Amanda-Users

Re: odd behavior after adding DLE

2006-12-22 10:03:32
Subject: Re: odd behavior after adding DLE
From: Gene Heskett <gene.heskett AT verizon DOT net>
To: amanda-users AT amanda DOT org
Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2006 09:10:59 -0500
On Friday 22 December 2006 07:36, Joel Coltoff wrote:
>Gene Heskett wrote:
>> Generally speaking, when amanda sets something up to do, it uses a set
>> of defaults derived from previous stanza's.  My not too well educated
>> guess is that if none have been established, the really empty options
>> list is the problem.
>>
>> I'm not convinced that the use of two '/services' strings in the
>> disklist is 100% kosher either.  From perusing mine, the first string
>> is the alias or the FQDN of the machine to be backed up.
>
>That was one idea I had but even with a symbolic name, "Services" it had
>problems. The tradeoff for me is matching up names on the printed
> reports with files on the systems. I tend not to use a symbolic name
> (the second field in my case) if I don't have to. I simplified to the
> DLE to look like
>
>       cluster1-node1.wmi.com /services global 1 local
>
>and had the same problem. Since this relies on only 1 dumptype entry
> there shouldn't be an ordering problem. The dumptypes come after all
> the other options.
>
>> Where the use of {} is brought into play, see this stanza in your
>> disklist if you just added to the default disklist:
>
>What do you mean by the default disklist?
>
The disklist that comes with the amanda install, dunno about packaged 
versions but the tarball unpacks an example directory that contains a 
sample of these files:
[root@coyote dlds-misc]# ls /home/amanda/amanda-2.5.1p2-20061212/example
3hole.ps   amanda-client.conf     amanda.conf     chg-mcutil.conf     
chg-multi.conf  config.site  disklist  EXB-8500.ps  Makefile     
Makefile.in
8.5x11.ps  amanda-client.conf.in  amanda.conf.in  chg-mcutil.conf.in  
chg-scsi.conf   DIN-A4.ps    DLT.ps    HP-DAT.ps    Makefile.am

The default disklist is in there.  When building from the tarball, these 
are not 'installed', but they are there to show how its done.

>> So by using '/services' twice, technically I believe its correct, but
>> I'd be wary of unwanted interactions just to be my usual somewhat
>> paranoid self.  But I think the real error is in the order of the
>> dumptype defines in your amanda.conf.
>
>I moved the dumptype define for this DLE to the bottom of amanda.conf
> and the problem was still there. When I added "strategy skip" to the
> dumptype define the problem went away. I don't claim this proves my
> config files are correct but I feel that's the hint I am getting. Also,
> if there were an issue with the order of entries in amanda.conf then
> moving the DLE in the diskfile shouldn't make a difference.

Agreed.

>I do have more data points. The backup ran ok last night with that DLE
>at the bottom of the disklist file. I also added a duplicate DLE using a
>cname for the host. Both completed without problems. There are also
>other entries that were disabled with "strategy skip". If I remove this
>line from the dumptype I see the same problem.
>
>I didn't expect these issues when we moved to our new servers. Then
> again, I should know better. I've been down this road before and there
> is always a surprise waiting for you.

Yup, new dogs always have to be trained for the show. :)

And the use of the 'strategy skip' is something I'm unfamiliar with as 
I've never used it.  From a recent example/amanda.conf:

#   strategy    - set the dump strategy.  Valid strategies are currently:
#                 "standard" - the standard one.
#                 "nofull"   - do level 1 dumps every time.  This can be 
used,
#                              for example, for small root filesystems 
that
#                              only change slightly relative to a 
site-wide
#                              prototype.  Amanda then backs up just the
#                              changes.
#                 "noinc"    - do level 0 dumps every time.
#                 "skip"     - skip all dumps.  Useful for sharing a 
single
#                              disklist in several configurations.

--
#                              to strategy 'nofull', but will increase
#                              the dump level as usual. Full dumps will
#                              only be performed when an 'amadmin force'
#                              has been issued
#                 Default: [strategy standard]

As I have only one configuration, I have never used the 'skip' option.

I don't have any more clues, perhaps someone else here can comment?

>- Joel

-- 
Cheers & Merry Christmas, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
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Copyright 2006 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.

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