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SGI Networker 4.2.9
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Networker 4.2.9 for IRIX 6.2, 6.3 and 6.4.img
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relnotes
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networker
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ch4.z
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1997-07-08
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4. _B_u_g__F_i_x_e_s
Note: This chapter covers some of the most important issues
that have been resolved since the 4.2.5 and 4.1.3
releases.
4.1 _B_u_g_s__f_i_x_e_d__b_y__L_e_g_a_t_o
A number of minor bugs were fixed in 4.2.9. With Power
Edition technology, IRIX NetWorker is able to offer greatly
increased performance when backing up the IRIX NetWorker
server to local tape drives.
In addition, there were many bug fixes and performance
improvements with the 4.1.3 version, including many from
Legato which SGI has integrated into the IRIX NetWorker
product. Some examples of these are as follows.
+o Improved index logic, resulting in greater reliability
and faster performance.
+o NetWorker CPU utilization has been reduced and
throughput has been improved for both server-based and
network-based backups.
+o Variable block sizes for high-speed tape devices.
(Support for high-performance tape devices is optional,
and is enabled by the PerformancePak license option.)
4.2 _B_u_g_s__f_i_x_e_d__b_y__S_G_I__i_n__I_R_I_X__N_e_t_W_o_r_k_e_r__4_._2_._9
_B_u_g #_4_8_0_5_5_0
SSSSuuuummmmmmmmaaaarrrryyyy:::: Sparse files ending in holes caused save process
to hang.
Very rarely, a sparse file may end with a non-data area, or
a hole. In this unusual case, the client saving process of
IRIX NetWorker 4.2.5 could hang. This problem has now been
resolved, and these files can be backed up and restored
correctly.
_B_u_g #_4_6_8_2_2_7
SSSSuuuummmmmmmmaaaarrrryyyy:::: Filesystem <= 8 KB blocksize restriction.
A restriction was introduced with IRIX NetWorker 4.2.5 that
the filesystem on which /nsr resides could not have a
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blocksize greater than 8 KB. Since the default blocksize for
XFS filesystems is 4 KB, this issue did not affect many
sites. This restriction is now removed, and any filesystem
block size supported by the underlying XFS filesystem can be
used for the the /nsr filesystem.
4.3 _B_u_g_s__f_i_x_e_d__b_y__S_G_I__i_n__I_R_I_X__N_e_t_W_o_r_k_e_r__4_._2_._5
_B_u_g #_3_5_7_6_2_7
SSSSuuuummmmmmmmaaaarrrryyyy:::: Inventory problem on Odetics 2640-3 (264 slots).
Inventory operations did not work on an Odetics 2640-3 unit
(264 slots) in the slot range 256-264 when the unit was
being run in a non-barcode mode. This was a problem with a
calculated buffer size being calculated incorrectly, and
thus not being quite large enough for use with large
jukeboxes.
_B_u_g #_3_8_8_6_4_6 _a_n_d #_3_9_1_0_3_8
SSSSuuuummmmmmmmaaaarrrryyyy:::: Core dump seen only on R5000 CPU.
A library routine failed on the R5000 CPU, causing NetWorker
to core dump. The library routine was modified to avoid the
problem. This problem affected only the IRIX NetWorker
server running on the R5000 CPU.
_B_u_g #_3_9_9_0_4_5
SSSSuuuummmmmmmmaaaarrrryyyy:::: NetWorker does not skip nfs2 filesystems
NetWorker did not know that it should treat filesystems with
type nnnnffffssss2222 in the same manner as it treated filesystems with
the type nnnnffffssss. Solved by adding code to recognize the nnnnffffssss2222
filesystem type as functionally identical to the nnnnffffssss type.
_B_u_g #_4_1_0_8_5_3
SSSSuuuummmmmmmmaaaarrrryyyy:::: Output file on disk can now be larger than 2 GB.
IRIX NetWorker had limited the size of an output disk file
to 2 GB. This limit has now been removed. (Although the
usual situation is for IRIX NetWorker's output devices to be
tape drives, it is possible to configure a disk file as an
IRIX NetWorker output device.)
(_N_o _b_u_g _n_u_m_b_e_r)
SSSSuuuummmmmmmmaaaarrrryyyy:::: Added support for STK 9710 and IBM 3590 ACF
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jukeboxes.
The IBM 3590 ACF is now supported by NetWorker. However,
NetWorker 4.2.x can use the IBM 3590 ACF only if the unit is
configured properly. Follow these steps to configure the
unit, and to bring it on-line.
+o With power off to all machines, cable the unit
appropriately to the server running IRIX Networker.
+o Power-on the unit, and wait for its power-on
diagnostics to complete.
+o At the conclusion of the power-on diagnostics, verify
that the port on the rear of the unit, to which you
attached the unit's cable, is listed on the front panel
as _o_n_l_i_n_e. If the correct port is not listed as
_o_n_l_i_n_e, then use the unit's front panel _U_p and _D_o_w_n
arrow buttons to select _S_e_r_v_i_c_e_s..., and then press the
_E_n_t_e_r button. Use the menu that appears to select the
approprate port configuration. Finally, using the _E_n_t_e_r
button, select _C_a_n_c_e_l until you return to the top-level
menu.
+o Using the unit's front panel _U_p and _D_o_w_n arrow buttons,
move the cursor to _S_e_t _A_C_F _m_o_d_e ... and press the
_E_n_t_e_r button
+o Press the _U_p and/or _D_o_w_n buttons until _R_a_n_d_o_m is
highlighted, and then press the _E_n_t_e_r button.
