Update doc, kernstodo and minor purge bug

[bacula/bacula] / bacula / kernstodo

                 Kern's ToDo List
                  14 May  2003 

Documentation to do: (any release a little bit at a time)
- Document running a test version.
- Document query file format.
- Document static linking
- Document problems with Verify and pruning.
- Document how to use multiple databases.
- For FreeBSD typical /dev/nrsa0 and for mtx /dev/pass1

          
Testing to do: (painful)
- that ALL console command line options work and are always implemented
- blocksize recognition code.
- multiple simultaneous Volumes
- Test if rewind at end of tape waits for tape to rewind.

- Figure out how to use ssh or stunnel to protect Bacula communications.

For 1.31 release:
- Document what characters can go into Volume names.
- Implement Volume name checking.
- Default duration with no qualifier is sec should be 1 day
- Getting the following on all directories on Win32
  19-May-2003 01:14 tibs-fd:      Could not access c:/cygwin/home/kern/rxvt: ERR=Permission denied
- Make sure Bacula prunes/purges canceled and failed jobs too!
- Find a solution for the multiple FileSet problem (when it is changed).
  Add date?
- Cancel waiting for Client connect in SD if FD goes away.
- Testing Tibs job erred and hung director on Storage resource.
- Make restore more robust in counting error and not immediately bailing
  out. Also print error message once, but try to continue.
- Make SD keep track of Files, Bytes during restore.
- Add code to check that blocks are sequential on restore.
- File the Automatically selected: xxx
  to say Automatically selected Pool: xxx
- Should Bacula make an Append tape as Purged when purging?
- Shell expansion failes for working_directory in SD from time to tim.
- Possibly update all client records at startup.
- Volume names with spaces get jammed into the catalog with 0x1 
  i.e. the SD bashes the Volume but they are not unbased by Dir.
  jerom-dir: MonthlySave.2003-05-10_17.12.01 Error: Unable to get Media
  record for Volume Tape^A1: ERR=sql_get.c:788 Media record for Volume
  "Tape^A1" not found.
   jerom-sd: MonthlySave.2003-05-10_17.12.01 Error: Error updating Volume
   Info: 1991 Catalog Request failed: sql_get.c:788 Media record for Volume
   "Tape^A1" not found.

- Cancellation caused JobMedia error:
     babylon5-dir: Last FULL backup time not found. Doing FULL backup.               
     babylon5-dir: Start Backup JobId 416, Job=Zocalo_Save.2003-05-19_02.15.06       
     babylon5-sd: End of media on Volume VXA-V17-Inc-001 Bytes=31,982,900,672 Blocks=495,781.
     babylon5-sd: Job Zocalo_Save.2003-05-19_02.15.06 waiting. Cannot find any appendable volumes.
     babylon5-sd: Someone woke me up, but I cannot find any appendable volumes
       for Job=Zocalo_Save.2003-05-19_02.15.06.                                
     babylon5-sd: Zocalo_Save.2003-05-19_02.15.06 Fatal error: Job
       Zocalo_Save.2003-05-19_02.15.06 canceled while waiting for mount on
       Storage Device "Ecrix_VXA-1".
     babylon5-sd: Zocalo_Save.2003-05-19_02.15.06 Fatal error: Cannot fixup device
       error. Job Zocalo_Save.2003-05-19_02.15.06 canceled while waiting for
       mount on Storage Device "Ecrix_VXA-1".
                                                                                     
     babylon5-dir: Zocalo_Save.2003-05-19_02.15.06 Error: Catalog error creating
       JobMedia record. sql_create.c:125 Create JobMedia failed. Record already
       exists.
     babylon5-sd: Zocalo_Save.2003-05-19_02.15.06 Error: Error creating JobMedia
       record: 1991 Update JobMedia error
                                                                                     
     babylon5-sd: Zocalo_Save.2003-05-19_02.15.06 Error: askdir.c:158 NULL Volume
       name. This shouldn't happen!!!
     zocalo-fd: Zocalo_Save.2003-05-19_02.15.06 Error: bnet.c:310 Write error
       sending to Storage daemon:babylon5:9103: ERR=Broken pipe
     

- ChangeServiceConfig2A does not exist on WinNT (ADVAPI32.DLL).

- Implement MTIOCERRSTAT on FreeBSD to clear tape error conditions.

- Add Progress command that periodically reports the progress of
  a job or all jobs.
- Implement "Reschedule OnError=yes interval=nnn times=xxx"
- One block was orphaned in the SD probably after cancel.
- Add all command line arguments to "update", e.g. slot=nn volStatus=append, ...

