Re: Informix Onbar bug ?

We have been sucessfully using the ONTAPE version of SQL BackTrack for Informix
V 2.1.  According to the local historians, we bought this bought SQL B for I in
order to do table backups. Unfortunately the Informix server has to be down to
do this so we never used that feature. The other negative is that there is no
facility to expire the backups... they just keep growing until you get in and
delete them fileset by fileset.  Anyway, along comes 3.0. This version uses
ONBAR and CAN do table by table backups on the fly. It is also supposed to be
capable of expiring stuff but I can't get that feature to work. It is also
totally incompatible with the backups done with 2.1 so if you have the need to
do a restore, you will have to keep the 2.1 version on your client and link up
to it if an older backup (made under 2.1) needs to be restored... I am begging
my boss to get us a copy of TDP for Informix for eval... One other note... not
many folks are using SQL BackTrack for Informix and BMC is NOT repeat NOT able
to support it well and the documentation is HORRRRRRIBLE... Our INFORMIX level
is 731UC2. We run it with DataMart, PeopleSoft and Lawson applications.

George Lesho
Storage / System Admin
AFC Enterprieses






Glenn MacIntosh <glenn.macintosh AT SOBEYS DOT COM> on 03/09/2001 07:00:30 AM

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Subject:  Informix Onbar bug ?



Hi all,

   We are experiencing problems backing up our informix databases (version
724UC5X8).  It seems (according to a trace that I've done) that the onbar
process is not properly estimating the size of the db chunk that it wants to
back up.  What seems to be happening is that rootdbs gets backed up first
(with the correct size estimate), then when the onbar process continues with
the db0 chunk, it simply uses the same size estimate as the rootdbs.    What
is sometimes happening is that the size estimate directs the backup to the
disk pool, but since the estimate is faulty, there is not enough room in the
disk pool.

   I could send these backups directly to a tape pool, but we have
many(20-30) small (1-3G) databases, and would prefer to fix the problem.
Has anyone else ran into this problem ?    I've noticed that someone was
using SQL Backtrack for Informix backups.  Is this why ?  (Or simply the
ability to parallelize the backups).

   Running TSM server 4.1.0 and client 4.1.2

Thanks,

   Glenn

Glenn MacIntosh
Manager of Technical Services
Sobeys Inc.
123 Foord St.
Stellarton, Nova Scotia
(902) 752-8371 Ext. 4017