Using indirect files to run maintenance tasks

Indirect files can be used to run the same maintenance tasks multiple times concurrently.  This results in significant time savings.  Fixup, compact, updall, design and the convert tasks all support using indirect files.  Additionally, you can create batch/scripts that run several maintenance tasks serially against different indirect files to help complete them in a much more timely fashion.  To do this:

Create a text file with a “.ind” extension:  

mailfiles1.ind

Add the list of databases and/or directories into the text file:

mailfiles1.ind contains

mail\mail1.nsf

mail\mail2.nsf

...

mail\mail25.nsf

Invoke the maintenance task against the indirect file.  A few ways to invoke maintenance tasks are:

1) With the Domino server Up

From the Domino Console (or via Domino Remote Console if you have proper Admin Rights)

 

load fixup  -j mailfiles.ind

 

load compact -c mailfiles.ind

 

load updall mailfiles.ind

 

load design -i mailfiles.ind

 

load convert -u -f mailfiles.ind * mail85.ntf



2) With Domino Server up or Domino Server down

From Windows Command Prompt -> Domino Data directory -> specify the full path to the .exe in the Domino Program Directory (This works for both Partition and Non-Partition Servers)

In this example the Domino Program Directory is "d:\notefile" and the Domino Data Directory is "c:\notes"

d:\notefile> c:\notes\nfixup.exe -j mailfiles1.ind

d:\notefile> c:\notes\ncompact.exe -c mailfiles1.ind

d:\notefile> c:\notes\nupdall.exe mailfiles1.ind

d:\notefile> c:\notes\ndesign.exe -i mailfiles1.ind

d:\notefile> c:\notes\nconvert.exe -u -f mailfiles1.ind * mail85.ntf

• Important Note for Design Task: Requires the -i parameter prior to indirect

file

Important Note for Convert Task:: Requires the -f parameter prior to indirect file


If you have multiple CPUs, you can invoke the same maintenance tasks against multiple indirect files so they run concurrently.  It is recommended to only run as many concurrent maintenance tasks as you have CPUs otherwise they will start competing for CPU and may actually take longer to complete.  

1) With Domino Server up

Simply load them from the Domino Console, for example:

 

load updall mailfiles1.ind

 

load  updall mailfiles2.ind

 

load updall mailfiles3.ind



2) With Domino Server up or Domino Server down

In seperate Windows Command Prompts:

d:\notefile> c:\notes\nupdall.exe mailfiles1.ind

d:\notefile> c:\notes\nupdall.exe mailfiles2.ind

d:\notefile> c:\notes\nupdall.exe mailfiles3.ind




Example

You have 100 mailfiles you want to run updall against and the machine has 4 CPUs.  Create 4 indirect files:

mailfiles1.ind contains

mail\mail1.nsf

mail\mail2.nsf

...

mail\mail25.nsf

mailfiles2.ind contains

mail\mail26.nsf

mail\mail27.nsf

...

mail\mail50.nsf

mailfiles3.ind contains

mail\mail51.nsf

mail\mail52.nsf

...

mail\mail75.nsf

mailfiles4.ind contains

mail\mail76.nsf

mail\mail77.nsf

...

mail\mail100.nsf


Instead of running a single updall process

(n)updall mail

you could run 4 updall processes concurrently and complete the same operation in a much faster time.

(n)updall mailfiles1.ind

(n)updall mailfiles2.ind

(n)updall mailfiles3.ind

(n)updall mailfiles4.ind


Using a batch command file

You also can schedule tasks to run consecutively using a batch/command file

Example on Windows:

Create BatchFileForUpgrade.cmd which contains:

c:\notes\nfixup.exe -j mailfiles1.ind

c:\notes\ncompact -c mailfiles1.ind

c:\notes\nupdall mailfiles1.ind

that you will copy to and execute from your Domino Data Directory.


Operating System considerations

Technote #1405726:  How to create an INDIRECT (.IND) file for Domino on IBM i

Here are some technotes on how to run Domino maintenance tasks when the Domino server is down:

UNIX: "Running compact, fixup, and updall on AIX, Linux, and Solaris when a Domino server is down" (#1303727)

IBM i (AS400): "How to run Fixup, Compact, or other command while the Domino iSeries server is down" (#1102349)