- Implement argc/argv for daemon command line scanning using table driven
  stuff below.
- Implement table driven single argc/argv scanner to pickup all arguments.
  Much like xxx_conf.c scan table.
  keyword, handler(store_routine), store_address, code, flags, default.

- Fix "access not allowed" for backup of files on WinXP.
- Check for existence of all new Win32 API's.  See LoadLibrary in 
  winservice.cpp
- Examine Bare Metal restore problem (a FD crash exists somewhere ...).
- Test multiple simultaneous Volumes
- Document FInclude ...
- Implement timeout in response() when it should come quickly.
- Implement console @echo command.
- Bug: fix access problems on files restored on WinXP.
- Implement a Slot priority (loaded/not loaded).
- Implement "vacation" Incremental only saves.
- Implement single pane restore (much like the Gftp panes).
- Implement Automatic Mount even in operator wait.
- Implement create "FileSet"?
- Implement Release Device in the Job resource to unmount a drive.
- Implement Acquire Device in the Job resource to mount a drive,
  be sure this works with admin jobs so that the user can get
  prompted to insert the correct tape.  Possibly some way to say to
  run the job but don't save the files.
- Implement all command line args on run.
- Implement command line "restore" args.
- Implement "restore current select=no"
- Fix watchdog pthread crash on Win32 (this is pthread_kill() Cygwin bug)
- Implement "scratch pool" where tapes are defined and can be
  taken by any pool that needs them.
- Implement restore "current system", but take all files without
  doing selection tree -- so that jobs without File records can
  be restored.
- Make | and < work on FD side.
- Pass prefix_links to FD.
- Implement a M_SECURITY message class.
- Implement disk spooling. Two parts: 1. Spool to disk then
  immediately to tape to speed up tape operations. 2. Spool to
  disk only when the tape is full, then when a tape is hung move
  it to tape.
- From Phil Stracchino:
  It would probably be a per-client option, and would be called
  something like, say, "Automatically purge obsoleted jobs".  What it
  would do is, when you successfully complete a Differential backup of a
  client, it would automatically purge all Incremental backups for that
  client that are rendered redundant by that Differential.  Likewise,
  when a Full backup on a client completed, it would automatically purge
  all Differential and Incremental jobs obsoleted by that Full backup.
  This would let people minimize the number of tapes they're keeping on
  hand without having to master the art of retention times.
- Implement a relocatable bacula.spec 
- Allow multiple Storage specifications (or multiple names on
  a single Storage specification) in the Job record. Thus a job 
  can be backed up to a number of storage devices.
- Implement dump/print label to UA
- Add prefixlinks to where or not where absolute links to FD.
- Look at Python for a Bacula scripting language -- www.python.org
- Issue message to mount a new tape before the rewind.
- Simplified client job initiation for portables.
- If SD cannot open a drive, make it periodically retry.
- Implement LabelTemplate (at least first cut).
- Add more of the config info to the tape label.
- Implement a Mount Command and an Unmount Command where
  the users could specify a system command to be performed
  to do the mount, after which Bacula could attempt to
  read the device. This is for Removeable media such as a CDROM.
  - Most likely, this mount command would be invoked explicitly
  by the user using the current Console "mount" and "unmount" 
  commands -- the Storage Daemon would do the right thing 
  depending on the exact nature of the device.
  - As with tape drives, when Bacula wanted a new removable
  disk mounted, it would unmount the old one, and send a message
  to the user, who would then use "mount" as described above 
  once he had actually inserted the disk.

