Can our file system support a file size of 6.5GB+?

[Gino Castoldi_2]

Hi,

HP-UX 11.0 L2000/rp5450, LVM, VxFS, we do not have OnlineJFS.

How can we tell that a file system can support a file size of 6.5GB? We created a file (using fbackup which is part of the OVO opc_backup script) that has a file size of 6764MB. We want to make sure that the file can be restored
if needed. I known that there are limits to how large a file can be on disk depending upon
what version of JFS, OS, etc.

10 points to any good answer.
TIA, Gino

[Cheryl Griffin · Accepted solution]

"VxFS can, theoretically, support files up to two terabytes in size because file system structures are no longer in fixed locations (see Disk Layout). The maximum size tested and supported on HP-UX 11.x systems is one terabyte. Large files are files larger than two gigabytes in size."

6.5 GB is considered largefiles. The filesystem should have largefiles support enabled. Check this with:
# fstype -v /dev/vgXX/lvolX
f_flag: 16 = largefiles
f_flag: 0 = no_largefiles



For more information see "Support for Large Files"
http://www.docs.hp.com/hpux/onlinedocs/B3929-90011/00/00/25-con.html

[Mark Grant]

Without seeming simple, the best way is to restore it and see. The only thing you need to look for is "largefiles" support in the filesystem. If it was created with "-o largefiles" and mounted with "-o largefiles" you should be OK.

[Massimo Bianchi]

HI,
if the fs was created with the largefiles support, there is no problem with its existance, check with:

mkfs -m -F vxfs /dev/vgXX/lvol

The problem is the backup utility. what do you use ?


unpatched tar does not support files > 2G, due to compatibility issues, but there is a patch for that, or you can download gtar.


fbackup supports it.

omniback supports it.

Massimo

[Robert-Jan Goossens]

Hi,

# fsadm -F hfs /dev/vg00/rlvol3
file system : /dev/vg00/rlvol3
magic number : 95014
feature bits : 1
file system supports : nolargefiles, longfilenames


above you can see that large files is not enabled, to enable. Umount the filesystem and fsadm -o to enable.

Regards,
Robert-Jan

[Cheryl Griffin]

The largefiles tar patch is available for 11.11, only:

http://www2.itrc.hp.com/service/cki/patchDocDisplay.do?patchId=PHCO_28992
Patch Name: PHCO_28992 s700_800 11.11 tar(1) cumulative patch

[Massimo Bianchi]

Gnutar:

http://hpux.connect.org.uk/hppd/hpux/Gnu/tar-1.13.25/

Massimo

[Gino Castoldi_2]

Hi,

So as long as the file system has large files enabled then it doesn't matter what
version of VxFS or patches we haved installed
to the OS (HPUX 11.0)?

10 points to any good answer.
TIA, GIno

[Gino Castoldi_2]

Hi,

FYI: I used fbackup to create the file, not tar, so (hopefully) the file is ok.
I checked the file system and it does have
largefiles enabled.

I can't test restoring the file, it's from
a 24/7 production system.

10 points to any good answer.
TIA, Gino

[Massimo Bianchi]

Exactly, if you have an hpux 11.00 there are no problem, upto reasonable sizes.

There may be problem over single files bigger than 100Gb, if i remember well, but you are far away...

Other thing is vxfs corruption, many patch handle these situation and they should be applied, irregarding for the size of the file.

Massimo