Managing VolumesThis chapter explains how to manage the volumes stored on file server machines. The volume is the designated unit of
administration in AFS, so managing them is a large part of the administrator's duties.Summary of InstructionsThis chapter explains how to perform the following tasks by using the indicated commands:Create read/write volumevos createCreate read-only volumevos addsiteandvos
releaseCreate backup volumevos backupCreate many backup volumes at oncevos backupsysExamine VLDB entryvos listvldbExamine volume headervos listvolExamine both VLDB entry and volume headervos examineDisplay volume's namefs listquotaorfs
examineDisplay volume's ID numberfs examineorvos
examineorvos listvolDisplay partition's size and space availablevos partinfoDisplay volume's locationfs whereisorvos
examineCreate mount pointfs mkmountRemove mount pointfs rmmountDisplay mount pointfs lsmountMove read/write volumevos moveSynchronize VLDB with volume headersvos syncvldbandvos
syncservSet volume quotafs setvolorfs
setquotaDisplay volume quotafs quotaorfs
listquotaorfs examineDisplay volume's current sizefs listquotaorfs
examineDisplay list of volumes on a machine/partitionvos listvolRemove read/write volumevos removeandfs
rmmountRemove read-only volumevos removeRemove backup volumevos removeandfs
rmmountRemove volume; no VLDB changevos zapRemove read-only site definitionvos remsiteRemove VLDB entry; no volume changevos delentryDump volumevos dumpRestore dumped volumevos restoreRename volumevos rename, fs rmmountandfs mkmountUnlock volumevos unlockUnlock multiple volumesvos unlockvldbLock volumevos lockAbout VolumesvolumedefinedAn AFS volume is a logical unit of disk space that functions like a container for the files in an AFS
directory, keeping them all together on one partition of a file server machine. To make a volume's contents visible in the
cell's file tree and accessible to users, you mount the volume at a directory location in the AFS filespace. The association
between the volume and its location in the filespace is called a mount point, and because of AFS's internal
workings it looks and acts just like a standard directory element. Users can access and manipulate a volume's contents in the
same way they access and manipulate the contents of a standard UNIX directory. For more on the relationship between volumes and
directories, see About Mounting Volumes.Many of an administrator's daily activities involve manipulating volumes, since they are the basic storage and
administrative unit of AFS. For a discussion of some of the ways volumes can make your job easier, see How Volumes Improve AFS Efficiency.The Three Types of VolumesThere are three types of volumes in AFS, as described in the following list: The single read/write version of a volume houses the modifiable versions of the files and
directories in that volume. It is often referred to as the read/write source because volumes of the
other two types are derived from it by a copying procedure called cloning. For instructions on
creating read/write volumes, see Creating Read/write Volumes.read/write volumedefinedA read-only volume is a copy of the read/write source volume and can exist at multiple
sites (a site is a particular partition on a particular file server machine). Placing the same data
at more than one site is called replication; see How Volumes Improve AFS
Efficiency. As the name suggests, a read-only volume's contents do not change automatically as the read/write
source changes, but only when an administrator issues the vos release command. For
users to have a consistent view of the AFS filespace, all copies of the read-only volume must match each other and their
read/write source. All read-only volumes share the same name, which is derived by adding the .readonly extension to the read/write source's name. For instructions on creating of read-only
volumes, see Replicating Volumes (Creating Read-only Volumes).read-only volumedefinedsitevolume, definedvolumesite, definedA backup volume is a clone of the read/write source volume and is stored at the same site as
the source. A backup version is useful because it records the state of the read/write source at a certain time, allowing
recovery of data that is later mistakenly changed or deleted (for further discussion see How
Volumes Improve AFS Efficiency). A backup volume's name is derived by adding the .backup extension to the read/write source's name. For instructions on creating of backup
volumes, see Creating Backup Volumes.backup volumedefinedA backup volume is not the same as the backup of a volume transferred to tape using the AFS Backup System,
although making a backup version of a volume is usually a stage in the process of backing up the volume to tape. For
information on backing up a volume using the AFS Backup System, see Backing Up
Data.As noted, the three types of volumes are related to one another: read-only and backup volumes are both derived from a
read/write volume through a process called cloning. Read-only and backup volumes are exact copies of the read/write source at
the time they are created.How Volumes Improve AFS Efficiencyvolumebenefits for efficiencyVolumes make your cell easier to manage and more efficient in the following three ways: Volumes are easy to move between partitions, on the same or different machines, because they are by definition
smaller than a partition. Perhaps the most common reasons to move volumes are to balance the load among file server
machines or to take advantage of greater disk capacity on certain machines. You can move volumes as often as necessary
without disrupting user access to their contents, because the move procedure makes the contents unavailable for only a
few seconds. The automatic tracking of volume locations in the Volume Location Database (VLDB) assures that access
remains transparent. For instructions on moving volumes, see Moving Volumes.volumein load balancingVolumes are the unit of replication in AFS. Replication refers to creating a read-only clone
from the read/write source and distributing of the clone to one or more sites. Replication improves system efficiency
because more than one machine can fill requests for popular files. It also boosts system reliability by helping to keep
data available in the face of machine or server process outage. In general, volumes containing popular application
programs and other files that do not change often are the best candidates for replication, but you can replicate any
read/write volume. See Replicating Volumes (Creating Read-only Volumes).volumeas unit of replicationreplicationdefinedvolumeas unit of backupVolumes are the unit of backup in AFS, in two senses. You can create a backup volume version to preserves the
state of a read/write source volume at a specified time. You can mount the backup version in the AFS filespace, enabling
users to restore data they have accidentally changed or deleted without administrator assistance, which frees you for
more important jobs. If you make a new backup version of user volumes once a day (presumably overwriting the former
backup), then users are always be able to retrieve the previous day's version of a file. For instructions, see Creating Backup Volumes.Backup also refers to using the AFS Backup System to store permanent copies of volume contents on tape or in a
special backup data. See Configuring the AFS Backup Systemand Backing Up and Restoring AFS Data.Volume Information in the VLDBThe Volume Location Database (VLDB) includes entries for every volume in a cell. Perhaps the most important information
in the entry is the volume's location, which is key to transparent access to AFS data. When a user opens a file, the Cache
Manager consults the Volume Location (VL) Server, which maintains the VLDB, for a list of the file server machines that house
the volume containing the file. The Cache Manager then requests the file from the File Server running on one of the relevant
file server machines. The file location procedure is invisible to the user, who only needs to know the file's pathname.VLDBvolume entryvolumeentry in VLDBentry in VLDBfor volumeThe VLDB volume entry for a read/write volume also contains the pertinent information about the read-only and backup
versions, which do not have their own VLDB entries. (The rare exception is a read-only volume that has its own VLDB entry
because its read/write source has been removed.) A volume's VLDB entry records the volume's name, the unique volume ID number
for each version (read/write, read-only, backup, and releaseClone), a count of the number of sites that house a read/write or
read-only version, and a list of the sites.To display the VLDB entry for one or more volumes, use the vos listvldb command as
described in To display VLDB entries. To display the VLDB entry for a single volume along with
its volume header, use the vos examine command as described in To display one volume's VLDB entry and volume header. (See the following section for a description
of the volume header.)The Information in Volume Headersvolumeheadervolume headervolume headeraboutWhereas all versions of a volume share one VLDB entry, each volume on an AFS server partition has its own volume header,
a data structure that maps the files and directories in the volume to physical memory addresses on the partition that stores
them. The volume header binds the volume's contents into a logical unit without requiring that they be stored in contiguous
memory blocks. The volume header also records the following information about the volume, some of it redundant with the VLDB
entry: name, volume ID number, type, size, status (online, offline, or busy), space quota, timestamps for creation date and
date of last modification, and number of accesses during the current day.To display the volume headers on one or more partitions, use the vos listvol command as
described in To display volume headers. To display the VLDB entry for a single volume along
with its volume header, use the vos examine command as described in To display one volume's VLDB entry and volume header.Keeping the VLDB and Volume Headers Synchronizedsynchrony of VLDB and volume headersmaintained by VL and Volume ServersVLDBsynchronizing with volume headersvolume headersynchronizing with VLDBmaintainingsynchrony of VLDB with volume headersVL Serverrole in VLDB/volume header synchronizationVolume Serverrole in VLDB/volume header synchronizationIt is vital that the information in the VLDB correspond to the status of the actual volumes on the servers (as recorded
in volume headers) as much of the time as possible. If a volume's location information in the VLDB is incorrect, the Cache
Manager cannot find access its contents. Whenever you issue a vos command that changes a
volume's status, the Volume Server and VL Server cooperate to keep the volume header and VLDB synchronized. In rare cases, the
header and VLDB can diverge, for instance because a vos operation halts prematurely. For
instructions on resynchronizing them, see Synchronizing the VLDB and Volume Headers.About Mounting Volumesmount pointdefinedvolumemountingaboutmountingvolumeaboutTo make a volume's contents visible in the cell's file tree and accessible to users, you mount the volume at a directory
location in the AFS filespace. The association between the volume and its location in the filespace is called a
mount point. An AFS mount point looks and functions like a regular UNIX file system directory, but
structurally it is more like a symbolic link that tells the Cache Manager the name of the volume associated with the
directory. A mount point looks and acts like a directory only because the Cache Manager knows how to interpret it.Consider the common case where the Cache Manager needs to retrieve a file requested by an application program. The Cache
Manager traverses the file's complete pathname, starting at the AFS root (by convention mounted at the /afs directory) and continuing to the file. When the Cache Manager encounters (or
crosses) a mount point during the traversal, it reads it to learn the name of the volume mounted at that
directory location. After obtaining location information about the volume from the Volume Location (VL) Server, the Cache
Manager fetches the indicated volume and opens its root directory. The root directory of a volume lists
all the files, subdirectories, and mount points that reside in it. The Cache Manager scans the root directory listing for the
next element in the pathname. It continues down the path, using this method to interpret any other mount points it encounters,
until it reaches the volume that houses the requested file.root directoryCache Manageras interpreter of mount pointsMount points act as the glue that connects the AFS file space, creating the illusion of a single, seamless file tree
even when volumes reside on many different file server machines. A volume's contents are visible and accessible when the
volume is mounted at a directory location, and are not accessible at all if the volume is not mounted.You can mount a volume at more than one location in the file tree, but this is not recommended for two reasons. First,
it distorts the hierarchical nature of the filespace. Second, the Cache Manager can become confused about which pathname it
followed to reach the file (causing unpredictable output from the pwd command, for example).
However, if you mount a volume at more than one directory, the access control list (ACL) associated with the volume's root
directory applies to all of the mount points.mount pointcreating multiple per volumevolumemountingmore than onceThere are several types of mount points, each of which the Cache Manager handles in a different way and each of which is
appropriate for a different purpose. See Mounting Volumes.About Volume Namesvolumenamevolume namelength restriction on volume namesA read/write volume's name can be up to 22 characters in length. The Volume Server automatically adds the .readonly and .backup extensions to read-only and backup volumes
respectively. Do not explicitly add the extensions to volume names, even if they are appropriate.It is conventional for a volume's name to indicate the type of data it houses. For example, it is conventional to name
all user volumes user.username where username is the user's login name. Similarly, many cells
elect to put system binaries in volumes with names that begin with the system type code. For a list of other naming
conventions, see Creating Volumes to Simplify Administration.conventionsvolume namesvolume nameconventionsCreating Read/write Volumescreatingread/write volumevolumeread/writeread/write volumeread/write volumecreatingA read/write volume is the most basic type of volume, and must exist before you can create read-only or backup versions of
it. When you issue the vos create command to create a read/write volume, the VL Server creates
a VLDB entry for it which records the name you specify, assigns a read/write volume ID number, and reserves the next two
consecutive volume ID numbers for read-only and backup versions that possibly are to be created later. At the same time, the
Volume Server creates a volume header at the site you designate, allocating space on disk to record the name of the volume's
root directory. The name is filled in when you issue the fs mkmount command to mount the
volume, and matches the mount point name. The following is also recorded in the volume header: An initial ACL associated with the volume's root directory. By default it grants all seven AFS access permissions to
the system:administrators group. After you mount the volume, you can use the fs setacl command to add other entries and to remove or change the entry for the system:administrators group. See Setting ACL Entries.defaultACLACLdefault on new volumeA space quota, which limits the amount of disk space the read/write version of the volume can use on the file server
partition. The default is of 5000 kilobyte blocks, but you can use the -maxquota argument
to the vos create command to set a different quota.To change the quota after creation, use the fs setquota command as described in
Setting and Displaying Volume Quota and Current Size.volume quotadefault for new volumedefaultvolume quotaTo create (and mount) a read/write volumeVerify that you are listed in the /usr/afs/etc/UserList file. If necessary, issue
the bos listusers command, which is fully described in To
display the users in the UserList file.
% bos listusers <machine name>
Verify that you have the a( administer), i( insert), and l( lookup) permissions on the ACL of the directory where you plan to mount the volume. If necessary,
issue the fs listacl command, which is fully described in Displaying ACLs.
% fs listacl [<dir/file path>]Members of the system:administrators group always implicitly have the a( administer) and by default also the l( lookup) permission on every ACL and can use the fs setacl command to grant other rights as necessary.commandsvos partinfovos commandspartinfoSelect a site (disk partition on a file server machine) for the new volume. To verify that
the site has enough free space to house the volume (now, or if it grows to use its entire quota), issue the vos partinfo command.The partition-related statistics in this command's output do not always agree with the corresponding values in the
output of the standard UNIX df command. The statistics reported by this command can be
up to five minutes old, because the Cache Manager polls the File Server for partition information at that frequency.
Also, on some operating systems, the df command's report of partition size includes
reserved space not included in this command's calculation, and so is likely to be about 10% larger.
% vos partinfo <machine name> [<partition name>]where pIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of partinfo.machine nameSpecifies the file server machine for which to display partition size and usage.partition nameNames one partition for which to display partition size and usage. If you omit it, the output displays the
size and space available for all partitions on the machine.Select a volume name, taking note of the information in About Volume
Names.vos commandscreatebasic instructionscommandsvos createbasic instructionsIssue the vos create command to create the volume.
% vos create <machine name> <partition name> <volume name> \
[-maxquota <initial quota (KB)>]
where crIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of create.machine nameSpecifies the file server machine on which to place the volume.partition nameSpecifies the disk partition on which to place the volume.volume nameNames the volume. It can be up to 22 alphanumeric and punctuation characters in length. Your cell possibly
has naming conventions for volumes, such as beginning user volume names with the string user and using the period to separate parts of the name.-maxquotaSets the volume's quota, as a number of kilobyte blocks. If you omit this argument, the quota is set to 5000
kilobyte blocks.mountingread/write volumeread/write volumemountingcommandsfs mkmountfs commandsmkmountfor read/write volume(Optional) Issue the fs mkmount command to mount
the volume in the filespace. For complete syntax, see To create a regular or read/write mount
point.
% fs mkmount <directory> <volume name>(Optional) Issue the fs lsmount command to verify
that the mount point refers to the correct volume. Complete instructions appear in To display a
mount point.
