Eric:
The ontape -a option only backs up the logical logs. You are saying that your full level 0 archives seem to have been failing. To double check that, first ask the Informix engine:
onstat -g arc
Here's output from my server:
$ onstat -g arc
IBM Informix Dynamic Server Version 14.10.FC9DE -- On-Line -- Up 2 days 04:40:47 -- 2339972 Kbytes
2022-11-30 16:57:10
num DBSpace Q Size Q Len Buffer partnum size scanner
Dbspaces - Archive Status
name number level date log log-position
rootdbs 1 0 11/07/2022.18:12:56 3243 0x2d018
llogspace 2 0 11/07/2022.18:12:56 3243 0x2d018
plogspace 3 0 11/07/2022.18:12:56 3243 0x2d018
datadbs_1 4 0 11/07/2022.18:12:56 3243 0x2d018
indexdbs_1 5 0 11/07/2022.18:12:56 3243 0x2d018
sbspace 7 0 11/07/2022.18:12:56 3243 0x2d018
cdrspace 8 0 11/07/2022.18:12:56 3243 0x2d018
indexdbs 9 0 11/07/2022.18:12:56 3243 0x2d018
datadbs_2 10 0 11/07/2022.18:12:56 3243 0x2d018
So that is saying that the server, and all of its dbspaces. were backed up last on November 7. I don't automatically back up this server as it is used only to test software and Informix. It's only backed up manually about once a month or so. You can see where the backup file(s) are from the last two archives here:
$ egrep '^TAPEDEV' $INFORMIXDIR/etc/$ONCONFIG
TAPEDEV /home/art/GoogleDrive/Informix/Archives
$ dir /home/art/GoogleDrive/Informix/Archives
total 6401072
drwxrwxrwx 2 art art 4096 Nov 7 18:13 ./
drwxrwxr-x 4 informix informix 4096 Sep 28 16:27 ../
-rwxrwxrwx 1 art art 3277094912 Oct 12 18:32 Elbereth_1_20221012_183241_L0.FC8*
-rwxrwxrwx 1 art art 3277586432 Nov 7 18:13 Elbereth_1_L0*
Also you can look in the message log (parameter MSG) for the last time an archive started and whether it completed successfully or failed and why:
18:12:56 Level 0 Archive started on rootdbs, llogspace, plogspace, datadbs_1, indexdbs_1, cdrspace, indexdbs, datadbs_2, sbspace
...
18:13:15 Archive on rootdbs, llogspace, plogspace, datadbs_1, indexdbs_1, cdrspace, indexdbs, datadbs_2, sbspace Completed.
------------------------------
Art S. Kagel, President and Principal Consultant
ASK Database Management Corp.
www.askdbmgt.com------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: Wed November 30, 2022 04:45 PM
From: Eric Lovato
Subject: Informix 11.5 and Server 2012R2 – Database stuck in Quiescent Mode
There is a script for backing up the database as follows that uses the ontape -s -L 0 command :
REM change for your install path
set INFORMIXDIR=D:\Progra~1\Informix
REM change if your sever instance name is different that the default
set INFORMIXSERVER=worx_server
set ONCONFIG=ONCONFIG.worx_server
set PATH=D:\Progra~1\Informix\bin;%PATH%
set CLASSPATH=%INFORMIXDIR%\extend\krakatoa\krakatoa.jar;%INFORMIXDIR%\extend\krakatoa\jdbc.jar;%CLASSPATH%
set DBTEMP=d:\PROGRA~1\informix\infxtmp
set CLIENT_LOCALE=EN_US.CP1252
set DB_LOCALE=EN_US.8859-1
mode con codepage select=1252
REM set the path for the logfile
set LOGFILE=d:\PROGRA~1\informix\level0_backup.log
cls
date /T >>%LOGFILE%
echo "starting level 0 backup" >>%LOGFILE%
ontape -s -L 0 >>%LOGFILE%
echo "Completed level 0 backup" >>%LOGFILE%
date /T >>%LOGFILE%
I took a look at the level0_backup.log file and the last good backup was done on October 16 however the folder that would contain this backup E:\backups has been cleared presumably by ontape running and not completing. LTAPEDEV variable is set to E:\backups and should be the correct path on a separate windows drive. When I try to run the ontape -s -L 0 command outside of my script I get 'Server is in incompatible state or user authentication failed'. Should i try to execute the ontape command with -a option?
------------------------------
Eric Lovato
Original Message:
Sent: Wed November 30, 2022 03:56 PM
From: Art Kagel
Subject: Informix 11.5 and Server 2012R2 – Database stuck in Quiescent Mode
That is normal. The "L" indicates the logical log that contains the last checkpoint entry and the "C" indicates the logical log that is the one currently being used. The "C"urrent log is normally not backed up. If you run ontape -a without the -d it would prompt you asking whether you want to backup the "C"urrent log. With the -d "N"o is assumed and ontape will not prompt.
Art
------------------------------
Art S. Kagel, President and Principal Consultant
ASK Database Management Corp.
www.askdbmgt.com
Original Message:
Sent: Wed November 30, 2022 03:20 PM
From: Eric Lovato
Subject: Informix 11.5 and Server 2012R2 – Database stuck in Quiescent Mode
Good Afternoon Mike,
I was able to run the command on the terminal but i am noticing U___C_L flag listed on the 13th partition and the rest of the partitions being listed as U-- .Thank you for your quick reply
------------------------------
Eric Lovato
Original Message:
Sent: Wed November 30, 2022 02:39 PM
From: Mike Walker
Subject: Informix 11.5 and Server 2012R2 – Database stuck in Quiescent Mode
This could be a number of things, some of them not good.
But check to make sure that your logical logs are all backed up, as that can cause the engine to block, although I remember this having a different message.
Run "onstat -l" (that's an "L") and make sure that the flags show U-B and not U--
Also check the Informix log for more information. You should be able to see the end of this with onstat -m
------------------------------
Mike Walker
xDB Systems, Inc
www.xdbsystems.com
Original Message:
Sent: Wed November 30, 2022 11:29 AM
From: Eric Lovato
Subject: Informix 11.5 and Server 2012R2 – Database stuck in Quiescent Mode
I am experiencing an issue with an archive Informix database that is stuck in quiescent mode. When trying to start the service in windows services I get the following error: "The informix IDS – service on the Local Computer started and stopped. Some services stop automatically if they are not in use by other services or programs". When I run the 'onstat –' command in the Informix terminal I get the following 'IBM Informix Dynamic Server Version 11.50.FC9 – Fast Recovery <CKPT REQ> -- UP Blocked CKPT' . It seems that the DB may have been interrupted during a checkpoint and is preventing itself from starting. I was wondering if the community would happen to know how to approach this issue as I am not very knowledgeable in Informix or what steps need to be done to correct and put the database into standard mode. I appreciate any help. Thank you
------------------------------
Eric Lovato
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#Informix