New Replication Entries Found Post Domino 8.5.1FP5 & 8.5.2 Upgrades
Bill Malchisky December 4 2010 09:00:00 AM
Spoke with a client yesterday. Upon their upgrading to D8.5.1FP5 from FP3, they started seeing extraneous long entries about template replication.11/30/2010 14:34:47 Starting replication with server Mail/Servers/FOO
11/30/2010 14:34:47 Pulling imapcl5.ntf from Mail/Servers/FOO imapcl5.ntf
11/30/2010 14:34:47 Pulling cca50.ntf from Mail/Servers/FOO cca50.ntf
11/30/2010 14:34:47 Pulling schema.ntf from Mail/Servers/FOO schema.ntf
11/30/2010 14:34:47 Pulling icl.ntf from Mail/Servers/FOO icl.ntf
11/30/2010 14:34:47 Pulling cldbdir4.ntf from Mail/Servers/FOO cldbdir4.ntf
11/30/2010 14:34:48 Pulling billing.ntf from Mail/Servers/FOO billing.ntf
11/30/2010 14:34:48 Pulling dspd.ntf from Mail/Servers/FOO dspd.ntf
11/30/2010 14:34:48 Pulling nntpdi50.ntf from Mail/Servers/FOO nntpdi50.ntf
11/30/2010 14:34:48 Pulling dspv.ntf from Mail/Servers/FOO dspv.ntf
11/30/2010 14:34:48 Finished replication with server Mail/Servers/FOO
11/30/2010 14:34:48 Database Replicator shutdown
I then I went to my D8.5.2 test server and attempted to re-create their scenario. After adjusting the configuration to better match their default setup, I then checked the log.nsf and sure enough, the log exact entries appeared. The same files in each case. Something for just these template files was causing the replicator task to think a change had occurred in the files--at every replication instance. Overall, not a major issue, but when the administration server replicates with each server once or twice an hour, those ten lines start to fill-up the log file quickly. Since a cleaner log is easier to parse, and the client agreed and wanted the same, I looked a bit deeper.
Here is what I found. ACLs were set properly, no documents had been modified and certainly, if one had, it would show up in the log file during replication. Really no changes to any of the files since the upgrade; and definitely not in the frequency the log reported. The template files listed all had different modifications dates, most from the upgrade date to 8.5.2, but some were more recent and coincided when I applied a hot fix, while others haven't been touched since 8.5.1. But in all cases, the files had the original R4 ODS 20 on them.
Now that shouldn't be a problem. Heck in the client's case, they had their servers running as is for years before we met recently. As a test, I upgraded the ODS on the cldbdir4.ntf file and replicated...the log entry disappeared. Finished the others and the same. Had the client make the change and he also reported that the log file was a lot cleaner as a result. Success. Yes, there are more template files on a standard installation with the ODS 20 level, than are making replication log entries. I have seen nothing in the support logs on this matter, or in the D85 forum, thus it is possible that if you have updated your ODS, you may never see this issue. If it resurfaces at any time, I'll make an update entry based upon what I find.
The quick and simple cure appears to be a copy style compaction to upgrade the ODS. A simple solution to an interesting matter with the newer versions of Domino...
In all cases, the templates stopped creating needless log entries. Most admins that have time to implement them, ensure best practices exist in their environment. An example is ensuring that the ODS on all files, not just NSFs are current. Templates just replicate the code and so sometimes aren't given a second thought, as few people ever really use them other than upgrading/setup/roll-out. Not a big deal overall, I agree. But new log entries after an upgrade can be indicative of a bigger problem brewing, so I find it is best to clean things before the phone rings.
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