% fs lsmount <directory>(Optional) Issue the fs setvol command with the
-offlinemsg argument to record auxiliary information about the volume in its volume
header. For example, you can record who owns the volume or where you have mounted it in the filespace. To display the
information, use the fs examine command.
% fs setvol <dir/file path> -offlinemsg <offline message>
where svIs an acceptable alias for setvol(and setv
the shortest acceptable abbreviation).dir/file pathNames the mount point of the volume with which to associate the message. Partial pathnames are interpreted
relative to the current working directory.Specify the read/write path to the mount point, to avoid the failure that results when you attempt to change
a read-only volume. By convention, you indicate the read/write path by placing a period before the cell name at
the pathname's second level (for example, /afs/.example.com). For further discussion
of the concept of read/write and read-only paths through the filespace, see The Rules of
Mount Point Traversal.-offlinemsgSpecifies up to 128 characters of auxiliary information to record in the volume header.About Clones and Cloningcloningdefinedclonevnode indexbackup volumespace-saving nature ofTo create a backup or read-only volume, the Volume Server begins by cloning the read/write source
volume to create a clone. The Volume Server creates the clone automatically when you issue the vos backup or vos backupsys command (for a backup volume) or the
vos release command (for a read-only volume). No special action is required on your
part.A clone is not a copy of the data in the read/write source volume, but rather a copy of the read/write volume's
vnode index. The vnode index is a table of pointers between the files and directories in the volume and the
physical disk blocks on the partition where the data resides. From the clone, backup and read-only volumes are created in the
following manner: A read-only volume that occupies the same partition as its read/write source (also known as a read-only
clone), and a backup volume, are created by attaching a volume header to the clone. These volumes initially
consume very little disk space, because the clone portion (the vnode index) points to exactly the same files as the
read/write volume, as illustrated in Figure 1. The file sharing is possible only because
the clone is on the same partition as the read/write source volume. When a file in the read/write volume is deleted, it is
not actually removed from the partition, because the backup or read-only clone still points to it. Similarly, when a file
in the read/write is changed, the entire original file is preserved on disk because the clone still points to it, and the
read/write volume's vnode index changes to point to newly space for the changed file. When this happens, the backup or
read-only volume is said to grow or start occupying actual disk space.A read-only volume that does not occupy the same site as the read/write source is a copy of the clone and of all of
the data in the read/write source volume. It occupies the same amount of disk space as the read/write volume did at the
time the read-only volume was created.replicationdetailed discussionvolumereplicatingvolumeread-onlyread-only volumeread-only volumecreatingcreatingread-only volumecloningfor replicationread/write volumecloningfor replicationReplicating Volumes (Creating Read-only Volumes)Replication refers to creating a read-only copy of a read/write volume and distributing the copy to
one or more additional file server machines. Replication makes a volume's contents accessible on more than one file server
machine, which increases data availability. It can also increase system efficiency by reducing load on the network and File
Server. Network load is reduced if a client machine's server preference ranks lead the Cache Manager to access the copy of a
volume stored on the closest file server machine. Load on the File Server is reduced because it issues only one callback for all
data fetched from a read-only volume, as opposed to a callback for each file fetched from a read/write volume. The single
callback is sufficient for an entire read-only volume because the volume does not change except in response to administrator
action, whereas each read/write file can change at any time.stages in volume replicationsite definition stage in replicationreplicationsite definition stagerelease stage in replicationreplicationrelease stageReplicating a volume requires issuing two commands. First, use the vos addsite command to
add one or more read-only site definitions to the volume's VLDB entry (a site is a particular partition on
a file server machine). Then use the vos release command to clone the read/write source volume
and distribute the clone to the defined read-only sites. You issue the vos addsite only once
for each read-only site, but must reissue the vos release command every time the read/write
volume's contents change and you want to update the read-only volumes.For users to have a consistent view of the file system, the release of updated volume contents to read-only sites must be
atomic: either all read-only sites receive the new version of the volume, or all sites keep the version they currently have. The
vos release command is designed to ensure that all copies of the volume's read-only version
match both the read/write source and each other. In cases where problems such as machine or server process outages prevent
successful completion of the release operation, AFS uses two mechanisms to alert you.replicationdetermining success ofdeterminingsuccess of replicationreplicationneed for all-or-nothing releaseall-or-nothing release of read-only volumesread-only volumeneed for atomic releasereleasingread-only volume, need for atomicityReleaseClonereplicationrole of ReleaseCloneNew release site flag in VLDBas indicator of failed replicationOld release site flag in VLDBas indicator of failed replicationcloneforcing creation of newreplicationforcing creation of new clonevos commandsreleaseforcing new cloning with -f flagreleasingread-only volume, forcing new cloningFirst, the command interpreter generates an error message on the standard error stream naming each read-only site that did
not receive the new volume version. Second, during the release operation the Volume Location (VL) Server marks site definitions
in the VLDB entry with flags (New release and Old release)
that indicate whether or not the site has the new volume version. If any flags remain after the operation completes, it was not
successful. The Cache Manager refuses to access a read-only site marked with the Old release
flag, which potentially imposes a greater load on the sites marked with the New release flag.
It is important to investigate and eliminate the cause of the failure and then to issue the vos
release command as many times as necessary to complete the release without errors.The pattern of site flags remaining in the volume's VLDB entry after a failed release operation can help determine the
point at which the operation failed. Use the vos examine or vos
listvldb command to display the VLDB entry. The VL Server sets the flags in concert with the Volume Server's
operations, as follows: Before the operation begins, the VL Server sets the New release flag on the
read/write site definition in the VLDB entry and the Old release flag on read-only site
definitions (unless the read-only site has been defined since the last release operation and has no actual volume, in
which case its site flag remains Not released).If necessary, the Volume Server creates a temporary copy (a clone) of the read/write source
called the ReleaseClone (see the following discussion of when the Volume Server does or does not create a new
ReleaseClone.) It assigns the ReleaseClone its own volume ID number, which the VL Server records in the
RClone field of the source volume's VLDB entry.The Volume Server distributes a copy of the ReleaseClone to each read-only site defined in the VLDB entry. As the
site successfully receives the new clone, the VL Server sets the site's flag in the VLDB entry to New
release.When all the read-only copies are successfully released, the VL Server clears all the New
release site flags. The ReleaseClone is no longer needed, so the Volume Server deletes it and the VL
Server erases its ID from the VLDB entry.By default, the Volume Server determines automatically whether or not it needs to create a new ReleaseClone: If there are no flags (New release, Old release,
or Not released) on site definitions in the VLDB entry, the previous vos release command completed successfully and all read-only sites currently have the same volume.
The Volume Server infers that the current vos release command was issued because the
read/write volume has changed. The Volume Server creates a new ReleaseClone and distributes it to all of the read-only
sites.If any site definition in the VLDB entry is marked with a flag, either the previous release operation did not
complete successfully or a new read-only site was defined since the last release. The Volume Server does not create a new
ReleaseClone, instead distributing the existing ReleaseClone to sites marked with the Old
release or Not released flag. As previously noted, the VL Server marks
each VLDB site definition with the New release flag as the site receives the
ReleaseClone, and clears all flags after all sites successfully receive it.To override the default behavior, forcing the Volume Server to create and release a new ReleaseClone to the read-only
sites, include the -f flag. This is appropriate if, for example, the data at the read/write
site has changed since the existing ReleaseClone was created during the previous release operation.Using Read-only Volumes Effectivelycriteria for replicating volumesreplicationsuitable types of volumessuitability of volumes for replicationread/write volumetypes suitable for replicationFor maximum effectiveness, replicate only volumes that satisfy two criteria: The volume's contents are heavily used. Examples include a volume housing binary files for text editors or other
popular application programs, and volumes mounted along heavily traversed directory paths such as the paths leading to
user home directories. It is an inefficient use of disk space to replicate volumes for which the demand is low enough
that a single File Server can easily service all requests.The volume's contents change infrequently. As noted, file system consistency demands that the contents of
read-only volumes must match each other and their read/write source at all times. Each time the read/write volume
changes, you must issue the vos release command to update the read-only volumes. This
can become tedious (and easy to forget) if the read/write volume changes frequently.mountingread-only volumeread-only volumemountingExplicitly mounting a read-only volume (creating a mount point that names a volume with a .readonly extension) is not generally necessary or appropriate. The Cache Manager has a built-in bias
to access the read-only version of a replicated volume whenever possible. As described in more detail in The Rules of Mount Point Traversal, when the Cache Manager encounters a mount point it reads the
volume name inside it and contacts the VL Server for a list of the sites that house the volume. In the normal case, if the
mount point resides in a read-only volume and names a read/write volume (one that does not have a .readonly or .backup extension), the Cache Manager always attempts to
access a read-only copy of the volume. Thus there is normally no reason to force the Cache Manager to access a read-only
volume by mounting it explicitly.It is a good practice to place a read-only volume at the read/write site, for a couple of reasons. First, the read-only
volume at the read/write site requires only a small amount of disk space, because it is a clone rather a copy of all of the
data (see About Clones and Cloning). Only if a large number of files are removed or changed in
the read/write volume does the read-only copy occupy much disk space. That normally does not happen because the appropriate
response to changes in a replicated read/write volume is to reclone it. The other reason to place a read-only volume at the
read/write site is that the Cache Manager does not attempt to access the read/write version of a replicated volume if all
read-only copies become inaccessible. If the file server machine housing the read/write volume is the only accessible machine,
the Cache Manager can access the data only if there is a read-only copy at the read/write site.The number of read-only sites to define depends on several factors. Perhaps the main trade-off is between the level of
demand for the volume's contents and how much disk space you are willing to use for multiple copies of the volume. Of course,
each prospective read-only site must have enough available space to accommodate the volume. The limit on the number of
read-only copies of a volume is determined by the maximum number of site definitions in a volume's VLDB entry, which is
defined in the OpenAFS Release Notes. The site housing the read/write and backup versions of the volume
counts as one site, and each read-only site counts as an additional site (even the read-only site defined on the same file
server machine and partition as the read/write site counts as a separate site). Note also that the Volume Server permits only
one read-only copy of a volume per file server machine.Replication Scenariosvariations possiblein replicationreplicationvariations possible inpossible variationson replicationThe instructions in the following section explain how to replicate a volume for which no read-only sites are currently
defined. However, you can also use the instructions in other common situations: If you are releasing a new clone to sites that already exist, you can skip Step 2.
It can still be useful to issue the vos examine command, however, to verify that the
desired read-only sites are defined.If you are adding new read-only sites to existing ones, perform all of the steps. In Step 3, issue the vos addsite command for the new sites
only.If you are defining sites but do not want to release a clone to them yet, stop after Step 3and continue when you are ready.If you are removing one or more sites before releasing a new clone to the remaining sites, follow the instructions
for site removal in Removing Volumes and their Mount Pointsand then start with Step
4.To replicate a read/write volume (create a read-only volume)read-only volumecreatinginstructionsread/write volumereplication instructionsVerify that you are listed in the /usr/afs/etc/UserList
file. If necessary, issue the bos listusers command, which is fully described in To display the users in the UserList file.
% bos listusers <machine name>
Select one or more sites at which to replicate the volume. There are several factors to
consider: How many sites are already defined. As previously noted, it is usually appropriate to define a read-only site
at the read/write site. Also, the Volume Server permits only one read-only copy of a volume per file server machine.
To display the volume's current sites, issue the vos examine command, which is
described fully in Displaying One Volume's VLDB Entry and Volume Header.
% vos examine <volume name or ID>
The final lines of output display the volume's site definitions from the VLDB.Whether your cell dedicates any file server machines to housing read-only volumes only. In general, only very
large cells use read-only server machines.Whether a site has enough free space to accommodate the volume. A read-only volume requires the same amount of
space as the read/write version (unless it is at the read/write site itself). The first line of output from the
vos examine command displays the read/write volume's current size in kilobyte
blocks, as shown in Displaying One Volume's VLDB Entry and Volume Header.To display the amount of space available on a file server machine's partitions, use the vos partinfo command, which is described fully in Creating
Read/write Volumes.
% vos partinfo <machine name> [<partition name>]
read-only volumedefining site for in VLDBdefiningread-only site in VLDBaddingread-only site definition in VLDBVLDBdefining read-only site incommandsvos addsitevos commandsaddsiteIssue the vos addsite command to define each new read-only
site in the VLDB.
% vos addsite <machine name> <partition name> <volume name or ID>
where adIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of addsite.machine nameDefines the file server machine for the new site.partition nameNames a disk partition on the machine machine name.volume name or IDIdentifies the read/write volume to be replicated, either by its complete name or its volume ID
number.(Optional) Verify that the fs process (which incorporates the Volume Server) is functioning normally on each file server
machine where you have defined a read-only site, and that the vlserver process (the
Volume Location Server) is functioning correctly on each database server machine. Knowing that they are functioning
eliminates two possible sources of failure for the release. Issue the bos status command
on each file server machine housing a read-only site for this volume and on each database server machine. The command is
described fully in Displaying Process Status and Information from the BosConfig File.
% bos status <machine name> fs vlserverreleasingread-only volumeread-only volumereleasingcommandsvos releasebasic instructionsvos commandsreleasebasic instructionsIssue the vos release command to clone the read/write source
volume and distribute the clone to each read-only site.
% vos release <volume name or ID> [-f]
where relIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of release.volume name or IDIdentifies the read/write volume to clone, either by its complete name or volume ID number. The read-only
version is given the same name with a .readonly extension. All read-only copies
share the same read-only volume ID number.-fCreates and releases a brand new clone.(Optional) Issue the vos examine command to verify
that no site definition in the VLDB entry is marked with an Old release or
New release flag. The command is described fully in Displaying
One Volume's VLDB Entry and Volume Header.
% vos examine <volume name or ID>
If any flags appear in the output from Step 6, repeat Steps 4and 5until the Volume Server does not produce any error messages
during the release operation and the flags no longer appear. Do not issue the vos release
command when you know that the read/write site or any read-only site is inaccessible due to network, machine or server process
outage.Creating Backup Volumesread/write volumecloningfor backup versioncloningfor backupcreatingbackup volumevolumebackupbackup volumebackup volumecreatingA backup volume is a clone that resides at the same site as its read/write source (to review the
concept of cloning, see About Clones and Cloning). Creating a backup version of a volume has two
purposes: It is by convention the first step when dumping a volume's contents to tape with the AFS Backup System. A volume is
inaccessible while it is being dumped, so instead of dumping the read/write volume, you create and dump a backup version.
Users do not normally access the backup version, so it is unlikely that the dump will disturb them. For more details, see
Backing Up Data.It enables users to restore mistakenly deleted or changed data themselves, freeing you for more crucial tasks. The
backup version captures the state of its read/write source at the time the backup is made, and its contents cannot change.
Mount the backup version in the filespace so that users can restore a file to its state at the time you made the backup.
See Making the Contents of Backup Volumes Available to Users.creatingmultiple backup volumes at oncevolumecreating backup version of many at oncebackup volumecreating multiple at onceBacking Up Multiple Volumes at OnceThe vos backupsys command creates a backup version of many read/write volumes at once.
