moving from raw chunks to cooked files

Posted in 2010

Topics: Performance & Tuning, Installation, Setup & Upgrades, Storage & Space Management, Migration, Import/Export & Data Conversion, Platform-Specific Issues

Aleksander Kamenik — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:43:18 +0300 — source: Usenet: comp.databases.informix

Hi, We're running Suse Linux Enterprise Server on x86 and with the latest SLES11SP1 release notes comes this announcement: "The RAW devices are deprecated and will be removed with one of the next Service Packs or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12." I'm about to reinstall Informix onto new drives so might as well migrate to cooked files. What filesystem is recommended? Are there any significant performance issues nowadays? Currently I have two raw devices which contain a total of 18 chunks. I would like to see them as 18 files on four different drives/partitions after the migration. I can't find any documentation on migrating to cooked files. Is this even possible? Using Informix 11.50.UC7. Regards, Aleksander Kamenik System Administrator Krediidiinfo AS an Experian Company Phone: +372 665 9649 Email: aleksander@krediidiinfo.ee http://www.krediidiinfo.ee/ http://www.experiangroup.com/

↪ replying to Aleksander Kamenik

Neil Truby — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:40:45 +0100 — source: Usenet: comp.databases.informix

"Aleksander Kamenik" <aleksander@krediidiinfo.ee> wrote in message news:mailman.420.1282749214.1071.informix-list@iiug.org... Hi, >>We're running Suse Linux Enterprise Server on x86 and with the latest >>SLES11SP1 release notes comes this announcement: "The RAW devices are deprecated and will be removed with one of the next Service Packs or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12." I'm about to reinstall Informix onto new drives so might as well migrate to cooked files. What filesystem is recommended? Are there any significant performance issues nowadays? >> Currently I have two raw devices which contain a total of 18 chunks. I >> would like to see them as 18 files on four different drives/partitions >> after the migration. I can't find any documentation on migrating to >> cooked files. Is this even possible? Avoid a journaled FS. So, ext2 is a good choice. Migration is easy enough 1. If you have used symbolic links for your chunk names, just take a level 0, change your links to the new file system files, and do a restore 2. If you have NOT used links, firstly you should be executed. If you survive this, use an ontape "redirected restore" (RTFM) and use links this time! regards

↪ replying to Neil Truby

Aleksander Kamenik — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:16:41 +0300 — source: Usenet: comp.databases.informix

Thanks Art and everybody who helped out with this. I'll use the ontape restore with chunk renaming method. ext2 will be used on the data partitions. I'll enable DIRECT_IO. I'll use symlinks. Long explanation: I should have explained better; I have two devices one of which contains most of the chunks using offsets (the second has only the logical log chunk), so ontape with chunk rename is the only way to go for me. I'll be using 4 different drives (RAID1) where the chunks will go. No, symlinks are not used, but I didn't install this instance either. And yes I'll definitely use them now. Thanks again, Aleksander Kamenik System Administrator Krediidiinfo AS an Experian Company Phone: +372 665 9649 Email: aleksander@krediidiinfo.ee http://www.krediidiinfo.ee/ http://www.experiangroup.com/ > -----Original Message----- > From: informix-list-bounces@iiug.org [mailto:informix-list- > bounces@iiug.org] On Behalf Of Neil Truby > Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 1:41 AM > To: informix-list@iiug.org > Subject: Re: moving from raw chunks to cooked files > > > "Aleksander Kamenik" <aleksander@krediidiinfo.ee> wrote in message > news:mailman.420.1282749214.1071.informix-list@iiug.org... > Hi, > > >>We're running Suse Linux Enterprise Server on x86 and with the latest > >>SLES11SP1 release notes comes this announcement: > > "The RAW devices are deprecated and will be removed with one of the > next > Service Packs or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12." > > I'm about to reinstall Informix onto new drives so might as well > migrate to > cooked files. > > What filesystem is recommended? Are there any significant performance > issues > nowadays? > > >> Currently I have two raw devices which contain a total of 18 chunks. > I > >> would like to see them as 18 files on four different > drives/partitions > >> after the migration. I can't find any documentation on migrating to > >> cooked files. Is this even possible? > > Avoid a journaled FS. So, ext2 is a good choice. > Migration is easy enough > 1. If you have used symbolic links for your chunk names, just take a > level > 0, change your links to the new file system files, and do a restore > 2. If you have NOT used links, firstly you should be executed. If you > survive this, use an ontape "redirected restore" (RTFM) and use links > this > time! > > regards > > _______________________________________________ > Informix-list mailing list > Informix-list@iiug.org > http://www.iiug.org/mailman/listinfo/informix-list

↪ replying to Aleksander Kamenik

Davorin Kremenjas — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 01:49:11 -0700 (PDT) — source: Usenet: comp.databases.informix

> We're running Suse Linux Enterprise Server on x86 and with the latest SLES11SP1 release notes comes this announcement: > "The RAW devices are deprecated and will be removed with one of the next Service Packs or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12." > I'm about to reinstall Informix onto new drives so might as well migrate to cooked files. Don't have SUSE at hand so I can't test, but this looks like they're removing RAW driver from the distro. If so, this doesn't mean you can't use raw devices as Informix understands them. Use the LVM to create your volume groups and logical volumes on top of your physical hard disks. Each logical volume is a raw device as far Informix is concerned (i.e. no filesystem on it). Of course, create and use symlinks rather than LV device names directly. HTH Davorin