Backup large db on UNIX

[Maria]

How do I run a full backup on a Unix system for a database that is larger than 2GB. It keeps hitting the 2 GB barrier and erroring out. Is there some way to tell the command to start another file when it hits the 2GB limit?

 

[natalie]

What command are you running?
We use the following to back our db's up to tape:
/usr/dlc9/bin/probkup online ${dbpath}/${dbname} ${TDEV}

They're over 10GB each, and we have no problem.

 

[Maria]

probkup online dbname dbname.bk

 

[breakdown]

probkup file size

Use the -vs switch on probkup and specify a file size that you want the backup files to be. You will then have to pass it a list of files to use once the first file size limit is reached.

"-vs" will multiply the database blocksize by whatever value you provide for "-vs". For example, running a db with an 8k blocksize and a -vs of 250000 will create a backup file that is right at 2GB.

use this:
$DLC/bin/probkup /DATABASE backup.1 -vs 250000 < BACKUPFILES

The contents of BACKUPFILES would be the following:
backup.2
backup.3
backup.4
backup.5
etc...

The probkup utility will use as many "backup.#" files as it needs, as long as they are in the "BACKUPFILES" file. Make sure you put a lot of entries in that file to cover all your data. If you have a 4GB database, I'd make available at least 3 backup files at 2GB each.

Any questions about this, feel free to email me.

 

[govindankvs]

Beter option is to set your ULIMIT o fyour OS to handle laege files so that it will create ONE SINGLE FILE ..

REgards
Govindan

 

[methyl]

In addition to upping "ulimit" you usually have to change the filesystem to handle files larger than 2Gb. e.g. In HPUX "fsadm -F vxfs -o largefiles /dev/...".
However the 2Gb limits in unix usually extend to backup software. Breaking the "probkup" files down to multiple files of size < 2Gb is sound advice and a lot less hassle.