- Make some way so that if a machine is skipped because it is not up 
  that Bacula will continue retrying for a specified period of time --
  periodically.
- If tape is marked read-only, then try opening it read-only rather than
  failing, and remember that it cannot be written.
- Refine SD waiting output:
    Device is being positioned
    >     Device is being positioned for append
    >     Device is being positioned to file x
    > 
- Figure out some way to estimate output size and to avoid splitting
  a backup across two Volumes -- this could be useful for writing CDROMs
  where you really prefer not to have it split -- not serious.
- Add RunBeforeJob and RunAfterJob to the Client program.
- Have SD compute MD5 or SHA1 and compare to what FD computes.
- Make VolumeToCatalog calculate an MD5 or SHA1 from the 
  actual data on the Volume and compare it.                  
- Implement FileOptions (see end of this document)
- Implement Bacula plugins -- design API
- Make bcopy read through bad tape records.
- Fix read_record to handle multiple sessions.
- Program files (i.e. execute a program to read/write files).
  Pass read date of last backup, size of file last time.
- Add Signature type to File DB record.
- Make Restore report an error if FD or SD term codes are not OK.
- CD into subdirectory when open()ing files for backup to
  speed up things.  Test with testfind().
- Priority job to go to top of list.
- Find out why Full saves run slower and slower (hashing?)
- Why are save/restore of device different sizes (sparse?)   Yup! Fix it.
- Implement some way for the Console to dynamically create a job.
- Restore to a particular time -- e.g. before date, after date. 
- Solaris -I on tar for include list
- Prohibit backing up archive device (findlib/find_one.c:128)
- Need a verbose mode in restore, perhaps to bsr.
- bscan without -v is too quiet -- perhaps show jobs.
- Add code to reject whole blocks if not wanted on restore.
- Start working on Base jobs.
- Check if we can increase Bacula FD priorty in Win2000
- Make sure the MaxVolFiles is fully implemented in SD
- Check if both CatalogFiles and UseCatalog are set to SD.
- Need return status on read_cb() from read_records(). Need multiple
  records -- one per Job, maybe a JCR or some other structure with
  a block and a record.
- Figure out how to do a bare metal Windows restore
- Put system type returned by FD into catalog.
- Possibly add email to Watchdog if drive is unmounted too
  long and a job is waiting on the drive.
- Use read_record.c in SD code.
- Why don't we get an error message from Win32 FD when bootstrap 
  file cannot be created for restore command?
- When Marking a file in Restore that is a hard link, also
  mark the link so that the data will be reloaded.
- Restore program that errors in SD due to no tape reports
  OK incorrectly in output.
- After unmount, if restore job started, ask to mount.
- Convert all %x substitution variables, which are hard to remember
  and read to %(variable-name).  Idea from TMDA.
- Add JobLevel in FD status (but make sure it is defined).
- Make Pool resource handle Counter resources.
- Remove NextId for SQLite. Optimize.
- Move all SQL statements into a single location.
- Add UA rc and history files.
- put termcap (used by console) in ./configure and
  allow -with-termcap-dir.
- Enhance time and size scanning routines.
- Fix Autoprune for Volumes to respect need for full save.
- Fix Win32 config file definition name on /install
- No READLINE_SRC if found in alternate directory.
- Test a second language e.g. french.
- Compare tape to Client files (attributes, or attributes and data) 
- Make all database Ids 64 bit.
- Write an applet for Linux.
- Add estimate to Console commands
- Find solution to blank filename (i.e. path only) problem.
- Implement new daemon communications protocol.
- Remove PoolId from Job table, it exists in Media.
- Allow console commands to detach or run in background.
- Fix status delay on storage daemon during rewind.
- Add SD message variables to control operator wait time
  - Maximum Operator Wait
  - Minimum Message Interval
  - Maximum Message Interval
- Send Operator message when cannot read tape label.
- Verify level=Volume (scan only), level=Data (compare of data to file).
  Verify level=Catalog, level=InitCatalog
- Events file
- Add keyword search to show command in Console.
- Fix Win2000 error with no messages during startup.
- Events : tape has more than xxx bytes.
- Restrict characters permitted in a Resource name.
- Complete code in Bacula Resources -- this will permit
  reading a new config file at any time.
- Handle ctl-c in Console
- Implement script driven addition of File daemon to config files.
- Think about how to make Bacula work better with File (non-tape) archives.
- Write Unix emulator for Windows.
- Implement new serialize subroutines
   send(socket, "string", &Vol, "uint32", &i, NULL)
- Audit all UA commands to ensure that we always prompt where possible.
- If ./btape is called without /dev, assume argument is a Storage resource name.
- Put memory utilization in Status output of each daemon
  if full status requested or if some level of debug on.
- Make database type selectable by .conf files i.e. at runtime
- Set flag for uname -a.  Add to Volume label.
- Implement throttled work queue.
- Check for EOT at ENOSPC or EIO or ENXIO (unix Pc)
- Restore files modified after date
- Restore file modified before date
- Emergency restore info:
  - Backup Bacula
  - Backup working directory
  - Backup Catalog
- Restore -- do nothing but show what would happen
- SET LD_RUN_PATH=$HOME/mysql/lib/mysql
- Implement Restore FileSet=
- Create a protocol.h and protocol.c where all protocol messages
  are concentrated.
- Remove duplicate fields from jcr (e.g. jcr.level and jcr.jr.Level, ...).
- Timout a job or terminate if link goes down, or reopen link and query.
- Find general solution for sscanf size problems (as well
  as sprintf. Do at run time?
- Concept of precious tapes (cannot be reused).
- Make bcopy copy with a single tape drive.
- Permit changing ownership during restore.

