VxFS file change log (FCL) for incremental backups property
The property is supported on all platforms and versions where VxFS file systems support FCL.
The following VxFS file systems support FCL:
Solaris SPARC platform running VxFS 4.1 or later.
AIX running VxFS 5.0 or later.
HP 11.23 running VxFS 5.0 or later.
Linux running VxFS 4.1 or later.
The File Change Log (FCL) tracks changes to files and directories in a file system. Changes can include the following: files created; links and unlinks; files renamed; data that is appended; data that is overwritten; data that is truncated; extended attribute modifications; holes punched; and file property updates.
NetBackup can use the FCL to determine which files to select for incremental backups, which can potentially save unnecessary file system processing time. The FCL information that is stored on each client includes the backup type, the FCL offset, and the timestamp for each backup.
The advantages of this property depend largely on the number of file system changes relative to the file system size. The performance effect of incremental backups ranges from many times faster or slower, depending on file system size and use patterns.
For example, enable this property for a client on a very large file system that experiences relatively few changes. The incremental backups may complete sooner for the client since the policy needs to read only the FCL to determine what needs to be backed up on the client.
If a file experiences many changes or multiple changes to many files, the time saving benefit may not be as great.
The following items must be in place for the property to work:
Enable the property for every client that wants NetBackup to take advantage of the FCL.
Enable the FCL on the VxFS client.
See the Veritas Storage Foundation documentation for information about how to enable the FCL on the VxFS client.
Enable the property on the clients in time for the first full backup. Subsequent incremental backups need this full backup to stay synchronized.
Specify the VxFS mount point in the policy backup selections list in one of the following ways:
Specify ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES.
Specifying the actual VxFS mount point.
Specifying a directory at a higher level than the VxFS mount point, provided that option Cross mount points is enabled.
If the policy has or enabled, it ignores the property on the client.
The following table describes the additional options that are available on the VxFS file change log feature.
Table: VxFS file change log feature options
Option | Description |
|---|---|
Activity monitor messages | Displays any messages that note when the file change log is used during a backup as follows: Using VxFS File Change Log for backup of pathname Also notes when full and incremental backups are not synchronized. |
Keeping the data files synchronized with the FCL | The data files must be in sync with the FCL for this property to work. To keep the data files synchronized with the FCL on the VxFS client do not turn off the FCL and turn it on again. Note: If NetBackup encounters any errors as it processes the FCL, it switches to the normal files system scan. If this switch occurs, it appears in the Activity monitor. |
VxFS administration | Additional VxFS commands are available to administrate the FCL in the Veritas Storage Foundation documentation. |