Hi, I've updated my long time running bacula 2.0.3 to 2.2.6 two weeks ago. I've found something that makes the scratch pool nearly unusable with the changes that were done in 2.2.x regarding pruning.
Some of my config settings: Differential Pool: Volume Retention = 31 day Job: File Retention = 90 days Job Retention = 6 months I've a daily cronjob that issues the 'status dir days=4' command to trigger pruning/recycling. This was working fine for the last 8 months. After the volume retention time was over volumes were markes as pruned and recycled during the next backup. * status dir days=4 [...] You have messages. *mess 04-Okt 18:05 VU0EM005-dir: Pruned 3 Jobs on Volume "06D125L3" from catalog. 04-Okt 18:05 VU0EM005-dir: Recycled volume "06D125L3" After my update to bacula 2.2.6, the status dir command does not prune the volumes anymore. Instead a volume from the scratch pool is used. You have messages. *mess 22-Nov 13:46 VU0EM005-dir JobId 0: Using Volume "06D141L3" from 'Scratch' pool. Here's my Differential pool after that bacula message. There was at least one volume that could have been pruned (06D125L3). Pool: Differential +---------+------------+-----------+---------+----------------+----------+--------------+---------+------+-----------+-----------+---------------------+ | mediaid | volumename | volstatus | enabled | volbytes | volfiles | volretention | recycle | slot | inchanger | mediatype | lastwritten | +---------+------------+-----------+---------+----------------+----------+--------------+---------+------+-----------+-----------+---------------------+ | 6 | 06D125L3 | Used | 1 | 9,816,468,480 | 11 | 2,678,400 | 1 | 6 | 1 | LTO3 | 2007-10-14 00:25:18 | | 7 | 06D126L3 | Used | 1 | 18,565,585,920 | 20 | 2,678,400 | 1 | 7 | 1 | LTO3 | 2007-10-21 00:33:04 | | 8 | 06D127L3 | Used | 1 | 29,770,094,592 | 31 | 2,678,400 | 1 | 8 | 1 | LTO3 | 2007-10-28 00:46:41 | | 19 | 06D137L3 | Used | 1 | 74,883,142,656 | 76 | 2,678,400 | 1 | 18 | 1 | LTO3 | 2007-11-18 01:10:57 | | 37 | 06D124L3 | Used | 1 | 10,923,623,424 | 12 | 2,678,400 | 1 | 5 | 1 | LTO3 | 2007-11-11 00:31:07 | | 49 | 06D141L3 | Append | 1 | 64,512 | 0 | 2,678,400 | 1 | 22 | 1 | LTO3 | | +---------+------------+-----------+---------+----------------+----------+--------------+---------+------+-----------+-----------+---------------------+ Looking at the release notes, there has been some work to optimize pruning in 2.2.x: http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?thread_name=200708111036.55201.kern%40sibbald.com&forum_name=bacula-announce [^] - Volumes are pruned only when absolutely necessary -- this may cause your database to grow compared to prior Bacula versions. [...] - Volumes are no longer pruned during 'status dir' This changes makes the scratch pool useless, because bacula does not prune volumes during the 'status dir' command, but still decides if a volume of the scratch pool will be used. This way a volume of the scrach pool will be moved to the Differential (or Full) pool all the time the command is issued. I'm not sure what happens at backup time, if the status command was not issued before. Maybe bacula will then prune the volume and do what is expected. Downgrading to 2.0.3 restored the expected behaviour, 06D125L3 was pruned any recycled. No scratch pool volume was used. You have messages. *mess 23-Nov 08:51 VU0EM005-dir: Pruned 3 Jobs on Volume "06D126L3" from catalog. 23-Nov 08:51 VU0EM005-dir: Pruned 3 Jobs on Volume "06D125L3" from catalog. 23-Nov 08:51 VU0EM005-dir: Recycled volume "06D125L3" IMHO, the scratch pool should only be used if no other volume can be used, it's a last restort if I forgot to add the right amount of volumes to a pool, or if the retention times are set wrong. IMHO, bacula should't decide to use a scatch pool's volume at a time it doesn't prune volumes. This have to be done at the same time. I've opened a bug report (1019) which is still in state 'feedback'. Ralf ------------------------------------------------------------------------- SF.Net email is sponsored by: The Future of Linux Business White Paper from Novell. From the desktop to the data center, Linux is going mainstream. Let it simplify your IT future. http://altfarm.mediaplex.com/ad/ck/8857-50307-18918-4 _______________________________________________ Bacula-devel mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bacula-devel
