pdfmkfs (Initialize HiRDB file system area)

Function

The pdfmkfs command initializes a specified hard disk partition (character special files) or a regular files area as a HiRDB file system area.

Executor

HiRDB administrator

Format

Character special files

pdfmkfs -n HiRDB-file-system-area-size -l max-files-count
      [-k usage-purpose] [-e max-secondary-allocations-count]
      [-s sector-length] [-i]
       character-special-files-area-name

Regular files

pdfmkfs [-r] -n HiRDB-file-system-area-size -l max-files-count
       [-k usage-purpose] [-e max-secondary-allocations-count]
       [-i] [-r]
        regular-files-area-name

Options

Specifies, in megabytes, the space to be allocated as the HiRDB file system area. The permitted value ranges are as follows:

File typeHP-UXSolarisAIX 5LLinux
Regular file1-2,0471-2,0471-2,0471-2,047
Character special file1-2,0471-2,0471-2,0471-2,047
Large fileRegular file1-131,0711-1,048,5751-65,411#1-1,048,575
Character special file1-131,0711-1,048,5751-1,048,5751-1,048,575
# This value range is applicable to a Journaled File System (JFS). For an Enhanced Journaled File System (JFS2), the value range is 1-1,048,575.

The management area used for management of a HiRDB file system area is also included in the value of the -n option. Therefore, the actual size allocated to the HiRDB file is (value of the -n option) - (size of management area). For details about determining the size of the management area, see Notes. You can use the pdfstatfs command to check the actual size that is allocated to the HiRDB file.

Specifies the maximum number of HiRDB files that can be created in the allocated HiRDB file system area.

Once you execute the pdfmkfs command, you can no longer change this value. Therefore, carefully determine this value taking into account the number of HiRDB files to be used and future expansion plans.

Specifies the purpose for which the HiRDB file system area will be used:

DB
HiRDB file system area for RDAREAs
SDB
HiRDB file system area for shared RDAREAs. SDB can be specified for a HiRDB/Parallel Server when a character special file is used as the HiRDB file system area. For regular RDAREAs, use a HiRDB file system area whose purpose is DB.
When the purpose of initialization is SDB, execute the command at the server machine where the updatable back-end server is located. Do not execute the command from a referencing-possible back-end server.
Once created, a DB-purpose HiRDB file system area cannot be distinguished from a SDB-purpose HiRDB file system area. For this reason, you should assign area names that distinguish between the two purpose types.
SYS
HiRDB file system area for system log files, synchronization point dump files, status files, or audit trail files.
If you specify SYS, do not specify the -e option.
WORK
HiRDB file system area for list RDAREA or work table files. If you specify WORK in the Linux version, the corresponding HiRDB file system area cannot be created in a character special file.
UTL
HiRDB file system area for utilities.
You can create the following files in a HiRDB file system area for utilities:
  • Unload data files
  • LOB data unload files
  • Index information files (applicable to delayed batch creation of plug-in index)
  • Backup files
  • Differential backup files
  • Differential backup management files
  • Unload log files
SVR
HiRDB file system area that can be used for any purpose other than utilities
SVR can be specified if there is no problem with mixing HiRDB files for different usage purposes in a single HiRDB file system area, such as in a test system. Normally, however, each HiRDB file system area is dedicated to a particular type of usage.
Limitations with the Linux version of HiRDB (when using character special files)
When using character special files with the Linux version of HiRDB, the following limitations apply:
Usage purposeAvailabilityRemarks
DBY

SDBY

SYSY

WORKNYou cannot specify a character special file in the pdwork operand in the system definition.
UTLY

SVRN

Legend:
Y: Available.
N: Not available.

Specifies the maximum number of extensions for each HiRDB file in the HiRDB file system area. HiRDB increases the size of HiRDB files according to the specified number of extension. The maximum number of extensions permitted per HiRDB file is 23. If the specified value is maximum number of files [Figure]23 or greater, the command ignores the specified value and assumes the maximum number of files [Figure]23.