This command is useful when preparing for large-scale backups to tape using the AFS Backup System.To clone every read/write volume listed in the VLDB, omit all of the command's options. Otherwise, combine the command's
options to clone various groups of volumes. The options use one of two basic criteria to select volumes: location (the
-server and -partition arguments) or presence in the volume
name of one of a set of specified character strings (the -prefix, -exclude, and -xprefix options).To clone only volumes that reside on one file server machine, include the -server
argument. To clone only volumes that reside on one partition, combine the -server and
-partition arguments. The -partition argument can also be
used alone to clone volumes that reside on the indicated partition on every file server machine. These arguments can be
combined with those that select volumes based on their names.Combine the -prefix, -exclude, and -xprefix options (with or without the -server and -partition arguments) in the indicated ways to select volumes based on character strings contained in
their names: To clone every read/write volume at the specified location whose name includes one of a set of specified character
strings (for example, begins with user. or includes the string afs), use the -prefix argument or combine the -xprefix and -exclude options.To clone every read/write volume at the specified location except those whose name includes one of a set of
specified character strings, use the -xprefix argument or combine the -prefix and -exclude options.To clone every read/write volume at the specified location whose name includes one of one of a set of specified
character strings, except those whose names include one of a different set of specified character strings, combine the
-prefix and -xprefix arguments. The command creates a
list of all volumes that match the -prefix argument and then removes from the list the
volumes that match the -xprefix argument. For effective results, the strings specified
by the -xprefix argument must designate a subset of the volumes specified by the
-prefix argument.If the -exclude flag is combined with the -prefix and -xprefix arguments, the command creates a list of
all volumes that do not match the -prefix argument and then adds to the list any
volumes that match the -xprefix argument. As when the -exclude flag is not used, the result is effective only if the strings specified by the -xprefix argument designate a subset of the volumes specified by the -prefix argument.The -prefix and -xprefix arguments both accept
multiple values, which can be used to define disjoint groups of volumes. Each value can be one of two types: A simple character string, which matches volumes whose name begin with the string. All characters are interpreted
literally (that is, characters that potentially have special meaning to the command shell, such as the period, have only
their literal meaning).A regular expression, which matches volumes whose names contain the expressions. Place a caret ( ^) at the beginning of the expression, and enclose the entire string in single quotes ( ''). Explaining regular expressions is outside the scope of
this reference page; see the UNIX manual page for regexp(5) or (for a brief
introduction) Defining and Displaying Volume Sets and Volume Entries. As an example, the
following expression matches volumes that have the string aix anywhere in their names:
-prefix '^.*aix'To display a list of the volumes to be cloned, without actually cloning them, include the -dryrun flag. To display a statement that summarizes the criteria being used to select volume, include
the -verbose flag.To back up a single volume, use the vos backup command, which employs a more
streamlined technique for finding a single volume.automatingcreation of backup volumesbackup volumeautomating creation ofvolumeautomating creation of backup versionbackup volumesuggested schedule for creation ofschedulingcreation of backup volumescron-type server processused to automate volume backupAutomating Creation of Backup VolumesMost cells find that it is best to make a new backup version of relevant volumes each day. It is best to create the
backup versions at a time when usage is low, because the backup operation causes the read/write volume to be unavailable
momentarily.You can either issue the necessary the vos backupsys or vos
backup commands at the console or create a cron entry in the BosConfig file on a file server machine, which eliminates the need for an administrator to initiate the
backup operation.The following example command creates a cron process called backupusers in the /usr/afs/local/BosConfig file on the machine
fs3.example.com. The process runs every day at 1:00 a.m. to create a backup version of every
volume in the cell whose name starts with the string user. The -localauth flag enables the process to invoke the privileged vos
backupsys command while unauthenticated. Note that the -cmd argument specifies a
complete pathname for the vos binary, because the PATH environment variable for the BOS
Server (running as the local superuser root) generally does not include the path to AFS
binaries.
% bos create fs3.example.com backupusers cron\
-cmd "/usr/afs/bin/vos backupsys -prefix user -localauth" "1:00"mountingbackup volumebackup volumemountingOldFiles directoryas mount point for backup volumeMaking the Contents of Backup Volumes Available to UsersAs noted, a backup volume preserves the state of the read/write source at the time the backup is created. Many cells
choose to mount backup volumes so that users can access and restore data they have accidentally deleted or changed since the
last backup was made, without having to request help from administrators. The most sensible place to mount the backup version
of a user volume is at a subdirectory of the user's home directory. Suitable names for this directory include OldFiles and Backup. The subdirectory looks just like the user's own
home directory as it was at the time the backup was created, with all files and subdirectories in the same relative
positions.If you do create and mount backup volumes for your users, inform users of their existence. The OpenAFS User
Guide does not mention backup volumes because making them available to users is optional. Explain to users how
often you make a new backup, so they know what they can recover. Remind them also that the data in their backup volume cannot
change; however, they can use the standard UNIX cp command to copy it into their home volume
and modify it there. Reassure users that the data in their backup volumes does not count against their read/write volume
quota.To create and mount a backup volumeVerify that you are listed in the /usr/afs/etc/UserList file. If necessary, issue
the bos listusers command, which is fully described in To
display the users in the UserList file.
% bos listusers <machine name>
Verify that you have the insert( i) and administer( a) permissions on the ACL of the directory in which
you wish to mount the volume. If necessary, issue the fs listacl command, which is fully
described in Displaying ACLs.
% fs listacl [<dir/file path>]
Members of the system:administrators group always implicitly have the a( administer) and by default also the l( lookup) permission on every ACL and can use the fs setacl command to grant other rights as necessary.commandsvos backupvos commandsbackupIssue the vos backup command to create a backup version of a
read/write source volume. The message shown confirms the success of the backup operation.
% vos backup <volume name or ID> Created backup volume for volume name or ID
where backupMust be typed in full.volume name or IDIdentifies the read/write volume to back up, either by its complete name or volume ID number. The backup
volume has the same name with the addition of the .backup extension. It has its
own volume ID number.commandsfs mkmountwhen mounting backup volumefs commandsmkmountwhen mounting backup volume(Optional) Issue the fs
mkmount to mount the backup volume. While this step is optional, Cache Managers cannot access the volume's
contents if it is not mounted.
% fs mkmount <directory> <volume name> .backupwhere mkIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of mkmount.directoryNames the mount point to create. Do not create a file or directory of the same name beforehand. Partial
pathnames are interpreted relative to the current working directory. For the backup version of a user volume, the
conventional location is the user's home directory.volume name.backupIs the full name of the backup volume.(Optional) Issue the fs lsmount command to verify
that the mount point refers to the correct volume. Complete instructions appear in To display a
mount point.
% fs lsmount <directory>
commandsvos backupsysvos commandsbackupsysTo create multiple backup volumes at onceVerify that you are listed in the /usr/afs/etc/UserList file. If necessary, issue
the bos listusers command, which is fully described in To
display the users in the UserList file.
% bos listusers <machine name>
Issue the vos backupsys command to create a backup version of every read/write
volume that shares the same prefix or site. The effects of combining the three arguments are described in Backing Up Multiple Volumes at Once.
% vos backupsys [-prefix <common prefix on volume(s)>+] \
[-server <machine name>] [-partition <partition name>] \
[-exclude] [-xprefix <negative prefix on volume(s)>+] \
[-dryrun] [-verbose]
where backupsIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of backupsys.-prefixSpecifies one or more simple character strings or regular expressions of any length; a volume whose name
includes the string is placed on the list of volumes to be cloned. Include field separators (such as periods) if
appropriate. This argument can be combined with any combination of the -server,
-partition, -exclude, and -xprefix options.-serverSpecifies the file server machine housing the volumes to backup. Can be combined with any combination of the
-prefix, -partition, -exclude, and -xprefix options.-partitionSpecifies the partition housing the volumes you wish to backup. Can be combined with any combination of the
-prefix, -server, -exclude, and -xprefix options.-excludeIndicates that all volumes except those indicated with the -prefix argument
are to be backed up. The -prefix argument must be provided along with this one.
Can also be combined with any combination of the -prefix, -server, and -partition arguments; or with both the
-prefix and -xprefix arguments, but not with the
-xprefix argument alone.-xprefixSpecifies one or more simple character strings or regular expressions of any length; a volume whose name
does not include the string is placed on the list of volumes to be cloned. Can be combined with any combination of
the -prefix, -server, and -partition arguments; in addition, it can be combined with both the -prefix and -exclude options, but not with the -exclude flag alone.-dryrunDisplays on the standard output stream a list of the volumes to be cloned, without actually cloning
them.-verboseDisplays on the standard output stream a statement that summarizes the criteria being used to select
volumes, if combined with the -dryrun flag; otherwise, traces the cloning
operation for each volume.Mounting Volumesmountingvolumegeneral instructionsMount points make the contents of AFS volumes visible and accessible in the AFS filespace, as described in About Mounting Volumes. This section discusses in more detail how the Cache Manager handles mount
points as it traverses the filespace. It describes the three types of mount points, their purposes, and how to distinguish
between them, and provides instructions for creating, removing, and examining mount points.The Rules of Mount Point TraversalThe Cache Manager observes three basic rules as it traverses the AFS filespace and encounters mount points:
Rule 1: Access Backup and Read-only Volumes When SpecifiedWhen the Cache Manager encounters a mount point that specifies a volume with either a .readonly or a .backup extension, it accesses that type of
volume only. If a mount point does not have either a .backup or .readonly extension, the Cache Manager uses Rules 2 and 3.For example, the Cache Manager never accesses the read/write version of a volume if the mount point names the
backup version. If the specified version is inaccessible, the Cache Manager reports an error.Rule 2: Follow the Read-only Path When PossibleIf a mount point resides in a read-only volume and the volume that it references is replicated, the Cache Manager
attempts to access a read-only copy of the volume; if the referenced volume is not replicated, the Cache Manager
accesses the read/write copy. The Cache Manager is thus said to prefer a read-only path through the
filespace, accessing read-only volumes when they are available.The Cache Manager starts on the read-only path in the first place because it always accesses a read-only copy of
the root.afs volume if it exists; the volume is mounted at the root of a cell's AFS
filespace (named /afs by convention). That is, if the root.afs volume is replicated, the Cache Manager attempts to access a read-only copy of it rather
than the read/write copy. This rule then keeps the Cache Manager on a read-only path as long as each successive volume
is replicated. The implication is that both the root.afs and root.cell volumes must be replicated for the Cache Manager to access replicated volumes mounted
below them in the AFS filespace. The volumes are conventionally mounted at the /afs and
/afs/cellname directories, respectively.Rule 3: Once on a Read/write Path, Stay ThereIf a mount point resides in a read/write volume and the volume name does not have a .readonly or a .backup extension, the Cache Manager attempts to
access only the a read/write version of the volume. The access attempt fails with an error if the read/write version is
inaccessible, even if a read-only version is accessible. In this situation the Cache Manager is said to be on a
read/write path and cannot switch back to the read-only path unless mount point explicitly names a
volume with a .readonly extension. (Cellular mount points are an important exception to
this rule, as explained in the following discussion.The Three Types of Mount PointsAFS uses three types of mount points, each appropriate for a different purpose because of how the Cache Manager handles
them. When the Cache Manager crosses a regular mount point, it obeys all three of the mount point
traversal rules previously described.regular mount pointmount pointmount pointregulardescribedAFS performs best when the vast majority of mount points in the filespace are regular, because the mount point
traversal rules promote the most efficient use of both replicated and nonreplicated volumes. Because there are likely to
be multiple read-only copies of a replicated volume, it makes sense for the Cache Manager to access one of them rather
than the single read/write version, and the second rule leads it to do so. If a volume is not replicated, the third rule
means that the Cache Manager still accesses the read/write volume when that is the only type available. In other words,
a regular mount point does not force the Cache Manager always to access read-only volumes (it is explicitly not a
"read-only mount point").To create a regular mount point, use the fs mkmount command as described in To create a regular or read/write mount point.To enable the Cache Manager to access the read-only version of a replicated volume named by a regular mount
point, all volumes that are mounted above it in the pathname must also be replicated. That is the only way the Cache
Manager can stay on a read-only path to the target volume.When the Cache Manager crosses a read/write mount point, it attempts to access only the
volume version named in the mount point. If the volume name is the base (read/write) form, without a .readonly or .backup extension, the Cache Manager accesses the
read/write version of the volume, even if it is replicated. In other words, the Cache Manager disregards the second
mount point traversal rule when crossing a read/write mount point: it switches to the read/write path through the
filespace.read/write mount pointmount pointmount pointread/writedescribedIt is conventional to create only one read/write mount point in a cell's filespace, using it to mount the cell's
root.cell volume just below the AFS filespace root (by convention, /afs/.cellname). As indicated, it is conventional to place a period at
the start of the read/write mount point's name (for example, /afs/.example.com). The period
distinguishes the read/write mount point from the regular mount point for the root.cell
volume at the same level. This is the only case in which it is conventional to create two mount points for the same
volume. A desirable side effect of this naming convention for this read/write mount point is that it does not appear in
the output of the UNIX ls command unless the -a flag
is included, essentially hiding it from regular users who have no use for it.The existence of a single read/write mount point at this point in the filespace provides access to the read/write
version of every volume when necessary, because it puts the Cache Manager on a read/write path right at the top of the
filespace. At the same time, the regular mount point for the root.cell volume puts the
Cache Manager on a read-only path most of the time.Using a read/write mount point for a read-only or backup volume is acceptable, but unnecessary. The first rule of
mount point traversal already specifies that the Cache Manager accesses them if the volume name in a regular mount point
has a .readonly or .backup extension.To create a read/write mount point, use the -rw flag on the fs mkmount command as described in To create a regular or read/write
mount point.When the Cache Manager crosses a cellular mount point, it accesses the indicated volume in
the specified cell, which is normally a foreign cell. (If the mount point does not name a cell along with the volume,
the Cache Manager accesses the volume in the cell where the mount point resides.) When crossing a regular cellular mount
point, the Cache Manager disregards the third mount point traversal rule. Instead, it accesses a read-only version of
the volume if it is replicated, even if the volume that houses the mount point is read/write.It is inappropriate to circumvent this behavior by creating a read/write cellular mount point, because traversing
the read/write path imposes an unfair load on the foreign cell's file server machines. The File Server must issue a
callback for each file fetched from the read/write volume, rather than single callback required for a read-only volume.
