Networker

Re: [Networker] W2K Client Problems savepnpc tmp file exists

2003-01-21 11:38:03
Subject: Re: [Networker] W2K Client Problems savepnpc tmp file exists
From: Davina Treiber <treiber AT HOTPOP DOT COM>
To: NETWORKER AT LISTMAIL.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 11:38:11 -0500
On Tue, 21 Jan 2003 11:17:33 -0500, Christopher T. Beers
<ctbeers AT COE.SYR DOT EDU> wrote:

>I think the tmp file is useful to allow end users (database administrator
or application
>administrators) to hold their backup.  I completely understand that if this
file is there then the
>pre/post commands are not run, but that is the point of the file.  The DBA
or Application owner
>wanted the processes not to stop because they were doing something that
would be affected by this.

This is a very interesting take on this issue. However it would be a
dangerous strategy to rely on this because it IS a bug and will (hopefully)
be fixed in a future version.

>How am I notified?  Easily, Networker tells me in its savegroup
notification that redo logs or
>database files changed size during backup.  This means my backup was not
successful and I need to
>investigate as to why.  So I disagree that Networker will not notify you

Not quite true. The message that a file changed size is by definition a
warning, not an error, and will not cause the backup to fail. The message is
there but you have to go looking for it.

>Lastly, if the night before backup was successful and last nights backup
gives me "file changed
>size" error I can still recover the database.  Running a database in
archive log mode will create
>archive logs when the redo logs switch.  I can recover the last successful
backup (2 nights ago)
>and replay the archive logs and current redo log to get a point in time
recovery.

Maybe yes, maybe no. The integrity of the database is questionable.
Additionally, on NT you may miss whole files which may be open and thus not
backed up.

>So as you can see, under certain circumstances this is very useful.  I
agree Networker should do a
>better job of telling you that the backup failed or the pre/post commands
were not run.

Well no, it shouldn't need to tell you because it should work anyway. We
know that if the pre job fails then the backup will not run. There should
not be a circumstance where it just does not happen and runs the backup anyway.

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