[Info-vax] Oracle RDB 7.1.5 PRECOMP.EXE (ALPHA)

[Simon Clubley]

On 2021-01-26, abrsvc <dansabrservices at yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Tuesday, 26 January 2021 at 13:53:17 UTC-5, Simon Clubley wrote:
>> On 2021-01-26, Simon Clubley <clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> wrote: 
>> > On 2021-01-26, Andrea Arthur <aart... at gmail.com> wrote: 
>> >> Folks, 
>> >> A colleague reached out to me looking for help recovering the precompile executable that was inadvertently deleted and, of course, has no backup available. 
>> >> 
>> >> On their system, the file was located in the following directory: 
>> >> 
>> >> %DCL-W-ACTIMAGE, error activating image ORA_PRECOMP:PRECOMP.EXE 
>> >> -CLI-E-IMAGEFNF, image file not found DSA504:[ORACLE.ALPHA_7152.ORACLE.][PROGINT.INCLUDE]PRECOMP 
>> >> 
>> >> Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. 
>> >> 
>> >> Thanks. 
>> > 
>> > I am confused. Why can't you simply recover it from the backup of 
>> > that disk ? If you have problems with the backup command, tell us 
>> > what the problem is and we might be able to help you. 
>> > 
>> > I am assuming you have planned for what happens if the disk itself 
>> > fails, so I don't understand why you can't use those procedures to 
>> > recover the deleted file. 
>> >
>> Ok, I went back to the message and _now_ saw the bit about no backup. 
>> 
>> To the OP, what was your plan if the disk itself failed ? 
>> 
>> If you have procedures for that, use them. If you do not, why not ?
>
> You do realize that the original message was posted for another, right?
>

Yes.

> Asking questions about how (poorly) the system is managed or backed up (is this a correct phrase?) is not relevant here.
> Regardless of the reason for the request, a simple answer to it does not require a complete analysis or criticism of the system involved.
>

On the contrary, it's a perfect opportunity to point out flaws in their
procedures that they might not have realised exist so they can be fixed.

They have had a near miss here (assuming someone can provide the executable)
and they can use it as an opportunity to make sure they don't suffer from
an even worse problem in the future.

The use of a DSA504: device makes me wonder if they are using shadow sets
and treating that as a backup. Well, if so, they have just learned that
shadow sets are no replacement for a proper backup, but that lesson only
means something if they do something about it.

Simon.

-- 
Simon Clubley, clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.