Question about MaxDb config files

[Former Member]

I have a problem where a database is taking 28 hours to backup.

While the db backup runs, the log backup will not.

I want to know if there is a way to get around that; either by specifying a unique set of configs so temp file names won't conflict and 2 backups can run simultaneously or some other way.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Jasse,

What about the "Auto Log" property on MaxDB instance?

Best regards,

Orkun Gedik

[thorsten_zielke · Accepted solution]

Hello Jasse,

indeed, the only way to work around this would be to configure automatic log backups.

Still, let me also suggest that you try to speed up your data backup. 20+ hours seems way too long to me. You might e.g. try to save to several backup media in parallel...

Thorsten

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Thanks for that.

Could you possibly explain how to setup the parallelism you mentioned?

[thorsten_zielke · Accepted solution]

Sorry for my late reply... If you are an SAP customer, let me recommend you our FAQ notes on MaxDB - believe me, they are truley excellent and cover many issues.

To get a list, just search for 'FAQ' and 'MaxDB'. Backup & Recovery is covered in note 1377148, although for the parallel backup there is a link pointing to the MaxDB documentation.

Thorsten

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

ok 1 more question if you please ... anyone ...

I need to be able to get total datafile size in use and total data usage within those files from the database. What would the query or command look like. Nothing I've found really is doing it for me. I find if I use param_getdevsall, I get the DATA disks' size in 8192 byte blocks and that 'could' work for that component, though I'd prefer something better. Still haven't figured out how to get the usage from it.

Please help.

Thanks!

[thorsten_zielke · Accepted solution]

Let me recommend using the 'Database Analyser' for this. In an SAP environment, this tool autostarts and collects data every 15 minutes (default interval). The data itself is kept in one 'dban.prt' log file plus detailed info in various Excel style csv files.

If you have an SAP system nearbei, you could integrate the MaxDB you want to monitor via TA DB59 or use DB50/LC10, if MaxDB is running in an SAP system. Of course, you could also just look at the csv files directly, but they are much easier to use within the SAP world.

Please have a look at our FAQ note 1423935 for further details.

This means in regards to your specific question: Start the Database Analyzer (if not already active) and go to the 'DBAN_FILLING.csv' file. There you will find the filling levels for temporary and permanently data plus min and max values and averages...

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Thanks for that answer; however, I must do this from the command line on the db server and cannot use SAP transactions or the analyzer or the GUI database manager to get the info, though I know it's there. I have to get it from the command line at the end of a backup and mail the backup results along with datafile size and data usage size to myself for input into a backup report spreadsheet.

I'm currently able to get all the data I need except those 2 pieces. As explained in another post, I am able to calculate datafile size - though it's dirty, it works... thus if I can just get the usage info, I'm done.

thanks again for any further help!

and for the reply

[thorsten_zielke · Accepted solution]

Ok, try the following SQL:

SELECT D.USABLESIZE, D.USEDSIZE, D.USEDSIZEONVOLUMES, D.USEDSIZEPERCENTAGE, D.USEDPERMANENTSIZE, D.USEDTEMPORARYSIZE, L.USABLESIZE, L.USEDSIZE, L.USEDSIZEPERCENTAGE FROM SYSINFO.DATASTATISTICS D, SYSINFO.LOGSTATISTICS L

Please note that the last 3 columns refer to the log area. D.USEDSIZE is the currently used size on the data volumes and that is what you are looking for, I guess.

Can you comment on the second value you are missing? The data file size? Do you mean the total size of all data volumes or the backup file size?

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Ok - that could work - if I had sqlcli working but it won't accept the login,passwd combo... so i found a way to do it with dbmcli and get total data pages from backup_history_list times 8192 divided by 1024 3 times seems to agree closely with the usage data in the database manager GUI.

Do you think that's ok?

If so, I'm done.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

To your questions...

Can you comment on the second value you are missing? data usage as opposed to data file size

The data file size? no - i have that info

Do you mean the total size of all data volumes or the backup file size? the latter basically

[thorsten_zielke · Accepted solution]

It should be okay for you to use the 'total datapages' from the backup history as a means of finding out how many pages are used in the database - just a long as you do the for complete data backups only. However, the more precise way would by using the above SQL.

Here is thy syntax for the command line: e.g. dbmcli -d TZ78 -u dba,dba sql_execute select...

Let me know if you are still missing something here.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Perfect! Thanks!