Appendix F Error Reference
This section describes the error messages that may be found within a backup summary. Since a backup proceeds through many channels before completion, you will have to account for all the messages in a summary before you can determine the reason for the failure. The error strings displayed below are separated by possible points of failure.
General Errors
Archive request FAILED
Generally speaking, the server could not complete the request to the client. Preceding messages will elaborate.
Cannot write new fileset record
Could not write to the fileset database. Detail would follow.
Device {device} is busy or empty
This message is displayed on the status line in the BP Administration utility. The device is currently being used by another BP process in which case you will see the task that is using the device in the task queue list. If you do not see any tasks using the device, this is a bogus message left from a BP process that terminated early. You can clear the status on the device by the BP Administration menu [Misc->Database Utilities->Reset Device]. However, without going through the menu, the device will eventually be reset without any intervention.
Did not Receive any Data
No data was received from the client due to some error. Preceding messages will elaborate.
Failed updating final fileset information
Was not able to completely update the ULF because an update to the FILESETS record failed. This means that the database does not know all of the files associated with the archive request.
GetLabel: - cannot open {device}
The server could not open the device to read the tape label. Other errors follow such as device busy, etc.
Process has Died: Job Cancelled
The server process, bpserverd died unexpectedly. The task was automatically cancelled.
Process Interrupted
The task was cancelled by the user.
SERIOUS LICENSE ERROR
This is preceded by other license errors that will give the exact reason for the license failure.
This label is invalid
The tape label that was read is not a Backup Professional tape label.
Unable to init db
Cannot initialize the database system. Detailed errors will follow.
Unable to init indexed
Cannot initialize the database indexes. Detailed information will follow.
WARNING Tape_no (6) was not Reusable
This begins messages warning that a server master backup should be the first archive on the tape. This means it may take a bit longer to restore your machine from a fatal crash using the disaster recovery Airbag.
Fatal Server Errors
The following list of errors are fatal errors due to problems on the server. These can either involve database, networking or the media itself. For each item a description of the problem and some possible solutions will be discussed. When you see terms bracketed by {}, this is an item that is variable. Variables that we outline are Device_nick_name, Error # and Reason.
FATAL: HARDWARE TAPE WRITE ERROR 5 - Offset was xxx Megabytes
This means Backup Professional encountered a media error when writing a tape. This means the tape needs to be cleaned or discarded. You can try different tapes. We have found in practice that sometimes it is necessary to clean a tape drive several times, even up to 3 times in a row to fully clean the heads. Sometimes in dirty or dusty environments the tape heads get dirty at a faster rate than suggested by the manufacturer. Most tape drive heads should be cleaned after 8 hours of usage.
Also, keep in mind tapes will wear thin over time. For DDS3 or 4 tapes it is suggested that they no longer be used after 99 usages. This usage statistic is available on a tape detail report.
FATAL: NO MORE SPACE ON DEVICE (22) Offset was xxx Megabytes
This means that the tape or disk-to-disk device ran out of space. The number in parenthesis is the actual system error number which could be 6, 12 or 28. The backup in this case is incomplete and the system will update the database to reflect the files that were actually put on to the tape. You will need to check the tape detail report to get an accurate view of the amount of space on any tape. Keep in mind that the capacity of the device is used as the denominator in determining the amount of free space on the tape.
Also be sure that hardware compression is turned on. We have found typically after spontaneous reboot or power-down and power-up some tape drives do not default to having hardware compression turned on. On most computers you can use the character interface and go in to the tape utilities, SCSI tape commander, and set the hardware compression from this menu.
FATAL: Could not acknowledge the client properly (Incremental backup)
This usually involves a network error or premature termination of the client side. In this case the server is trying to acknowledge the clients request to accept data for an incremental backup. The server has prepared the media and is ready to accept data. In this case it sends an acknowledgement to the client and the client has developed some problem and is not able to accept the acknowledgement. It is suggested in these cases that you reboot the client and check the network connectivity using the standard procedures described in the troubleshooting guide.
FATAL: Could not acknowledge the client properly
This is similar to the above problem. The client computer's request is not properly acknowledged because something has happened to the network connection or to the client itself. Once again, please reboot the client and check the network connectivity using the standard procedures described in the troubleshooting guide
FATAL: Unable to open device {nick_name} because (xx) {reason}
This means that the actual device cannot be opened. The most common cause is that there is no tape in the drive. It is also possible that the user does not have permission to access this device. Please check the permissions of the no rewind name for the device and consider testing the device. Once the device tests pass, then repeat the backup and it should proceed to completion.
FATAL: Device open failed. (Error code {xx} - {reason})
This is similar above Device open failure except it occurs on a restore rather than a backup. The same procedures for correcting it apply.
FATAL: Failed to position tape to dataset {xx}
In this case xx is a number representing the dataset to which Backup Professional was trying to position. This is a rare situation, especially if the tape device has in fact passed the tape test. Occasionally this can occur if a prior backup is interrupted due to a power failure or the system runs out of memory during a backup. It is suggested that you put in a fresh tape and perform the tape test. If the test passes then repeat the procedure. If this fails then go up to the settings menu for this particular device and set the advanced tape positioning from 1 to 0. This will use a more simplistic form of positioning which is slower but more reliable. Also, if the reliable exit codes is set to 1 it is possible that the system is performing the requested tasks but not given Backup Professional the proper exit codes and it is being interpreted as a failure when in fact it is succeeding. You might consider changing this number to a 0.
FATAL: Device open failed on second attempt. (Error code %d - %s)
This means that several attempts were performed to open the actual tape device and all of these failed. Please consider remedies as described above for open tape failures. The most common cause is not having a tape in the drive.