In any case, only a cell's own administrators generally need to access the read/write versions of replicated
volumes.cellular mount pointmount pointmount pointcellulardescribedmountingforeign volume in local cellIt is conventional to create cellular mount points only at the second level in a cell's filespace, using them to
mount foreign cells' root.cell volumes just below the AFS filespace root (by
convention, at /afs/foreign_cellname). The mount point
enables local users to access the foreign cell's filespace, assuming they have the necessary permissions on the ACL of
the volume's root directory and that there is an entry for the foreign cell in each local client machine's /usr/vice/etc/CellServDB file, as described in Maintaining Knowledge of
Database Server Machines.Creating cellular mount points at other levels in the filespace and mounting foreign volumes other than the
root.cell volume is not generally appropriate. It can be confusing to users if the
Cache Manager switches between cells at various points in a pathname.To create a regular cellular mount point, use the -cell argument to specify the
cell name, as described in To create a cellular mount point.To examine a mount point, use the fs lsmount command as described in To display a mount point. The command's output uses distinct notation to identify regular,
read/write, and cellular mount points. To remove a mount point, use the fs rmmount command as
described in To remove a mount point.Creating a mount point in a foreign cellCreating a mount point in a foreign cell's filespace (as opposed to mounting a foreign volume in the local cell) is
basically the same as creating a mount point in the local filespace. The differences are that the fs
mkmount command's directory argument specifies a pathname in the foreign cell rather than the local cell, and you
must have the required permissions on the ACL of the foreign directory where you are creating the mount point. The fs mkmount command's -cell argument always specifies the cell in which
the volume resides, not the cell in which to create the mount point.To display a mount pointdisplayingmount pointmount pointdisplayingmount pointdistinguishing different typescommandsfs lsmountfs commandslsmountIssue the fs lsmount command.
% fs lsmount <directory>
where lsIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of lsmount.directoryNames the mount point to display.If the specified directory is a mount point, the output is of the following form:
'directory' is a mount point for volume 'volume name'
For a regular mount point, a number sign (#) precedes the volume name string, as in the
following example command issued on a client machine in the example.com cell.
% fs lsmount /afs/example.com/usr/terry
'/afs/example.com/usr/terry' is a mount point for volume '#user.terry'
For a read/write mount point, a percent sign (%) precedes the volume name string, as in
the following example command issued on a client machine in the example.com cell. The cell's
administrators have followed the convention of preceding the read/write mount point's name with a period.
% fs lsmount /afs/.example.com
'/afs/.example.com' is a mount point for volume '%root.cell'
For a cellular mount point, a cell name and colon (:) follow the number or percent sign
and precede the volume name string, as in the following example command issued on a client machine in the example.com cell.
% fs lsmount /afs/example.org
'/afs/example.org' is a mount point for volume '#example.org:root.cell'
For a symbolic link to a mount point, the output is of the form shown in the following example command issued on a
client machine in the example.com cell.
% fs lsmount /afs/example
'/afs/example' is a symbolic link, leading to a mount point for volume '#root.cell'
If the directory is not a mount point or is not in AFS, the output reads as follows.
'directory' is not a mount point.
If the output is garbled, it is possible that the mount point has become corrupted in the local cache. Use the fs flushmount command as described in To flush one or more mount
points. This forces the Cache Manager to refetch the mount point.To create a regular or read/write mount pointcreatingread/write or regular mount pointmount pointcreating read/write or regularmount pointregularcreatingmount pointread/writecreatingcommandsfs mkmountgeneral instructionsfs commandsmkmountgeneral instructionsVerify that you have the i( insert) and a( administer) permissions on the ACL of the directory where you
are placing the mount point. If necessary, issue the fs listacl command, which is fully
described in Displaying ACLs.
% fs listacl [<dir/file path>]
Issue the fs mkmount command to create the mount point. Include the -rw flag if creating a read/write mount point.
% fs mkmount <directory> <volume name> [-rw]
where mkIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation for mkmount.directoryNames the mount point to create. A file or directory with the same name cannot already exist. A partial
pathname is interpreted relative to the current working directory.Specify the read/write path to the mount point, to avoid the failure that results when you attempt to create
a new mount point in a read-only volume. By convention, you indicate the read/write path by placing a period
before the cell name at the pathname's second level (for example, /afs/.example.com).
For further discussion of the concept of read/write and read-only paths through the filespace, see The Rules of Mount Point Traversal.volume nameSpecifies the volume's full name, including the .backup or .readonly extension for a backup or read-only volume, if appropriate.-rwCreates a read/write mount point.To create a cellular mount pointcreatingcellular mount pointmount pointcreating cellularmount pointcellularcreatingVerify that you have the i( insert) and a( administer) permissions on the ACL of the directory where you
are placing the mount point. If necessary, issue the fs listacl command, which is fully
described in Displaying ACLs.
% fs listacl [<dir/file path>]
If you are mounting one or more foreign cells' root.cell
volume at the second level in your filespace and your cell's root.afs volume is
replicated, you must create a temporary mount point for the root.afs volume's read/write
version in a directory on which the ACL grants you the i and a permissions. The following command creates a mount point called new_cells in your cell's /afs/.cellname
directory (the entry point to the read/write path in your cell).Substitute your cell's name for cellname.
% cd /afs/.cellname
% fs mkmount new_cells root.afs
% cd new_cellsIssue the fs mkmount command with the -cell
argument to create a cellular mount point. Repeat the command for each cellular mount point as required.
% fs mkmount <directory> <volume name> -cell <cell name>
where mkIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation for mkmount.directoryNames the mount point to create. A file or directory with the same name cannot already exist. A partial
pathname is interpreted relative to the current working directory. If you are mounting a foreign cell's root.cell volume, the standard value for this argument is the cell's complete Internet
domain name.volume nameSpecifies the volume's full name, usually root.cell for a cellular mount
point.-cellSpecifies the complete Internet domain name of the cell in which the volume resides.If you performed the instructions in Step 2, issue the vos
release command to release the new version of the root.afs volume to its
read-only sites. (This command requires that you be listed in your cell's /usr/afs/etc/UserList file. If necessary, verify by issuing the bos
listusers command, which is fully described in To display the users in the UserList
file.)Also issue the fs checkvolumes command to force the local Cache Manager to access
the new replica of the root.afs volume. If desired, you can also remove the temporary
new_cells mount point from the /afs/.cellname directory.
% vos release root.afs
% fs checkvolumes
% cd /afs/.cellname
% fs rmmount new_cellsFor your users to access a newly mounted foreign cell, you must also create an entry for it in each client machine's
local /usr/vice/etc/CellServDB file and either reboot the machine or use the fs newcell command to insert the entry directly into its kernel memory. See the instructions in
Maintaining Knowledge of Database Server Machines.To remove a mount pointremovingmount pointunmountingvolumemount pointremovingcommandsfs rmmountfs commandsrmmountVerify that you have the d( delete) permission on
the ACL of the directory from which you are removing the mount point. If necessary, issue the fs
listacl command, which is fully described in Displaying ACLs.
% fs listacl [<dir/file path>]
Members of the system:administrators group always implicitly have the a( administer) and by default also the l( lookup) permission on every ACL and can use the fs setacl command to grant other rights as necessary.Issue the fs rmmount command to remove the mount point. The volume still exists,
but its contents are inaccessible if this is the only mount point for it.
% fs rmmount <directory>
where rmIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of rmmount.directoryNames the mount point to remove. A partial pathname is interpreted relative to the current working
directory.Specify the read/write path to the mount point, to avoid the failure that results when you attempt to delete
a mount point from a read-only volume. By convention, you indicate the read/write path by placing a period before
the cell name at the pathname's second level (for example, /afs/.example.com). For
further discussion of the concept of read/write and read-only paths through the filespace, see The Rules of Mount Point Traversal.To access volumes directly by volume IDvolumedirect accessYou can directly access volumes by volume IDs. This is only
recommended for temporary access to a volume. For example, if you
have recently restored a volume from a backup, you can use this
syntax to quickly access the volume without mounting it.This feature is available with Windows and Linux based cache
managers by default. This feature is available with other Unix based
cache managers when the dynamic root (-dynroot) and fake stat
(-fakestat) modes are enabled.Examples:Windows:
\\afs\example.com%root.cell - Access a read/write volume directlyWindows:
\\afs\example.com#root.cell - Access a read-only volume directlyUnix:
/afs/.:mount/example.com:root.cell - Access a read/write volume directlyUnix:
/afs/.:mount/example.com:root.cell.readonly - Access a read-only volume directlyUnix:
/afs/.:mount/example.com:root.cell.backup - Access a backup volume directlyDisplaying Information About Volumesdisplayingvolume informationvolumedisplaying information aboutThis section explains how to display information about volumes. If you know a volume's name or volume ID number, there are
commands for displaying its VLDB entry, its volume header, or both. Other commands display the name or location of the volume
that contains a specified file or directory.For instructions on displaying a volume's quota, see Setting and Displaying Volume Quota and
Current Size.Displaying VLDB Entriesdisplayingvolume's VLDB entryVLDBdisplaying volume entryvolume entry (VLDB)displayinglocked VLDB entrydisplayingThe vos listvldb command displays the VLDB entry for the volumes indicated by the
combination of arguments you provide. The possibilities are listed here from most to least inclusive: To display every entry in the VLDB, provide no arguments. It can take a long time to generate the output,
depending on the number of entries.To display every VLDB entry that mentions a specific file server machine as the site of a volume, specify the
machine's name with the -server argument.To display every VLDB entry that mentions a certain partition on any file server machine as the site of a volume,
specify the partition name with the -partition argument.To display every VLDB entry that mentions a certain partition on a certain file server machine as the site of a
volume, combine the -server and -partition
arguments.To display a single VLDB entry, specify a volume name or ID number with the -name
argument.To display the VLDB entry only for volumes with locked VLDB entries, use the -locked flag with any of the site definitions mentioned previously.commandsvos listvldbsyntaxvos commandslistvldbsyntaxTo display VLDB entriesIssue the vos listvldb command.
% vos listvldb [-name <volume name or ID>] [-server <machine name>] \
[-partition <partition name>] [-locked]
where listvlIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of listvldb.-nameIdentifies one volume either by its complete name or volume ID number. Do not combine this argument with the
-server or -partition arguments.-serverSpecifies a file server machine. Combine this argument with the -partition
argument if desired, but not with the -name argument.-partitionSpecifies a partition. Combine this argument with the -server argument if
desired, but not with the -name argument.-lockedDisplays only locked VLDB entries. Combine this flag with any of the other options.The VLDB entry for each volume includes the following information: The base (read/write) volume name. The read-only and backup versions have the same name with a .readonly and .backup extension, respectively.The volume ID numbers allocated to the versions of the volume that actually exist, in fields labeled
RWrite for the read/write, ROnly for the read-only,
Backup for the backup, and RClone for the
ReleaseClone. (If a field does not appear, the corresponding version of the volume does not exist.) The appearance of
the RClone field normally indicates that a release operation did not complete
successfully; the Old release and New release flags
often also appear on one or more of the site definition lines described just following.sitecount in VLDBVLDBsite count for volumeThe number of sites that house a read/write or read-only copy of the volume, following the string
number of sites ->.type flag for volumeVLDB entryVLDBvolume type flagsreleasestatus flags on site definitions in VLDB entryVLDBrelease status flags in volume entrystatus flagrelease, on site definitions in VLDB entryA line for each site that houses a read/write or read-only copy of the volume, specifying the file server machine,
partition, and type of volume (RW for read/write or RO
for read-only). If a backup version exists, it is understood to share the read/write site. Several flags can appear with
a site definition: Not releasedstatus flag on site definition in VLDB entryNot releasedIndicates that the vos release command has not been issued since the
vos addsite command was used to define the read-only site.Old releasestatus flag on site definition in VLDB entryOld releaseIndicates that a vos release command did not complete successfully,
leaving the previous, obsolete version of the volume at this site.New releasestatus flag on site definition in VLDB entryNew releaseIndicates that a vos release command did not complete successfully, but
that this site did receive the correct new version of the volume.If the VLDB entry is locked, the string Volume is currently LOCKED.For further discussion of the New release and Old
release flags, see Replicating Volumes (Creating Read-only Volumes).An example of this command and its output for a single volume:
% vos listvldb user.terry
user.terry
RWrite: 50489902 Backup: 50489904
number of sites -> 1
server fs3.example.com partition /vicepc RW Site
Displaying Volume Headersdisplayingvolume headervolume headerdisplayingonlyThe vos listvol command displays the volume header for every volume on one or all
partitions on a file server machine. The vos command interpreter obtains the information from
the Volume Server on the specified machine. You can control the amount of information displayed by including one of the
-fast, the -long, or the -extended flags described following the instructions in To display volume
headers.To display a single volume's volume header of one volume only, use the vos examine
command as described in Displaying One Volume's VLDB Entry and Volume Header.commandsvos listvolsyntaxvos commandslistvolsyntaxTo display volume headersIssue the vos listvol command.
% vos listvol <machine name> [<partition name>] [-fast] [-long] [-extended]
where listvoIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of listvol.machine nameNames the file server machine for which to display volume headers. Provide this argument alone or with the
partition name argument.partition nameNames one partition on the file server machine named by the machine name argument, which must be provided
along with this one.-fastDisplays only the volume ID numbers of relevant volumes. Do not combine this flag with the -long or -extended flag.-longDisplays more detailed information about each volume. Do not combine this flag with the -fast or -extended flag.-extendedDisplays all of the information displayed by the -long flag, plus tables of
statistics about reads and writes to the files in the volume. Do not combine this flag with the -fast or -long flag.The output is ordered alphabetically by volume name and by default provides the following information on a single line
for each volume: NameVolume ID numbertype flag for volumevolume headerType (the flag is RW for read/write, RO for
read-only, BK for backup)Size in kilobytes (1024 equals a megabyte)Number of files in the volume, if the -extended flag is providedstatus flags in volume headerStatus on the file server machine, which is one of the following: On-line status flag in volume headerOn-lineThe volume is completely accessible to Cache Managers.Off-line status flag in volume headerOff-lineThe volume is not accessible to Cache Managers, but does not seem to be corrupted. This status appears
while a volume is being dumped, for example.needs salvage status flag in volume headerOff-line**needs salvage**The volume is not accessible to Cache Managers, because it seems to be corrupted. Use the bos salvage or salvager command to repair the
corruption.If the following message appears instead of the previously listed information, it indicates that a volume is not
accessible to Cache Managers or the vos command interpreter, for example because a clone is
being created.
**** Volume volume_ID is busy ****
If the following message appears instead of the previously listed information, it indicates that the File Server is
unable to attach the volume, perhaps because it is seriously corrupted. The FileLog and
VolserLog log files in the /usr/afs/logs directory on the
file server machine possibly provide additional information; use the bos getlog command to
display them.
**** Could not attach volume volume_ID ****
(For instructions on salvaging a corrupted or unattached volume, see Salvaging
Volumes.)The information about individual volumes is bracketed by summary lines. The first line of output specifies the number of
volumes in the listing. The last line of output summarizes the number of volumes that are online, offline, and busy, as in the
following example:
% vos listvol fs2.example.com /vicepb
Total number of volumes on server fs2.example.com \
partition /vicepb : 66
sys 1969534847 RW 1582 K On-line
sys.backup 1969535105 BK 1582 K On-line
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
user.pat 1969534536 RW 17518 K On-line
user.pat.backup 1969534538 BK 17537 K On-line
Total volumes onLine 66 ; Total volumes offLine 0 ; Total busy 0
Output with the -fast Flagvos commandslistvoloutput with -fast flagIf you include the -fast flag displays only the volume ID number of each volume,
arranged in increasing numerical order, as in the following example. The final line (which summarizes the number of on-line,
off-line, and busy volumes) is omitted.
