Trailing-Edge
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PDP-10 Archives
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BB-F494Z-DD_1986
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10,7/klepto.hlp
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
KLEPTO is a damage assesment program for TOPS10 file structures.
The inspection includes tests for numerous types of errors, but the
emphasis is on SAT block errors. KLEPTO will automatically correct all
errors in the SAT blocks.
KLEPTO is designed to be a replacement for DSKRAT and RIPOFF. It
is significantly faster than its predessors.
2.0 HOW TO RUN KLEPTO
Type:
.AS dskx STR
.AS dsky LPT
.R KLEPTO
Where "dskx" is the name of the file structure to be processed, and
"dsky" is the name of the structure to place the log file on. The name
of the log file will be dskx.LOG. Note that if logical name "LPT" is
not assigned, then the log file will go to TTY:. Note that a spooled
LPT is not legal (or any other spooled device).
3.0 TYPES OF CORRUPTION
When KLEPTO discovers a discrepancy in the SAT block, it will
categorize it into one of three types: lost clusters, free clusters,
and multiply used clusters.
3.1 Lost Clusters
A lost cluster is where the SAT block says that the cluster is in
use, but there is no file anywhere on the structure which has a pointer
to this cluster (i.e. the SAT bit is one but should be zero).
Of the three types, a lost cluster is by far the least severe.
Under normal day to day operations it is expected that all the file
structures on your system will slowly accumulate lost clusters. This is
to be considered perfectly normal. You should not be alarmed even if a
structure has a large number of lost clusters.
Consider the following scenario: The file X.DAT is 5000 blocks. A
user attempts to copy X.DAT to Y.DAT. The first 3000 blocks have been
copied when the system accidentally crashes. At the time of the crash,
the file Y.DAT had not yet been closed. Thus there is no entry in the
UFD. The 3000 blocks which had already been allocated to Y.DAT will
become lost.
This scenario is typical of how lost clusters are created. They
are created when the system crashes during the creation of a file. Each
crash will probably create at least one lost cluster. Some crashes will
create more.
3.2 Free Clusters
A free cluster is the exact opposite of a lost cluster. A free
cluster is where the SAT block says that the cluster is not in use, but
there is, in fact, a file which uses the cluster (i.e. the SAT bit is
zero but should be one).
The existence of a free cluster is not be taken lightly. A free
cluster is a rather severe error. The file which contains this cluster
is quite likely to be corrupt. Although KLEPTO will repair the SAT
block, it cannot repair the file itself. To insure the integrity of
your data, we suggest that you restore the file from a BACKUP tape.
KLEPTO will tell you which file(s) contain free clusters.
3.3 Multiply Used Clusters
As the name implies, a "multiply used cluster" is one that is
pointed to by several files. This is to be considered a serious error.
Note that a given cluster can easily switch from the state of being
free to the state of being multiply used (and vis a vis). If the
monitor allocates a free cluster to some file, then the cluster becomes
multiply used. If one of the two files is then deleted, the cluster
becomes free again.
During the interval that the cluster is multiply used, it's quite
easy for one or both of the files to have its data corrupted. Data from
the first file can overwrite data from the second file. Likewise, data
from the second file can overwrite data from the first file. It's quite
possible that a given cluster contains a mixture of data from both
files.
To be on the safe side, you should assume that both files are
corrupt. Both files should be restored from BACKUP tapes. Before
restoring the files, however, you must delete the corrupted versions
using the /S switch to DELFIL. Failure to do this will result in a BAZ
stopcode.
4.0 CHECKSUMMING
There is a checksum associated which each retrieval pointer in each
file on the structure. The purpose of this checksum is to detect the
condition outlined above (when data from one file overwrites the data
from another file). KLEPTO will test each of these checksums and type
out a warning message if there are any discrepancies.