FATAL: HARDWARE READ ERROR %{xx} - {reason}Offset was xx Megabytes [Request size was {xx} bytes]
This is usually due to a dirty tape or the tape was never verified and the data was perhaps recorded incorrectly or scrambled when it was recorded. You can clean the tape heads several times and repeat this procedure again. Most of time the error number will be 5 and the reason will be IO error. If you see other messages, please pay particular attention to them as they can give a hint as to the corrective procedure.
FATAL: Tape not labeled and your settings says not to label blank tapes
In this case a blank tape was placed in the drive and you have configured the product so that it is not supposed to label blank tapes. If you desire for it to label blank tapes, please go to the settings section for this device and set LabelBlankTapes = yes.
FATAL: Could not label tape in device {nick_name}
In this case there was no valid label or the label had been expired and the product attempted to re-label the tape. After rewinding the tape it attempted to put a label on the tape and this failed. Sometimes this can happen during evaluation periods when some timing settings are not exactly correct. it is suggested that you test the tape if you have not done so and work with technical support to get the timing correct. Also, be sure that you do not have the write protect tab set on the tape cartridge.
FATAL: Tape #{xx} {tape_label} is not present in the database
Import or re-label the tape
this means that the product has encountered a foreign tape or one which it does not know about. You can import the tape so that it will know about this tape. This can also happen if you have a system crash and restore the product to a point in time before which the actual tape in the tape drive was created. Again, the import will solve this problem. You can import the tape with or without headers. Without headers will be quicker, but you will lose the ability to view the actual files on the tape in the graphical user interface.
FATAL: Tape #{xx} ({Tape_label}) has been retired.
Label tape or use a different one
This means that the actual tape in the drive was previously selected and forced to be retired. This means that the tape is assumed by the product to not be used for backup purposes. In this case a backup attempt was performed on the tape.
FATAL: Tape #{xx} is not on file
This means that while performing a restore or verify the tape that was in the drive is not known by the product. You must import the tape so that it will know about the contents and be able to perform a restore or verify.
FATAL: Cannot create database record
This occurs on a verify or restore and the product cannot create a backup record. This is a problem with the database and usually is due to a corrupt index. It is suggested that you stop and re-start tasker which will proceed to cleanup and repair anything which is fixable. If the problem still occurs it is suggested that you do a consistency check and rebuild the backup tables from the database utilities menu.
FATAL: Cannot get task record #{xx} because {reason}
This is a problem with the database and for some reason there is difficulty reading the jobs database. This can happen sometimes if the Backup Professional database is placed on an NFS mount which is not recommended. It is suggested that you hand clean the jobs table and rebuild it from the database utilities if stopping and starting tasker does not cure this problem.
FATAL: Backup #{xx} was not found on server
This means that a request was made to restore files from a specific backup number and this backup number does not exist on the server. Sometimes this can be because it was purged by the user or the tape could have been recycled. You can re-import the tape if you are confident the tape contains that backup number. please also refer to the tape contents history to validate that the backup in fact is on the tape.
FATAL: Backup #{xx} is not owned by client {client_name}
This means an attempt was to restore data from a backup which was not owned by the client. You need supervisor override privileges in order to restore data from one computer to the next. You will need to login as supervisor and input the supervisor override password and repeat the procedure.
FATAL: The fileset record for backup #{xx} was not found. Consider importing tape
This could possibly represent a problem with the database and/or perhaps a system crash during the backup. Additionally, it could mean that the system was restored to a point in time which is before that of which the tape you are restoring from exists. Most of these issues are solved by importing a tape which will create a new fileset record if needed. Also, consider doing a database consistency check on the backups and filesets and rebuilding if indicated.
FATAL: We need to have a backup # for juke devices
This represents a database inconsistency. It is suggested that you import the tape and repeat the procedure.
FATAL: JukeBox: Unable to load tape #{xx} into device {nick_name}
This means that there was difficulty with the jukebox and loading the tape into the drive. Consider resetting the jukebox and repeating the procedure.
FATAL: No tape label is present on device {nick_name}
This means verify restore was attempted from drive whose tape had no label recognized by Backup Professional. You can try cleaning the heads and also verify that the low-level SCSI block size of the drive is the same as it was when data was recorded. Also, carefully check the tape and either perform a tape contents report or import the tape to validate that in fact there is no tape label present on the device. Most commonly the wrong tape or a blank tape was inserted to generate this error.
FATAL: Not enough memory for xx bytes
This message means that the product could not obtain a small amount of memory from the system. This should not happen in the normal course of events and if it does it usually means that the system itself is very low on memory. This could be to factors beyond the control of the product such as runaway processes or processes with memory leaks consuming large amounts of memory. It is suggested that you reboot the system and try again.
FATAL: Wrong tape #{xx}. Need #{xx} ({tape_label}).
This means while doing a verify or restore the product expected one tape number yet encountered another. The message informs you of the tape for which it was looking. Please find this tape and insert it into the drive. If using a jukebox, the tape in the expected slot had been changed unexpectedly. In this case insert the correct tape into the previous slot manually or with the menu system.
FATAL: Client {client_name} does not have a backup on tape #{xx} ({tape_label})
This means that a restore was performed for a given client and yet this client in fact does not have a backup at all present on the tape. Consider a database check and importing the tape. Also, consider security and try again using supervisor override privileges.
FATAL: Backup #{xx} is no longer available. Try cleaning database.
This means the product had accessed a database record and then returned to access it again and it was no longer available. This can happen if there was a purge process going on at the time of the restore and for whatever reason this backup was purged. This could happen for example if the administrator decided to purge all backups for given device or all backups for given client. Additionally, if there is database corruption this message could arise. It is suggested that you check the consistency of the backups database tables and if necessary rebuild.
FATAL: Client #{xx} is no longer available. Try cleaning database.
This message is similar to the above, but results from the clients table rather than the backup table. The same procedure should be involved for cleaning and perhaps rebuilding the database. You can also manually validate that the client is present and by pressing the save button in the client menu you can validate that the connections are intact.
