FTIO online backups of oracle database failing after upgrading to a DLT8000 from a DLT7000

[James Armstrong]

We have just upgraded to a DLT8000 from a DLT7000 purely because we needed the extra capacity. The problem is our on-line backups of our oracle databases are now failing at about the 30Gb backed up mark and usually as it is backing up larger datafiles!!! We use ftio to back the databases up and don't get a meaningful error message back. We are running 10.20 on a K360....any ideas anyone????

[John Palmer]

Hi,

What type of cartridges are you using and what blocksize is ftio writing (-B argument)?

Also how much data did you used to manage to write to a tape with the 7000 drive? Was it better than 30Gb?

Regards,
John

[James Armstrong]

Hi,

We are using DLT IV cartridges and we used to get about 75 Gb backed up on the DLT 7000. We are using a blocksize of 32K with the FTIO command. The options we use are as follows:

ftio -oacvE -B 32k -Z 32k

[Carol Garrett]

Sounds like hardware compression is off on the DLT8000. There was another question like this recently where it turned out this was the case. Check the hardware settings.

[James Armstrong]

Hi,

Unfortunately I don't think it is as simple as hardware compression being turned off on the drive. I have used both new and old tapes and made sure that the compression rate is set at its highest level on the drive itself

[Patrick Wallek]

Have you tried using tar or some other similar utility and tried to backup a bunch of files? I would be curious to see if tar has any better luck when it gets to the 30GB mark.

[James Armstrong]

Hi,

I am installing a number of patches tonight on HP's recomendation which they say may solve the problem. If it doesn't work I'll see how much I can tar onto a tape.

[James Armstrong]

After adding HP recommended patches the drive now works well and is flying,

cheers,

jim.