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Informix Error -12084: Smart Large Objects: Restore: NULL control info block ptr; archive records out of order.

Cause and resolution

Smart Large Objects: Restore: NULL control info block ptr; archive records out of order.

The archive tape was corrupted either by a user error or a database server malfunction. Ensure that the archive file was not corrupted through user error. If the archive file is intact, the database server malfunctioned. You can either try to create another archive of the same sbspace, or you can remove the sbspace from the list of spaces to be archived and try to archive the remaining spaces.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-12084 fires during restore when a control info block pointer is NULL because archive records are out of order — per the official guidance, indicating a corrupted archive tape.

  1. User error corrupting the archive file, per the official guidance — the first named case.
  2. A database server malfunction, per the official guidance — the second named case, if the archive file is otherwise intact.
Solutions / Resolution
  1. Confirm the archive file wasn't corrupted through user error, per the official guidance.
  2. If the archive file is intact, try creating another archive of the same sbspace, per the official guidance, or
  3. Remove the sbspace from the archive list and archive the remaining spaces, per the official guidance.
Examples
N/A

No specific triggering statement is documented beyond misordered archive records during restore.

Diagnostic Checks
  1. Check the archive file's integrity, and either re-archive the same sbspace or exclude it and archive the rest.
Related Errors / Related Topics
  • -12081 — "Smart Large Objects Archive: illegal control page type in arc." The same class of corrupted-archive error, on an illegal control page type.
  • -12082 — "Smart Large Objects Archive: invalid state encountered." The same class of corrupted-archive error, on an out-of-sequence archive record.
  • -12083 — "Smart Large Objects: Restore: END_DESC record found before SB_ARC_CHUNK_RECS record." The same class of corrupted-archive error, during restore.
  • -12085 — "Smart Large Objects: Restore: SB_ARC_END_DESC record not found for this chunk." The same class of corrupted-archive error, during restore.

Archive records were out of order, leaving a NULL control info block pointer — check for archive corruption, then re-archive or exclude the sbspace.