IT37662: DATABASE BACKUPS APPEARING TO HANG OR TAKING A LONG TIME BECAUSE OF LARGE DIAGNOSTIC FILES GENERATED DURING BACKUP

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• IBM Spectrum Protect Plus database backups can take a long time
  or appear to hang after the changed data is transferred while
  waiting on the upload to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus host of
  logs related to the backup job.
  There is no error or warning as seen in the following example
  of a Microsoft Exchange backup job log:
  
  SUMMARY,<timestamp>,CTGGA2398,Starting job for policy <SLAName>
                                (ID:<SLAId>). id -> <JobId>. IBM
                                Spectrum Protect Plus version
                                10.1.8-4083.
  ...
     INFO,<timestamp>,CTGGA3149,[<DBServerHost>] [<timestamp>]
                                Starting backup command.
  ...
   DETAIL,<timestamp>,CTGGA3711,[<DBServerHost>] File
                                [.\Data\<DBName>.edb] runs as
                                incremental backup. Total data to
                                be transferred [20 GB].
   DETAIL,<timestamp>,CTGGA3713,[<DBServerHost>] File
                                [.\Logs\E01*.log] runs as base
                                backup reason: User option
   DETAIL,<timestamp>,CTGGA3713,[<DBServerHost>] File
                                [.\Logs\E01.chk] runs as base
                                backup reason: User option
  ...
   DETAIL,<timestamp>,CTGGA2325,[<DBServerHost>] Waiting for
                                remote operation to complete on
                                server <DBServerHost>
   DETAIL,<timestamp>,CTGGG1012,[<DBServerHost>] <xx> file(s)
                                backed up. Total <yy> GB data
                                transferred.
     INFO,<timestamp>,CTGGA3150,[<DBServerHost>] [<timestamp>]
                                Ending backup command.
     INFO,<timestamp>,CTGGA1718,[<DBServerHost>] command.zip not
                                found  retrieving uncompressed
                                version of the output log.
  ...
  ==> Job appearing to hang or unexpected long time (more than
      1 hour) before the completion message is seen:
  SUMMARY,<timestamp>,CTGGA2340,Job policy <SLAName> completed in
                                <x> hr(s) <y> min(s) <z> sec(s)
                                and ended with status COMPLETED.
                                id <JobId>
  
  This will happens when the backup job log files to upload from
  the protected server to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus host are
  large.
  Typically it is the trace.txt file found in the job log bundle
  that can be several hundreds of MB or more in size.
  
  IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Versions Affected:
  IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 10.1.x
  
  Additional Keywords: SPP, SPPLUS, TS005373167, stall, stalled
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
  * IBM Spectrum Protect Plus level 10.1.*                       *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
  * see ERROR Description                                        *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  * Apply the fixing level when available. This problem is       *
  * currently projected to be fixed in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus *
  * level 10.1.8 ifix2 and 10.1.9. Note that this is subject to  *
  * change at the discretion of IBM.                             *
  ****************************************************************
  

Problem conclusion

• The problem was caused by attempt to download very large
  diagnostic logs created by the agent. Provided a new global
  preference option for skipping the download of diagnostic logs
  as part of the backup job.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Modules/Macros

• Apps     Exchange
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  SP PLUS

• Fixed component ID

  5737SPLUS

Applicable component levels