I am intrigued by the default device that is added by
ISM when the ism_startup command is run.

I have established that if there are no devices set up
when ism_startup is run then a default device is
created by the ism_startup command. I have also
established that if there are 4 devices already setup
then this default device is not added.

Where can I find the details of the default device
that is added? Or alternatively, can I stop the
default device being added.

I am toying with the concept of always having 4
devices set up and removing devices whenever I want to
run ISM. But this does seem to be the wrong way
round.

regards

Malcolm
sending to informix-list

malcolm weallans wrote:
> I am intrigued by the default device that is added by
> ISM when the ism_startup command is run.
>
> I have established that if there are no devices set up
> when ism_startup is run then a default device is
> created by the ism_startup command. I have also
> established that if there are 4 devices already setup
> then this default device is not added.
>
> Where can I find the details of the default device
> that is added? Or alternatively, can I stop the
> default device being added.

Easily, ism_startup is a script, look for do_dev

>
> I am toying with the concept of always having 4
> devices set up and removing devices whenever I want to
> run ISM. But this does seem to be the wrong way
> round.
>
> regards
>
> Malcolm
> sending to informix-list

Claus,
Thanks for that. I had indeed been looking at ism_startup as a
script, and guess what, in both IDS 9.30.FC7 and IDS 9.40.UC3 running
on AIX 5. And on both platforms I have discovered that there is no
mention of do_dev. I used search capabilities of vi and grep to look
for it.

If you want to contact me directly about this it is probably better to
contact me on mweallans@panacea.co.uk

I tried to contact you offline but the message was bounced.

regards

Malcolm

Claus Samuelsen <csa@eye-bee-em.com> wrote in message news:<41505c71$0$39260$14726298@news.sunsite.dk>.. .
> malcolm weallans wrote:
> > I am intrigued by the default device that is added by
> > ISM when the ism_startup command is run.
> >
> > I have established that if there are no devices set up
> > when ism_startup is run then a default device is
> > created by the ism_startup command. I have also
> > established that if there are 4 devices already setup
> > then this default device is not added.
> >
> > Where can I find the details of the default device
> > that is added? Or alternatively, can I stop the
> > default device being added.
>
> Easily, ism_startup is a script, look for do_dev
>
> >
> > I am toying with the concept of always having 4
> > devices set up and removing devices whenever I want to
> > run ISM. But this does seem to be the wrong way
> > round.
> >
> > regards
> >
> > Malcolm
> > sending to informix-list

First, when I answered I had no idea of what platform you're on, so I
just took a look on my laptop running IDS on windows.
Well, the ism_startup script on AIX is quite different, but here's my
findings:

I may be that the ism_startup script has been changed from IDS 9.30 to
IDS 9.40, but 9.40 is what I have access to on AIX at the moment.

In my AIX ism_startup script (IDS 9.40) line 441 comment: # Initialize
default file type devices
If you have another version line numbers may vary a bit.

Line 444: if [[ "$2" = "-dev" ]]

This means: Only if the script was started as "ism_startup -init -dev"
create a default device. Maybe your script does not containt this test
for argument #2.

Line 457: if [[ ! -d $INFORMIXDIR/ism/devices ]]

this tests for the existence of the devices directory. If not found then
create the directory (line 459 ff) and create the default ISMdata device
in line 504:
ism_add -device $INFORMIXDIR/ism/devices/spaces -type file

If the "ism" directory is already there "ism_startup -init" does not do
anything.

regards
Claus

malcolm wrote:

> Claus,
> Thanks for that. I had indeed been looking at ism_startup as a
> script, and guess what, in both IDS 9.30.FC7 and IDS 9.40.UC3 running
> on AIX 5. And on both platforms I have discovered that there is no
> mention of do_dev. I used search capabilities of vi and grep to look
> for it.
>
> If you want to contact me directly about this it is probably better to
> contact me on mweallans@panacea.co.uk
>
> I tried to contact you offline but the message was bounced.
>
> regards
>
> Malcolm
>
> Claus Samuelsen <csa@eye-bee-em.com> wrote in message news:<41505c71$0$39260$14726298@news.sunsite.dk>.. .
>
>>malcolm weallans wrote:
>>
>>>I am intrigued by the default device that is added by
>>>ISM when the ism_startup command is run.
>>>
>>>I have established that if there are no devices set up
>>>when ism_startup is run then a default device is
>>>created by the ism_startup command. I have also
>>>established that if there are 4 devices already setup
>>>then this default device is not added.
>>>
>>>Where can I find the details of the default device
>>>that is added? Or alternatively, can I stop the
>>>default device being added.
>>
>>Easily, ism_startup is a script, look for do_dev
>>
>>
>>>I am toying with the concept of always having 4
>>>devices set up and removing devices whenever I want to
>>>run ISM. But this does seem to be the wrong way
>>>round.
>>>
>>>regards
>>>
>>>Malcolm
>>>sending to informix-list

Claus Samuelsen <csa@eye-bee-em.com> wrote in message news:<415e7f77$0$55829$14726298@news.sunsite.dk>.. .
> First, when I answered I had no idea of what platform you're on, so I
> just took a look on my laptop running IDS on windows.
> Well, the ism_startup script on AIX is quite different, but here's my
> findings:
>
> I may be that the ism_startup script has been changed from IDS 9.30 to
> IDS 9.40, but 9.40 is what I have access to on AIX at the moment.
>
> In my AIX ism_startup script (IDS 9.40) line 441 comment: # Initialize
> default file type devices
> If you have another version line numbers may vary a bit.
>
> Line 444: if [[ "$2" = "-dev" ]]
>
> This means: Only if the script was started as "ism_startup -init -dev"
> create a default device. Maybe your script does not containt this test
> for argument #2.
>

Claus,
I have access to the startup scripts for both 9.30 and 9.40 on AIX.
They both have the test in.

We are not starting up with -dev and yet we still get a default device
generated.

And we don't have any $INFORMIXDIR/ism/devices.

Can you try this on your system:

ism_shutdown
ism_startup

Whenever I do that we get a device created. And that device is giving
us problems with restarting ism. We have developed a set of scripts
which use ism to backup the whole system and the logs to disk and then
uses normal unix backups to copy everything to tape ( the system only
has 1 tape drive!) The way we do it is to create the devices to do
the onbar, do the onbar, and then remove the devices. Otherwise we
end up with too many devices. However, as a cross check we check if
the last run completed successfully bychecking for ism knowing about
any devices. If the ism has been restarted this extra device stops
the scripts from functioning.


> Line 457: if [[ ! -d $INFORMIXDIR/ism/devices ]]
>
> this tests for the existence of the devices directory. If not found then
> create the directory (line 459 ff) and create the default ISMdata device
> in line 504:
> ism_add -device $INFORMIXDIR/ism/devices/spaces -type file
>
> If the "ism" directory is already there "ism_startup -init" does not do
> anything.
>
> regards
> Claus

The section of code you refer to only happens if the second option is
set to -dev AND the first option is set to -init. We aren't using
-inint so it can't be that which creates the device.

regards

Malcolm