- Autolabel should be specified by DIR instead of SD.
- Find out how to get the system tape block limits, e.g.:
  Apr 22 21:22:10 polymatou kernel: st1: Block limits 1 - 245760 bytes.  
  Apr 22 21:22:10 polymatou kernel: st0: Block limits 2 - 16777214 bytes.
- Storage daemon    
  - Add media capacity
  - AutoScan (check checksum of tape)
  - Format command = "format /dev/nst0"
  - MaxRewindTime
  - MinRewindTime
  - MaxBufferSize
  - Seek resolution (usually corresponds to buffer size)
  - EODErrorCode=ENOSPC or code
  - Partial Read error code
  - Partial write error code
  - Nonformatted read error
  - Nonformatted write error
  - WriteProtected error
  - IOTimeout
  - OpenRetries
  - OpenTimeout
  - IgnoreCloseErrors=yes
  - Tape=yes
  - NoRewind=yes
- Pool
  - Maxwrites
  - Recycle period
- Job
  - MaxWarnings
  - MaxErrors (job?)
=====
- FD sends unsaved file list to Director at end of job (see
  RFC below).
- File daemon should build list of files skipped, and then
  at end of save retry and report any errors.
- Write a Storage daemon that uses pipes and
  standard Unix programs to write to the tape.
  See afbackup.
- Need something that monitors the JCR queue and
  times out jobs by asking the deamons where they are.
- Enhance Jmsg code to permit buffering and saving to disk.
- device driver = "xxxx" for drives.
- restart: paranoid: read label fsf to
  eom read append block, and go
  super-paranoid: read label, read all files
  in between, read append block, and go
  verify: backspace, read append block, and go
  permissive: same as above but frees drive
  if tape is not valid.
- Verify from Volume
- Ensure that /dev/null works
- Need report class for messages. Perhaps
  report resource where report=group of messages
- enhance scan_attrib and rename scan_jobtype, and
  fill in code for "since" option 
- Director needs a time after which the report status is sent
  anyway -- or better yet, a retry time for the job.
  Don't reschedule a job if previous incarnation is still running.
- Some way to automatically backup everything is needed????
- Need a structure for pending actions:
  - buffered messages
  - termination status (part of buffered msgs?)
- Drive management
  Read, Write, Clean, Delete
- Login to Bacula; Bacula users with different permissions:
   owner, group, user, quotas
- Store info on each file system type (probably in the job header on tape.
  This could be the output of df; or perhaps some sort of /etc/mtab record.

Longer term to do:
- Design at hierarchial storage for Bacula. Migration and Clone. 
- Implement FSM (File System Modules).
- Identify unchanged or "system" files and save them to a
  special tape thus removing them from the standard 
  backup FileSet -- BASE backup.
- Audit M_ error codes to ensure they are correct and consistent.
- Add variable break characters to lex analyzer.
  Either a bit mask or a string of chars so that
  the caller can change the break characters.
- Make a single T_BREAK to replace T_COMMA, etc.
- Ensure that File daemon and Storage daemon can
  continue a save if the Director goes down (this
  is NOT currently the case). Must detect socket error,
  buffer messages for later. 
- Enhance time/duration input to allow multiple qualifiers e.g. 3d2h
- Add ability to backup to two Storage devices (two SD sessions) at
  the same time -- e.g. onsite, offsite.
- Add the ability to consolidate old backup sets (basically do a restore
  to tape and appropriately update the catalog). Compress Volume sets.
  Might need to spool via file is only one drive is available.
- Compress or consolidate Volumes of old possibly deleted files. Perhaps
  someway to do so with every volume that has less than x% valid 
  files.


Migration: Move a backup from one Volume to another
Clone:     Copy a backup -- two Volumes

Bacula Migration is based on Jobs (apparently Networker is file by file).

Migration triggered by:
  Number of Jobs
  Number of Volumes
  Age of Jobs
  Highwater mark (keep total size)
  Lowwater mark
  
Projects:
            Bacula Projects Roadmap 
               17 August 2002
           last update 8 May 2003

Item 1:   Multiple simultaneous Jobs. (done)
Done -- Restore part needs better implementation to work correctly
        Also, it needs considerable testing

  What:   Permit multiple simultaneous jobs in Bacula.

