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Summary:
Db2 restore offline backup (V10.5) to Db2 v11.5.5.1 processed 700-800GB and no response, LIST UTILITIES SHOW DETAIL is also not responsive. Even db2support is not responsive at Collecting "Application snapshot".
Outcome:
it was hanging on the fcntl call. Customer fixed the filesystem issue. After that it went all well
Conclusion:
From the PMR I did not see whether db2pd -barstats was issued. But, if other db2pd commands had issues returning then -barstats would probably have the same problem. -barstats was specifically built for giving back details while a backup/restore operation is in progress. So if it or other commands hang we usually are in the extreme case of a OS call issue and we must resort to stack dumps that can confirm the call stack. This can be reported to IBM service for guidance.
This is a rare but documented problem when Db2 file IO is blocked behind a OS level system call and is not just restore that is prone to this. Quite sure one will find APARS and/or tech notes on this topic. Here is one such article: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/how-diagnose-hang-openfcntl-system-call
Reading the PMR, support did the best they could to assess and assist in this problem report.
The broader initiative would be to wrap all OS calls in a fashion where we can time out and check in on progress. This adds layers and complexity to our many, many OS calls. It is not something we have in plan at this time.
Thank you for your idea suggestion.
I found the support case in the RFE, will look into it.
So what specifically would you like to have seen that would have helped you in your situation? -barstats is still new and we add to it over time. Any feedback we get to make it better is much appreciated.
I do not know what issue you reported to Db2 Support. If you can please quote a PMR number/ticket I can dig deeper to see more details into your problem report.
In general, it is very rare for all those commands to not respond, so I am interested in seeing what conclusion was established by the PMR ticket you opened. LIST UTILITIES is our progress monitoring command for RESTORE. -barstats "should" display similar information.
Anyhow, we look forward to your reply on how to make our tooling better.
Thanks.
db2pd -barstats was issued and nothing useful came out of it
The speed with which this idea was closed shows the intent of IBM to not do anything, it's an waste of time trying to get this product work better, the writing is on the wall with AWS and Azure that DB2 is going down the sink, probably it'll get there sooner
Was db2pd -barstats used to find out more internal information from the restore? This can tell you some helpful information.
If it was used and information was still not helpful then please re-open this Idea with what specifically is still missing and we can assess.
Thanks.