Be aware, however, that the checksum only includes the first word
of the first block of the first cluster in a retrieval pointer. It is
therefore quite possible for the file to be corrupt even if there is no
checksum error. For safety sake, you should assume that any file with a
free or multiply used cluster is corrupt.
5.0 BAD BLOCKS
When reading or writing a file, if the monitor encounters an
unrecoverable disk error, it will store the block number in the DDB
(location DEVELB). Later, when the file is closed, DEVELB is copied to
the RIB (location RIBELB), and also to the BAT block. Much later, when
the file is deleted, the monitor is careful to inspect location RIBELB
and not return that cluster to the free pool. Thus the bad spot will
not be reallocated to another file.
Note that at this point in time the cluster is technically "lost".
KLEPTO will not, however, include this cluster in its lost list. KLEPTO
will not include any cluster which is listed in the BAT block.
Note that the cluster will continue to be "technically lost" until
the next time the structure is refreshed. The cluster will then be
inserted into BADBLK.SYS.
5.1 Bad Free Blocks
If KLEPTO encounters a cluster which is listed in BAT but for which
the SAT bit is zero (i.e. the cluster is not contained in BADBLK.SYS),
then KLEPTO will list the cluster as being "free". If these are the
only free blocks, KLEPTO will print the message "All free blocks are
bad". Pass two will be omitted.
The existence of a bad free block is not a serious error. Do not
be alarmed. It means simply that RIBELB overflowed. There's only room
in the RIB to list one bad spot. If a file has two bad spots, then one
will have to be dropped. Both are listed in the BAT block, but only one
is recorded in the RIB. When the file is deleted, the bad spot which is
not recorded in RIBELB will become a bad free cluster. KLEPTO will
light the cooresponding SAT bit, which is what the monitor would have
done if there had been more room in the RIB.
6.0 WHEN TO RUN KLEPTO
The primary reason for running KLEPTO is to recover lost blocks.
The number of lost blocks you can expect to recover is roughly
proportionate to the number of crashes you've experienced. During
periods of frequent crashes you should run KLEPTO often. During periods
of high stability it will not be necessary to run KLEPTO at all.
There is no precise method for anticipating what the number of lost
blocks will be. Contrary to common belief, DSKLST and
DIRECT/ALLOCATE/SUM are not good indicators of actual file usage. They
do not include the files which are currently open. Moreover, they take
substantially longer to run than KLEPTO itself.
7.0 DISMOUNT
To prevent anybody from altering any file, KLEPTO will dismount the
structure during processing (single access is not good enough). All I/O
will be performed as super I/O.
When processing is complete, KLEPTO will automatically re-mount the
structure. If the structure was initially in the system search list,
then KLEPTO will re-insert it. If need be, KLEPTO will also re-insert
the structure into the active swapping list and the system dump list.
KLEPTO will make no attempt, however, to restore anybody's job search
list.
8.0 ALGORITHM
In an internal data base, KLEPTO maintains a linked list of nodes.
There's one node for each block on the disk that KLEPTO intends to read.
The list is sorted in ascending order by block number. There are three
types of nodes: RIB's, directory data blocks, and checksum blocks.
To prevent head trashing, KLEPTO processes the list in order by
cylinder. I.E. KLEPTO will process all the nodes on a given cylinder
before moving the heads to a new cylinder. Within a given cylinder, the
nodes are not necessarily processed in order. The rotational position
of the disk will determine which block can be pulled into core in the
least amount of time.
Not all transfers are one block long. If KLEPTO needs to read
several consecutive blocks, it will do so in a single transfer. E.G.
The entire data portion of a UFD is usually read in a single transfer.
The RIB of a file and the checksum block are normally read in a single
transfer.
All transfers are performed in non-blocking mode. KLEPTO does the
processing for one block while the transfer is in progress for another
block.
