Full logical log blocking startup

Posted in 2008

Summary

An HP-UX 11i box running IDS 9.40 wouldn't finish booting: Informix started from an rc script, logical logs were full, and the repeating "Logical Logs are full, backup needed" message on /dev/console prevented getting a login prompt to run a backup. Suggestions included typing login between messages, using another console window, redirecting CONSOLE to a file, and booting to single-user mode to disable the Informix startup script. The poster fixed it by booting single-user, removing the sqlstart symlink, setting LTAPEDEV to /dev/null (a test box), restoring the link, rebooting, then running ontape -a to free the logs.

Auto-generated by DrWatson from the posts below — may be imperfect; read the full thread.

Topics: Logging & Checkpoints

RICHARD CLARK — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:12:51 — source: IIUG Forums & Mailing Lists

I have a perplexing issue with our test box. On booting up I'm stuck with a console message "IBM Informix Dynamic Server Logical Logs are full, backup needed" that comes up every few seconds. I can't get to a prompt and since the box didn't boot up all the way I can't ssh in to start a backup tape. How do I perform a backup if I can't get to a prompt? Informix 9.40

↪ replying to RICHARD CLARK

Keith Simmons — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:34:23 — source: IIUG Forums & Mailing Lists

On 13/03/2008, RICHARD CLARK <clark@salem.edu> wrote: > I have a perplexing issue with our test box. On booting up I'm stuck with a > console message "IBM Informix Dynamic Server Logical Logs are full, backup > needed" that comes up every few seconds. I can't get to a prompt and since the > box didn't boot up all the way I can't ssh in to start a backup tape. > > How do I perform a backup if I can't get to a prompt? > > Informix 9.40 > > > ******************************************************************************* > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > See you at the IIUG Informix 2008 Conference > The Power Conference for Informix Professionals > April 27 - 30, 2008 Marriott Overland Park (Kansas City), Kansas > http://www.iiug.org/conf > Registration Now Open!! > Richard Reading a bit between the lines :-) You have Informix set to start automatically on boot and the boot process will not continue until IDS is running successfully. Also you have the CONSOLE onconfig paramter set to the physical console rather than a file. I would suggest there is a prompt behind the Log messages and if you type in a login id and password immediately after a message you will get into the machine, you should then be able to run ontape -a to clear the logs and allow the boot process to continue. Suggest you alter the path of CONSOLE and also don't allow IDS to start automatically with the box, or if you do put it in the background to allow the remainder of the boot process to continue. Keith

↪ replying to RICHARD CLARK

Art S. Kagel (Oninit) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:39:06 — source: IIUG Forums & Mailing Lists

RICHARD CLARK wrote: > I have a perplexing issue with our test box. On booting up I'm stuck with a > console message "IBM Informix Dynamic Server Logical Logs are full, backup > needed" that comes up every few seconds. I can't get to a prompt and since the > box didn't boot up all the way I can't ssh in to start a backup tape. > > How do I perform a backup if I can't get to a prompt? > If the box is running Windows start it in 'safe' mode. If it's running UNIX/Linux/etc start it in a lower init level so that the IDS startup script is not run. Art S. Kagel Oninit > Informix 9.40 > > > ******************************************************************************* > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > See you at the IIUG Informix 2008 Conference > The Power Conference for Informix Professionals > April 27 - 30, 2008 Marriott Overland Park (Kansas City), Kansas > http://www.iiug.org/conf > Registration Now Open!! > > ================================================================================ =========== > Please access the attached hyperlink for an important electronic communications disclaimer: > > http://www.oninit.com/home/disclaimer.php > > ================================================================================ =========== > > > ================================================================================ =========== Please access the attached hyperlink for an important electronic communications disclaimer: http://www.oninit.com/home/disclaimer.php ================================================================================ ===========

↪ replying to Keith Simmons

RICHARD CLARK — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:46:18 — source: IIUG Forums & Mailing Lists

Keith My apologies for having you read between the lines (and responding to your email instead of the forum). I'm on unfamiliar ground and feeling my way along. I tried typing in my login id and password in the 5 second window between messages but nothing different happened. CONSOLE is set to /dev/console This is on HP-UX 11iv1.

