Running Vxfs fsadm on active system?

[Jeff Crew]

Our server is running HP-UX 11.11 supporting an Oracle database. I have run Vxfs fsadm to do a File/Directory defrag (-D -d) option on a maintenance outage w/ the Oracle DB shutdown. But running an Extent defrag (-E -e) option seems to take too long for 3 passes.

Can the fsadm Extent defrag be run when the system is lightly used (ie. Sundays) and-or with the Oracle DB running?

[Steven E. Protter · Accepted solution]

Shalom,

I have run defrag on systems with Oracle db's on them.

The DBA's nor the disk people were not pleased with me but it was safely carried out. I generally did try to do that stuff at night to avoid I/O issues.

SEP

[Olivier Masse]

Same as SEP here... don't do it when the system is stressed with I/O. Although it should work live without jamming Oracle, i've seen it happen, but that was in 11.0 days. I'm not a DBA but for what it's worth, Don't do it at once on all the filesystems that hold your control files. Do it one after another.

If it can be of any help I wrote a wrapper around fsadm a few years ago, I haven't updated it in a while but it was current as of 11.11, it could help you evaluate your fragmentation. http://www.mayoxide.com/toolbox/defrag_vxfs.ksh

[Jeff Crew]

Thanks Steven and Olivier for the input, what you recommended is what I thinking.

Am I correct in thinking that once I get a complete initial run on the Extent Defrag it should go easier the next times?

Olivier - You mentioned not running the Defrags where the Oracle control files are located - Explain please.