Linux on 390 Port <[email protected]> wrote on 25.07.2006 11:23:02:

> Alan Altmark wrote:
> > But, Carsten, the application may start up just fine, however it may be
> > using old data.  I have an application running on my workstation right
now
> > that saves its configuration data only when you shut it down (working
as
> > designed according to the vendor).  Since the application is only
> > terminated when the system is shut down, a live backup of the disk
would
> > have no effect.  I mean, it would restore and run just fine, but be
> > running with old data.
> Well, backups are always about using old data in case of recovery as
> far as I can see. Using an application that saves important data only
> on shutdown in a mission critical environment is very dangerous
> regardless of the backup soloution.
>

Well, I guess the question is whether you relaunch from a deterministic
starting point, or whether your starting point is arbitrary. You are
arguing
along the line that one shouldn't be afraid about discretionary starting
points, as anecdotal knowledge suggests that it will usually work anyhow.
Alan is arguing that customers would typically not want to bet on
arbitraryness and we shouldn't paper the risks doing so but clearly
articulate
it. Either you have application support/awareness for live backups, or the
result by definition *is* arbitrary - unless you can guarantee a well
defined
transactional state (as viewed by an aplication) which we currently lack
file
system or more generally operating system support for.

> > I can jump up and down and stamp my feet, claiming that the application
is
> > broken, but that doesn't make it so.

I fully support Alan's view.

> What application (Server Application on Linux) acts like you claim?
>
> regards,
> Carsten
>
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Ingo

--
Ingo Adlung,
STSM, System z Linux and Virtualization Architecture
mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - phone: +49-7031-16-4263

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