  Why:    An enterprise level solution needs to go fast without the
          need for the system administrator to carefully tweak
          timing.  Based on the benchmarks, during a full
          backup, NetWorker typically hit 10 times the bandwidth to
          the tape compared to Bacula--largely. This is probably due to
          running parallel jobs and multi-threaded filling of buffers
          and writing them to tape.  This should also make things work
          better when you have a mix of fast and slow machines backing
          up at the same time.

  Notes:  Bacula was designed to run multiple simultaneous jobs. Thus
          implementing this is a matter of some small cleanups and
          careful testing.


Item 2:   Make the Storage daemon use intermediate file storage to buffer data.
Deferred -- not necessary yet.

  What:   If data is coming into the SD too fast, buffer it to 
          disk if the user has configured this option.

  Why:    This would be nice, especially if it more or less falls out
          when implementing (1) above.  If not, it probably should not
          be given a high priority because fundamentally the backup time
          is limited by the tape bandwidth.  Even though you may finish a
          client job quicker by spilling to disk, you still have to
          eventually get it onto tape.  If intermediate disk buffering
          allows us to improve write bandwidth to tape, it may make
          sense.

  Notes:  Whether or not this is implemented will depend upon performance
          testing after item 1 is implemented.


Item 3:   Write the bscan program -- also write a bcopy program.
Done

  What:   Write a program that reads a Bacula tape and puts all the 
          appropriate data into the catalog. This allows recovery
          from a tape that is no longer in the database, or it allows
          re-creation of a database if lost.

  Why:    This is a fundamental robustness and disaster recovery tool
          which will increase the comfort level of a sysadmin
          considering adopting Bacula.

  Notes:  A skeleton of this program already exists, but much work
          needs to be done. Implementing this will also make apparent
          any deficiencies in the current Bacula tape format.


Item 4:   Implement Base jobs.

  What:   A base job is sort of like a Full save except that you 
          will want the FileSet to contain only files that are unlikely
          to change in the future (i.e. a snapshot of most of your
          system after installing it). After the base job has been run,
          when you are doing a Full save, you can specify to exclude
          all files saved by the base job that have not been modified.

  Why:    This is something none of the competition does, as far as we know
          (except BackupPC, which is a Perl program that saves to disk
          only).  It is big win for the user, it makes Bacula stand out
          as offering a unique optimization that immediately saves time
          and money.

  Notes:  Big savings in tape usage. Will require more resources because
          the e. DIR must send FD a list of files/attribs, and the FD must
          search the list and compare it for each file to be saved.


Item 5:   Implement Label templates

  What:   This is a mechanism whereby Bacula can automatically create
          a tape label for new tapes according to a detailed specification
          provided by the user.

  Why:    It is a major convenience item for folks who use automated label
          creation.

  Notes:  Bacula already has a working form of automatic tape label
          creation, but it is very crude. The design for the complete
          tape labeling project is already documented in the manual.


Item 6:   Write a regression script.
Done --   Continue to expand its testing.

  What:   This is an automatic script that runs and tests as many features
          of Bacula as possible. The output is compared to previous
          versions of Bacula and any differences are reported.

  Why:    This is an enormous help in preventing introduction of new
          errors in parts of the program that already work correctly.

  Notes:  This probably should be ranked higher, it's something the typical
          user doesn't see.  Depending on how it's implemented, it may
          make sense to defer it until the archival tape format and
          user interface mature.


Item 7:   GUI for interactive restore
Item 8:   GUI for interactive backup

  What:   The current interactive restore is implemented with a tty
          interface. It would be much nicer to be able to "see" the
          list of files backed up in typical GUI tree format.
          The same mechanism could also be used for creating 
          ad-hoc backup FileSets (item 8).

  Why:    Ease of use -- especially for the end user.

  Notes:  Rather than implementing in Gtk, we probably should go directly
          for a Browser implementation, even if doing so meant the
          capability wouldn't be available until much later.  Not only
          is there the question of Windows sites, most
          Solaris/HP/IRIX, etc,  shops can't currently run Gtk programs
          without installing lots of stuff admins are very wary about.
          Real sysadmins will always use the command line anyway, and
          the user who's doing an interactive restore or backup of his
          own files will in most cases be on a Windows machine running
          Exploder.