FATAL: Client {client_name} is NOT enabled!!
Enable the client and try again.
This means that the client mentioned has been disabled. Most of the time this results from a computer being removed from the backup system either because it is being repaired or for other reasons. You must enable the client in the database and repeat the procedure.
FATAL: Client {client_name} is not in database.
This means that a request to restore was performed from a client that was not found in the Backup Professional database. It is possible that the name of the client was changed since it was added into the database and/or something was changed in the host table or DNS table so that the normal method of considering aliases to find a name matching the client name no longer worked. It is suggested that you review the name very carefully that is mentioned and make sure that it is in the database or an alias is in your host table for this name.
FATAL: Backup #{xx} does not belong to client {client_name} ({wrong_client_name})
This means that the backup was performed on one client and a attempt was made to verify or restore the backup from another client. In this case the client attempting this procedure did not have supervisor override privilege enabled and thus the request was denied. The client needs to enable supervisor override and repeat the procedure to solve this problem.
FATAL: Cannot read backup-label from tape #{xx} ({tape_label})
This means that after positioning to the correct spot on the tape the actual backup label could not be read. This can be due to various problems including timing issues positioning the tape and/or media errors on the tape or perhaps the wrong media for the drive or other factors. it is suggested that you repeat the procedure. if you receive the same error consider importing the tape to see if the import facility can read the tape. Also, consider setting the tape open error delay to a higher number. Also, consider changing advanced positioning from 1 to 0. If you have not performed a device test it is suggested that you do so with another tape to validate that all the device read and write functions are working properly.
FATAL: task was canceled during positioning
This means that while the tape was advancing to the proper dataset, somebody manually canceled the task. this cancellation could have either been from the client that initiated the task or from the server by the administrator. After the tape was finally positioned, the product discovered that the task in fact was cancelled and cleanly aborts with this message.
FATAL: Backup label "{file_name}" is invalid
This means that the data for the backup label which was placed into the file name shown is corrupted and cannot be interpreted. The file name will be left on the system and you can examine it yourself to perhaps get an idea of the type or degree of corruption. This is a very rare error and can happen if a tape drive has not been tested or possibly if there are problems with low-level SCSI block sizes being different than when the data was recorded. Also, it could represent a failure of the write head in that the data was never recorded properly on the tape and when an attempt was made to read it, it was corrupted.
FATAL: Network error - client did not accept acknowledgement
This occurs after the tape drive is opened and positioned to the proper spot and the server send an acknowledgement to the client. Most commonly there has been an interval problem with the client computer and it is not up on the network to answer the acknowledgement. It is possible that the tape drive mechanism had some problems and took too long to position and the client timed out. It is suggested that you repeat the procedure with a fresh tape to eliminate the last possibility.
Fatal Server Error Messages While Backing Up
FATAL: Device {nick_name} is busy or not ready
This means that the status for the device does not indicate that there is tape in the drive. This means that the backup cannot proceed. You can reset the device status and insert the tape and repeat the procedure.
FATAL: Cannot get lock on task record #{xx} because {reason}
An attempt was mad to lock the task record and open it and this failed because of the reason indicated. Most commonly this is a problem with database corruption because the locks are tempted several times before this message is produced. You should check the consistency of the tasks table and rebuild it if necessary. If this fails to correct the problem, change directory to /usr/bp/db and remove jobs.idx and jobs.xt. Make sure not to remove jobs.fa as this is needed to rebuild the template for the task table. Prior to this you should stop tasker. Following this you should start tasker. Tasker will then recreate a new task table fresh and this problem should resolve itself.
FATAL: Cannot create fileset record
FATAL: Cannot create backup record
These messages occur due to general database problems. You should clean the database and check it's consistency and repeat the procedure. If this occurs turn the turn the d-bug level for bpserverd to 3 and repeat the procedure and evaluate the log file bpserver_xx.log. The reason should be apparent in this log.
FATAL: Cannot get task record #{xx} because {reason}
This generally means there is some corruption which has recently occurred in the database and/or a task record was deleted by another program or user. Sometimes this can occur if the database is mounted on an NFS partition. Please review the procedures for the task locking problem discussed above.
FATAL: Not enough disk space in {database_directory}
The product usually requires 50 megabytes of free space in the database to handle temporary space requirements for updates. You should free up more space on a system and/or consider moving the database to different location. There is a script in usr/bp/util called move_db that will move the database from one location to the next. Tasker most be stopped when this procedure occurs. Alternatively, you can change the threshold requirements for disk space in the setting for the product. Disk space requirements can be specified either in terms of megabytes or percentage.
FATAL: Could not label tape in device {nick_name}
An attempt was made to put a label on the tape and this failed. Many times this is due to the fact that the tape is write protected. Also, check the function of the tape drive, make sure the tape drive has been cleaned recently. Also, consider the device test to be sure everything is in order.
FATAL: Tape #{xx} ({tape_label}) is full
This means that a prior procedure encountered a problem and marked a tape as full. A tape is marked full when it either runs out space or encounters a hardware error on the tape. The tape is not considered to be dependable at this point and is marked as full. Another backup was attempted on the full tape and another tape will have to be used. Refer to the tape knowledge base, tape detail report for further details on the tape, the number of usages and the number of errors in it's history.
FATAL: Serious internal error getting client #{xx} because {reason}
This is an extremely rare error and should not happen in normal use. It means that the administrator deleted the client while the backup was in progress and information about the client could not be obtained any longer. Please check the database, validate the client and connectivity. if the client is missing, re-add the client and repeat the procedure.
FATAL: Could not allocate tape block size of {xx}
This means there is a shortage of memory on the system and it cannot allocate enough space for the given block size. You see this block size number is between 120 and 240 and if it is an exceptionally large number you should check the device table to be sure the number is within a reasonable range. When this error occurs, you should reboot the server if at all possible, check the device block size and lower it, and use another a tape as the previous tape will not be usable.