↪ replying to RICHARD CLARK

Bob Allan — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:54:45 — source: IIUG Forums & Mailing Lists

On some computer systems, multiple terminal windows run on the console. These can be accessed via the ALT key + F2 thru F? depending on setup. ----- Original Message ----- From: "RICHARD CLARK" <clark@salem.edu> To: <ids@iiug.org> Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2008 9:46 AM Subject: Re: Full logical log blocking startup [11604] > Keith > > My apologies for having you read between the lines (and responding to your > email instead of the forum). I'm on unfamiliar ground and feeling my way > along. > > I tried typing in my login id and password in the 5 second window between > messages but nothing different happened. > > CONSOLE is set to /dev/console > > This is on HP-UX 11iv1. > > > ******************************************************************************* > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > See you at the IIUG Informix 2008 Conference > The Power Conference for Informix Professionals > April 27 - 30, 2008 Marriott Overland Park (Kansas City), Kansas > http://www.iiug.org/conf > Registration Now Open!! >

↪ replying to RICHARD CLARK

Alex DeWolf — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:01:48 — source: IIUG Forums & Mailing Lists

Sounds like you need to boot into single user and shut off the rc script that starts up Informix. Then restart in multi-user mode (init 3).Then you could use onmonitor to do the backup. Alex -----Original Message----- From: ids-bounces@iiug.org [mailto:ids-bounces@iiug.org]On Behalf Of RICHARD CLARK Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2008 6:13 AM To: ids@iiug.org Subject: Full logical log blocking startup [11595] I have a perplexing issue with our test box. On booting up I'm stuck with a console message "IBM Informix Dynamic Server Logical Logs are full, backup needed" that comes up every few seconds. I can't get to a prompt and since the box didn't boot up all the way I can't ssh in to start a backup tape. How do I perform a backup if I can't get to a prompt? Informix 9.40 ******************************************************************************* Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. See you at the IIUG Informix 2008 Conference The Power Conference for Informix Professionals April 27 - 30, 2008 Marriott Overland Park (Kansas City), Kansas http://www.iiug.org/conf Registration Now Open!!

↪ replying to RICHARD CLARK

Kern Doe — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:26:23 — source: IIUG Forums & Mailing Lists

Try rebooting your test box in the single user mode then, as root, go to your onconfig file change 2 parameters: CONSOLE /directory_of_your_online_log_file/console.log # redirect to a file instead LTAPEDEV /dev/null # you said it's a test env so why bother to back them up... Reboot the box, hopefully you get the prompt now... As informix user id, run ontape -a , this should clear all your logical logs... ----- Original Message ---- From: RICHARD CLARK <clark@salem.edu> To: ids@iiug.org Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2008 9:12:51 AM Subject: Full logical log blocking startup [11595] I have a perplexing issue with our test box. On booting up I'm stuck with a console message "IBM Informix Dynamic Server Logical Logs are full, backup needed" that comes up every few seconds. I can't get to a prompt and since the box didn't boot up all the way I can't ssh in to start a backup tape. How do I perform a backup if I can't get to a prompt? Informix 9.40 ******************************************************************************* Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. See you at the IIUG Informix 2008 Conference The Power Conference for Informix Professionals April 27 - 30, 2008 Marriott Overland Park (Kansas City), Kansas http://www.iiug.org/conf Registration Now Open!! ________________________________________________________________________________ ____ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

↪ replying to RICHARD CLARK

RICHARD CLARK — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:29:01 — source: IIUG Forums & Mailing Lists

Thanks for all the responses. I resolved the problem by booting into single user mode, removing the symbolic link to /sbin/informix/etc/sqlstart so that informix wouldn't try to start. Then I rebooted and changed the LTAPEDEV to /dev/null and recreated the symbolic link so that informix would start. Rebooted and when informix came up successfully and the system could finish the boot process I ran ontape -a. Again, thank you.

Glossary

logical log