Upon reading a checksum block, KLEPTO merely computes the folded
checksum and compares this with the anticipated value. Upon reading a
directory block, KLEPTO inserts a new node in the list for each entry in
the directory. Upon reading a RIB, the action taken by KLEPTO varies
greatly depending on whether or not the file is a directory. For a
non-directory RIB, KLEPTO inserts a new node in the list for each
retrieval pointer (i.e. each checksum block). For a directory RIB,
KLEPTO inserts a new node in the list for each data block in the
directory.
The algorithms used by KLEPTO are rather core intensive. For a
complex structure, KLEPTO will need to store a large number of nodes.
But there are few structures that will require more than 200P. Under no
cirumstance, however, will KLEPTO allow itself to go virtual. If core
gets tight, KLEPTO will alter its scheduling algorithm to insure that
some core is returned.
9.0 PASS TWO
If the structure has any free clusters or multiply used clusters,
then KLEPTO will perform a second a pass. The purpose of this pass is
soley to print diagnostic messages. KLEPTO will list each file that
references the cluster. KLEPTO cannot do this on the first pass as it
does not yet know which clusters are multiply used and/or free.
Note that checksums are not computed on pass two.
10.0 ALL STRUCTURES
To process all the structures on the system, type:
.AS ALL STR
.AS dsky LPT
.R KLEPTO
Where dsky is the name of the structure to place the log files on.
KLEPTO will create a seperate log file for each structure it processes
(e.g. the log file for structure DSKX will be DSKY:DSKX.LST).
Note that KLEPTO cannot place DSKY.LST directly on DSKY: as DSKY
is not mounted at the time. KLEPTO will create a TMP file on some other
structure. When the processing of DSKY is completed, KLEPTO will copy
the log file to its proper place.
11.0 MULTIPLE KLEPTOS
When processing all the structures on the system, it often helps if
you run multiple copies KLEPTO. If you run two copies, for example, the
job will get done in roughly half the time. Don't run too many copies,
however, as this can do more harm than good. The optimum number varies
from system to system. We suggest that you try a few experiments and
see what works best on your own configuration. As a starting point, we
suggest you try CPUN+1 (one plus the number of CPU's).
Note that the various copies of KLEPTO communicate with each other
via a shared HISEG. By mutual consent, they agree which copy will
process which structure and in what order. The scheduling algorithm is
very complex and considers many factors. The prime goal is, if
possible, to give each copy of KLEPTO a dedicated disk channel.
12.0 CPU SPECIFICATION
Do not use the "SET CPU" command when running KLEPTO. Although
there are a few cases where the command would help, they are not at all
obvious. In fact, they are extremely counter intuitive.
KLEPTO knows exactly what these cases are and will set the CPU
specification if necessary. Don't interfere by using the SET command.
13.0 HPQ
Don't use the "SET HPQ" command when running KLEPTO. KLEPTO won't
run substantially faster as a result. Moreover, the "SET HPQ" command
will have an adverse affect on the other jobs that might be running.
14.0 OCTAL VERSUS DECIMAL
Some of the numbers KLEPTO types are octal and some are decimal.
The rule is as follows: Counters are always decimal, and everything
else is octal. Thus block numbers and cluster addresses are always
octal. But the count of lost clusters, for example, is decimal.
15.0 7.01A VERSUS 7.02
KLEPTO was designed to run under version 7.02 of the monitor. It
will, however, run under 7.01A but it will do so at slightly reduced
speed.
16.0 KNOWN BUGS AND DEFICIENCIES.
There are no known bugs in KLEPTO itself. KLEPTO does, however,
exercize a bug in version 4(1150) of QUASAR.
When KLEPTO dismounts a file structure, QUASAR correctly notices
this fact. When KLEPTO re-mounts the structure, however, QUASAR is
oblivious. The result is that GALAXY refuses to touch any structure
that has been processed by KLEPTO. GALAXY insists that the structure
does not exist. PCO 10-702-62 will correct this problem. It is,
however, a difficult PCO to install. As a workaround, you can dismount
the structure with OMOUNT and issue a recognize command to OPR.