FATAL: Writing backup-label failed due to:
{reason}
In this case, the product was unable to write a backup label due to the reasons given. Please check the write protect tab and make sure this is not set. Also, consider re-testing the device to be sure all functions are in order. Consider cleaning the heads.
FATAL: Could not create ULF. Check server log
This means there is difficulty creating a temporary file to hold the file information before importing into the database. Most often this would occur if one of the temporary file systems such as /tmp, /usr/tmp or /var/tmp has completely run out of space and creation of a new file is impossible. You should set the debug level to 3 for the product called bpserver and repeat the procedure. If you see this message take a look at the server log bpserver.log and the log.dir directory for details. Also, prior to this it is suggested that you reboot the server so that all temporary file systems are cleaned and fresh.
FATAL: Bad license
This occurs if the license is bad and is produced by the tasker utility. Tasker will continue to run and schedules will run, however each scheduled task will generate this message. The message will be emailed to the user so that they will know there is a problem with the licensing.
Interpreting Difficult Problems By Viewing The Client Log Files
Most issues are readily apparent by viewing the backup history and clicking on either F2 zoom or the diagnostic error messages. The messages shown are extracted from the client logs and condensed and put in a summary form. This usually will indicate the exact problem.
There are times however, where a sharp administrator has a difficult problem and may want to view the actual logs themselves. These logs exist in /usr/bp/catalog.dir on the client machine. On Windows machines this would be in the BP installation directory under the directory called catalog.dir. There is a file which represents the last master, last incremental, last backup and last restore. this file contains a file-by-file list of each and every file and any error warnings or problems encountered while backing up or restoring the system. it is most instructive to do a grep for the word BKUP: to extract all the errors. Also, running the Unix tail command if it is a Unix system will show the summary. In almost all cases, a careful review of this file will show any difficulties encountered.
If for some reason a client is hanging it is usually due to a locked file and due to the fact the backup was scheduled with a level 2 locking which is enforced. The product encountered a lock which was never released by the system and it is waiting for it to be released. You can get an idea of where the lock is or a hang situation is by reviewing the catalog file and seeing the last file mentioned. Keep in mind that the file names are approximate as the data is flushed out to disk in a log file only at intervals of a 1024 bytes.
Network Errors
Cannot get local node name
The hostname of the local machine could not be found when attempting to label a tape.
Network Failed: -255
Network timeout.
Network Failed: -256
Network disconnect.
S=-255 ->DISCONNECT
The client process became disconnected from the Server. This can happen if the client program stops or the network is broken.
Unexpected Disconnect
The client process became disconnected from the server. This can happen if the client program stops or the network is broken.
Backup Messages
Cmd: {before/after_command}
The before/after command that was specified exited with a non zero value. This will not affect the backup or restore operation. Output from the failed command will follow.
Will not do FastSeek because {policy}
When attempting to restore specific files, the system found that the policies in effect would prevent an accurate calculation to perform a fast seek on the tape.
Fatal Errors While Backing Up
bkup: Tape Write ERROR 5 occurred because I/O error
This is probably the most common fatal error that causes bkup to stop. This means the backup device (tape or floppy) has developed a bad sector or section of tape. This is a hardware media error and means it is time to get new floppy disks or tape cassettes. If this does not resolve the problem, try cleaning the unit or having the hardware sent for maintenance or repair.
bkup: Tape Write ERROR %d occurred because {reason}
This means a fatal hardware error occurred on the device in question. bkup could not write all the data to the backup device. When using a floppy, this is usually because of a bad sector on the floppy disk. When using a tape, it means a bad section of tape.
If the number of bytes is displayed, only part of the data was successfully written to the backup device. It is possible that the backup device ran out of room before all the data could be written. This could be because the blocking factor is not an even divisor of the tape size. Simply specify a smaller k factor (tape length) next time and you will have no further problems.
The offset specifies how many kilobytes into the backup this error occurred. If this number is the same no matter what list of files you back up, you have found a bad spot on the backup device at this offset.
The room left signifies the amount of room left on the backup device. If greater than zero, there is still plenty of room to write the data. The default value for room left is a very large number.
bkup: Hard Read Error %d in file {filename} because {reason}
While backing up the specified file, a HARDWARE error occurred. This usually means there is a bad block on the hard disk involving this particular file. The reason is given. Usually this is a serious error and could be a sign of a failing hard disk. If you continue the backup, the following messages appears:
WARNING==>File: {filename} incomplete!!
BAD section filled with 'xxxxx...'
Mark as corrupt!!
The bad sector of data is replaced with lowercase x's. If this file is later restored, a section of it will contain lowercase x's.
If the backup is being done in the background, a yes answer is automatically supplied. The fact that a file was incompletely backed up is reflected in the backup summary.
{filename}, %d blocks...compressing====>..failed
ERROR==>File is incomplete!!
This message is produced if an unreadable block is encountered while compressing a file. The compressed file is truncated at the point where the hard disk read error occurred. When the file is restored it is shorter than the original version. The fact that the file is incompletely backed up is reflected in the backup summary.
bkup: PIPE QUE ERROR - FATAL
Set the Backup Professional variable TMPDIR to your largest filesystem. This can be set in the file $BPDIR/bpinit/master.ini on the machine that is being backed up.
This message is only produced if the P option is used on the bpr command-line. This option is not used if you initiate the backup from a GUI interface. This message means that the Virtual Pipe ran out of space. It usually occurs when compressing a very large file, or just after compressing a large file.
