Tar: database file not > 2GB Not dumped

[Madhava Rao Lakkaniki]

Hi..Gurus
I am getting the following error, while taking the hotbackup of Oracle database 7.3.4 using tar command on HP-UX 11.0

tar: Size of the /db19/oradata/xxx/dataxx.dbf > 2GB. Not dumped

Except the above file, remaining data files have been copied on tape on DDS-3.

How over come the above problem?

Thanks in advance

Rao

[Patrick Wallek]

As you have just found out, hp-ux native tar does not support files that are larger than 2 GB.

A couple of options:

1) Use fbackup instead of tar. fbackup can easily handle large files.

2) Get the gnu version of tar which can handle large files. Gnu tar is available here:
http://hpux.cs.utah.edu/hppd/hpux/Gnu/tar-1.13.25/

[A. Clay Stephenson]

Tar will not backup a file > 2GB. This is an inherent limitation of the HP supplied version of tar and cpio so that these utilities remain compatible will tars everywhere. If you want to use tar, you can download the Gnu version of tar from any of the HP-UX Porting Centre's of use fbackup which will backup files larger than 2GB and is faster as well.


Regards, Clay

[Krishna Prasad]

This was posted by a different member in a tar forum question on files over 2GB using tar.

http://hpux.cs.utah.edu/hppd/hpux/Gnu/tar-1.13.25/

Also, you said "you are doing a hot-backup". I take it that you are moving the tablespaces to backup mode before using tar on the files?

Ron

[Sanjay_6]

Hi,

Tar and cpio will not support backup of files larger than 2GB. So if you want to still use the hp-ux native commands to backup the file, use fbackup.

Hope this helps.

Regds

[Bill Hassell]

As mentioned, tar (and cpio and dump and pax) backup tools are not usable for today's databases. They were just fine 10 years ago but multiple gigabytes of RAM and terabytes of disks means they are relegated to 'classic' status. While the correct versions of Gnu tar can handle large files, the resultant is no longer portable until the same program is available on other systems.

The classic tools lack a large number of safety and reliability features that should be carefully weighed when looking for a backup solution. The primary reason to perform a backup is to protect from data loss, but often overlooked is the need to protect the backup, things like the ability to test the backup, to restore data rapidly, to recover from a bad spot on the tape, to seamlessly handle multiple tapes, etc.

[Volker Borowski]

Hi,

I have always been unhappy with oracle datafiles which are bigger than two GB for various reasons.

If possible, I would favor to reduce the size of the datafile, and add a new datafile to the tablespace.

ALTER DATABASE DATAFILE '/db19/oradata/xxx/dataxx.dbf' resize 2000M;

ALTER TABLESPACE ts_name ADD DATAFILE '/db19/oradata/xxx/dataxx+1.dbf' size 500M

I know I am old fashioned, but before any protest, I recommend to check oracle patchnotes on various errors concerning datafiles bigger that 2 GB (in various releases).
If your database is only some 100GB big, I would always go for datafiles with a max size of 2000M (not 2GB)!

Just my 0.02???
Volker