Criteria
  1. In the case of a HiRDB file system area for work table files, if the estimated size of a work table file exceeds the value listed below, make sure that the number of extensions is specified. For details about estimating the size of work table files, see the HiRDB Version 8 Installation and Design Guide.
    - For HiRDB/Single Server
    128 kilobytes
    - HiRDB/Parallel Server
    512 kilobytes
  2. Even when the estimated size does not exceed the above value, or for an HiRDB file system area for other than work table files, we recommend that you specify the number of extensions.
  3. If you are using RDAREA automatic extension, make sure that the number of extensions is specified.
  4. Operations such as deletion, re-initialization (for reduction of allocation size or with with reconstruction specified), and integration of RDAREAs result in deletion of allocated HiRDB files and reduction in size. As a result, the HiRDB file system area becomes fragmented. If you use these operations, you should specify the number of extensions. If the system cannot allocate contiguous free space when an RDAREA is added, extended, or re-initialized, multiple fragmented spaces are used to create the new HiRDB file. In this case, the number of extensions that is required is number of fragmented free spaces - 1.
Determining the specification value
Use one of the following formulas to determine the number of extensions:
-k optionNumber of extensions to be specified
DBmin (60000, 23 [Figure] cumulative total number of final files for the RDAREA to be extended*)
If you frequently perform deletion, re-initialization (for reduction of allocation size or with with reconstruction specified), or integration of RDAREAs, you should use the following value:
min (60000, 23 [Figure] cumulative total number of RDAREA structure files)
SDB
SYS0
WORKmin(60000, 23 [Figure] value of the -l option)
min(60000, 23 [Figure] cumulative number of files subject to extension)
Extension is applied to work table files and final files in the RDAREA subject to extension.*
UTL
SVR
Note 1
Once you execute pdfmkfs, you can no longer change the number of extensions. Therefore, specify an appropriate value taking into account the future extensions.
Note 2
As the number of extensions increases, the memory size required by the processes that use the HiRDB file system area increases.
Note 3
If the specified value is less than the value obtained from the above formula, the limit of the HiRDB file system area is reached before the maximum number of extensions is reached for the HiRDB files.
* Note that the number of last files in an RDAREA subject to extension is not one per RDAREA. This is because when pdmod is used to expand an RDAREA, the RDAREA is extended at the end, so that the last HiRDB file specified in the expand rdarea statement becomes the last file. Both the last file before and the last file after the expansion are included in the number of last files in the RDAREA subject to extension.

If you are using a character special file as the HiRDB file system area with a device that handles a medium with a physical sector length of 2,048 and 4,096 bytes, such as DVD-RAM device, this option specifies the minimum I/O unit expressed as the sector length (the physical sector length of a medium corresponding to a character string special file). For details about the physical sector length of a medium, see the manual for the medium.

Rules
  1. If the physical sector length of a medium is greater than 4,096 bytes, that medium cannot use a HiRDB file system area for character special files.
  2. If the physical sector length of a medium is 1,024 bytes or less, make sure that a multiple of the sector length equals 1,024, then specify 1,024 as the physical sector length. If a multiple of the sector length is not equal to 1,024, you cannot use the character special files on that medium.
  3. If using regular files, do not specify the sector length of the HiRDB file system area.
  4. If you specify 2,048 or 4,096 as the sector length, you can specify either DB or UTL in the -k option. When the -k option is omitted, SVR is assumed. Therefore, when you specify a sector length, make sure that -k DB or -k UTL is specified.
  5. You can use a HiRDB file system area for which a sector length is specified for the following purposes:
    - HiRDB file system area for RDAREAs other than list RDAREAs
    - Output destination of the pdlogunld command (unload log file)
    - Backup files for pdcopy and pdrstr
    - Unload data files for pdrorg
    If you are using the HiRDB file system area for RDAREAs, specify a multiple of the sector length specified in the -s option as the page length in the pdinit or pdmod control statement for creating an RDAREA.

Specifies that the HiRDB file system area specified in the -n option is to be initialized from the beginning. When this option is omitted, the command creates only the management information for the HiRDB file system area. If the HiRDB file system area is large, it may take time to initialize it.

If you omit the -i option for a regular file, the command creates only the management information for the HiRDB file system area (an area with a maximum size of about 3.5 megabytes is allocated).

The HiRDB file system area will be extended up to the size specified with the -n option when it is actually used. The OS file system containing this HiRDB file system area may become full when this HiRDB file system area is put into use. To avoid this, specify the -i option.

Specifies that no confirmation message is to be displayed when a regular file is initialized. If this option is omitted and the specified regular file already exists, the command displays a confirmation message asking whether or not to initialize the file. If a letter other than g is entered in response to the confirmation message, the command will not initialize the file.

Command arguments

Specifies a name for the character special files area to be initialized. This name is used as the name of the HiRDB file system area.

Specifies a name for the regular files area to be initialized. This name is used as the name of the HiRDB file system area.

You can specify a maximum of 30 characters for the name of a HiRDB file that is created in the HiRDB file system area. Note that because HiRDB-file-system-area-name/HiRDB-filename cannot exceed 167 characters, the maximum length of an HiRDB file name is reduced accordingly if the HiRDB file system area name is greater than 136 characters.

For HiRDB files that are created automatically by HiRDB, make sure that the following maximum lengths for HiRDB file system area names are not exceeded:

HiRDB file created automatically by HiRDBMaximum length of HiRDB file system area name (in characters)
Work table file (specified with pdwork operand in system definition)141
Audit trail file (specified with pd_aud_file_name operand in system definition)150
Index information file for delayed batch creation of plug-in index (specified with pd_plugin_ixmk_dir operand in system definition)136
Unload log file for system log for the automatic log unloading facility (specified with pd_log_auto_unload_path operand in system definition)136

Rules

  1. The pdfmkfs command can be executed at any time, whether or not HiRDB is active.
  2. The pdfmkfs command must be executed separately for each server machine for which a HiRDB file system area is to be initialized.

