vob_server

ClearCase server program for VOB storage pool access

APPLICABILITY

ClearCase (administrative command)

SYNOPSIS

Invoked as needed by the albd_server program

DESCRIPTION

For each VOB, a long-lived vob_server process runs on the VOB host, with the user-ID of the VOB owner (see protectvob). This process maintains the VOB's storage pools in response to requests from ClearCase client processes. This includes creating, deleting, and controlling the Windows-level permissions of the pools' data containers.

The vob_server is the only process that ever creates or deletes data containers; the VOB owner is the only user who can modify data containers and storage pools. These severe restrictions protect VOB data against careless or malicious users.

A vob_server process is started as needed by albd_server. It remains active until the operating system is restarted or the VOB is deleted with the rmvob command

CONFIGURATION FILE

The configuration file for the vob_server is named vob_server.conf and is stored in the VOB storage directory. vob_server.conf is a text file and is read when the vob_server starts up. This file contains the setting for deferred deletion of source containers. Deferred deletion is activated if you have enabled VOB database snapshot activity for the VOB with the vob_snapshot_setup utility.

Deferred Source Container Deletion

Deferred deletion ensures that the source pool will contain all needed containers when a backup program archives an active VOB. When a container is replaced by new version data (for example, during a checkin), the new container is created and the client requests the vob_server to remove the old container. If deferred deletion is deactivated, the container is immediately removed. If deferred deletion is enabled, the old container is added to a list of pending deletions, and it is removed in 30 minutes. Keeping source data containers for 30 minutes increases disk space requirements. The increase can be substantial during any 30-minute interval of heavy VOB checkin activity.

When checkvob examines source pools, it reports containers on the deferred deletion list.

The deferred deletion list is written every five minutes to the file delete_list.db in the VOB storage directory. To force deletion of all containers on the deferred list:

1. Edit vob_server.conf and deactivate deferred deletion.
2. Wait five minutes.
3. Edit vob_server.conf and reenable deferred deletion.

ERROR LOG

The vob_server process sends warning and error messages to the event log.

SEE ALSO

albd_server, checkvob, db_server, vob, vobrpc_server