Re: Can the VMS DELETE statement "pend"?
Date: 9 Jun 1993 22:45:23 GMT
Message-ID: <1v5p63INNhsm_at_gap.caltech.edu>
In article <1v2j8j$h5b_at_gopher.cs.uofs.edu>, littlec1_at_jaguar.uofs.edu (Chris Little) writes:
=This weekend I was doing a database reorganisation, which involved the export,
=recreation of the database, and then a full import from the file DBPROD.DMP.
=The import took much longer than anticipated, so the next day's export
=began before it finished.
=
=I suspected the attempted deletion of the file DBPROD.DMP would have failed
=because it was still locked by the import. I also suspected the export
=would generate a new version of the file and would eventually abort due to
=insufficient space on the device.
=
=The actual outcome was as follows:
=
=The import continued and completed successfully.
=The export started but aborted due to insufficient space on the device.
=
=And the interesting thing:
=
=There was only one DBPROD.DMP left on the device and it was the one
=generated by the export which aborted. The file used by the import was gone,
=yet the import succeeded.
=
=Incidentally the import completed three hours after the export started.
=The export aborted after one hour. I have no idea how this happened;
=I never thought a VMS DELETE statement would pend. Is that possible?
Yes, it's possible. If you DELETE a file while that file is open, the directory entry for the file will be removed, the "marked for delete" bit in the file header set, and delete will exit. When the file is closed, the XQP will note that it's marked for delete and actually delete the file.
Carl J Lydick | INTERnet: CARL_at_SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU | NSI/HEPnet: SOL1::CARL
Disclaimer: Hey, I understand VAXen and VMS. That's what I get paid for. My understanding of astronomy is purely at the amateur level (or below). So unless what I'm saying is directly related to VAX/VMS, don't hold me or my organization responsible for it. If it IS related to VAX/VMS, you can try to hold me responsible for it, but my organization had nothing to do with it. Received on Thu Jun 10 1993 - 00:45:23 CEST