Item 9:   Add SSL to daemon communications.
Inprogress as of version 1.31.

  What:   This provides for secure communications between the daemons.

  Why:    This would allow doing backup across the Internet without
          privacy concerns (or with much less concern).

  Notes:  The vast majority of near term potential users will be backing up
          a single site over a LAN and, correctly or not, they probably
          won't be concerned with security, at least not enough to go to
          the trouble to set up keys, etc. to screw things down.  We suspect
          that many users genuinely interested in multi-site backup
          already run some form of VPN software in their internetwork
          connections, and are willing to delegate security to that layer.


Item 10:  Define definitive tape format.
Done (version 1.27)

  What:   Define that definitive tape format that will not change 
          for the next millennium.

  Why:    Stability, security.

  Notes:  See notes for item 11 below.


Item 11:  New daemon communication protocol.

  What:   The current daemon to daemon protocol is basically an ASCII
          printf() and sending the buffer. On the receiving end, the
          buffer is sscanf()ed to unpack it. The new scheme would
          be a binary format that allows quick packing and unpacking
          of any data type with named fields.

  Why:    Using binary packing would be faster. Named fields will permit
          error checking to ensure that what is sent is what the 
          receiver really wants.

  Notes:  These are internal improvements in the interest of the
          long-term stability and evolution of the program.  On the one
          hand, the sooner they're done, the less code we have to rip
          up when the time comes to install them.  On the other hand, they
          don't bring an immediately perceptible benefit to potential
          users.  Item 10 and possibly item 11 should be deferred until Bacula
          is well established with a growing user community more or
          less happy with the feature set.  At that time, it will make a
          good "next generation" upgrade in the interest of data
          immortality.




======================================================
        Base Jobs design
It is somewhat like a Full save becomes an incremental since
the Base job (or jobs) plus other non-base files.
Need:
- New BaseFile table that contains:
    JobId, BaseJobId, FileId (from Base).
  i.e. for each base file that exists but is not saved because
  it has not changed, the File daemon sends the JobId, BaseId,
  and FileId back to the Director who creates the DB entry.
- To initiate a Base save, the Director sends the FD 
  the FileId, and full filename for each file in the Base.
- When the FD finds a Base file, he requests the Director to
  send him the full File entry (stat packet plus MD5), or
  conversely, the FD sends it to the Director and the Director
  says yes or no. This can be quite rapid if the FileId is kept
  by the FD for each Base Filename.          
- It is probably better to have the comparison done by the FD
  despite the fact that the File entry must be sent across the
  network.
- An alternative would be to send the FD the whole File entry
  from the start. The disadvantage is that it requires a lot of
  space. The advantage is that it requires less communications
  during the save.
- The Job record must be updated to indicate that one or more
  Bases were used.
- At end of Job, FD returns:   
   1. Count of base files/bytes not written to tape (i.e. matches)
   2. Count of base file that were saved i.e. had changed.
- No tape record would be written for a Base file that matches, in the
  same way that no tape record is written for Incremental jobs where
  the file is not saved because it is unchanged.
- On a restore, all the Base file records must explicitly be
  found from the BaseFile tape. I.e. for each Full save that is marked
  to have one or more Base Jobs, search the BaseFile for all occurrences
  of JobId.
- An optimization might be to make the BaseFile have:
     JobId
     BaseId
     FileId
  plus
     FileIndex
  This would avoid the need to explicitly fetch each File record for
  the Base job.  The Base Job record will be fetched to get the
  VolSessionId and VolSessionTime.
=========================================================  

  

=============================================================

                Request For Comments For File Backup Options
                   10 November 2002

Subject: File Backup Options

Problem: 
  A few days ago, a Bacula user who is backing up to file volumes and
  using compression asked if it was possible to suppress compressing
  all .gz files since it was a waste of CPU time. Although Bacula
  currently permits using different options (compression, ...) on
  a directory by directory basis, it cannot do it on a file by 
  file basis, which is clearly what was desired.   

Proposed Implementation:
  To solve this problem, I propose the following:

  - Add a new Director resource type called FileOptions.  

  - The FileOptions resource will have records for all
    options that can currently be specified on the Include record 
    (in a FileSet).  Examples below.

  - The FileOptions resource will permit an exclude option as well
    as a number of additional options.

  - The heart of the FileOptions resource is the ability to
    supply any number of ApplyTo records which specify POSIX
    regular expressions.  These ApplyTo regular expressions are
    applied to the fully qualified filename (path and all). If
    one matches, then the FileOptions will be used.