The Virtual Pipe is a pipe that consists of machine memory (the amount depends on your binary) and free space on one of the filesystems. The default filesystem used is the filesystem that contains the directory /usr/tmp. Sometimes, this is a small root filesystem that has limited free space. The limited amount of free space was used up by the virtual pipe and it simply ran out of room. bkup requires that there be at least as much free space in the filesystem used as the size of the compressed version of any given file.
The solution to the problem is to instruct bkup to use another filesystem for it's Virtual Pipe. The way of doing this is to set the variable TMPDIR to a directory that exists on a larger filesystem. For example, if /dev/u is a large filesystem with 100 MB of free space and is mounted on the directory /u, to get bpr to recognize this you must edit the following entry in the file $BPDIR/bpinit/master.ini:
TMPDIR=/u/tmp
In this example, it is assumed that the directory tmp resides on the filesystem /dev/u mounted on /u. If it does not exist, then make it first by typing:
mkdir /u/tmp
traverse: no memory because {reason}
No more memory is available. This occurred while bkup was traversing the filesystem. Usually, this occurs when the memory to hold the ever increasing linked file map exceeds the system memory available. The linked file map holds all the files that are linked on the system. The more links that exist, the more memory this requires. To remedy this problem, you can either use a smaller block factor (b option) or turn compression off with the C option. If neither of these work you may have to increase the maximum memory per process (see UNIX manual) or add more memory to the hardware.
Fatal Errors While Restoring or Verifying
bkup: NO DATA can be found on this volume!!
Rewind the tape, skip to the next filemark, or try another tape
You attempted to restore or list files from a tape, but there is no data on the tape. This means there is no data of any kind on the tape. Make sure the tape is rewound. This can happen if there are two filemarks back-to-back on the start of the tape. If you are convinced the tape has data on it, try the procedure again using the no-rewind tape device.
bkup: {filename}: Serious ERROR restoring data because {reason}
This occurs when restoring data to the hard disk from a floppy or tape. bkup has encountered a hardware problem on this hard disk device. This also occurs if the hard disk is out of space. Check the space on the hard disk by using the df command. If you have plenty of space, your hard disk is having problems and you need to map out the bad block in question.
Cannot get to nextfile...because {reason}
This message appears when bkup is trying to skip over a file while listing the directory on the archive or while extracting. Something happened to prevent bkup from getting to the next file. The reason is given.
bkup: Hard Error Reading {device-name} at offset %ld
Error %d occurred because {reason}
This is displayed when bkup has difficulty reading the archive while listing files on the archive or while restoring files. This means a serious hardware error exists with the device or with the archive volume.
bkup: directory not in proper format
Do you wish to attempt ERROR RECOVERY? (y,n)
This message is displayed when trying to restore from a tape. To fix this, check your SCSI Subsystem and check all SCSI termination. Then be sure that the tape is being read with the same block size as it was written with. Also, you should try to read the tape with the same block size you wrote the tape in. (i.e. read the tape in fixed mode if it wouldn't read in variable mode, or vice versa).
Warnings While Backing Up
bkup: can't find {filename} because {reason}
You have given bkup a list of files to back up but this one specified cannot be found on the hard disk. Usually this is because it is misspelled or it has been removed by another user.
Can't open directory {dirname} because {reason}
While traversing the filesystem, bkup has come upon a directory that cannot be accessed. Either the directory was removed or the permissions of the directory do not allow the user of bkup to search it.
{filename}: bkup: WARNING: Maximum path length exceeded!!
A pathname/filename combination exceeds the maximum number of characters allowed. The maximum number is 170. This may occur on networked systems with long pathnames. It also may occur in a very deeply nested subdirectory. The remedy is to shorten some of the subdirectory names or eliminate the deep nesting. This file is skipped and the backup is continued.
Cannot open file ./etc/Master_backup because {reason}
While doing a Master backup, the above file could not be created because of the reason given. Check permissions.
Cannot get ./etc/Master_backup because {reason}
While attempting to do Incremental backup, the date of the last Master Backup is obtained from the file ./etc/Master_backup or ./Master_backup. Neither of these files exists, which means a Master Backup has never been done, the files were removed, or bkup was invoked from a directory other than that from which the Master Backup was invoked. Check the directory you are in when bkup was invoked. Generally, Master and Incremental Backups should be done from the root directory.
^^^^^--> LOCKED by another program!! Waiting...
This means bkup attempted to put an enforced lock on a file that was locked by another program. bkup is waiting for the lock on this file to be released. This message is displayed for either UNIX V or XENIX style locking.
Resuming backup...
This is printed when the lock above has been released and the backup is resuming. It is helpful to know if and when the lock on a large file has been released.
^^^^^--> LOCKED by another program!! Will retry later...
This means bkup attempted to place an unenforced lock on a file and couldn't because it was already locked by another program. bkup tries again when finished with the rest of the backup, and if it cannot obtain the lock, it backs up the file anyway.
WARNING: File was in use during backup
UNIX versions of bkup print this message when an unenforced lock cannot be placed on a file because it is already locked by another program. It is possible that another program or user could change this file while it is being backed up. Thus, a warning message is printed.
WARNING: File was locked (System ENFORCED) will retry later...
UNIX versions print this message when an unenforced lock cannot be placed on a file because it was already locked by another program or user. However, because the type of lock placed on the file by the other program or user is a System ENFORCED write lock, bkup would hang indefinitely (or until the lock was released) if it tried to back up the file. Rather than do this, a decision was made to try again when all other files have been backed up. Hopefully, at this later time, the System ENFORCED write lock will have been released.
UNIX V Locking/Unlocking failed because {reason}
bkup tries to lock files before backing them up so they won't change. If this fails you receive one of the two messages depending on the type of locking available on the system. This is not a critical error, but it does mean that no file locking was done on that particular file while being backed up. If you get many of these messages it would be better to back up in single-user mode.
Retrying previous locked files...
