• Article Type: General
• Product: Primo

Problem Symptoms:
The following error messages appear in the log file of the Primo software backup p4 (/exlibris/backup/logs/prd_software_p4_Detail_<date>_<time>.log):

tar: exlibris/primo/p4_1/primoe/apache/htdocs/exlibris/primo/p4_2/tmp: File removed before we read it
tar: exlibris/primo/p4_1/primoe/apache/htdocs/exlibris/primo/p4_2/log: File removed before we read it
[...]

Cause:
The Primo software backup (p4) uses the command tar with the option -h (synonym for: --dereference). This option means: follow symlinks; archive and dump the files they point to.

The file mentioned in the error message "tar: [...] file changed as we read it" is a stale symbolic link: a link pointing to a file that does not exist.

The error message warns that a file may be missing and therefore the backup of the Primo software may be incomplete.

Resolution:
(1)
Display the stale symbolic links and their targets in the directory tree /exlibris/primo/p4_1 by entering the following command as UNIX user primo:

$ find /exlibris/primo/p4_1 -type l | perl -nle '-e || print;' | xargs -r ls -ld

lrwxrwxrwx 1 primo exlibris 68 Jan 14 2014 /exlibris/primo/p4_1/primoe/apache.v4/htdocs/PDSAleph.css -> /exlibris/primo/p4_2/pds/html_form/calling_system-aleph/PDSAleph.css
lrwxrwxrwx 1 primo exlibris 74 Jan 14 2014 /exlibris/primo/p4_1/primoe/apache.v4/htdocs/PDSDigitool.css -> /exlibris/primo/p4_2/pds/html_form/calling_system-digitool/PDSDigitool.css
[...]


(2)
Check if any of the target files reported in Step 1 is relevant for the operation of Primo. If you find that a relevant file is missing please restore it.


(3)
Delete all stale symbolic links that point to irrelevant target files.

If you find that all target file reported in Step 1 are irrelevant, you can delete their symbolic links in one go by entering the following command as UNIX user primo:

$ find /exlibris/primo/p4_1 -type l | perl -nle '-e || print;' | xargs -r rm


(4)
Start the Primo software backup (p4) again.

• Article last edited: 12/10/2014