Re: ontape issues with AIX

The recommendation from IBM for Unix backups and restores is 512, so if you have only one tape drive, you'll need to keep changing it back again. I believe 0 means dynamic block size for writing, and get from tape when reading. I've had problems restoring when changing the value in smit and having the Informix blocksize to a non-multiple. And as you've found if you don't know the blocksize then restoring can be a hassle. If the sysadmin changes the blocksize and fails to tell you then you'll have real fun restoring in the middle of the night when you can't get to data on the tape:-) Nigel Gall wrote: > > some years ago I was installing Informix on an AIX box for the first (and so > far only) time and we had to set the tape block size via the smit utility to > zero, which if memory serves me right meant that the tape block size is > undefined or read from the tape in the device (we tried it just for the heck > of it after spending 30 mins cycling thru multiples of 8; imagine our > surpise when it worked!). > > Are there any implications of performing archives using this setting in smit > for tape block size (i.e. set it to zero and not some value like 128)? For > Ian's sake. > > Best regards, > > Edmund Nigel Gall > Senior Information Systems Specialist > Process Plant Services Limited > Atlantic Avenue, Point Lisas Industrial Estate > Point Lisas, Couva, Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. > Tel: (868) 636 2906 x 274 Fax: (868) 679 3770 > > -----Original Message----- > From: Paul Watson [mailto:Paul.Watson@gmaccc.co.uk] > Sent: 2000 February 02 5:47 AM > To: Ian Willetts > Cc: informix-list@iiug.org > Subject: Re: ontape issues with AIX > > What is errno 6, (check /usr/include/sys/errno.h), under Solaris it's > no such device so tweaking the tape size won't help:-) > > Ian Willetts wrote: > > > > Can anyone shed some light on this. > > > > I am using ontape to do a level0 backup on a 100Gb + database on AIX. I > get > > the error 'code -1 errno 6' just after loading a tape. Have tried to > tweek > > the TAPE size param but still am having problems. > > -- > Paul Watson # > WF Software # If it was easy > Tel ++44 1436 674729 # Everybody could do it > Fax ++44 1436 678693 # > www.wfsoftware.com/informix # -- Paul Watson # WF Software # You are only young once Tel ++44 1436 674729 # But you can be immature for ever Fax ++44 1436 678693 # www.wfsoftware.com/informix #

Hi!, I'm running informix on a RS/6k with AIX 4.3.2, and I don't have any problem with my backups, my tape is 5Gb. 8mm, and is configured with 512kb of block size. On the tape-parameters in informix, you only need to specify your block size (512kb) and your tape size in kb. Obviusly, do you check that you have the correct drivers for your tape don't you? because your tape model don't came on the ODM. * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet's Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free!

Hola! Omar I'm not quite sure what you are asking, could you describe the problem as I have a very similar environment to you and I don't have any issues with tape drives or backups. Adios Nuala In article <12db0540.9979ca60@usw-ex0103-086.remarq.com>, Omar Perez <operezNOopSPAM@argos.com.mx.invalid> writes >Hi!, I'm running informix on a RS/6k with AIX 4.3.2, and I don't >have any problem with my backups, my tape is 5Gb. 8mm, and is >configured with 512kb of block size. > >On the tape-parameters in informix, you only need to specify >your block size (512kb) and your tape size in kb. > >Obviusly, do you check that you have the correct drivers for >your tape don't you? because your tape model don't came on the >ODM. > > > > >* Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet's Discussion Network * >The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free! > -- Nuala Donaldson