BACKUP_FIFO_FILES option for NetBackup clients
This option indicates that the contents of a named pipe are to be backed up. A named pipe - also known as a FIFO - is a method of Inter-Process Communication that uses the file system interface to transfer data.
Table: BACKUP_FIFO_FILES information
Usage | Description |
|---|---|
Where to use | On NetBackup clients. |
How to use | Use the nbgetconfig and the nbsetconfig commands to view, add, or change the option. For information about these commands, see the NetBackup Commands Reference Guide. By default, BACKUP_FIFO_FILES is not present in the configuration file. When the option is not enabled, only the metadata of the named pipe files is backed up, but not the data in the files. When the option is present and enabled (1), the contents of the named pipe files on the client are backed up. Use the following format: BACKUP_FIFO_FILES = 1 This entry should appear only once in the configuration file. |
Example | The following format ensures that the contents of the named pipe files on the client are backed up: BACKUP_FIFO_FILES = 1 |
Equivalent Administration Console property | No equivalent exists in the NetBackup Administration Console host properties. |
Additional information | For the contents of the files to be backed up, the write process must close the pipe. As long as data is passing through the pipe, the backup continues. If the third-party process writing to the named pipe file does not close the pipe, NetBackup fails the backup job with a non-zero status code (typically 13 or 41). Server resources are then allocated to other jobs. In the case of restore jobs, the job fails with status code 2800. In either case, the client processes continue waiting until they are terminated. To back up the script or executable that is responsible for writing to the named pipe, add the program file instead of the named pipe file to the Backup Selections list. To avoid backing up named pipes, but still having the contents of other pipes read, add the named pipe to an exclude list or avoid the files entirely in the Backup Selections list. |