When the logical-log files fill during a backup

When the logical log fills during a backup, the console displays a message and the backup suspends normal processing. How you handle the logical-log filling depends on whether you can use one or two tape devices.

When you can use two tape devices

When you can use two tape devices with the database server, log in as the owner of the database server: user informix or root for a standard installation, or the owner of the non-root installation.

Verify that LTAPEDEV and TAPEDEV specify different path names that correspond to separate tape devices. When they do, back up the logical-log files. See Create a backup.

When LTAPEDEV and TAPEDEV are identical, assign a different value to the logical-log tape device (LTAPEDEV) and initiate a logical-log-file backup. Otherwise, your options are to either leave normal database server processing suspended until the backup completes or cancel the backup.

When only one tape device is available

When you create a backup with the only available tape device, you cannot back up any logical-log files until you complete the backup. When the logical-log files fill during the backup, normal database server processing halts. You can either stop the backup (by using Ctrl-C only) to free the tape device and back up the logical logs to continue processing, or leave normal processing suspended until the backup completes.

You can take steps to prevent this situation. The section Start an automatic logical-log backup describes these steps.