Hi Managers,
If you running 4.0D, and has AdvFS as filesystem and uses AdvFS clonefset to
clone the fileset for backup or for other purposes, then you may want to
stay away from Path Kit 4.
Just over the weekend I backed out of Patch Kit 4 on one of my AlphaServer
8400. The Patch Kit was installed on Compaq's recommendation to fix another
problem. Patch Kit 4 may have fixed one problem, but introduced some serious
problems with AdvFS.
To produce this problem on 4.0D with Patch Kit 4, clone a fileset and do df
and note the "Used" and "Capacity" field all 0 (zero). I could have lived
with 0, but one of my regular backup which used to take 1 hour and 40
minutes, start taking 3 hours and 52 minutes. The backup which used to take
2 DLT tapes start taking 1 tape and ran for 7 hours and 47 minutes (3:38
normal elapsed time) --with no data missing --go figure!
It was one tough work to convince the support center that there is a bug. I
suggested them to install patch kit 4 on their system and page me on
Saturday with the results --I got page and I was not surprised with the
result --they had the same problem. Support center did not check the backup
time, which I think is a bigger problem and more visible to my users. Their
reason was that they cloned a fileset of 100 MB, and I was talking in GB of
fileset.
My solution was to put back Patch Kit 3 and the combination with firmware
5.4 is the best I could come up with.
As far as I know, this problem has not been escalated to engineering,
because I have to provide a long list of things.. WHO HAS TIME ! Less than
100 days to y2k and clock is ticking for y2k freeeeeze period! Even Disney
Magic won't work here!
Ronny Eliahu
The Walt Disney Company
Disney Studios, Burbank CA
Received on Mon Sep 27 1999 - 22:01:33 NZST