Backup gets -RMS-E-FLK (file currently locked) on /LIST file

[Wim Van den Wyngaert]

Note that he said that just before the backup the file didn't exist !

Could it be that not the file but the volume or directory is locked ?

Wim

[Willem Grooters]

Just got the idea, as an extension of Hein's suggestion, that there may be no room available on the disk for extending the listfile.

[Wim Van den Wyngaert]

Willem,

"currently locked" caused by "out of diskspace" ? That would be a surprise ...

Wim

[Ken McNulty]

Hi Guys,
Sorry I haven't been back for a while. I've (at least) two hats and I've had to look at some Windows CommVault Backup problems. I've also had a different problem on another Alpha. A Techie's work is never done! The backup is behaving itself still. However, I discovered we had the same problem on another server on Saturday, which nobody noticed. On this occasion, the batch file contained 3 backup jobs, each of which tried to create a different .LIS file and each of which failed with the same error. This server had just been swapped with a spare because the original developed a strange fault whereby it just started rebooting itself for no apparent reason. In other words, it started behaving like XP. Nothing in OPERATOR.LOG, nothing in ERRLOG.SYS, nothing in ACCOUNTNG.DAT. Nothing but normal operations and Time Stamps, then suddenly, reboot messages. We put it on a UPS, in case it was being spiked - it got worse. We had a spare so we connected the RAID disk enclosure to that and it all worked OK (except now I'm getting "SWXCR-DRA: Shelf error on channel 0" but that's another story). My reason for mentioning this, is that the first set of saves we tried after that got the -RMS-E-FLK error. As far as I know, they weren't having a problem until we "disturbed" the disks. However, it's beeen OK since (3 nights). Coincidence?

As far as I am aware, these problems did not occur before we changed from DSSI JBOD disks to SCSI RAID.

[John Gillings]

Ken,

Like Hein suggested, I think it's the enclosing directory. Something is locking it, preventing the creation of the listing file. Try enabling some AUDITs:

$ SET AUDIT/AUDIT
/ENABLE=(FILE=FAIL=ALL,CREATE)

and also place ALARM ACEs on the enclosing directories:

$ SET SECURITY DATA.DIR
/ACL=(AUDIT=SECURITY,ACCESS=WRITE+SUCCESS+FAIL)

After the event, go back over the audit trail to see who/what was messing with the directories.

When I simulate your symptom by opening a .DIR file exclusively and asking BACKUP to put a listing file in it, I see an "Object creation" event which fails with SYSTEM-W-ACCCONFLICT, followed immediately by a (successful?) "Object access" against my locked directory, both from BACKUP.EXE.

Unfortunately this doesn't give you a "smoking gun", but hopefully it will reveal more of what's going on.

Once you've confirmed that pattern, backtrack to try and identify which other processes have touched the directory in question - you may need to increase the scope of the AUDIT ACE, maybe to include READ access?

[Ken McNulty]

Hi. The original server has stopped having problems, they've moved to the other server I mentioned. Sat, Sun failed, Mon, Tue, Wed OK, Thur fail. However, I've put debug statements into the one that is no longer failing. Now, the programmer in me tells me that if a fault goes away when you debug statements in your program, then you've probably got a timing problem. I like the idea of something locking the directory - my suspicion is still focussed on the pre-backup deletes. Nothing else should be using that directory. I'm going to put 10 second waits into the failing backup and I'll see what happens over the weekend. Thanks for all help so far.

[John Gillings]

Ken,

It can't be anything "normal" opening the directory, as any conflicting accesses would be queued. It would have to be something that explicitly locks the directory. I'm not aware of any OpenVMS components that would do that.

It may be worth leaving audits on that directory for a while to see what touches it.

[Ken McNulty]

Hi John. I'll put some audits on as you suggested. Current status is:- Save with Debug Statements - Fri fail; Sat, Sun success. Save with 10 second wait - Fri, Sat,Sun success.

Oh, by the way, there are no version limits on the .LIS file or it's enclosing directories.
Thanks