This appears near the end of a backup. The backup is complete except for those files that could not be backed up because there was a lock placed on them. This message means that another attempt will be made to back them up.
bkup: (2nd lock attempt failed)
File was NOT backed up because lock was ENFORCED!
This type of message occurs at the end of a backup when previously locked files are attempted to be backed up. A very special type of lock has been placed on the file by another program or user. This type of lock is an ENFORCED write lock. This means that no program can read the file at all. If any program tries to read the file, it will hang indefinitely (or until the lock is released). bkup detects this situation and avoids it and informs you of why it did not try to back up the file.
bkup: (2nd lock attempt failed)
File was backed up WITHOUT a lock!
This type of message occurs at the end of a backup when previously locked files are attempted to be backed up. An attempt was made again to obtain a lock on the file, but another program or user already had a lock on the file. Because Level 1 locking was specified, the file was backed up anyway and this warning message lets you know that no lock had been obtained when the file was backed up.
bkup: Error opening temporary save-work-file
A file was locked and could not be accessed. It was determined that this file would be accessed again at the end of the backup. However, when trying to open temporary save-work-file to put the filename into, the open failed. The temporary save-work-file to be opened would reside in the /usr/tmp directory. Make sure that the /usr/tmp directory exists and that you have access permissions for it. On some systems, this directory may not be /usr/tmp depending on the default location for temporary files in the C library routines
This message means that the locked file was not backed up and furthermore, was not backed up at the end of the backup.
{filename} is not a regular file or directory...
bkup cannot figure out what kind of file this is. This means the file is not a regular file, directory, block device file, character device file, or named pipe. Several possibilities exist. The file could be a shared memory file, a semaphore file, a named space entry, or a symbolically linked file. If the version of bkup you have was not compiled to handle symbolically linked files, this message appears when a symbolically linked file is encountered. As UNIX develops, new types of files may also develop. It is possible that special network implementations in the future will use special files. If your version of bkup is significantly out of date with the version of UNIX, it is possible that a new file type was added to the version of UNIX. This message may occur with an upgrade to a new operating system release because of the above reasoning. Also to be considered is the possibility of having a corrupt inode entry on the hard disk. This could make the type of the file unrecognizable.
a {filename} (Special -zDEV), Not backed up!!
bkup: {filename} must be a character device
This is generated when the -zDEV option is used to back up special raw device files. One of the devices specified in fact is not a character device. The raw device backup feature must use a character device. Keep in mind that the -zDEV option is available only with special versions of bkup.
Will not compress...(already ends in "%s")
If the filename already ends in a '.Z', 'z', '.zoo', '.zip' or '.arc', bkup assumes the file is in compressed format. Also any other suffixes that were specifically excluded using the COMP_EXCL environment variable are listed. If bkup tried to compress a previously compressed file the result would most probably be negative compression and a larger file. This feature can be used to advantage when one wants to make sure a certain file is not compressed.
bkup: file {filename} has been shortened by %ld bytes!!
Appropriate adjustments made!!
While bkup was backing up the file, someone shortened it. bkup adjusts for this automatically. If the device is seeking, the shorter length is used. If the device is non-seeking, bkup fills in the dead space with nulls (zeros).
Cannot open file {filename}
This file cannot be opened. The most common cause is the file does not have read permissions. This happens when bkup is used by a non-super-user. More rarely, a file has been removed by another user between the time bkup saw the file and started to open it for reading.
bkup: cannot open virtual file for backup because {reason}
One of the virtual files specified in the list of virtual files could not be opened. Most commonly a space character was left on the trailing end of the filename in the list. Check the list, delete the name and then retype the name, being careful not to include any spaces. The list of virtual files is specified using the VIRTUAL_LIST environment variable.
{filename}, %d blocks, failed in scan phase
There are two phases to a virtual file backup, scan phase and backup phase. The accessory program that is used to prepare the virtual file failed to scan the virtual file and produce a valid header. This may be due to corruption or it terminated prematurely. Try reinstalling the package.
failed!!
bkup: Virtual file backup INCOMPLETE!! because {reason}
This informs you the virtual file was incompletely backed up. This usually results from the failure of the accessory program that removes the null data from the virtual file. This program is called /usr/lib/bkup/vback. It failed. Most often this is because the accessory program terminated prematurely or was killed by the super-user.
bkup: Did not receive full amount of data!!
This is a serious error while backing up a virtual file. This represents a system error or error in communication between vback and bkup. The amount of data predicted in the scan phase does not match that actually received. Call for technical support.
Virtual file list contains misspelled name: {filename}
The file specified by the VIRTUAL_LIST environment variable contains a filename that is misspelled. This file does not exist on the system or cannot be accessed due to permissions. Make sure the list does not contain trailing spaces or tabs after any of the names.
bkup: stream from 'vback' failed to open because {reason}
This can occur if there are not enough processes in the process table. Look at the reason given and make appropriate adjustments. Check to be sure /usr/lib/bkup/vback is executable.
/usr/lib/bkup/vback does not exist!
This file is needed for virtual file backup and is not present. Reinstall bkup and try again.
Virtual file support initialization failed!!
This occurs when the file specified by the VIRTUAL_LIST environment variable does not exist or cannot be opened for reading. Check the permissions on this file and reset the VIRTUAL_LIST environment variable and try again. Alternatively, allocating memory for the internal virtual list structures can cause this problem.
bkup: UNEXPECTED... NO MORE SPACE on %s
Expected %ld Kilobytes, but ran out of room unexpectedly.
Please change 'K' option to %ld next time!!
Recoverable...
This happens when the wrong k factor size is given in the command-line. For example, if you thought your tape took 40MB you might use a k factor of 40960. However, if your tape happened to be the one out of the group of tapes that was 5% shorter you would get this error. Experience has shown that the exact capacity of the tape may vary up to 10% of what is actually claimed. Additionally, even tapes with the same capacity will vary from one to another.
