AIX

AIX

Connect with fellow AIX users and experts to gain knowledge, share insights, and solve problems.


#Power
 View Only
  • 1.  strange nim mksysb failure / xmtopas related ?

    Posted Mon September 19, 2011 04:54 AM

    Originally posted by: paranoidandroid


    Hello,

    Did u ever experienced something like this ?

    At my client unix network, i have a nim master setted up, whose role is also to be a sysbackup server.
    Several times, maybe twice a month, mksysb fails with following error :

    
    0512-003 savevg may not have been able to archive some files. The messages displayed on the Standard Error contained additional information. backup: 0511-084 An internal packing error occurred: incorrect size backup: 0511-442 ./etc/perf
    /*xmtopas*.log1 will not be backed up.
    


    mksysb verification flag is used, and i attempt to read the archive with a restore -Tqf. This last one fails with the following error :

    
    *** ./a/lot/of/files 1051660 ./etc/perf/daily/xmwlm.100721 0 ./etc/perf/wlm 51229 ./etc/perf/xmservd.log1 100152 ./etc/perf/xmservd.log2 126620873 ./etc/perf/xmtopas.log1 *Mount volume 2 on server_mksysb_date.* *Press the Enter key to continue.*
    


    These aix lpars are running tl 11 sp 5.
    i cant manage to find why xmtopas is causing the mksysb failure.

    Any idea ?
    #AIX-Forum


  • 2.  Re: strange nim mksysb failure / xmtopas related ?

    Posted Mon September 19, 2011 08:38 AM

    Originally posted by: flodstrom


    Most likely that log file changed while it was being backed up?

    That said, I would advice against running mksysb on active systems for the purpose of backing up the system. If I recall I think it's even mentioned in the man page that the system should have minimal activity (like single user) while mksysb is running.
    #AIX-Forum


  • 3.  Re: strange nim mksysb failure / xmtopas related ?

    Posted Mon September 19, 2011 09:13 AM

    Originally posted by: paranoidandroid


    Indeed,

    mksysb's are produced when production activity is low, but i'm surprised a size modification on this log file (xmtopas is not stopped) sends the backup to hell.

    The problem is, even running the mksysb again, it sometimes fails with the same error. Maybe it's time to exclude this kind of files. I dont know.
    #AIX-Forum


  • 4.  Re: strange nim mksysb failure / xmtopas related ?

    Posted Mon September 19, 2011 12:25 PM

    Originally posted by: flodstrom


    I have not used xmtopas before, but that number before the problem file looks a bit strange? Is that the size of the log file?

    The man page says that the log size can't be set higher than 10MB?!

    Try to manually copy that log file to /tmp (or where ever), then remove it and try mksysb again.

    Perhaps that file, or worse the file system, is corrupt (should be visible if you try copying it)?
    #AIX-Forum


  • 5.  Re: strange nim mksysb failure / xmtopas related ?

    Posted Tue September 20, 2011 07:53 AM

    Originally posted by: MarkTaylor


    Turn off software packing for the mksysb "-p" .. if you hit a packing error, your mksysb will be corrupt as the backup process stops at the point of the faliure which is why you are prompted for the second volume ..

    HTH
    Mark Taylor
    #AIX-Forum


  • 6.  Re: strange nim mksysb failure / xmtopas related ?

    Posted Tue September 20, 2011 12:06 PM

    Originally posted by: Kosala


    Hi, this is not a strange occurrence, but a common one. As explained by another member packing errors occur when a active file tried to be backed up. In my view I do not see value in backing up files which would not required to rebuild the system, therefore try adding that path to /etc/exclude.rootvg (and specify -e in mksysb). If you have any user applications running under rootvg, you might want to exclude them from the backup. (consider adding ^./tmp/ and ^./log/ in the exclude.rootvg)

    Generally packing errors are not repeated for most of the system files.
    Cheers,
    Ko
    #AIX-Forum


  • 7.  Re: strange nim mksysb failure / xmtopas related ?

    Posted Wed September 21, 2011 01:33 PM

    Originally posted by: grukrz1


    check also this problem:

    https://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IZ96825
    #AIX-Forum


  • 8.  Re: strange nim mksysb failure / xmtopas related ?

    Posted Thu September 29, 2011 05:36 AM

    Originally posted by: paranoidandroid


    Hey,

    Thank you for your answers,
    So this is kind of a normal behaviour given the files type backed up.

    I already use exclude option because of ^./tmp fs.
    I'm gonna take a look at the xmtopas specifics and usage or maybe disable packing option, i'm trying to get the lighter exclude file possible.

    Thanks again.
    #AIX-Forum