Ontape query

Hi I wonder if someone could advise me on using ontape. We are using Informix 7.31 and are using ontape to run a level 0 backup each night. When I run it, there are no error messages returned and it says that it completed succesfuly. However, I'm a little worried as when it's running there is the progress printed to screen: 10 percent done. 20 percent done. 100 percent done. The jump from 20 to 100 so quickly worries me, it's not a huge database. But I thought maybe a backup taking 3 minutes is a little too quick. I just wanted to check if anyone knew if this was normal? Thanks for any advice, Dave

In the year of Our Lord Thu, 18 Jan 2001 09:57:39 -0000, "Dave Woods" <dave.woods@supanet.net.uk> spake, saying: >I wonder if someone could advise me on using ontape. > >We are using Informix 7.31 and are using ontape to run a level 0 backup each >night. When I run it, there are no error messages returned and it says that >it completed succesfuly. However, I'm a little worried as when it's running >there is the progress printed to screen: > >10 percent done. >20 percent done. >100 percent done. > >The jump from 20 to 100 so quickly worries me, it's not a huge database. >But I thought maybe a backup taking 3 minutes is a little too quick. > >I just wanted to check if anyone knew if this was normal? Perfectly normal.

if you like, you can use archecker to verify your backup was written to tape correctly. Consult your documentation for archecker usage but it's an extra layer of assurance that all went well during the backup. If you need help with archecker, lemme know. Dave Woods wrote: > Hi > > I wonder if someone could advise me on using ontape. > > We are using Informix 7.31 and are using ontape to run a level 0 backup each > night. When I run it, there are no error messages returned and it says that > it completed succesfuly. However, I'm a little worried as when it's running > there is the progress printed to screen: > > 10 percent done. > 20 percent done. > 100 percent done. > > The jump from 20 to 100 so quickly worries me, it's not a huge database. > But I thought maybe a backup taking 3 minutes is a little too quick. > > I just wanted to check if anyone knew if this was normal? > > Thanks for any advice, > Dave -- Phillip Tien Database Administrator Whole Foods Market, Inc. Children need encouragement. If a kid gets an answer right, tell him it was a lucky guess. That way he develops a good, lucky feeling.

My overly-thumbed Adminstering Informix on Windows NT by Carlton Doe, sez: "When an instance backup is running, the approximate percent completed will be displayed. This number may or may not be completely accurate. Prior to writing backup data to tape, the engine will sum up all the allocated table extents in the instance. As the ontape backup operation reads through the pages, it calculates the percentage of the total allocation that has been read and echoes out the result on increments of 10 percent. The percentage calculation can be skewed if a large number of tables have actually used only a small amount of the total number of pages allocated. Because unused table pages will not need backing up, the backup process will bypass the rest of the pages in that table and move to the next set of used pages. The total page count read will be updated to reflect the current read position of the backup operation as well. As a result, the percent complete calculation can appear to display erratic and inconsistent progress. This should not cause you any concern." Thanks, Carl! (I hope it's ok to call you that, I feel I know you so well now!) Wynne "Dave Woods" <dave.woods@supanet.net.uk> wrote in message news:946eve$p0v$1@cumin.nnrp.netline.net.uk... > Hi > > I wonder if someone could advise me on using ontape. > > We are using Informix 7.31 and are using ontape to run a level 0 backup each > night. When I run it, there are no error messages returned and it says that > it completed succesfuly. However, I'm a little worried as when it's running > there is the progress printed to screen: > > 10 percent done. > 20 percent done. > 100 percent done. > > The jump from 20 to 100 so quickly worries me, it's not a huge database. > But I thought maybe a backup taking 3 minutes is a little too quick. > > I just wanted to check if anyone knew if this was normal? > > Thanks for any advice, > Dave > >

Obnoxio The Clown wrote in message <3a66c0e7.1655620@130.133.1.4>... >In the year of Our Lord Thu, 18 Jan 2001 09:57:39 -0000, "Dave Woods" ><dave.woods@supanet.net.uk> spake, saying: > >>I wonder if someone could advise me on using ontape. >> >> ...... >> >>I just wanted to check if anyone knew if this was normal? > >Perfectly normal. I think it dumby calculates the total space, then starts archiving and prints percents showing what it's done, and then if you only have your spaces %30 done, it finishes, prints the big number and terminates. I think it would scare the crap out of us longterm users if it suddenly started displaying thoughtful percentages!