  - When an ApplyTo specification matches an included file, the
    options specified in the FileOptions resource will override
    the default options specified on the Include record.

  - Include records will be modified to permit referencing one or
    more FileOptions resources.  The FileOptions will be used
    in the order listed on the Include record and the first
    one that matches will be applied.

  - Options (or specifications) currently supplied on the Include
    record will be deprecated (i.e. removed in a later version a
    year or so from now).

  - The Exclude record will be deprecated as the same functionality
    can be obtained by using an Exclude = yes in the FileOptions.

FileOptions records:
  The following records can appear in the FileOptions resource. An
  asterisk preceding the name indicates a feature not currently
  implemented.

  For Backup Jobs:
    - Compression= (GZIP, ...)
    - Signature=   (MD5, SHA1, ...)
    - *Encryption=
    - OneFs=      (yes/no)    - remain on one filesystem
    - Recurse=    (yes/no)    - recurse into subdirectories
    - Sparse=     (yes/no)    - do sparse file backup
    - *Exclude=   (yes/no)    - exclude file from being saved
    - *Reader=    (filename)  - external read (backup) program
    - *Plugin=    (filename)  - read/write plugin module

  For Verify Jobs:
    - verify=     (ipnougsamc5) - verify options

  For Restore Jobs:
    - replace= (always/ifnewer/ifolder/never) - replace options currently
                                                implemented in 1.27
    - *Writer= (filename)   - external write (restore) program


Implementation:
  Currently options specifying compression, MD5 signatures, recursion,
  ... of a FileSet are supplied on the Include record. These will now
  all be collected into a FileOptions resource, which will be
  specified on the Include in place of the options. Multiple FileOptions
  may be specified.  Since the FileOptions contain regular expressions
  that are applied to the full filename, this will give the ability
  to specify backup options on a file by file basis to whatever level
  of detail you wish.

Example:

  Today:

    FileSet {
      Name = "FullSet"
      Include = compression=GZIP signature=MD5 {
        /
      }
    }

  Proposal:

    FileSet {
      Name = "FullSet"
      Include = FileOptions=Opts {
        /
      }
    }
    FileOptions {
      Name = Opts
      Compression = GZIP
      Signature = MD5
      ApplyTo = /*.?*/
    }

  That's a lot more to do the same thing, but it gives the ability to
  apply options on a file by file basis.  For example, suppose you
  want to compress all files but not any file with extensions .gz or .Z.
  You could do so as follows:

    FileSet {
      Name = "FullSet"
      Include = FileOptions=NoCompress FileOptions=Opts {
        /
      }
    }
    FileOptions {
      Name = Opts
      Compression = GZIP
      Signature = MD5
      ApplyTo = /*.?*/   # matches all files
    }
    FileOptions {
      Name = NoCompress
      Signature = MD5
      # Note multiple ApplyTos are ORed
      ApplyTo = /*.gz/   # matches .gz files */
      ApplyTo = /*.Z/    # matches .Z files */
    }

  Now, since the NoCompress FileOptions is specified first on the
  Include line, any *.gz or *.Z file will have an MD5 signature computed,
  but will not be compressed. For all other files, the NoCompress will not
  match, so the Opts options will be used which will include GZIP
  compression.

Questions:
  - Is it necessary to provide some means of ANDing regular expressions
    and negation?  (not currently planned)

    e.g.  ApplyTo = /*.gz/ && !/big.gz/

  - I see that Networker has a "null" module which, if specified, does not 
    backup the file, but does make an record of the file in the catalog
    so that the catalog will reflect an exact picture of the filesystem.
    The result is that the file can be "seen" when "browsing" the save
    sets, but it cannot be restored.
    
    Is this really useful?  Should it be implemented in Bacula?
  
Results:
  After implementing the above, the user will be able to specify
  on a file by file basis (using regular expressions) what options are
  applied for the backup.


