Restoring saveset greater than 512GB fails

[Thomas Ritter]

We are able to perform an image backup of a disk yet the corresponding restore fails with

%BACKUP-F-LARGECNT, $1$DGA2049: is too large to be processed


$ backup/image/log tape:data.bck/norewind $1$DGA2049:
%BACKUP-S-CREATED, created $1$DGA2049:[000000]000000.DIR;1
%BACKUP-S-CREATED, created $1$DGA2049:[000000]BACKUP.SYS;1
%BACKUP-S-CREATED, created $1$DGA2049:[000000]CONTIN.SYS;1
%BACKUP-S-CREATED, created $1$DGA2049:[000000]CORIMG.SYS;1
%BACKUP-S-CREATED, created $1$DGA2049:[000000]PRD.DIR;1
%BACKUP-S-CREATED, created $1$DGA2049:[PRD]DB1.DIR;1
%BACKUP-S-CREATED, created $1$DGA2049:[PRD.DB1]CDB.DIR;1
%BACKUP-S-CREATED, created $1$DGA2049:[PRD.DB1.CDB]ADMIN.DIR;1
%BACKUP-S-CREATED, created $1$DGA2049:[PRD.DB1.CDB.ADMIN]DB1.DAT;1
%BACKUP-S-CREATED, created $1$DGA2049:[PRD]DB2.DIR;1
%BACKUP-S-CREATED, created $1$DGA2049:[PRD.DB2]CDB.DIR;1
%BACKUP-S-CREATED, created $1$DGA2049:[PRD.DB2.CDB]DB2.DIR;1
%BACKUP-F-LARGECNT, $1$DGA2049: is too large to be processed
BACKUP job terminated at 27-MAR-2008 13:29:18.24

The saveset is 565GB in size.

Total of 1 file, 565.42GB/565.42GB

We are running VMS 7.3-2.

Have we reached a limit with backup ?

[Hoff]

How big is the target disk volume, and what is the volume cluster factor?

This could be a too-small cluster factor, or a disk that's above a terabyte; either one is bad. Or it could well be something else.

As a first step, I'd INITIALIZE the disk with a larger cluster factor (minimally) and the appropriate numbers of headers and files for the volume, and add the /NOINIT onto the BACKUP command.

The usual suggestion around being (or getting) current on your patch kits applies. Particularly the UPDATE, BACKUP, SCSI/FC and any other mandatory kits, given this case.

Entirely unrelated to the problem here and strictly as I'm paranoid, I prefer to add /SAVE onto the saveset parameter within the BACKUP command though it is likely in this case that tape: is mounted /FOREIGN.

[Steven Schweda]

> Have we reached a limit with backup ?

Sure looks that way.

alp $ help /mess /faci = backup LARGECNT

LARGECNT, 'device-name' is too large to be processed

Facility: BACKUP, Backup Utility

Explanation: The specified volume is too large to be processed by the
Backup utility. Possibly the specified cluster factor is too
small.

User Action: Retry the operation using a larger volume cluster factor.



Perhaps an explicit INITIALIZE of the
destination disk (and BACKUP /NOINITIALIZE)?


I wish that I owned that much tape, let alone
disk space, so that I could care more.