Using indirect files to run database maintenance tasks

You can use indirect files to run the same maintenance task multiple times, resulting in significant time savings. The fixup, compact, updall, design and convert maintenance tasks support using indirect files. You can also create batch files or scripts that run several maintenance tasks serially against different indirect files to help complete them quickly. If you have multiple CPUs, you can run the same maintenance tasks against multiple indirect files so they run concurrently. It is recommended you only run as many concurrent maintenance tasks as you have CPUs, otherwise they will start competing for CPU resources and can take longer to complete.

About this task

This procedure includes steps for running indirect files with or without multiple CPUs. Steps that involve multiple CPUs are identified as such in the instructions.

Procedure

  1. Create a text file with the .ind file name extension. For example, mailfiles1.ind.
  2. Add the list of databases and or directories to the text file. For example, in the mailfiles1.ind file, you would add these files:
    • mail\mail1.nsf
    • mail\mail2.nsf, and so forth through
    • mail\mail25.nsf
  3. Run the maintenance task against the indirect file according to one of these steps:
    1. With the Domino server running, from the Domino console or using the Domino remote console if you have proper administrator rights, enter these commands to run the load task:

      load fixup -j mailfiles.ind

      load compact -c mailfiles.ind

      load updall mailfiles.ind

      load design -i mailfiles.ind

      load convert -u -f mailfiles.ind * mail85.ntf

    2. Whether the server is running or not, from the Microsoft Windows command prompt at the Domino Data directory, specify the full path to the .exe file in the Domino program directory. This works for both partitioned and nonpartitioned servers.
      Note: In this example, the Domino program directory is d:\notefile and the Domino data directory is c:\notes.

      d:\notefile> c:\notes\nfixup.exe -j mailfiles1.ind

      d:\notefile> c:\notes\ncompact.exe -c mailfiles1.ind

      d:\notefile> c:\notes\nupdall.exe mailfiles1.ind

      d:\notefile> c:\notes\ndesign.exe -i mailfiles1.ind

      d:\notefile> c:\notes\nconvert.exe -u -f mailfiles1.ind * mail85.ntf

      Note: The design task requires the -i parameter prior to the indirect file name, and the convert task requires the -f parameter prior to the indirect file.
  4. If you have multiple CPUs, with the Domino server running, from the Domino console enter commands for multiple indirect files. For example, enter commands similar to these:

    load updall mailfiles1.ind

    load updall mailfiles2.ind

    load updall mailfiles3.ind

  5. If you have multiple CPUs, whether the Domino server running or not, from separate Microsoft Windows command prompts, enter:

    d:\notefile> c:\notes\nupdall.exe mailfiles1.ind

    d:\notefile> c:\notes\nupdall.exe mailfiles2.ind

    d:\notefile> c:\notes\nupdall.exe mailfiles3.ind

    For example, if you have 100 mailfiles that you want to run updall against and the computer has four CPUs, create four indirect files:
    • mailfiles1.ind contains mail\mail1.nsf through mail\mail25.nsf
    • mailfiles2.ind contains mail\mail26.nsf through mail\mail50.nsf
    • mailfiles3.ind contains mail\mail51.nsf through mail\mail75.nsf
    • mailfiles4.ind contains mail\mail76.nsf through mail\mail100.nsf