% vos listvol fs3.example.com /vicepa -f
Total number of volumes on server fs3.example.com \
partition /vicepa: 37
50489902
50489904
.
.
35970325
49732810
Output with the -long Flagvos commandslistvoloutput with -long flagWhen you include the -long flag, , the output for each volume includes all of the
information in the default listing plus the following. Each item in this list corresponds to a separate line of output:
The file server machine and partition that house the volume, as determined by the command interpreter as the
command runs, rather than derived from the VLDB or the volume header.read/write volumeID number in volume headerread-only volumeID number in volume headerbackup volumeID number in volume headerReleaseClone volumeID number in volume headerRWrite field in volume headerROnly field in volume headerBackup field in volume headerRClone field in volume headerThe volume ID numbers associated with the various versions of the volume: read/write
(RWrite), read-only (ROnly), backup
(Backup), and ReleaseClone (RClone). One of them
matches the volume ID number that appears on the first line of the volume's output. If the value in the
RWrite, ROnly, or
Backup field is 0 (zero), there is no volume of that
type. If there is currently no ReleaseClone, the RClone field does not appear at
all.volume quotarecorded in volume headerMaxQuota field in volume headerThe maximum space quota allotted to the read/write copy of the volume, expressed in kilobyte blocks in the
MaxQuota field.creation daterecorded in volume headervolumeCreation date in volume headerThe date and time the volume was created, in the Creation field. If the volume
has been restored with the backup diskrestore, backup
volrestore, or vos restore command, this is the restore time.update daterecorded in volume headervolumeLast Update date in volume headerThe date and time when the contents of the volume last changed, in the Last
Update field. For read-only and backup volumes, it matches the timestamp in the
Creation field.accesscount, in volume headervolumecounter in header for number of accessesThe number of times the volume has been accessed for a fetch or store operation since the later of the two
following times: 12:00 a.m. on the day the command is issuedThe last time the volume changed locationAn example of the output when the -long flag is included:
% vos listvol fs2.example.com b -long
Total number of volumes on server fs2.example.com
partition /vicepb: 66
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
user.pat 1969534536 RW 17518 K On-line
fs2.example.com /vicepb
RWrite 1969534536 ROnly 0 Backup 1969534538
MaxQuota 20000 K
Creation Mon Jun 12 09:02:25 1989
Last Update Thu Jan 4 17:39:34 1990
1573 accesses in the past day (i.e., vnode references)
user.pat.backup 1969534538 BK 17537 K On-line
fs2.example.com /vicepb
RWrite 1969534536 ROnly 0 Backup 1969534538
MaxQuota 20000 K
Creation Fri Jan 5 06:37:59 1990
Last Update Fri Jan 5 06:37:59 1990
0 accesses in the past day (i.e., vnode references)
. . . . .
. . . . .
Total volumes onLine 66 ; Total volumes offLine 0 ; Total busy 0
Output with the -extended Flagvos commandslistvoloutput with -extended flagWhen you include the -extended flag, the output for each volume includes all of the
information reported with the -long flag, plus two tables of statistics: The table labeled Raw Read/Write Stats table summarizes the number of times the
volume has been accessed for reading or writing.The table labeled Writes Affecting Authorship table contains information on
writes made to files and directories in the specified volume.An example of the output when the -extended flag is included:
% vos listvol fs3.example.com a -extended
common.bboards 1969535592 RW 23149 K used 9401 files On-line
fs3.example.com /vicepa
RWrite 1969535592 ROnly 0 Backup 1969535594
MaxQuota 30000 K
Creation Mon Mar 8 14:26:05 1999
Last Update Mon Apr 26 09:20:43 1999
11533 accesses in the past day (i.e., vnode references)
Raw Read/Write Stats
|-------------------------------------------|
| Same Network | Diff Network |
|----------|----------|----------|----------|
| Total | Auth | Total | Auth |
|----------|----------|----------|----------|
Reads | 151 | 151 | 1092 | 1068 |
Writes | 3 | 3 | 324 | 324 |
|-------------------------------------------|
Writes Affecting Authorship
|-------------------------------------------|
| File Authorship | Directory Authorship|
|----------|----------|----------|----------|
| Same | Diff | Same | Diff |
|----------|----------|----------|----------|
0-60 sec | 92 | 0 | 100 | 4 |
1-10 min | 1 | 0 | 14 | 6 |
10min-1hr | 0 | 0 | 19 | 4 |
1hr-1day | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
1day-1wk | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
> 1wk | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|-------------------------------------------|
Displaying One Volume's VLDB Entry and Volume HeaderdisplayingVLDB entrywith volume headerdisplayingVLDB entry with volume headerVLDBdisplaying entrywith volume headerentry in VLDBdisplaying, with volume headerdisplayingvolume headerwith VLDB entrydisplayingvolume header with VLDB entryvolume headerdisplayingwith VLDB entryThe vos examine command displays information from both the VLDB and the volume header
for a single volume. There is some redundancy in the information from the two sources, which allows you to compare the VLDB
and volume header.Because the volume header for each version of a volume (read/write, read-only, and backup) is different, you can specify
which one to display. Include the .readonly or .backup
extension on the volume name or ID argument as appropriate. The information from the VLDB is the same for all three
versions.commandsvos examinebasic instructionsvos commandsexaminebasic instructionsTo display one volume's VLDB entry and volume headerIssue the vos examine command.
% vos examine <volume name or ID>
where eIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of examine.volume name or IDIdentifies one volume either by its complete name or volume ID number. It can be a read/write, read-only, or
backup type. Use the .backup or .readonly
extension if appropriate.The top part of the output displays the same information from a volume header as the vos
listvol command with the -long flag, as described following the instructions in
To display volume headers. If you specify the read-only version of the volume and it exists at
more than one site, the output includes all of them. The bottom part of the output lists the same information from the VLDB as
the vos listvldb command, as described following the instructions in To display VLDB entries.Below is an example for a volume whose VLDB entry is currently locked.
% vos examine user.terry
user.terry 536870981 RW 3459 K On-line
fs3.example.com /vicepa
Write 5360870981 ROnly 0 Backup 536870983
MaxQuota 40000 K
Creation Mon Jun 12 15:22:06 1989
Last Update Fri Jun 16 09:34:35 1989
5719 accesses in the past day (i.e., vnode references)
RWrite: 5360870981 Backup: 536870983
number of sites -> 1
server fs3.example.com partition /vicepa RW Site
Volume is currently LOCKED
Displaying the Name or Location of the Volume that Contains a FileThis section explains how to learn the name, volume ID number, or location of the volume that contains a file or
directory.You can also use one piece of information about a volume (for example, its name) to obtain other information about it
(for example, its location). The following list points you to the relevant instructions: translatingvolume name to ID numberlearningvolume IDgiven volume namevolume nametranslatingto volume ID numbervolume ID numberlearningfrom volume namevos commandsexamineto learn volume IDtranslatingvolume ID number to namelearningvolume namegiven volume ID numbervolume namelearningfrom volume ID numbervolume ID numbertranslatingto volume namevos commandsexamineto learn volume nameTo use a volume's name to learn the volume ID numbers of all its existing versions, use the vos examine command as described in To display one volume's VLDB entry
and volume header.You can also use the command to learn a volume's name by providing its ID number.To use a volume's name or ID number to learn its location, use the vos listvldb
command as described in To display VLDB entries.translatingvolume name/ID number to volume locationlearningvolume locationgiven volume name/ID numbervolume nametranslatingto volume locationvolume ID numbertranslatingto volume locationvolume locationlearning from volume name/ID numbervos commandslistvldbto learn volume locationtranslatingdirectory/file name to volume namelearningvolume namegiven directory/file namedirectory/file nametranslating to volume namevolume namelearningfrom directory/file namecommandsfs listquotafs commandslistquotaTo display the name of the volume that contains a fileIssue the fs listquota command.
% fs listquota [<dir/file path>]
where lqIs an acceptable alias for listquota(and listq the shortest acceptable abbreviation).dir/file pathNames a directory or file housed in the volume for which to display the name. Partial pathnames are
interpreted relative to the current working directory, which is the default if this argument is omitted.The following is an example of the output:
% fs listquota /afs/example.com/usr/terry
Volume Name Quota Used % Used Partition
user.terry 15000 5071 34% 86%
translatingdirectory/file name to volume ID numberlearningvolume IDgiven directory/file namedirectory/file nametranslating to volume ID numbervolume ID numberlearning from directory/file namecommandsfs examinefs commandsexamineTo display the ID number of the volume that contains a fileIssue the fs examine command.
% fs examine [<dir/file path>]
where exaIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of examine.dir/file pathNames a directory or file housed in the volume for which to display the volume ID. Partial pathnames are
interpreted relative to the current working directory, which is the default if this argument is omitted.The following example illustrates how the output reports the volume ID number in the
vid field.
% fs examine /afs/example.com/usr/terry
Volume status for vid = 50489902 named user.terry
Current maximum quota is 15000
Current blocks used are 5073
The partition has 46383 blocks available out of 333305
The partition-related statistics in this command's output do not always agree with the corresponding values in the
output of the standard UNIX df command. The statistics reported by this command can be up
to five minutes old, because the Cache Manager polls the File Server for partition information at that frequency. Also, on
some operating systems, the df command's report of partition size includes reserved space
not included in this command's calculation, and so is likely to be about 10% larger.translatingdirectory/file name to volume locationlearningvolume locationgiven directory/file namedirectory/file nametranslating to volume locationvolume locationlearning from directory/file namevolumelocationvolume locationcommandsfs whereisfs commandswhereisTo display the location of the volume that contains a fileIssue the fs whereis command to display the name of the file server machine that
houses the volume containing a file or directory.
% fs whereis [<dir/file path>]
where wheIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of whereis.dir/file pathNames a directory or file for which to report the location. Partial pathnames are interpreted relative to
the current working directory, which is the default if this argument is omitted.The output displays the file server machine that houses the volume containing the file, as in the following
example:
% fs whereis /afs/example.com/user/terry
File /afs/example.com/usr/terry is on host fs2.example.com
If you also want to know which partition houses the volume, first issue the fs
listquota command to display the volume's name. For complete syntax, see To display
the name of the volume that contains a file.
% fs listquota [<dir/file path>]
Then issue the vos listvldb command, providing the volume name as the volume name
or ID argument. For complete syntax and a description of the output, see To display VLDB
entries.
% vos listvldb <volume name or ID>
Moving VolumesmovingvolumevolumemovingThere are three main reasons to move volumes: To place volumes on other partitions or machines temporarily while repairing or replacing a disk or file server
machine.disk partitionmoving volumes to reduce overcrowdingovercrowding of disk partitionmoving volumes to reduceovercrowding of disk partitioneffect on usersfailureof file storage due to full partitionfile storagefailed due to partition crowding To free space on a partition that is becoming overcrowded. One symptom of overcrowding is that users cannot
to save files even though the relevant volume is below its quota. The following error message confirms the problem:
afs: failed to store file (partition full)
You can track available space on AFS server partitions by using the scout or
afsmonitor programs described in Monitoring and Auditing AFS
Performance.A file server machine is becoming overloaded because it houses many more volumes than other machines of the same
size, or has volumes with more popular files in them.read/write volumemovingbackup volumeremoved by read/write moveTo move a read/write volume, use the vos move command as described in the following
instructions. Before attempting to move the volume, the vos command interpreter verifies that
there is enough free space for it on the destination partition. If not, it does not attempt the move operation and prints the
following message.
vos: no space on target partition destination_part to move volume volume
To move a read-only volume, you actually remove the volume from the current site by issuing the vos
remove command as described in To remove a volume and unmount it. Then define a new
site and release the volume to it by issuing the vos addsite and vos
release commands as described in To replicate a read/write volume (create a read-only
volume).read-only volumemovingbackup volumemovingA backup volume always resides at the same site as its read/write source volume, so you cannot move a backup volume except
as part of moving the read/write source. The vos move command automatically deletes the backup
version when you move a read/write volume. To create a new backup volume at the new site as soon as the move operation
completes, issue the vos backup command as described in To create and
mount a backup volume.commandsvos movebasic instructionsvos commandsmovebasic instructionsTo move a read/write volumeVerify that you are listed in the /usr/afs/etc/UserList file. If necessary, issue
the bos listusers command, which is fully described in To
display the users in the UserList file.
% bos listusers <machine name>
Issue the vos move command to move the volume. Type it on a single line; it appears
on multiple lines here only for legibility.
% vos move <volume name or ID> \ <machine name on source>
<partition name on source > \ <machine name on destination> <partition name on
destination>
where mIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of move.volume name or IDSpecifies the name or volume ID number of the read/write volume to move.machine name on sourceNames the file server machine currently housing the volume.partition name on sourceNames the partition currently housing the volume.machine name on destinationNames the file server machine to which to move the volume.partition name on destinationNames the partition to which to move the volume.It is best not to halt a vos move operation before it completes, because parts of
the volume can be left on both the source and destination machines. For more information, see the command's reference
page in the OpenAFS Administration Reference.(Optional) Issue the vos listvldb command to
confirm the success of the move. Complete instructions appear in To display VLDB entries.
% vos listvldb <volume name or ID>
If a backup version existed at the read/write volume's previous site, create a new backup at the new site by issuing
the vos backup command, which is fully described in To create
and mount a backup volume.
% vos backup <volume name or ID>
Synchronizing the VLDB and Volume HeadersVLDBsynchronizing with volume headersvolume headersynchronizing with VLDBvolumesynchronizing VLDB and volume headerAFS can provide transparent file access because the Volume Location Database (VLDB) constantly tracks volume locations.
