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From: barry@mind.UUCP (Barry Lustig)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: File system problems
Message-ID: <1052@mind.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 25-Jul-87 19:53:02 EDT
Article-I.D.: mind.1052
Posted: Sat Jul 25 19:53:02 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 26-Jul-87 03:35:04 EDT
References: <8467@brl-adm.ARPA>
Reply-To: barry@mind.UUCP (Barry Lustig)
Organization: Cognitive Science, Princeton University
Lines: 41

In article <8467@brl-adm.ARPA> KFL@AI.AI.MIT.EDU (Keith F. Lynch) writes:
>We have had a lot of problems with the Sun 3/260 (3.3) (4.2BSD) we have
>had for two months.  The file system has gotten totaled several times.
>
>Our Sun representative has told us that if either disk partition becomes
>more than 90% full, it is normal for all files on both partitions to be
>trashed without warning.  Is this right?  If it is, is there a way to
>prevent more than 90% of a partition from being used?

That has got to be the one of the most pathetic explanations I've ever
heard.  There is no reason for any file to get trashed because the file
systems is 90% full.  If it were true, 75% of the filesystems in UNIX
land would be trashed.  90% is an interesting figure though.  In the
Berkeley fast filesystem, only root can allocate the last 10% of a
filesystem (changeable with tunefs(8)).

>He also said it could be trashed if a program tries to use too much
>memory, for instance with large arrays of real numbers.  Is this true?
>If so, how can we prevent this?

More garbage from your Sun representative.

>He has also said that after using doing a restore of a zero level dump,
>it is necessary to immediately do another zero level dump or the file
>system will get hosed again.  Is this really needed?  If so, can it be
>done overnight, to /dev/null?

And even more garbage.

Do you by any chance have either a Xylogics 451 controller or a Fuji
SuperEagle?   If so, that is where you problem probably is.  Under very
heavy loads with 2 drives hanging off of it, the 451 has been known to
write data with bits shifted.  The Fuji SuperEagles have also been know
to have problems.

I recommend that you call 1-800-USA-4SUN (Sun's technical support
number) and demand some competent help with your problem.

Barry Lustig
Cognitive Science Lab
Princeton University