Two results are possible. If the word "Recoverable" appears, the backup is still good and you do not need to repeat it. bkup has ways of recognizing this situation and can recover. If this message is not present then the backup is bad. Either way, bkup suggests the proper value to use next time so that this won't happen again.
getcwd: trouble opening pipe...failed
This warning message occurs when bkup is checking to see which directory you are in when bkup is invoked. This only occurs on Berkeley systems where getcwd.o (get current working directory) is not part of the standard C library.
findlink: not enough memory for linkmap
As bkup backs files up, it creates an internal map of what files are linked to other files. This map grows larger as the backup continues. The size of the map has exceeded memory limitations. The solution is to increase the memory allotted to a single process, manually decrease the number of linked files, or split the backup into two smaller backups of the same data.
Findlink: Error reading link file occurred because {reason}
Findlink: Error writing link file occurred because {reason}
These errors only appear in the small model compiled version of bkup. An error occurred reading a temporary file that holds the map of linked files. The reason is given. You can tell if your version of bkup is small model compiled by using the file command on the UNIX system. You can also use the hdr command.
bkup: Unresolved links to {filename}
This means that the {filename} specified had a number of links, but not all of the links were encountered during the backup. This results from a partial backup or backup that excludes some files or directories. The unresolved links were links to the excluded files or directories. This message only appears during a Master backup, an Incremental backup or when the l option modifier is used.
bkup: Aborting because the child Double Buffering process was terminated
This occurs when the S option modifier is used for Double Buffering. bkup splits into two processes, but the child process was terminated. Usually, this is because of a kill command from the system administrator or another user.
bkup: Remote Access denied!!
During a compressed backup, bkup encountered a file on an NFS mounted filesystem that it did not have permission to backup. This often results from NFS mount options that map the "root" user-id to user-id "other" during remote file access. Check the options used on your NFS mount and remount so that root has full access to remote mounted NFS filesystems. Alternatively, you can exclude NFS mounted filesystems with the -E Readmounts option.
bkup: Unobtainable data replaced with empty file
This message can accompany the previous error message. The file is stored as a zero size file on the tape.
bkup: Remote read access denied to {filename}
bkup encountered a file on an NFS mounted filesystem that it did not have permission to backup. This often results from NFS mount options that map the "root" user-id to user-id "other" during remote file access. Check the options used on your NFS mount and remount so that root has full access to remote mounted NFS filesystems. Alternatively, you can exclude NFS mounted filesystems with the -E Readmounts option. This message with no other accompanying messages means the file was not backed up.
bkup: Unobtainable data replaced with zeroes
This message can accompany the previous error message when the file header has already been flushed out to tape. bkup has no choice but to fill in the file with zeroes for its full size.
WARNING cannot open exclude list {filename} because {reason}
This occurs when the X option is used to specify a list of files to exclude. The list could not be opened for reading and usually this is because the name is misspelled or permissions are inadequate. This message can also appear during a restore.
Warnings While Restoring or Verifying Data
ERROR DURING VERIFICATION!!
This occurs at the end of a verification when the T option is used if errors were encountered. In most but not all cases the reason for the error can be determined by scanning the Catalog file for the "bkup:" identifier. Many times the verification required ERROR RECOVERY mode to get through some bad spots in the media.
This also shows up for any internal error at all. It is very precise so it is possible that minor errors that do not represent any change in the integrity of the data could result in this error.
Wrong volume==> %d (Looking for %d) Try again...
This is self explanatory. You only get this message two times. After that, bkup assumes you know what you are doing and really want to restore the volumes out of order. It is possible that one volume of a set was damaged, and you need to restore out of order. So, this message can be overridden if you are persistent.
decompress: cannot open output stream because {reason}
An error occurred while initiating the streaming decompress for this particular file. An attempt to create a stream with write permission failed. Check the permissions of the file being restored or reinvoke the restore with super-user power.
{filename}: not in compressed format
This message is given by the decompression part of bkup when asked to decompress a file that is really not in compressed format. bkup determines if a file is in compressed format by two tests.
· The header block of the file signifies the file is compressed
· The first two bytes of the file have been stamped with a special value signifying the file is compressed.
This message occurs if you start restoring on a volume other than the first and you have a split compressed file across volumes. Even though the name and header indicate that the file is compressed, the first two bytes do not have the special value signifying compressed format. These two special bytes are on the first part of the split file.
Try putting a previous volume in to see if the file actually does start on the earlier volume.
{filename}: compressed with %d bits, can only handle %d bits
Here %d represents an integer between 9 and 16. This file was compressed with a bit value larger than this version can handle. The larger the bit value used, the more memory consumed by the program. This can happen if you take a floppy disk that has compressed files in 13 bit format (most versions) and try to restore these to a machine where bkup was small model compiled (ALTOS). The small model version can only decompress files using 12 bits so you are out of luck.
decompress: Error writing to file because {reason}
An error occurred writing the decompressed data into the file on the hard disk. Most commonly this is because you have run out of space on the hard disk filesystem. Free some more space on the hard disk filesystem and try again. Occasionally, the error is due to a hard disk fault. This is a serious error and means the file was not restored properly.
Decompress: Out of memory
This message only occurs on versions of bkup compiled by using a small memory model option. This is done for computers with an extremely small amount of memory. This is because the memory is so scarce that it is allocated when needed. You can try using a smaller block size (try 1) to free some more memory. This message is primarily of historical significance since the small memory model is not used anymore.
Expanding===> encountered corrupt data...failed!!
This means that as the file was decompressed, corrupt data was encountered and it could not be decompressed further. The file is restored up to the point where the corrupt data was encountered and then truncated. Usually there is minor corruption near the tail end of the restored file.
