Hi Charles, This can happen from time to time although I have yet to see tar be the reason for the blame. Also, the tar being used is the one on the client so, presuming this is unchanged, it should be working the same as it was on that client with the previous Amanda server and version.
Amanda calls tar with the --listed-incremental flag pointing to a file in typically the ~amanda/gnutar-lists directory on the client. During an incremental backup, tar is comparing files on disk to the metadata recorded in this file during the last backup at the previous level. Thus, places to start are to ensure that these files are being correctly created and updated. The file name will contain the name of the host and directory being backed up with a _# extension indicating the backup level. A level 1 is comparing against the _0 file, a level 2 against the _1 file, etc. If this file doesn't exist or is empty, tar will back everything up again. If these files are being created and updated correctly, tar is using this information to compare the stats of the files currently on disk to the ones recorded in the incremental list file of the previous level. Thus, you want to compare a "stat" of one of the files recently backed up to the stat output of when it is backed up at the previous level. Thus, for instance, force a level 0 backup for one of the DLEs. Might as well force a level 0 backup for all DLEs for which level 1 was the same size as level 0! Just before the level 0 backup starts, run "stat" on a few of the files contained in the DLE. As soon as Amanda goes to the next level, check if one of the files you ran stat on was backed up during the level 1 backup. If so, compare its stat output as it is currently disk to the output before the level 0 backup. As long as tar is given the incremental list correctly by Amanda, something in the stats of the file must have changed (other than access time and device number if --no-check-device flag was given by Amanda). Paul On Sat, 2014-02-22 at 00:52 +0100, Charles Stroom wrote: > Hi all, > > on 20 Feb, I have been running my first backup after cleanup the test > results (amanda 3.3.5 compiled on opensuse 13.1). As expected, the 13 > DLEs were all level 0, exceeded the capacity of my DDS4 backup tape and > I needed 2 flushes to get it all on tape. Below the dump summary of the > backup (not the 2 flushes): > " > DUMP SUMMARY: > DUMPER STATS > TAPER STATS > HOSTNAME DISK L ORIG-KB OUT-KB COMP% MMM:SS KB/s > MMM:SS KB/s > --------------------------------- ---------------------- --------------- > ------------- > fiume.localnet Hobbies 0 3087140 2759002 89.4 4:59 9236.7 > 19:55 2308.8 > fiume.localnet Homes 0 2289630 1800945 78.7 5:35 5369.9 > 13:01 2305.9 > fiume.localnet Mail 0 2377330 1588938 66.8 5:52 4514.8 > > fiume.localnet Pictures_800IS 0 6926780 6926780 -- 8:11 14107.1 > 50:01 2308.2 > fiume.localnet Pictures_G2 0 6293540 6293540 -- 5:01 20878.2 > 45:27 2307.9 > fiume.localnet Pictures_rest 0 5069670 5069670 -- 4:39 18179.6 > > fiume.localnet Vbox-1 0 7508010 5594805 74.5 30:37 3045.3 > > fiume.localnet Vbox-2 0 2217880 1443700 65.1 2:52 8374.1 > 1:58 0.0 PARTIAL > fiume.localnet Wine 0 2152670 1378210 64.0 2:58 7737.9 > 10:30 2187.6 > fiume.localnet home-charles 0 6285690 3907741 62.2 10:26 6241.5 > > fiume.localnet root 0 599840 250596 41.8 0:44 5676.4 > 1:48 2320.3 > fiume.localnet usr 0 5742500 2321579 40.4 8:34 4517.0 > > stremen.localnet my_data 0 764860 398956 52.2 3:18 2011.5 > 2:57 2254.0 > > (brought to you by Amanda version 3.3.5) > " > > On 21 Feb, the second backup was done and it did 3 level 0 backups and > 10 level 1 backups. Dump summary below: > " > DUMP SUMMARY: > DUMPER STATS > TAPER STATS > HOSTNAME DISK L ORIG-KB OUT-KB COMP% MMM:SS KB/s > MMM:SS KB/s > --------------------------------- ---------------------- --------------- > ------------- > fiume.localnet Hobbies 1 3087140 2759006 89.4 4:53 9411.3 > > fiume.localnet Homes 1 2289630 1800949 78.7 4:38 6472.8 > 13:00 2308.9 > fiume.localnet Mail 1 2378930 1589378 66.8 7:36 3482.4 > > fiume.localnet Pictures_800IS 1 6926780 6926780 -- 5:43 20218.3 > 50:01 2308.2 > fiume.localnet Pictures_G2 1 6293540 6293540 -- 5:13 20099.0 > 45:26 2308.7 > fiume.localnet Pictures_rest 1 5069800 5069800 -- 4:36 18371.0 > > fiume.localnet Vbox-1 1 10 1 10.0 0:00 4.8 > 0:00 0.0 > fiume.localnet Vbox-2 1 2217880 1443700 65.1 33:19 722.4 > > fiume.localnet Wine 1 2152670 1378212 64.0 3:04 7471.0 > 7:10 0.0 PARTIAL > fiume.localnet home-charles 0 6182340 3827321 61.9 9:29 6724.5 > 27:51 2290.4 > fiume.localnet root 0 596290 247471 41.5 0:44 5611.9 > 2:22 1742.8 > fiume.localnet usr 0 5742630 2321781 40.4 8:44 4429.8 > > stremen.localnet my_data 1 25230 3851 15.3 0:10 401.3 > 0:02 1925.5 > > (brought to you by Amanda version 3.3.5) > " > > This looks fine, but is not. ALL level 1 backups have identical size as > the level 0 backup done the day before with 2 exceptions: Vbox-1 and > my_data. This is total nonsensical, the 3 Pictures* DLEs have not been > used/modified and the level 1 should have a size near zero. Except > my_data, all fiume DLEs use the same dumptype, although Pictures* have > an additional "compress none". > > I do not think there is even an option which rules level 1 (or any level) > behaviour, so what is wrong? Is this a tar problem? I have never had > these problems with 3.3.1 in opensuse 11.4 (my previous version). > > Any advice appreciated and of course I can provide more details/logs. > > Regards, Charles > > >
