On Tue, 4 Nov 2003 10:16:00 -0500, "Jason Lavigne" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said: > What do you all recommend for this? I was thinking of using cron to make > a clone (copy) of the directory that could have open files in it and > then backup the cloned directory, is this what the rest of you do? As > you know the FAQ is vague on this subject and I have not yet finished > reading the "chapter". > > > I am assuming I am getting this STRANGE error due to open files > > ...
> /-- dns1.bwlog /usr/local/vpopmail lev 0 STRANGE > > sendbackup: start [dns1.bwlogic.com:/usr/local/vpopmail level 0] > sendbackup: info BACKUP=/usr/local/bin/gtar > sendbackup: info RECOVER_CMD=/usr/local/bin/gtar -f... - > sendbackup: info end > > ? gtar: > ./domains/bwlogic.com/jlavigne/Maildir/new/1067955383.93335.dns1.bwlogic > .com,S=3913: Warning: Cannot stat: (null) ? gtar: > ./domains/bwlogic.com/pager-forward/Maildir/new/1067955385.93340.dns1.bw > logic.com,S=4017: Warning: Cannot stat: (null) I don't think it is an open file problem. Generally cannot stat means file is missing. Gnutar works in at least two phases, note all the file to back up, then back them up. As there is time elapsed between them, things can change, like files being deleted that were there and files created that were not. Also, a file's data could change just when gnutar, in the second phase, is actually coping the data. (gnutar will actually give a specific message about the latter) So gnutar is not really a "point in time" backup. No backup of an active system can be. That is why we sometimes talk about the desireableness (is that a word) of a read-only snapshot capability of some FS's, eg. my Solaris UFS type, which I've yet to utilize. In practice, I don't find the "strange" messages for gnutar to be a problem for me. YMMV!! In the specific case of your examples, they look to be spool or temporary files. They may have only existed for a few seconds. Or they may have been messages that someone picked up while the backup was in progress. Do you really care about saving a copy of them? If you do, then backups are not the way to go, but a change in the application creating them is. It will have to make permanant versions that will not disappear between backups. -- Jon H. LaBadie [EMAIL PROTECTED] JG Computing 4455 Province Line Road (609) 252-0159 Princeton, NJ 08540-4322 (609) 683-7220 (fax)