Notes

  1. Return code 0 for the pdfmkfs command indicates normal termination, and return code -1 indicates abnormal termination.
  2. If the value specified as the area size is greater than the size of the disk volume or partition during initialization, the partition physically following that partition may be damaged. Therefore, a size that is greater than the size of the disk volume or partition must not be specified.
  3. The following shows the relationships among a HiRDB file system area name, HiRDB file name, and physical file name:

    [Figure]

  4. It is recommended that the name specified for a character special files area or a regular files area be linked symbolically to the entity name by the ln OS command, not to the entity name itself. This simplifies operations in the following cases:
    • When the HiRDB file system area is restored onto another hard disk after a hard disk failure
    • When the RDAREA structure is modified
  5. The results of executing the pdfmkfs command can be checked by the pdfstatfs command.
  6. For details about the values specifiable in the -n, -l, and -e options, see the following manuals, depending on the usage purpose:
    • SYS usage purpose
      Chapter 23. Sample Files in the HiRDB Version 8 Installation and Design Guide.
    • DB usage purpose
      Chapter 21. Simple Installation of a HiRDB/Single Server in the HiRDB Version 8 Installation and Design Guide.
    • WORK usage purpose
      Chapter 22. Simple Installation of a HiRDB/Parallel Server in the HiRDB Version 8 Installation and Design Guide.
      Sections 3.2.1, 3.3.2, and 3.3.3 in the manual HiRDB Version 8 System Definition.
    • UTL usage purpose
      Chapter 8. Database Reorganization Utility (pdrorg)
      Chapter 18. Database Copy Utility (pdcopy)
    • SVR usage purpose
      See the appropriate manuals previously, depending on the usage purpose of the HiRDB file to be created in the HiRDB file system area.
  7. If the purpose of use is WORK, generates a utilization rate warning message on an initialized HiRDB file system area, based upon the specifications pd_watch_resource and pdwork_wrn_pnt that are provided in the system definitions.
  8. If you are using a regular file for the HiRDB file system area, specify an unlimited value or a value that is greater than the -n option value as the maximum value of system resources for the HiRDB administrator and root user. Especially with the AIX 5L version, note that the maximum file size is 1 gigabyte by default. You can check the maximum value of system resources with each OS shell using the limit or ulimit command. If you change the maximum file size in AIX 5L, you must also change the /etc/security/limits file. For details, see the documentation for the applicable OS and shell.
  9. A management area is allocated to the HiRDB file system area. The size of the management area to be allocated depends on the type of OS, the -n, -l, -e, and -s options, and the type of files to be used. The formulas for determining the size of a management area are presented below. Note that the sizes of the fixed and variable management sections may increase depending on the process because they are read into memory while the corresponding HiRDB file system area is used.

    Management area (bytes)
    = Fixed management section + variable management section + HiRDB file management section [Figure] a
     + 4096 (applicable to AIX 5L)

    • -n 2047 or less
      Fixed management section = 4096
      Variable management section = [Figure] (20 + 4 [Figure] a)/c[Figure][Figure] c + [Figure] (48 + 16 [Figure] (a + b))/c[Figure][Figure] c
      HiRDB file management section = [Figure] 320/c[Figure][Figure] c
    • -n 2048 or greater
      Fixed management section = 4096
      Variable management section = [Figure] (20 + 4 [Figure] a)/c[Figure][Figure] c + [Figure] (56 + 24 [Figure] (a + b))/c[Figure][Figure] c
      HiRDB file management section = [Figure] 480/c[Figure][Figure] c
    Description of variable symbols:
    a: Value of the -l option
    b: Value of the -e option (0 if the option is omitted)
    c: Value of the -s option (1024 for character special files, 512 for regular files if the option is omitted)
  10. When a HiRDB file system area created as a regular file is manipulated by methods such as OS commands, its allocation status on the disk may change. For example, if the cp command is used to copy the HiRDB file system area, the amount of disk space used may increase within the size specified in the -n option because the part that has not been used by HiRDB is allocated on the disk. Additionally, if AIX 5L's backup or restore command is used on a HiRDB file system area created with the -i option specified in order to back up or restore data, only initialization may be executed and the part that has not been used by HiRDB may be released from the disk. For details, see the applicable OS documentation.

Examples

Initialize the following HiRDB file system areas:

Command execution

pdfmkfs -n 25 .......................1
       -l 10 .......................2
       -e 5 ........................3
       /svr01 ......................4
pdfmkfs -n 30 .......................5
       -l 15 .......................6
       /prdb/ios001 ................7

Explanation
  1. Size of HiRDB file system area: 25 MB
  2. Maximum number of files: 10
  3. Maximum number of secondary allocations: 5
  4. Name of character special files area: /svr01
  5. Size of HiRDB file system area: 30 MB
  6. Maximum number of files: 15
  7. Name of regular files area: /prdb/ios001