than carrying them forward.

Art

Art S. Kagel
Advanced DataTools (www.advancedatatools.com)
Blog: http://informix-myview.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that my own opinions are my own opinions
and do not reflect on my employer, Advanced DataTools, the IIUG, nor any
other organization with which I am associated either explicitly,
implicitly, or by inference. Neither do those opinions reflect those of
other individuals affiliated with any entity with which I am affiliated nor
those of the entities themselves.

On Fri, Jul 13, 2012 at 3:27 AM, SASCHA KURATIS <
sascha.kuratis@westfleisch.de> wrote:

> Hello Informix-Experts.
>
> OS: SLES11-SP1 64-Bit
> Kernel: Linux testserver 2.6.32.59-0.3-default #1 SMP 2012-04-27 11:14:44
> +0200 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
> IDS: IBM Informix Dynamic Server Version 7.31.UD10X1
>
> We have the following Problem:
>
> In preparation for the Informix Upgrade to 11.70 we want to restore one of
> our
> productive databases, which runs under 7.31.UD10X1, to test the
> Ifx-Upgrade.
> We had build an testsystem, which has the same structure and configuration.
> Here we run into a heavy problem:
> Our "ontape -r" on the testsystem, which based on our nightly Backup from
> the
> productive System, fails!
>
> The Restore begin to write some pages in the rootdbs and then the restore
> is
> not continuing.
> We`ve received no error message, the page-writing stopps abruptly.
> We have tested this with different tape-stations, different tapes and
> different Hardware. Every time the same behaviour.
>
> This problem occurs only on one DB-Restore.
> We have some other databases, where the restore works without problems.
>
> The difference between the Backups which are working and this
> problem-backup
> is, that we`d made a table fragmentation on this DB, which could not be
> restored now.
> During the Backup we could not see any problems. Backup says "100 percent
> done".
> But when we do an "ontape -r" the restore writes some pages and that`s it.
> The
> restore do not work further.
>
> Have somebody experiences with restoring a 7.31er-DB with this strange
> behaviour?
> Could it be, that the table-fragmentation has corrupt the rootdbs?
>
> We dropped the fragmented tables and test the restore, but it fails, too.
> To all appearances the restore hangs in an infinite loop and we had at the
> moment no choice to restore this DB.
>
> Have somebody a hint or a workaround to handle this strange behaviour?
>
> Every response is welcome.
>
> Thanks for your efforts.
>
> Sascha
>
>
>
> *******************************************************************************
> Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum.
>
>

--14dae9340e1b9acf1a04c4b45ecc

Messages In This Thread

• ontape -r Problem
  SASCHA KURATIS -- Friday, 13 July 2012, at 3:27 a.m.
  • Re: ontape -r Problem
    Art Kagel -- Friday, 13 July 2012, at 7:27 a.m.
  • Re: ontape -r Problem
    MARK JALKIEWICZ -- Friday, 13 July 2012, at 12:16 p.m.
    • Re: ontape -r Problem
      John Miller iii -- Friday, 13 July 2012, at 1:01 p.m.
    • Re: ontape -r Problem
      Clive Eisen -- Friday, 13 July 2012, at 3:15 p.m.
  • Re: ontape -r Problem
    FRANK J. COMPUTER -- Friday, 13 July 2012, at 7:42 p.m.
    • Re: ontape -r Problem
      John Miller iii -- Friday, 13 July 2012, at 7:49 p.m.
      • Re: ontape -r Problem
        FRANK J. COMPUTER -- Friday, 13 July 2012, at 7:57 p.m.

IDS Forum is maintained by Administrator with WebBBS 5.12.