The cause of this is usually a hardware problem during the original backup or during the restore. Also, the media could have been corrupted by electromagnetic radiation after it was backed up. It is also possible on seeking devices, that parts of the media were overwritten by another program. Additionally, it could be that the media was backed up using an error-correcting device such as /dev/erct0 and yet restored using a non-error-correcting device such as /dev/rct0.
This is a "tip-of-the-iceberg" type of problem. There is probably widespread corruption on the tape media. Be aware of the fact that there is probably some corruption in non-compressed files that were restored during the same session. You should check out all restored files carefully, even if there were no error messages.
You should check to be sure you are using the same blocking factor, capacity, and device and try again. If problems are still encountered in the same spot, chances are you have a hardware problem with the tape drive or a media problem with the tape.
{filename} (Virtual File)
Revirtualizing===> ...failed!!
This only occurs on versions that support Virtual files. The accessory program that revirtualizes the file has failed. The file is incompletely restored. Please check that you have /usr/lib/bkup/vrestore on the system and that it has not been corrupted.
WARNING: tovfile() - buffer at limit
This only happens when revirtualizing virtual files. It means an internal error occurred. An internal buffer problem occurred and appropriate corrections were made to correct this problem. However, you should call technical support and review the circumstances leading to this problem.
Extraction Warning Messages: bkup: {filename}: cannot link because {reason}
bkup: Symbolic link failed because {reason}
bkup: Cannot create {filename} because {reason}
Will not extract because...{reason}
These are informative messages printed out while restoring files to clarify why certain actions were not taken. They are all self explanatory.
bkup: cannot make directory path because {reason}
bkup has tried to make the necessary path to restore a given pathname/filename. The attempt to make one directory in the path failed for the given reason. Thus, the file was not restored successfully.
Directory not made because...{reason}
This is printed when doing a restore to inform the user that the directory was not created because of the reason given.
Will link to --> {linkname} ... failed
bkup: You must restore {filename} first!!
A selective restore of a few files was performed and one of these was a linked file. The file that it is linked to, however, does not exist on the hard disk. Therefore, this file needs to be restored first. The restore should be retried and the file {filename} given should be included in the new list of files to be restored.
Will link to --> {filename} ... failed!
bkup: WARNING: A Symbolic link was used instead
This happens if you are going from one filesystem to two filesystems and a regular link cannot be used because it spans across the two different filesystems. In this case, a symbolic link is conveniently used instead. In the restore summary, this file still shows as incompletely restored.
Will link to --> {filename} ... failed!
bkup: {filename}: cannot link because {reason}
bkup attempted to restore the link and it failed because of the above reason. This most commonly occurs when you are taking files from a system with one large filesystem to a system with two or more filesystems. A link which linked two files on the same filesystem is attempted to be restored to a system that requires that the two files be in different filesystems. It is impossible for a regular link to span two filesystems so this fails.
bkup: Symbolic link not supported on this computer
bkup: WARNING: A regular link was used instead
This occurs when you are restoring an archive from another computer that supports symbolic links and trying to restore it to a computer that does not support symbolic links. In this case, a regular link was used instead of a symbolic link. and the restore summary shows this file as incompletely restored. This should alert you to look for the above WARNING message in the catalog file.
bkup: Symbolic link not supported on this computer
Similar to the above message except that a regular link could not be used. Most likely this is because the previous symbolic link was to files across different filesystems. bkup attempted to use a regular link instead but discovered that it could not be done because a regular link cannot span filesystems.
bkup: Symbolic link not supported this version
WARNING: A regular link was used instead
The binary version of bkup running does not internally support symbolic links. This is usually because the operating system under which it is running also does not support symbolic links. Therefore a regular link was made instead. This shows up in the restore summary as a file that was incompletely restored.
bkup: Symbolic link not supported this version
The binary version of bkup running does not internally support symbolic links. This is usually because the operating system under which bkup is running also does not support symbolic links. A regular link could not be made because the link would span across two different filesystems.
WARNING: About to restore extent #%d out of order!
Proceed? (y/n):
If, for whatever reason, a file that is split across multiple volumes is restored out of order, you receive this message. Sometimes it is desirable to do this. For example, if a file is split across several floppy disks, and one of the diskettes is severely damaged (or missing), you will want to restore what you can. If you answer n, the remainder of this file is skipped.
DOS textmode conversion...
This message occurs when restoring files backed up on a DOS system with DOS-TARTM and restoring to a UNIX system. The DOS files (if they are text only files) are converted to the UNIX format.1 All carriage-returns preceded by a linefeed are converted to linefeed alone. If you do not want any conversions done, you can use the -zNOCNVT option.
If the file is binary, you should not see this message. The decision to convert is made by inspecting the first 512 characters of the file. If there are non-ascii or non-printable characters the file is considered binary.
bkup: WARNING - Incompletely backed up originally due to a problem bkup: Therefore, the restored version will be incomplete
When this file was backed up, it was being compressed and encountered a bad spot on the hard drive. The file was clipped at the point where the bad spot was encountered. Therefore, when this file is restored, the length is shorter than the original and thus incomplete.
bkup: WARNING - last block was slightly shorter than expected [Shorted %d]
A block size other than %d was used when this archive was created.
This means the very last chunk of data on the tape was shorter than expected. This results from using a block size on backup that is different than that on restore. If a tape is backed up with a block size of 64 and restored with a block size of 20, there will be 4 blocks left over at the end. This is called the short block.
This error is a warning only and does not affect the integrity of the restore or verification. You should take note, however, to correct the block size mismatch.
bkup: Received only {num} blocks, {num} bytes instead of expected {num} blocks
Check blocking factor (try {num} ) or volume size not specified
bkup: Offset was {num} K
The end of the archive came unexpectedly. This could result from listing or restoring from an archive that was aborted during its creation. The offset number is the kilobytes into the tape where this occurred.
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DOS-TAR is a trademark of Cactus International, Inc.