When the Cache Manager needs a file, it contacts the Volume Location (VL) Server, which reads the VLDB for the current location
of the volume containing the file. Therefore, the VLDB must accurately reflect the state of volumes on the file server machines
at all times. The Volume Server and VL Server automatically update a volume's VLDB entry when its status changes during a
vos operation, by performing the following series of steps. The VL Server locks the VLDB entry. The lock advises other operations not to manipulate any
of the volume versions (read/write, read-only, or backup), which prevents the inconsistency that can result from multiple
simultaneous operations.intention flag in VLDB entryVLDBintention flag set by VL Server
The VL Server sets an intention flag in the VLDB entry that
indicates the kind of operation to be performed. This flag never appears in VLDB listings because it is for internal use
only. In case the operation terminates prematurely, this flag tells the Salvager which operation was interrupted. (The
Salvager then determines the steps necessary either to complete the operation or return the volume to a previous
consistent state. For more information on salvaging, see Salvaging Volumes.)The Volume Server manipulates the volume. It usually sets the
Off-line flag in the volume header, which makes the volume inaccessible to the File
Server and other Volume Server operations during the manipulation. When the operation completes, the volume is again
marked On-line.The VL Server records any changes resulting from the operation in the VLDB entry. Once the
operation is complete, it removes the intention flag set in Step 2and releases the lock set
in Step 1.If a vos operation fails while the Volume Server is manipulating the volume
(corresponding to Step 3), the volume can be left in an intermediate state, which is termed
corruption. In this case, the Off-line or Off-line**needs
salvage** marker usually appears at the end of the first line of output from the vos
examine command. To repair the corruption, run the Salvager before attempting to resynchronize the VLDB and volume
headers. For salvaging instructions, see Salvaging Volumes.More commonly, an interruption while flags are being set or removed (corresponding to Step 1, Step 2, or Step 4) causes a
discrepancy between the VLDB and volume headers. To resynchronize the VLDB and volumes, use the vos
syncvldb and vos syncserv commands. To achieve complete VLDB consistency, it is best
to run the vos syncvldb command on all file server machines in the cell, and then run the
vos syncserv command on all file server machines in the cell.symptomsof VLDB/volume header desynchronizationdesynchronization of VLDB/volume headerssymptoms ofsynchrony of VLDB and volume headerssymptoms of lack ofThere are several symptoms that indicate a volume operation failed: Error messages on the standard error stream or in server process log files indicate that an operation terminated
abnormally. Perhaps you had to halt the operation before it completed (for instance, by using a signal such as Ctrl-c), or a file server machine or server process was not functioning when the operation ran. To
determine if a machine or process is still not functioning, issue the bos status command
as described in Displaying Process Status and Information from the BosConfig File.A subsequent vos operation fails because a previous failure left a VLDB entry
locked. Sometimes an error message reports that a volume is locked. To display a list of locked volumes, use the -locked flag on the vos listvldb command as described in Displaying VLDB Entries.If the only problem with a volume is that its VLDB entry is locked, you probably do not need to synchronize the
entire VLDB. Instead use the vos unlock or vos
unlockvldb command to unlock the entry, as described in Unlocking and Locking VLDB
Entries.A subsequent vos operation fails because a previous failure left a volume marked as
offline. To check a volume's current status, check the first line of output from the vos
examine command as described in Displaying One Volume's VLDB Entry and Volume
Header.synchrony of VLDB and volume headersrestoringrestoringsynchrony of VLDB and volume headersdesynchronization of VLDB/volume headersfixingSalvagerrunning before VLDB/volume header resynchronizationvos commandssyncvldbeffectThe vos syncvldb command corrects the information in the Volume Location Database (VLDB)
either about all volumes housed on a file server machine, about the volumes on just one partition, or about a single volume. If
checking about one or more partitions, the command contacts the Volume Server to obtain a list of the volumes that actually
reside on each partition. It then obtains the VLDB entry for each volume from the VL Server. It changes the VLDB entry as
necessary to reflect the state of the volume on the partition. For example, it creates or updates a VLDB entry when it finds a
volume for which the VLDB entry is missing or incomplete. However, if there is already a VLDB entry that defines a different
location for the volume, or there are irreconcilable conflicts with other VLDB entries, it instead writes a message about the
conflict to the standard error stream. The command never removes volumes from the file server machine.When checking a single volume's VLDB entry, the command also automatically performs the operations invoked by the
vos syncserv command: it not only verifies that the VLDB entry is correct for the specified
volume type (read/write, backup, or read-only), but also checks that any related volume types mentioned in the VLDB entry
actually exist at the site listed in the entry.vos commandssyncserveffectThe vos syncserv command verifies that each volume type (read/write, read-only, and
backup) mentioned in a VLDB entry actually exists at the site indicated in the entry. It checks all VLDB entries that mention a
site either on any of a file server machine's partitions or on one partition. Note that command can end up inspecting sites
other than on the specified machine or partition, if there are read-only versions of the volume at sites other than the
read/write site.The command alters any incorrect information in the VLDB, unless there is an irreconcilable conflict with other VLDB
entries. In that case, it writes a message to the standard error stream instead. The command never removes volumes from their
sites.commandsvos syncvldbvos commandssyncvldbsyntaxcommandsvos syncservvos commandssyncservsyntaxTo synchronize the VLDB with volume headersVerify that you are listed in the /usr/afs/etc/UserList file. If necessary, issue
the bos listusers command, which is fully described in To
display the users in the UserList file.
% bos listusers <machine name>
Issue the vos syncvldb command to make the VLDB reflect
the true state of all volumes on a machine or partition, or the state of one volume.To synchronize the VLDB completely, issue the command repeatedly, substituting each file server machine in your
cell for the -server argument in turn and omitting the -partition and -volume arguments, before proceeding to Step
3.
% vos syncvldb -server <machine name> [-partition <partition name>] \
[-volume <volume name or ID>] [-verbose >> file]
where syncvIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of syncvldb.-serverNames the file server machine housing the volumes for which to verify VLDB entries. If you are also
providing the -volume argument, this argument must name the machine where the
volume actually resides.-partitionIdentifies the partition (on the file server machine specified by the -server argument) housing the volumes for which to verify VLDB entries. In general, it is
best to omit this argument so that either the VLDB entries for all volumes on a server machine are corrected (if
you do not provide the -volume argument), or so that you do not need to guarantee
that the partition actually houses the volume named by the -volume
argument.-volumeSpecifies the name or volume ID number of a single volume for which to verify the VLDB entry.-verbose >> fileDirects a detailed trace to the file called file, which can be either in AFS or on the local disk of the
machine on which you are issuing the command. The command often writes a large amount of output to the standard
output stream; writing it to a file enables you to examine the output more carefully.Issue the vos syncserv command to inspect each volume
for which the VLDB lists a version at the specified site.To synchronize the VLDB completely, issue the command repeatedly, substituting each file server machine in your
cell for the machine name argument in turn and omitting the partition name argument.
% vos syncserv <machine name> [<partition name>] [-v >> file]
where syncsIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of syncserv.machine nameNames the file server machine mentioned in each VLDB entry to check.partition nameIdentifies the partition mentioned in each VLDB entry to check. If synchronizing the entire VLDB, omit this
argument.-v >> fileDirects a detailed trace to the file called file, which can be either in AFS or on the local disk of the
machine on which you are issuing the command. The command often writes a large amount of output to the standard
output stream; writing it to a file enables you to examine the output more carefully.Salvaging Volumesvolumesalvagingcorruptionsymptoms and typessymptomsvolume corruptionvolumesymptoms of corruptionSalvagerinstructions for invokingfile server machinesalvaging volumessalvagingvolumespartitionsalvaging all volumesAn unexpected interruption while the Volume Server or File Server is manipulating the data in a volume can leave the
volume in an intermediate state (corrupted), rather than just creating a discrepancy between the
information in the VLDB and volume headers. For example, the failure of the operation that saves changes to a file (by
overwriting old data with new) can leave the old and new data mixed together on the disk.If an operation halts because the Volume Server or File Server exits unexpectedly, the BOS Server automatically shuts down
all components of the fs process and invokes the Salvager. The Salvager checks for and repairs
any inconsistencies it can. Sometimes, however, there are symptoms of the following sort, which indicate corruption serious
enough to create problems but not serious enough to cause the File Server component to fail. In these cases you can invoke the
Salvager yourself by issuing the bos salvage command. Symptom: A file appears in the output of the ls
command, but attempts to access the file fail with messages indicating that it does not exist.Possible cause: The Volume Server or File Server exited in the middle of a
file-creation operation, after changing the directory structure, but before actually storing data. (Other possible causes
are that the ACL on the directory does not grant the permissions you need to access the file, or there is a process,
machine, or network outage. Check for these causes before assuming the file is corrupted.)Salvager's solution: Remove the file's entry from the directory structure.Symptom: A volume is marked Off-line in the output
from the vos examine and vos listvol commands, or
attempts to access the volume fail.Possible cause: Two files or versions of a file are sharing the same disk blocks
because of an interrupted operation. The File Server and Volume Server normally refuse to attach volumes that exhibit this
type of corruption, because it can be very dangerous. If the Volume Server or File Server do attach the volume but are
unsure of the status of the affected disk blocks, they sometimes try to write yet more data there. When they cannot
perform the write, the data is lost. This effect can cascade, causing loss of all data on a partition.Salvager's solution: Delete the data from the corrupted disk blocks in preference
to losing an entire partition.Symptom: There is less space available on the partition than you expect based on
the size statistic reported for each volume by the vos listvol command.Possible cause: There are orphaned files and directories. An
orphaned element is completely inaccessible because it is not referenced by any directory that can
act as its parent (is higher in the file tree). An orphaned element is not counted in the calculation of a volume's size
(or against its quota), even though it occupies space on the server partition.Salvager's solution: By default, print a message to the /usr/afs/logs/SalvageLog file reporting how many orphans were found and the approximate number of
kilobytes they are consuming. You can use the -orphans argument to remove or attach
orphaned elements instead. See To salvage volumes.When you notice symptoms such as these, use the bos salvage command to invoke the
Salvager before corruption spreads. (Even though it operates on volumes, the command belongs to the bos suite because the BOS Server must coordinate the shutdown and restart of the Volume Server and File
Server with the Salvager. It shuts them down before the Salvager starts, and automatically restarts them when the salvage
operation finishes.)All of the AFS data stored on a file server machine is inaccessible during the salvage of one or more partitions. If you
salvage just one volume, it alone is inaccessible.When processing one or more partitions, the command restores consistency to corrupted read/write volumes where possible.
For read-only or backup volumes, it inspects only the volume header: If the volume header is corrupted, the Salvager removes the volume completely and records the removal in its log
file, /usr/afs/logs/SalvageLog. Issue the vos release or
vos backup command to create the read-only or backup volume again.If the volume header is intact, the Salvager skips the volume (does not check for corruption in the contents).
However, if the File Server notices corruption as it initializes, it sometimes refuses to attach the volume or bring it
online. In this case, it is simplest to remove the volume by issuing the vos remove or
vos zap command. Then issue the vos release or vos backup command to create it again.Combine the bos salvage command's arguments as indicated to salvage different numbers of
volumes: To salvage all volumes on a file server machine, combine the -server argument and
the -all flag.To salvage all volumes on one partition, combine the -server and -partition arguments.To salvage only one read/write volume, combine the -server, -partition, and -volume arguments. Only that volume is
inaccessible to Cache Managers, because the BOS Server does not shutdown the File Server and Volume Server processes
during the salvage of a single volume. Do not name a read-only or backup volume with the -volume argument. Instead, remove the volume, using the vos remove
or vos zap command. Then create a new copy of the volume with the vos release or vos backup command.The Salvager always writes a trace to the /usr/afs/logs/SalvageLog file on the file
server machine where it runs. To record the trace in another file as well (either in AFS or on the local disk of the machine
where you issue the bos salvage command), name the file with the -file argument. Or, to display the trace on the standard output stream as it is written to the /usr/afs/logs/SalvageLog file, include the -showlog flag.By default, multiple Salvager subprocesses run in parallel: one for each partition up to four, and four subprocesses for
four or more partitions. To increase or decrease the number of subprocesses running in parallel, provide a positive integer
value for the -parallel argument.If there is more than one server partition on a physical disk, the Salvager by default salvages them serially to avoid the
inefficiency of constantly moving the disk head from one partition to another. However, this strategy is often not ideal if the
partitions are configured as logical volumes that span multiple disks. To force the Salvager to salvage logical volumes in
parallel, provide the string all as the value for the -parallel argument. Provide a positive integer to specify the number of subprocesses to run in parallel
(for example, -parallel 5all for five subprocesses), or omit the integer to run up to four
subprocesses, depending on the number of logical volumes being salvaged.The Salvager creates temporary files as it runs, by default writing them to the partition it is salvaging. The number of
files can be quite large, and if the partition is too full to accommodate them, the Salvager terminates without completing the
salvage operation (it always removes the temporary files before exiting). Other Salvager subprocesses running at the same time
continue until they finish salvaging all other partitions where there is enough disk space for temporary files. To complete the
interrupted salvage, reissue the command against the appropriate partitions, adding the -tmpdir
argument to redirect the temporary files to a local disk directory that has enough space.The -orphans argument controls how the Salvager handles orphaned files and directories
that it finds on server partitions it is salvaging. An orphaned element is completely inaccessible because it is not referenced
by the vnode of any directory that can act as its parent (is higher in the filespace). Orphaned objects occupy space on the
server partition, but do not count against the volume's quota.During the salvage, the output of the bos status command reports the following auxiliary
status for the fs process:
Salvaging file system
bos commandssalvagecommandsbos salvageTo salvage volumesVerify that you are listed in the /usr/afs/etc/UserList file. If necessary, issue
the bos listusers command, which is fully described in To
display the users in the UserList file.
% bos listusers <machine name>
Issue the bos salvage command to salvage one or more volumes.
% bos salvage -server <machine name> [-partition <salvage partition>] \
[-volume <salvage volume number or volume name>] \
[-file salvage log output file] [-all] [-showlog] \
[-parallel <# of max parallel partition salvaging>] \
[-tmpdir <directory to place tmp files>] \
[-orphans <ignore | remove | attach >]
where -serverNames the file server machine on which to salvage volumes. This argument can be combined either with the
-all flag, the -partition argument, or both the
-partition and -volume arguments.-partitionNames a single partition on which to salvage all volumes. The -server
argument must be provided along with this one.-volumeSpecifies the name or volume ID number of one read/write volume to salvage. Combine this argument with the
-server and -partition arguments.-fileSpecifies the complete pathname of a file into which to write a trace of the salvage operation, in addition
to the /usr/afs/logs/SalvageLog file on the server machine. If the file pathname
is local, the trace is written to the specified file on the local disk of the machine where the bos salvage command is issued. If the -volume argument is
included, the file can be in AFS, though not in the volume being salvaged. Do not combine this argument with the
-showlog flag.-allSalvages all volumes on all of the partitions on the machine named by the -server argument.-showlogDisplays the trace of the salvage operation on the standard output stream, as well as writing it to the
/usr/afs/logs/SalvageLog file.-parallelSpecifies the maximum number of Salvager subprocesses to run in parallel. Provide one of three values:
An integer from the range 1 to 32. A
value of 1 means that a single Salvager process salvages the partitions
sequentially.The string all to run up to four Salvager subprocesses in parallel on
partitions formatted as logical volumes that span multiple physical disks. Use this value only with such
logical volumes.The string all followed immediately (with no intervening space) by an
integer from the range 1 to 32, to run the
specified number of Salvager subprocesses in parallel on partitions formatted as logical volumes. Use this
value only with such logical volumes.The BOS Server never starts more Salvager subprocesses than there are partitions, and always starts only one
process to salvage a single volume. If this argument is omitted, up to four Salvager subprocesses run in
parallel.-tmpdirSpecifies the full pathname of a local disk directory to which the Salvager process writes temporary files
as it runs. By default, it writes them to the partition it is currently salvaging.-orphansControls how the Salvager handles orphaned files and directories. Choose one of the following three values:
ignoreLeaves the orphaned objects on the disk, but prints a message to the /usr/afs/logs/SalvageLog file reporting how many orphans were found and the
approximate number of kilobytes they are consuming. This is the default if you omit the -orphans argument.removeRemoves the orphaned objects, and prints a message to the /usr/afs/logs/SalvageLog file reporting how many orphans were removed and the
approximate number of kilobytes they were consuming.attachAttaches the orphaned objects by creating a reference to them in the vnode of the volume's root
directory. Since each object's actual name is now lost, the Salvager assigns each one a name of the
following form: _ _ORPHANFILE_ _. index for files_ _ORPHANDIR_ _. index for directorieswhere index is a two-digit number that uniquely identifies each object. The orphans are charged
against the volume's quota and appear in the output of the ls command
issued against the volume's root directory.Setting and Displaying Volume Quota and Current Sizevolumequotavolume quotadefaultvolume quotaEvery AFS volume has an associated quota which limits the volume's size. The default quota for a newly created volume is
5,000 kilobyte blocks (slightly less that 5 MB). When a volume reaches its quota, the File Server rejects attempts to create new
files or directories in it. If an application is writing data into an existing file in a full volume, the File Server allows a
defined overage (by default, 1 MB). (You can use the fileserver command's -spare or -pctspare argument to change the default overage; see the
command's reference page in the OpenAFS Administration Reference.)To set a quota other than 5000 KB as you create a volume, include the -maxquota argument
to the vos create command, as described in Creating Read/write
Volumes. To modify an existing volume's quota, issue either the fs setquota or the
fs setvol command as described in the following instructions. Do not set an existing volume's
quota lower than its current size.In general, smaller volumes are easier to administer than larger ones. If you need to move volumes, say for load-balancing
purposes, it is easier to find enough free space on other partitions for small volumes. Move operations complete more quickly
for small volumes, reducing the potential for outages or other errors to interrupt the move. AFS supports a maximum volume size,
which can vary for different AFS releases; see the OpenAFS Release Notes for the version you are using.