At this point, the unit's front panel should indicate _o_n_l_i_n_e
status for the port to which you have attached the computer
cable, and that the unit is in _R_a_n_d_o_m mode. This
configuration is required for proper operation with IRIX
NetWorker 4.2.x.
_B_u_g_s #_3_1_9_6_0_5
SSSSuuuummmmmmmmaaaarrrryyyy:::: Added a "pause" capability for group management.
This feature allows groups to be managed more flexibly.
Proper use of this feature may mitigate the problems
reported by the referenced incident.
IRIX NetWorker save groups now support a _p_a_u_s_e capability.
This allows system administrators to exercise more control
over the execution order of client saves. A typical use
would be to temporarily suspend activation of new client
saves from one save group, in order to avoid blocking client
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saves belonging to other groups.
The pause capability is controlled by a _p_a_u_s_e_l_i_s_t file,
which is a text file located in /_n_s_r/_t_m_p. The file must be
named _p_a_u_s_e_l_i_s_t; the complete path must be
/_n_s_r/_t_m_p/_p_a_u_s_e_l_i_s_t.
IRIX NetWorker uses the contents of the pauselist file to
determine when client saves from a save group should be
initiated. If a group is paused, then no new client saves
from that group will be started. Use the following rules to
construct the pauselist file:
+o If the pauselist is nonexistent or empty, then no
groups are paused.
+o If the pauselist is non-empty, it is expected to
contain lines of text.
+o The first line of the pauselist must be its version
number, as follows. Currently, only version 1 is
supported.
1111
+o All following lines are interpreted as group names, one
per line.
+o A group known to IRIX NetWorker is paused if its name
is in the pauselist.
How (or whether) the pauselist is actually used is
determined by the system administrator. The pause capability
can be completely ignored, because without a pauselist file,
no groups will ever be paused. This represents no change
from the previous behavior of IRIX NetWorker 4.1.3.
A typical use of this pause capability would be to control
access to tape drives, when multiple save groups are
competing for control. For example, suppose there is a save
group named "Bldg A Workstations", starting at 7:00 pm, and
has many client saves to initiate. There is another save
group, named "Master Databases", which is scheduled to start
at 10:00 pm. However, by 10:00 pm, only about half of the
"Bldg A Workstations" save group is complete; the remaining
client saves that are part of "Bldg A Workstations" would
compete with the "Master Databases" save group client saves.
The pause capability allows the system administrator to
temporarily stop processing new client saves from one save
group, to allow another save group to initiate its client
saves.
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In the above example, to pause the "Bldg A Workstations"
save group, and therefore prevent it from monopolizing
NetWorker's attention, the system administrator would create
a pauselist file at about 10:00 pm. Line 1 of the pauselist
must be the version number (currently 1). Line 2 is the name
of the save group to be paused. (Lines 3 and following could
be names of additional save groups to be paused.) In this
example, the pauselist at /_n_s_r/_t_m_p/_p_a_u_s_e_l_i_s_t would contain:
1111
BBBBllllddddgggg AAAA WWWWoooorrrrkkkkssssttttaaaattttiiiioooonnnnssss
Continuing with the above example, the "Bldg A Workstations"
group is now paused, and no further client saves will be
initiated from that group. The "Master Databases" save group
will be able to initiate its client saves at this point.
Once the system administrator has verified that the client
saves from the "Master Databases" save group have been
successfully initiated, perhaps at about 10:10 pm, the
pauselist file can be deleted to allow the remaining "Bldg A
Workstations" client saves to be initiated.
If desired, this entire procedure can be automated using
cron. The system administrator should determine when certain
save groups should be paused and unpaused. Using cron,
create a pauselist at these times, with specific save groups
mentioned. After an interval, which the system administrator
has determined to be a sufficient length of time for other
(unpaused) client saves to be initiated, then another
command can be initiated using cron which would delete the
pauselist (or change its contents).
A helpful technique might be to preconfigure several
different copies of the pauselist, with differing contents,
under different names. When the system administrator
determines it is time to change the pause configuration,
then a selected preconfigured file is renamed to be
/_n_s_r/_t_m_p/_p_a_u_s_e_l_i_s_t, and it will be in effect.
_C_a_v_e_a_t_s
When a save group becomes paused, it means that no new
client saves from that group will be initiated. But client
saves that were initiated before the group was paused will
continue to run, even when the group becomes paused.
Since groups are determined to be paused by comparing them
with the group names listed in the pauselist file, it is
important that groups have unique names. Also, the names
specified in the pauselist file are case sensitive; care
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must be taken that the capitalization in the pauselist
exactly matches the save group name as reported in the _G_r_o_u_p
_C_o_n_t_r_o_l window.
Currently, this pause capability is not integrated into the
graphic user interface of _n_w_a_d_m_i_n. Therefore, the _G_r_o_u_p
_C_o_n_t_r_o_l window cannot be used to pause or unpause a group.
Nor does the status display in that window indicate that a
group is paused. However, the message panel of _n_w_a_d_m_i_n's
graphic user interface displays messages approximately every
15 minutes when an otherwise runnable save group is paused.
The _S_t_a_r_t, _R_e_s_t_a_r_t, or _S_t_o_p buttons in the _G_r_o_u_p _C_o_n_t_r_o_l
window can be selected, even for paused groups. If the
selected group is paused when one of these action buttons is
selected, the action chosen will take place, but not until
the group becomes unpaused.