huge file growth -> fs is full

[Former Member]

Hello,

I have one particular server that now has a full filesystem. The data directory (/usr/sap/<SID>/<INSTANCE>/data) has a series of stat files that are created every hour. On all of my other servers the average file is something like 144K - 1M at most...but this server is creating files on the average of 2GB!

What would cause this and what options do I have to regain some free space?

Thank you,

Zach

Post Note:

I've read note 6833 and am trying to find a way to properly delete the stat file with only having access to the OS level.

Edited by: Zachary Shay on Jan 21, 2010 3:08 PM

[Former Member]

Anybody have any idea which process creates the file FL*.dat file (in GB's) in work directory and is it safe to remove this file ?

[Former Member]

Hi Zach,

If you Filesystem runs full of statistics file as example below /usr/sap/SID you will the find the files /usr/sap/{SID}//DVEBMGS*/data

call transaction ST03N and then choose "Expert mode". In the tree, choose the function "Collector and Performance DB" - "Statistics Records & File" - "Delete File", and delete the files for dialog step statistics (or the files for application statistics if these files cause problems)

Once you select delete it will prompt you i.e.

Instance instancename: Delete the dialog step or application statistics file -> Select the Dialog step or application step button

application stat files are : astat*

dialog stat files are : stat*

Instance instancename: Delete the following without updating the performance DB: Dialog step statistics file

Then afterwards increase your space or move the location of these files.

Kind Regards,

Johan

[JPReyes]

Usually all the stats data goes there... what sort of files are been created?... maybe some job/trace is filling it up...

Regards

Juan

[Former Member]

They appear to be normal data files like every other system I've used.

I'm currently moving the stat files to a network share to free up the space. Once that is complete I'll try to start the SAP instance. Hopefully that will fix the immediate issue...then I'll be able to monitor the files now that I know something is amiss.

-Zach

[JPReyes]

As far as I remember stat files are created by SAP_COLLECTOR_FOR_PERFMONITOR job... but I doubt this is creating 2Gb of data... Any large files been dumped in the data directory different that stat ones?

Regards

Juan

[Former Member]

2GB does seem way too big to me as well...especially considering that these files are about 1,000's of times larger than the upper average of other system's stat files.

Here is some of the output from ls -l in the data directory:

-rw-r--r-- 1 xt1adm sapsys 2132341743 Jan 19 20:00 stat1054
-rw-r--r-- 1 xt1adm sapsys 2011331945 Jan 19 21:00 stat1055
-rw-r--r-- 1 xt1adm sapsys 2132746302 Jan 19 22:00 stat1056
-rw-r--r-- 1 xt1adm sapsys 2007010328 Jan 19 23:00 stat1057
-rw-r--r-- 1 xt1adm sapsys 2095145213 Jan 20 00:00 stat1058
-rw-r--r-- 1 xt1adm sapsys 1858048614 Jan 20 01:00 stat1059
-rw-r--r-- 1 xt1adm sapsys 1775608166 Jan 20 02:00 stat1060
-rw-r--r-- 1 xt1adm sapsys 1862378988 Jan 20 03:00 stat1061

The only files, more than a few kilobytes, are stat####.

-Zach

[JPReyes]

Check logs and variants for the collector job. Those files should not be that big

Also, Read Note 6833 - Deleting statistics file, size of statistics file

[Former Member]

Hi,

Can you tell me the exact filesystem which is getting full ?

Because there is a work directory also which has some trace files and we can delete or set them to null.

But if you are specific to data directory cleanup, then you have to read SAP note as mentioned in the above messages and delete the stat files accordingly.

But before deleting these files, you need to check the total gain in size of the filesystem otherwise find anything else.

One more command is : du -sg * (UNIX AIX) to check the total size of the directory

Regards,

Ankit

[Former Member]

The total size of the data directory was 60GB. I moved the stat files to a network share and started SAP...it started up fine.

I read both the notes from above. Neither note specified it was ok to delete the stats file (from my reading).

But since this isn't an issue anymore, I'll be closing this message.

Thank you.

[Former Member]

You can cull these files by setting parameter and jobs.

The Stat files are in /usr/sap/SID/DVEBMGS00/data

On UNIX you can do a ls -atl stat* |wc -l and youwill see how many files you have. Note this number.

1. SAP keeps a certain # of files by parameters. Go to ST03, Collecor and Performance DB=> Statistics Records and Files

=> Revelant Parameters => Double click on your Hostname.

2. Ensure stat_level = 1 is set (Stats are being kept)

3. Check stat/max_files (I believe defaults to 48) and this drives your storage.

Now if you are doing tuning, you need at least 2 days of STAT files, if not more (for example in ST04 work load analysis) Often with a weekend, if a problem happens on Friday, if you come in on Monday wanting to look at logs, they are gone.

So as noted. the jobs are clearnly defined in SAP Note 6833.

So in closing, decide how many days of statistics you want to keep and allocated file sysetm space in /usr/sap accordingly.

[Former Member]

Hi,

Can you please suggest if I can compress/zip the stat files ?? Will they remain usable via GUI for st03 or st04 transactions?

[former_member206552]

Hi Karan,

if you zip or compress the files they will not be usable from ST03 or ST04 any more

If you experience problems with the statistics files, you may have to delete these manually. To do this, call transaction ST03N and then choose "Expert mode". In the tree, choose the function "Collector and Performance DB" - "Statistics Records & File" - "Delete File", and delete the files for dialog step statistics (or the files for application statistics if these files cause problems). 

Best Regards

Marius

[Former Member]

Thanks Marius!! I figured that out ...

[former_member206552]

Hi Karan

Glad to hear please mark or supply solution and close the tread

Best Regards

Marius