=============================================

========================================================== 
    Unsaved File design
For each Incremental job that is run, there may be files that
were found but not saved because they were locked (this applies
only to Windows). Such a system could send back to the Director
a list of Unsaved files.
Need:
- New UnSavedFiles table that contains:
  JobId
  PathId
  FilenameId
- Then in the next Incremental job, the list of Unsaved Files will be
  feed to the FD, who will ensure that they are explicitly chosen even
  if standard date/time check would not have selected them.
=============================================================


Done: (see kernsdone for more)
- Heartbeat between daemons.
- Fix Dir heartbeat in restore and verify vol.  Be sure to make
  bnet_recv() ignore BNET_HEARTBEAT.
- Implement HEART_BEAT while SD waiting for tapes.
- Include RunBeforeJob and RunAfterJob output in the message
  stream.
- Change M_INFO to M_RESTORED for all restored files.
- Fix command prompt in gnome-console by checking on Ready.
- Merge SQLite, MySQL, and Rel spec into a single file.
- Fix config of "console"
- Check if cancel works with FD (fixed).
- Properly configure console and gconsole (currently for source not
  configured for installation).
- Error labeling tape from console gets Jmsg error because of no Job.
- Test and implement get_pint and get_yesno.
- Implement global with DB name and add to btraceback.gdb
- Remove subsysdir from conf files (used only in autostart scripts).
- Fix the following:
  rufus-dir: Max configured use duration exceeded. Marking Volume "MatouBackup" as Used.
   rufus-sd: Volume "" previously written, moving to end of data.
   rufus-sd: Matou.2003-05-10_10.39.18 Error: I canot write on this volume because:
      The number of files mismatch! Volume=1 Catalog=0
   rufus-sd: Matou.2003-05-10_10.39.18 Error: askdir.c:155 NULL Volume name. This shouldn't happen!!!
- Shell character expansion is failing occassionally.
- Add a section to the doc on Manual cycling of Volumes.
- Check if Job/File retentions apply to multivolume jobs.
- Fix missing casette in autoloader during read:
  14-May-2003 14:41 undef-sd: RestoreFiles.2003-05-14_14.41.00 Warning: acquire.c:106 Volume name mismatch. Wanted TestVolume0005 got TestVolume0010
  14-May-2003 14:41 undef-sd: 3301 Issuing autochanger "loaded" command.
  14-May-2003 14:41 undef-sd: 3302 Issuing autochanger "unload" command.
  14-May-2003 14:42 undef-sd: 3303 Issuing autochanger "load slot 1" command.
  14-May-2003 14:42 undef-sd: 3304 Autochanger "load slot 1" status is OK.
  14-May-2003 14:42 undef-sd: RestoreFiles.2003-05-14_14.41.00 Warning: acquire.c:106 Volume name mismatch. Wanted TestVolume0005 got TestVolume0009
  14-May-2003 14:42 undef-sd: 3301 Issuing autochanger "loaded" command.
  14-May-2003 14:42 undef-sd: RestoreFiles.2003-05-14_14.41.00 Warning: acquire.c:106 Volume name mismatch. Wanted TestVolume0005 got TestVolume0009
  14-May-2003 14:42 undef-sd: 3301 Issuing autochanger "loaded" command.
  14-May-2003 14:42 undef-sd: RestoreFiles.2003-05-14_14.41.00 Warning: acquire.c:106 Volume name mismatch. Wanted TestVolume0005 got TestVolume0009
  14-May-2003 14:42 undef-sd: 3301 Issuing autochanger "loaded" command.
  14-May-2003 14:42 undef-sd: RestoreFiles.2003-05-14_14.41.00 Warning: acquire.c:106 Volume name mismatch. Wanted TestVolume0005 got TestVolume0009
  14-May-2003 14:42 undef-sd: 3301 Issuing autochanger "loaded" command.
  14-May-2003 14:42 undef-sd: RestoreFiles.2003-05-14_14.41.00 Fatal error: acquire.c:129 Too many errors trying to mount device "/dev/nrsa0".
  14-May-2003 14:42 undef-dir: Bacula 1.31 (12May03): 14-May-2003 14:42
- Fix problem reported by Christopher McCurdy <cmccurdy@eecis.udel.edu>
   xeon-fd:      Could not stat c:/Documents and Settings/All 
   Users/Application Data/Humc:\Documents and Settings\All User98_AIX.kbf: 
   ERR=No such file or directory
   Cannot reproduce.
- The following  Re-read last block at EOT failed. ERR=block.c:523 Read zero bytes on device /dev/nrsa0.
    undef-sd: block.c:523 Read zero bytes on device /dev/nrsa0.
  apparently masks the standard EOM message.
- BSD (probably) does not have strtoll()
- BSD does not have ioctl() MTEOM
- BSD defines a number of MT_xxx variables which conflict
  with those defined by Bacula.
- Make default duration days if no qualifier (e.g. s) is specified.
- BSDI fix finding gcc version
- When the FD errs (e.g. disk full) have a more graceful shutdown.