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VMS V8.4-2L3 (IA64), DFG V3.3
Scheduled (running weekly for years) DEFRAGMENT job started failing
(months ago, but I just got around to looking into it). Typical e-mail
failure notification:
From: ITS::SYSTEM "Disk File Optimizer for OpenVMS "
To: SMS
Subj: Defragmentation process failed, scheduler DFG$ITS
Defragmentation process for script VMS084ITS has completed
Completion time was 17-MAR-2024 03:10:38.03
%DFG-W-UNRECOVERR, unrecoverable error
Target volume was DISK$VMS084ITS (_ITS$DKA0:)
This contributed a little to the delay:
ITS $ help /mess UNRECOVERR
%MSGHLP-F-NOTFOUND, message not found in Help Message database
However, some Web search or other, track of which I've now lost, led
me to look for relevant OPCOM messages, and in SYS$MANAGER:OPERATOR.LOG,
I found many like these:
%%%%%%%%%%% OPCOM 17-MAR-2024 03:10:38.01 %%%%%%%%%%%
Message from user SYSTEM on ITS
%DFG-F-SYSSRVERR, call to system service SYS$EXPREG failed
%%%%%%%%%%% OPCOM 17-MAR-2024 03:10:38.01 %%%%%%%%%%%
Message from user SYSTEM on ITS
-SYSTEM-F-EXPGFLQUOTA, exceeded pagefile quota
Consulting the "Disk File Optimizer for OpenVMS Guide to Operations"
revealed section "3.2.7. Defining Quotas for the Defragmentation
Process":
https://docs.vmssoftware.com/vsi-openvms-disk-file-optimizer-guide-to-operations/#CHG_QUOTAS_DFO
and the (woefully small?) default "PGFLQUOTA - 50000", as well as the
existence of SYS$STARTUP:DFG$STARTUP.COM, the suggested place for
specifying different values for this and other DFG process quotas.
Of course, section "3.2.7.3. DFO Logical Process Quotas" suggested
that the symptom would be INSVIRMEM, not EXPGFLQUOTA, which helped to
defeat my Web search.
ITS$DKA0: is a 300GB volume, about half full, by the way, which I
wouldn't think was especially large these days.
Because I failed to find any useful hints on this problem (more than
once, anyway), I thought that one (more) report couldn't hurt much.
Whiny complaints follow.
1. The default DFG PGFLQUOTA (50000) is woefully small.
2. The E-mail failure notification subject, "Defragmentation process
failed, scheduler DFG$ITS" did not make it clear (to me) whether the
defragmentation process or the scheduler was experiencing the problem.
3. The useful failure details (%DFG-F-SYSSRVERR,
-SYSTEM-F-EXPGFLQUOTA) are hidden among the OPCOM messages, which detail
was not mentioned in the E-mail failure notification.
4. HELP /MESSAGE disappointed again.
5. DFG$STARTUP.COM and DFG$SHUTDOWN.COM are in different places
([SYS$STARTUP], [SYSMGR]). DFG$SHUTDOWN.COM mentions DFG$STARTUP.COM in
relation to the quota logical names, but leaves the user to hunt for it.
Presumably, after specifying new values, one should run DFG$SHUTDOWN.COM
and DFG$STARTUP.COM, but I didn't see any explicit direction to do that.
6. DFG$SHUTDOWN.COM expects the user to "uncomment the line
associated with any logical you enabled in the DFG$STARTUP.COM file.",
rather than simply DEASSIGNing any of them which might be defined.
According to the Guide, "The right way to change these logicals is to
edit the file SYS$STARTUP:DFG$STARTUP.COM." But DFG$STARTUP.COM doesn't
mention DFG$SHUTDOWN.COM, and neither DFG$STARTUP.COM nor the Guide
mentions any DEASSIGNing in DFG$SHUTDOWN.COM.
Apparently "a new kit (V3.3-4)" is out (for x86_64):
https://forum.vmssoftware.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=8972
at which I haven't yet looked, but these days the Service Platform is
(even) less helpful than before (always "No packages to show") for Alpha
and IA64 Community peons like me.