Networker

Re: [Networker] mminfo splitting data greater than 2 GB

2004-03-26 16:16:40
Subject: Re: [Networker] mminfo splitting data greater than 2 GB
From: Tim Mooney <mooney AT DOGBERT.CC.NDSU.NODAK DOT EDU>
To: NETWORKER AT LISTMAIL.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 15:16:34 -0600
In regard to: Re: [Networker] mminfo splitting data greater than 2 GB,...:

>Hi Tim,
>
>Ok i see the point here,  client doberman  is running version 5.5.1,
>while the exchange
>server is on client version 6.x.Which maybe the case why so many of
>these client
>report continued savesetas they are of 5.5.x era.

That's exactly why you're seeing this issue.  It's because older clients
would chunk the saveset into 2 Gig chunks, because NetWorker didn't
guarantee that it could handle filesystems > 2 Gig.  To get around the
limit, the client would essentially save the filesystem as N discrete
pieces, each no larger than your 'SS cutoff size' server parameter.
That's why I was asking if the ssids were different.  Just for trivia's
sake, the very early Linux clients would chunk at 100 Meg, I'm not sure why.

NetWorker 6.x natively handles very large filesystems, but you have
to have both server and client support.

>Does that imply i'll need to upgrade all those client to higher versions ?

Yes.  Any *new* backups taken with 6.x or greater clients will not chunk at
2 Gig.  Obviously, savesets that have been taken with the 5.5.1 client aren't
going to magically "join" into one big saveset when you have a new client
version.  It's the client software that's doing the chunking, mminfo is
just reporting what's in the database.

>Is there no global parameter or a workaround i can apply so these
>continued saveset creation
>may can be avoided ?

Not really.  You could try setting the SS cutoff size on the server to
something much larger, but I don't think it's supported (there are only
certain explitic values NetWorker will allow you to use) and more
importantly even if it "works" from the standpoint of having your 60 Gig
filesystem backed up in 1 chunk, it may make the data unrecoverable.

The real answer is to upgrade your client software.

Tim
--
Tim Mooney                              mooney AT dogbert.cc.ndsu.NoDak DOT edu
Information Technology Services         (701) 231-1076 (Voice)
Room 242-J6, IACC Building              (701) 231-8541 (Fax)
North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105-5164

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