Performing a giveback

Initiating a giveback

To restore a cluster to normal operation, from the takeover filer, enter one of the commands in the following table.

Command Description 
cf giveback
Initiates a giveback to the failed filer.

Note: The cf giveback command will not succeed if any of the following events are taking place:

  • Dump processes
  • Outstanding CIFS sessions
  • Parity checks
  • RAID reconstructs
  • RAID scrubs
  • Volume creation 
cf giveback -f
Terminates the following events on the virtual filer, then initiates a giveback to the failed filer:
  • Dump processes
  • Outstanding CIFS sessions
  • Parity checks
  • RAID reconstructs
  • RAID scrubs
  • Volume creation 
cf forcegiveback
Forces the takeover filer to give back the resources of the virtual filer even if the takeover filer detects an error that would normally prevent a complete giveback, such as data not being flushed from NVRAM to the failed filer's disks. When the failed filer reboots as a result of a forced giveback, it displays the following message if data from the virtual filer did not fully synchronize with the virtual filer's disks: 
partner giveback incomplete, some data may be 
lost

Caution: Use cf forcegiveback only in desperate circumstances, when you cannot get cf giveback to succeed. You can lose uncommitted data with this command.

What happens when giveback is interrupted

If a failure or power outage happens to the takeover filer during the giveback process, when the failure is repaired or power is restored, the giveback process stops and the takeover filer returns to takeover mode. Some operations, such as quota initialization, will always cause a giveback to fail.

Copyright © 1999, Network Appliance, Inc. All rights reserved.

Part No. 210-02334
File: clust12.htm
Last updated: 04/26/99 08:11:41