Also, the size of a partition or logical places an absolute limit on volume size, because a volume cannot span multiple
partitions or logical volumes.It is generally safe to overpack partitions by putting more volumes on them than can actually fit if all the volumes reach
their maximum quota. However, only experience determines to what degree overpacking works in your cell. It depends on what kind
of quota you assign to volumes (particularly user volumes, which are more likely than system volumes to grow unpredictably) and
how much information people generate and store in comparison to their quota.There are several commands that display a volume's quota, as described in the following instructions. They differ in how
much related information they produce.To set quota for a single volumemaximum volume quotasettingvolume quotaon single volumevolume quotasettingon single volumecommandsfs setquotafs commandssetquotaVerify that you belong to the system:administrators group. If necessary, issue the
pts membership command, which is fully described in To display
the members of the system:administrators group.
% pts membership system:administratorsIssue the fs setquota command to set the volume's maximum quota.
% fs setquota [<dir/file path>] -max <max quota in kbytes>
where sqIs an acceptable alias for setquota.dir/file pathNames a file or directory in the volume for which to set the indicated quota. Partial pathnames are
interpreted relative to the current working directory, which is the default if you omit this argument.Specify the read/write path to the file or directory, to avoid the failure that results when you attempt to
change a read-only volume. By convention, you indicate the read/write path by placing a period before the cell
name at the pathname's second level (for example, /afs/.example.com). For further
discussion of the concept of read/write and read-only paths through the filespace, see The Rules of Mount Point Traversal.max quota in kbytesSets the volume's quota, expressed in kilobyte blocks ( 1024 equals a
megabyte). A value of 0 grants an unlimited quota, but the size of the partition
imposes an absolute limit. You must include the -max switch if omitting the
dir/file path argument (to set the quota on the volume that houses the current working directory).To set maximum quota on one or more volumessettingvolume quotaon multiple volumesvolume quotasettingon multiple volumescommandsfs setvolfs commandssetvolVerify that you belong to the system:administrators group. If necessary, issue the
pts membership command, which is fully described in To display
the members of the system:administrators group.
% pts membership system:administratorsIssue the fs setvol command to set the quota on one or more volumes.
% fs setvol [<dir/file path>+] -max <disk space quota in 1K units>
where svIs an acceptable alias for setvol.dir/file pathNames one file or directory that resides in each volume for which to set the indicated quota. Partial
pathnames are interpreted relative to the current working directory, which is the default if you omit this
argument.disk space quota in 1K unitsSets the maximum quota on each volume, expressed in kilobytes blocks ( 1024
equals a megabyte). A value of 0 grants an unlimited quota, but the size of the
partition does impose an absolute limit.commandsfs quotafs commandsquotadisplayingvolume quotapercent usedvolume quotadisplayingpercent usedTo display percent quota usedIssue the fs quota command.
% fs quota [<dir/file path>+]
where qIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of quota.dir/file pathNames a directory or file in each volume for which to display percent quota used. Partial pathnames are
interpreted relative to the current working directory, which is the default if you omit this argument.The following example illustrates the output produced by this command:
% fs quota /afs/example.com/usr/terry
34% of quota used.
commandsfs listquotafs commandslistquotadisplayingvolume quotawith volume sizevolume quotadisplayingwith volume sizedisplayingvolume sizevolumesize, displayingTo display quota, current size, and other informationIssue the fs listquota command.
% fs listquota [<dir/file path>+]
where lqIs an alias for listquota.dir/file pathNames a directory or file in each volume for which to display quota along with volume name and current space
usage. Partial pathnames are interpreted relative to the current working directory, which is the default if you
omit this argument.As illustrated in the following example, the output reports the volume's name, its quota and current size (both in
kilobyte units), the percent quota used, and the percentage of space on the volume's host partition that is used.
% fs listquota /afs/example.com/usr/terry
Volume Name Quota Used % Used Partition
user.terry 15000 5071 34% 86%
displayingvolume quotawith volume & partition infodisplayingvolume sizevolume quotadisplayingwith volume &partition infodisplayingdisk partition sizedisk partitiondisplaying size of singlecommandsfs examinefs commandsexamineTo display quota, current size, and more partition informationIssue the fs examine command.
% fs examine [<dir/file path>+]
where exaIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of examine.dir/file pathNames a directory or file in each volume for which to display quota information and information about the
host partition. Partial pathnames are interpreted relative to the current working directory, which is the default
if you omit this argument.As illustrated in the following example, the output displays the volume's volume ID number and name, its quota and
current size (both in kilobyte units), and the free and total number of kilobyte blocks on the volume's host partition.
% fs examine /afs/example.com/usr/terry
Volume status for vid = 50489902 named user.terry
Current maximum quota is 15000
Current blocks used are 5073
The partition has 46383 blocks available out of 333305
The partition-related statistics in this command's output do not always agree with the corresponding values in the
output of the standard UNIX df command. The statistics reported by this command can be up
to five minutes old, because the Cache Manager polls the File Server for partition information at that frequency. Also, on
some operating systems, the df command's report of partition size includes reserved space
not included in this command's calculation, and so is likely to be about 10% larger.Removing Volumes and their Mount Pointsvolumeremovingbasic instructionsremovingmount pointunmountingvolumemount pointremovingremovingvolumeTo remove a volume from its site and its record from the VLDB, use the vos remove
command. Use it to remove any of the three types of volumes; the effect depends on the type. read/write volumeremovingeffect ofbackup volumeremoved by read/write removal If you indicate the read/write volume by specifying the volume's base name without a .readonly or .backup extension, the command removes both the
read/write and associated backup volume from the partition that houses them. You do not need to provide the -server and -partition arguments, because there can be only one
read/write site. The site information is also removed from the VLDB entry, and the site count (reported by the vos examine and vos listvldb commands as number of
sites) decrements by one. The read/write and backup volume ID numbers no longer appear in the output from
the vos examine and vos listvldb commands, but they are
preserved internally. Read-only sites, if any, are not affected, but cannot be changed unless a read/write site is again
defined. The entire VLDB entry is removed if there are no read-only sites.If there are no read-only copies left, it is best to remove the volume's mount point to prevent attempts to access
the volume's contents. Do not remove the mount point if copies of the read-only volume remain.If you indicate a read-only volume by including the .readonly extension on its
name, it is removed from the partition that houses it, and the corresponding site information is removed from the VLDB
entry. The site count reported by the vos examine and vos
listvldb commands as number of sites decrements by one for each volume you
remove.read-only volumeremovingeffect ofIf there is more than one read-only site, you must include the -server argument
(and optionally -partition argument) to specify the site from which to remove the volume.
If there is only one read-only site, the volume name is sufficient; if no read/write volume exists in this case, the
entire VLDB entry is removed.It is not generally appropriate to remove the volume's mount point when removing a read-only volume, especially if
the read/write version of the volume still exists. If the read/write version no longer exists, remove the mount point as
described in Step 5of To remove a volume and unmount
it.If you indicate a backup volume by including the .backup extension on its name, it
is removed from the partition that houses it and its site information is removed from the VLDB entry. You do not need to
provide the -server and -partition arguments, because
there can be only one backup site. The backup volume ID number no longer appears in the output from the vos examine or vos listvldb command, but is preserved
internally.In the standard configuration, there is a separate mount point for the backup version of a user volume. Remember to
remove the mount point to prevent attempt to access the nonexistent volume's contents.Other Removal Commandsvolumeremovingalternate commandsThe vos remove command is almost always the appropriate way to remove a volume, because
it automatically removes a volume's VLDB entry and both the volume header and all data from the partition. If either the VLDB
entry or volume header does not exist, it is sometimes necessary to use other commands that remove only the remaining element.
Do not use these commands in the normal case when both the VLDB entry and the volume header exist, because by definition they
create discrepancies between them. For details on the commands' syntax, see their reference pages in the OpenAFS
Administration Reference.commandsvos zapvos commandszapThe vos zap command removes a volume from its site by removing the volume header and
volume data for which a VLDB entry no longer exists. You can tell a VLDB entry is missing if the vos
listvol command displays the volume header but the vos examine or vos listvldb command cannot locate the VLDB entry. You must run this command to correct the
discrepancy, because the vos syncvldb and vos syncserv
commands never remove volume headers.commandsvos remsitevos commandsremsiteThe vos remsite command removes a read-only site definition from the VLDB without
affecting the volume on the file server machine. Use this command when you have mistakenly issued the vos addsite command to define a read-only site, but have not yet issued the vos
release command to release the volume to the site. If you have actually released a volume to the site, use the
vos remove command instead.commandsvos delentryvos commandsdelentryThe vos delentry command removes the entire VLDB entry that mentions the volume you
specify. If versions of the volume actually exist on file server machines, they are not affected. This command is useful if
you know for certain that a volume removal was not recorded in the VLDB (perhaps you used the vos
zap command during an emergency), and do not want to take the time to resynchronize the entire VLDB with the
vos syncvldb and vos syncserv commands.To remove a volume and unmount itread/write volumeremovinginstructionsVerify that you are listed in the /usr/afs/etc/UserList file. If necessary, issue
the bos listusers command, which is fully described in To
display the users in the UserList file.
% bos listusers <machine name>
If removing the volume's mount point, verify that you have the d( delete) permission on its parent directory's ACL. If necessary, issue the fs
listacl command, which is fully described in Displaying ACLs.
% fs listacl [<dir/file path>]
Members of the system:administrators group always implicitly have the a( administer) and by default also the l( lookup) permission on every ACL and can use the fs setacl command to grant other rights as necessary.(Optional) Dump the volume to a file or to tape, in case you want to restore it
later. To copy the volume's contents to a file, use the vos dump command as instructed in
Dumping and Restoring Volumes. You can then copy the file to tape using a third-party
backup utility or an archiving utility such as the UNIX tar command.Alternatively, use the AFS Backup System to create a tape copy. In this case, it can be convenient to create a
temporary volume set that includes only the volume of interest. Temporary volume sets are not recorded in the Backup
Database, and so do not clutter database with records for volume sets that you use only once. For instructions, see To create a dump.commandsvos removebasic instructionsvos commandsremovebasic instructionsIssue the vos remove command to remove the volume. If
removing a read-only volume from multiple sites, repeat the command for each one.
% vos remove [-server machine name>] [-partition <partition name>] \
-id <volume name or ID>
where remoIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of remove.-serverSpecifies the file server machine on which the volume resides. It is necessary only when the -id argument names a read-only volume that exists at multiple sites.-partitionSpecifies the partition on machine name where the volume resides. It is necessary only when the -id argument names a read-only volume that exists at multiple sites. Provide the -server argument along with this one.-idIdentifies the volume to remove, either by its complete name or volume ID number. If identifying a read-only
or backup volume by name, include the appropriate extension ( .readonly or
.backup).commandsfs rmmountfs commandsrmmountwhen removing volumeIf you are removing the last existing version of the volume, issue the fs rmmount command remove the corresponding mount point. Complete instructions appear in To remove a volume and unmount it.If you are removing a backup volume that is mounted in the conventional way (at a subdirectory of its read/write
volume's root directory), then removing the source volume's mount point in this step is sufficient to remove the backup
volume's mount point. If you mounted the backup at a completely separate directory, you need to repeat this step for the
backup volume's mount point.
% fs rmmount <directory>
(Optional) If you created a dump file in Step 3,
transfer it to tape. The preferred method is to use the AFS Backup System, which is described in Configuring the AFS Backup Systemand Backing Up and Restoring AFS
Data.Dumping and Restoring Volumesdumpingvolumeswithout using AFS Backup Systemvolumedumping without AFS Backup SystemDumping a volume with the vos dump command converts its contents
into ASCII format and writes them to the file you specify. The vos restore command places a
dump file's contents into a volume after converting them into the volume format appropriate for the indicated file server
machine.About Dumping Volumesread/write volumedumpingread-only volumedumpingbackup volumedumpingavailability of datainterrupted by dumpingdataavailability interrupted by dumpingdumpingvolumesreasonsDumping a volume can be useful in several situations, including the following: You want to back it up to tape, perhaps by using a third-party backup utility. To facilitate this type of backup
operation, the vos dump command can write to a named pipe. To learn about using the AFS
Backup System instead, see Configuring the AFS Backup Systemand Backing Up and Restoring AFS Data.You are removing the volume from your cell (perhaps because its owner is leaving your cell). The vos dump command enables you to create a copy for safekeeping without incurring the overhead of
the Backup System. For complete instructions on removing a volume, see Removing Volumes and
their Mount Points.You want to create a copy of the volume for safekeeping on a non-AFS server partition, perhaps while you move the
actual volume to another machine or perform maintenance tasks on the partition that houses the volume.You need to replace a corrupted read/write volume. If an uncorrupted read-only or backup version of the volume
exists, dump it and restore the data into the read/write volume, overwriting the corrupted contents.You want to copy or transfer the contents of the volume to another cell. You cannot use the vos move command, because AFS supports volume moves only between file server machines that belong
to the same cell.You want to have another read/write copy of the volume's contents. The second volume must have a different name
than the original one. If you want the contents of the two volumes to remain identical, you must update them both
manually. AFS provides no facility for keeping read/write volumes synchronized in this way.You want a copy of only the files and directories in the volume with modification time stamps after a certain
date. The vos dump command can create an incremental dump file as described in Step
3of the following instructions.full dumpcreating using vos commandincremental dumpcreating using vos commanddumpingvolumesusing vos commandYou can use the vos dump command to create a full dump, which
contains the complete contents of the volume at the time you issue the command, or an incremental dump,
which contains only those files and directories with modification timestamps (as displayed by the ls
-l command) that are later than a date and time you specify. See Step 3of the
following instructions.Dumping a volume does not change its VLDB entry or permanently affect its status on the file server machine, but the
volume's contents are inaccessible during the dump operation. To avoid interrupting access to the volume, it is generally best
to dump the volume's backup version, just after using the vos backup or vos backupsys command to create a new backup version.If you do not provide a filename into which to write the dump, the vos dump command
directs the output to the standard output stream. You can pipe it directly to the vos restore
command if you wish.Because a volume dump file is in ASCII format, you can read its contents using a text editor or a command such as the
cat command. However, dump files sometimes contain special characters that do not have
alphanumeric correlates, which can cause problems for some display programs.By default, the vos command interpreter consults the Volume Location Database (VLDB) to
learn the volume's location, so the -server and -partition
arguments are not required. If the -id argument identifies a read-only volume that resides at
multiple sites, then the command dumps the version from just one of them (normally, the one listed first in the volume's VLDB
entry as reported by the vos examine or vos listvldb
command). To dump the read-only volume from a particular site, use the -server and -partition arguments to specify the site. To bypass the VLDB lookup entirely, provide a volume ID
number (rather than a volume name) as the value for the -id argument, along with the
-server and -partition arguments. This makes it possible to
dump a volume for which there is no VLDB entry.commandsvos dumpvos commandsdumpTo dump a volumeVerify that you are listed in the /usr/afs/etc/UserList file. If necessary, issue
the bos listusers command, which is fully described in To
display the users in the UserList file.
% bos listusers <machine name>
Verify that you have the permissions necessary to create the dump file. If placing it in AFS, you must have the
i( insert) permission on the ACL of the file's
directory. If necessary, issue the fs listacl command, which is fully described in Displaying ACLs.
% fs listacl [<dir/file path>]
Members of the system:administrators group always implicitly have the a( administer) and by default also the l( lookup) permission on every ACL and can use the fs setacl command to grant other rights as necessary.Issue the vos dump command to dump the volume.
% vos dump -id <volume name or ID> [-time <dump from time>] [-file <arg>] [-server <server>] [-partition <partition>]
where -idIdentifies the volume to be dumped by its complete name or volume ID number. If you want to dump the
read-only or backup version, specify its volume ID number or add the appropriate extension ( .readonly or .backup) to the name.To bypass the normal VLDB lookup of the volume's location, provide the volume ID number and combine this
argument with the -server and -partition
arguments.-timeSpecifies whether the dump is full or incremental. Omit this argument to create a full dump, or provide one
of three acceptable values: The value 0(zero) to create a full dump.A date in the format mm / dd / yyyy
(month, day and year) to create an incremental dump that includes only files and directories with
modification timestamps later than midnight (12:00 a.m.) on the indicated date. Valid values for the year
range from 1970 to 2037; higher values are
not valid because the latest possible date in the standard UNIX representation is in 2038. The command
interpreter automatically reduces later dates to the maximum value. An example is 01/13/1999.A date and time in the format " mm /
dd / yyyy hh : MM " to create an incremental dump that includes only files and directories with
modification timestamps later than the specified date and time. The date format is the same as for a date
alone. Express the time as hours and minutes (hh:MM) in 24-hour format (for example, 20:30 is 8:30 p.m.). Surround the entire expression with double quotes (" ") because
it contains a space. An example is "01/13/1999 22:30".-fileSpecifies the pathname of the file to which to write the dump. The file can be in AFS, but not in the volume
being dumped. A partial pathname is interpreted relative to the current working directory. Omit this argument to
direct the dump to the standard output stream.-serverSpecifies the file server machine on which the volume resides. Provide the -partition argument along with this one.-partitionSpecifies the partition on which the volume resides. Provide the -server
argument along with this one.About Restoring Volumesvolumerestoringwith vos restore commandrestoringvolumes without using AFS Backup SystemAlthough you can dump any of the three types of volumes (read/write, read-only, or backup), you can restore a dump file
to the file system only as a read/write volume, using the vos restore command. The command
automatically translates the dump file's contents from ASCII back into the volume format appropriate for the file server
machine that stores the restored version. As with the vos dump command, you can restore a
dump file via a named pipe, which facilitates interoperation with third-party backup utilities.You can restore the contents of a dump file in one of two basic ways. In either case, you must restore a full dump of
the volume before restoring any incremental dumps. Any incremental dumps that you then restore must have been created after
the full dump. If there is more than one incremental dump, you must restore them in the order they were created. You can restore volume data into a brand new volume with a new name and at a location that you specify. See To restore a dump into a new volume and mount it.You can assign a volume ID number as you restore the volume, though it is best to have the Volume Server allocate
a volume number automatically. The most common reason for specifying the volume ID is that a volume's VLDB entry has
disappeared for some reason, but you know the former read/write volume ID number and want to reuse it.You can restore volume data into an existing volume (usually the one that was previously dumped), overwriting its
current contents. This is convenient if the current contents are corrupted or otherwise incorrect, because it allows you
to replace them with a coherent version from the past or from one of the volume's clones. See To restore a dump file, overwriting an existing volume.Provide the -overwrite argument to preconfirm that you wish to overwrite the
volume's contents, and to specify whether you are restoring a full or incremental dump. If you omit the -overwrite argument, the Volume Server generates the following prompt to confirm that you want to
overwrite the existing volume with either a full ( f) or incremental ( i) dump:
Do you want to do a full/incremental restore or abort? [fia](a):
If you pipe in the dump file via the standard input stream instead of using the -file argument to name it, you must include the -overwrite
argument because there is nowhere for the Volume Server to display the prompt in this case.You can move the volume to a new site as you overwrite it with a full dump, by using the -server and -partition arguments to specify the new site. You
cannot move the volume when restoring an incremental dump.The vos restore command sets the restored volume's creation date in the volume header
to the time of the restore operation, as reported in the Creation field in the output from
the vos examine and vos listvol commands.commandsvos restorevos commandsrestoreto create new volumeTo restore a dump into a new volume and mount itVerify that you are listed in the /usr/afs/etc/UserList file. If necessary, issue
the bos listusers command, which is fully described in To
display the users in the UserList file.
% bos listusers <machine name>
Verify that you have permissions needed to read the dump file and to mount the new volume. If the dump file resides
in AFS, you need the r( read) permission on the ACL of
its directory. You need the i( insert) and a( administer) permissions on the ACL of the directory where you
are mounting the new volume. If necessary, issue the fs listacl command, which is fully
described in Displaying ACLs.
% fs listacl [<dir/file path>]
Members of the system:administrators group always implicitly have the a( administer) and by default also the l( lookup) permission on every ACL and can use the fs setacl command to grant other rights as necessary.Select a site (disk partition on a file server machine) for the new volume. If your cell groups different types of
volumes onto different file server machines, that can guide your decision. It often makes sense to put the volume on the
emptiest partition that meets your other criteria. To display how much space is available on a file server machine's
partitions, use the vos partinfo command, which is described fully in Creating Read/write Volumes.
% vos partinfo <machine name> [<partition name>]
Issue the vos restore command to create a new volume and
restore the dump file into it. Type it on a single line; it appears on multiple lines here only for legibility.
% vos restore <machine name> <partition name> \
<name of volume to be restored> \
[-file <dump file>] [-id <volume ID>]
where resIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of restore.machine nameNames the file server machine on which to create the new volume.partition nameNames the partition on which to create the new volume.name of volume to be restoredNames the new read/write volume, which must not already have a VLDB entry. It can be up to 22 characters in
length.-fileIs the dump file to restore. Partial pathnames are interpreted with respect to the current working
directory. Omit this argument if using a pipe to read in the dump file from the standard input stream.-volumeSpecifies the new volume's ID number. It is appropriate only if you are restoring a volume that no longer
exists and want to use the volume ID number it had previously.commandsfs mkmountwhen restoring volumefs commandsmkmountwhen restoring volumeIssue the fs mkmount command to mount the new volume, making its contents
accessible. Complete instructions appear in To create a regular or read/write mount point.
% fs mkmount <directory> <volume name>
(Optional) Issue the fs lsmount command to verify
that the mount point refers to the correct volume. Complete instructions appear in To display a
mount point.
% fs lsmount <directory>
commandsvos restorevos commandsrestoreto overwrite volumeTo restore a dump file, overwriting an existing volumeVerify that you are listed in the /usr/afs/etc/UserList file. If necessary, issue
the bos listusers command, which is fully described in To
display the users in the UserList file.
% bos listusers <machine name>
Verify that you have permissions needed to read the dump file. If it resides in AFS, you need the r( read) permission on the ACL of its directory. If necessary,
issue the fs listacl command, which is fully described in Displaying ACLs.
% fs listacl [<dir/file path>]
Members of the system:administrators group always implicitly have the a( administer) and by default also the l( lookup) permission on every ACL and can use the fs setacl command to grant other rights as necessary.Restore the contents of the dump file into a read/write volume, overwriting the current contents. The volume retains
its current volume ID number. Type it on a single line; it appears on multiple lines here only for legibility.
% vos restore <machine name> <partition name> \
<name of volume to be restored> \
[-file <dump file>] [-id <volume ID>]
where resIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of restore.machine nameNames the file server machine where the volume already exists, or the machine to which to move it. In the
latter case, the value for the -overwrite argument must be full.partition nameNames the partition where the volume already exists, or the partition to which to move it. In the latter
case, the value for the -overwrite argument must be full.name of volume to be restoredNames the read/write volume to overwrite with the contents of the dump file.-fileIs the dump file to restore. Partial pathnames are interpreted with respect to the current working
directory. Omit this argument if using a pipe to read in the dump file from the standard input stream; in this
case, you must provide the -overwrite argument.-overwritePreconfirms that you want to overwrite the existing volume and specifies which type of dump file you are
restoring. Provide one of the following values: f or full if restoring a full dump
filei or incremental if restoring an
incremental dump file. This value is not acceptable if you are moving the volume while restoring it.a to terminate the restore operationIf the volume is replicated, issue the vos release command to release the newly
restored contents to read-only sites. Complete instructions appear in Replicating Volumes
(Creating Read-only Volumes).
% vos release <volume name or ID>
Issue the vos backup command to create a new backup version of the volume. Complete
instructions appear in Creating Backup Volumes.
% vos backup <volume name or ID>
Renaming Volumesrenamingvolumevolumerenamingchangingvolume namevolume namechangingbasic instructionsYou can use the vos rename command to rename a volume. For example, it is appropriate to
rename a user's home volume if you use the user. username convention for user volume names and
you change the username. (For complete instructions for changing usernames, see Changing
Usernames.)read/write volumechanging name ofread-only volumechanging name ofbackup volumechanging name ofThe vos rename command accepts only read/write volume names, but automatically changes
the names of the associated read-only and backup volumes. As directed in the following instructions, you need to replace the
volume's current mount point with a new one that reflects the name change.commandsvos renamebasic instructionsvos commandsrenamebasic instructionsTo rename a volumeVerify that you are listed in the /usr/afs/etc/UserList file. If necessary, issue
the bos listusers command, which is fully described in To
display the users in the UserList file.
% bos listusers <machine name>
Verify that you have the a( administer), d( delete), and i( insert) access permissions for the directory in which you are replacing the volume's mount point.
If necessary, issue the fs listacl command, which is fully described in Displaying ACLs.
% fs listacl [<dir/file path>]
Members of the system:administrators group always implicitly have the a( administer) and by default also the l( lookup) permission on every ACL and can use the fs setacl command to grant other rights as necessary.Issue the vos rename command to rename the volume.
% vos rename <old volume name> <new volume name>
where renIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of rename.old volume nameIs the current name of a read/write volume.new volume nameIs the new name for the volume. It cannot be more than 22 characters in length.If there is no Volume Location Database (VLDB) entry for the specified current volume name, the command fails with
the following error message:
vos: Could not find entry for volume old_volume_name.
commandsfs rmmountfs commandsrmmountwhen renaming volumeIssue the fs rmmount command to remove the mount point that refers to the volume's
old name. Complete instructions appear in To remove a mount point.
% fs rmmount <directory>
commandsfs mkmountwhen renaming volumefs commandsmkmountwhen renaming volumeIssue the fs mkmount to create a mount point that indicates the volume's new name.
Complete instructions appear in To create a regular or read/write mount point.
% fs mkmount <directory> <volume name> [-rw]
Unlocking and Locking VLDB EntriesAs detailed in Synchronizing the VLDB and Volume Headers, The Volume Location (VL) Server
locks the Volume Location Database (VLDB) entry for a volume before the Volume Server executes any operation on it. No other
operation can affect a volume with a locked VLDB entry, so the lock prevents the inconsistency or corruption that can result
from multiple simultaneous operations on a volume.lockingVLDB entryVLDBlocking/unlocking entryentry in VLDBlocking/unlockingunlockingVLDB entrylocked VLDB entryunlockingTo verify that a VLDB entry is locked, issue the vos listvldb command as described in
To display VLDB entries. The command has a -locked flag that
displays locked entries only. If the VLDB entry is locked, the string Volume is currently
LOCKED appears on the last line of the volume's output.To lock a VLDB entry yourself, use the vos lock command. This is useful when you suspect
something is wrong with a volume and you want to prevent any changes to it while you are investigating the problem.To unlock a locked VLDB entry, issue the vos unlock command, which unlocks a single VLDB
entry, or the vos unlockvldb command, which unlocks potentially many entries. This is useful
when a volume operation fails prematurely and leaves a VLDB entry locked, preventing you from acting to correct the problems
resulting from the failure.commandsvos lockvos commandslockTo lock a VLDB entryVerify that you are listed in the /usr/afs/etc/UserList file. If necessary, issue
the bos listusers command, which is fully described in To
display the users in the UserList file.
% bos listusers <machine name>
Issue the vos lock to lock the entry.
% vos lock <volume name or ID>
where loIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of lock.volume name or IDIdentifies the volume to be locked, either by its complete name or volume ID number. It can be any of the
three versions of the volume.commandsvos unlockvos commandsunlockTo unlock a single VLDB entryVerify that you are listed in the /usr/afs/etc/UserList file. If necessary, issue
the bos listusers command, which is fully described in To
display the users in the UserList file.
% bos listusers <machine name>
Issue the vos unlock command to unlock the entry.
% vos unlock <volume name or ID>
where unlockMust be typed in full.volume name or IDIdentifies the volume to be unlocked, either by its complete name or volume ID number. It can be any of the
three versions of the volume.commandsvos unlockvldbvos commandsunlockvldbTo unlock multiple VLDB entriesVerify that you are listed in the /usr/afs/etc/UserList file. If necessary, issue
the bos listusers command, which is fully described in To
display the users in the UserList file.
% bos listusers <machine name>
Issue the vos unlockvldb command to unlock the desired entries.
% vos unlockvldb [<machine name>] [<partition name>]
where unlockvIs the shortest acceptable abbreviation of unlockvldb.machine nameSpecifies a file server machine. Provide this argument alone to unlock all VLDB entries that mention the
machine in a site definition. Omit both this argument and the partition name argument to unlock all VLDB
entries.partition nameSpecifies a partition. Provide this argument alone to unlock all VLDB entries that mention the partition (on
any machine) in a site definition. Omit both this argument and the machine name argument to unlock all VLDB
entries.