Abstract

The purpose of this document is to describe when to use the Lotus

Domino utilities (Updall, Compact, Fixup) and to explain how to use
them for normal and abnormal maintenance.

Content Table of Contents

I. The utilities: Updall, Compact, Fixup
A. Updall
B. Compact
C. Fixup
II. Best utilities for weekly maintenance
III. Best utilities for recovery

*******************************************************
I. The utilities: Updall, Compact, Fixup

A. Updall
Updall is similar to Update but it does not run continually or work from a queue. Instead, you run
Updall as needed. You can specify options when you run Updall but without them, Updall
updates any view indexes or full-text search indexes on the server that need updating. To save
disk space, Updall also purges deletion stubs from databases and discards view indexes for views
that are unused for 45 days, unless there are different criteria specified for discarding view
indexes. Use the notes.ini file setting, Default_Index_Lifetime_Days, to change when Updall
discards unused view indexes.

Like Update, Updall rebuilds all corrupt view indexes and full-text-search indexes that it
encounters.

By default, Updall is included in the notes.ini setting, ServerTasksAt2, so it runs daily at 2 AM.
Running Updall daily helps save disk space by purging deletion stubs and discarding unused
view indexes. It also ensures that all full-text-search indexes set for daily updates are updated.

Updall: Basic options

Command line
Option in Task - Start tool Description
option

Index all databases databasepath "Only this database" updates only the
specified database. To update a database in
Index only this database or the Domino Data folder, enter the file name,
folder xxxx.nsf. To update databases in a folder
 within the Data folder, specify the database
path relative to the data folder, for example,
doc\readme.nsf. "Index all databases" (or no
database path) updates all databases on the
server.

Updates a specific view in a database. Use

Update this view only database -T viewtitle
with -R to solve corruption problems.

Updall - Update options

Command line
Option in Task - Start tool Description
option

Updates built views and does not update

Update: All built views -V
full-text indexes.

Updates full-text indexes and does not

Update: Full text indexes -F
update views.

Update: Full text indexes;

Updates full-text indexes assigned
Only those with frequency -H
"Immediate" as an update frequency.
set to Immediate

Update: Full text indexes; Updates full-text indexes assigned

Only those with frequency -M "Immediate" or "Hourly" as an update
set to Immediate or Hourly frequency.

Update: Full text indexes;

Updates full-text indexes assigned
Only those with frequency
-L "Immediate," "Hourly," or "Daily" as an
set to Immediate, Hourly or
update frequency.
Daily

Updall - Rebuild options

Command line
Option in Task - Start tool Description
option

Rebuilds full-text indexes and does not

Rebuild: Full text indexes
-X rebuild views. Use to rebuild full-text
only
indexes that are corrupted.

Rebuild: All used views -R Rebuilds all used views. Using this option is
resource-intensive, so use it as a last resort
 to solve corruption problems with a specific
database.

Rebuild: Full-text indexes Rebuilds unused views and a full-text index

and additionally: All unused database -C in a database. Requires you to specify a
views database.

Updall - Search Site options

Command line
Option in Task - Start tool Description
option

Rebuilds full-text indexes and does not

Update database
-A rebuild views. Use to rebuild full-text
configurations: Incremental
indexes that are corrupted.

Update database Does a full update of search-site database

-B
configurations: Incremental configurations for search site databases.

B. Compact
When documents and attachments are deleted from a database, Domino tries to reuse the unused
space instead of immediately reducing the file size. Sometimes Domino cannot reuse the space
because of fragmentation until you compact the database.

There are three styles of compacting:

- In-place compacting with space recovery
- In-place compacting with space recovery and reduction in file size
- Copy-style compacting

In-place compacting with space recovery only

This style of compacting recovers unused space in a database but does not reduce the size of the
database on disk. Databases retain the same database instance IDs (DBIIDs), so the relationship
between the compacted databases and the transaction log remains intact. Users and servers can
continue to access and edit databases during compacting. This style of compacting is useful for
databases that you expect to stay the same size or to grow in size.

When you run Compact without specifying options, Domino uses this style of compacting on all
databases enabled for transaction logging. Domino also uses this style of compacting when you
use the -b option (case sensitive) when compacting any database.

Tip: Use this compacting method most frequently since it is the fastest and causes the least
system impact.

In-place compacting with space recovery and reduction in file size

This style of compacting reduces the file size of databases as well as recovers unused space in
 databases. This style of compacting is somewhat slower than in-place compacting with space
recovery only and assigns new DBIIDs to databases. If you use it on logged databases with a
certified backup utility, perform full backups of the databases shortly after compacting is
complete. This style of compacting allows users and servers to continue to access and edit
databases during compacting.

When you run Compact without specifying options, Domino uses this style of compacting on
databases that are not enabled for transaction logging. Domino also uses this style of compacting
when you use the -B option. To optimize disk space, it is recommended that you run Compact,
using the -B option on all databases once a week or once a month.

Copy-style compacting
Copy-style compacting creates copies of databases and then deletes the original databases after
compacting completes, so extra disk space is required to make the database copies. This style of
compacting essentially creates a new database with a new database ID. If you use copy-style
compacting on logged databases (using the -c option), compacting assigns new DBIIDs, so when
using a certified backup utility, perform full backups of databases shortly after compacting
completes. When you use copy-style compacting, users and servers cannot edit databases during
compacting and they can only read databases if the -L option is used.

Domino uses copy-style compacting by default when you use an option with Compact to enable
a database property that requires a structural change to a database, or when you run Compact on
a database that has a structural change pending that was initiated from the Database Properties
box. Enabling or disabling the database properties, "Document table bitmap optimization" and
"Don't support specialized response hierarchy," require structural database changes.

When to compact databases

It is recommended that you compact databases weekly or monthly, using the -B option to recover
disk space. If you use a certified backup utility, remember to run it after compacting is complete.

Compact - Basics

Command line
Option Description
equivalent

Compact only this database database path To compact a database in the Domino Data
or folder. To specify Specify any folder, enter the file name, such as sales.nsf.
databases to compact using additional options To compact databases in a folder within the
the Files tab, select the after the database Data folder, specify the database path
databases in the files pane. path. relative to the data folder, i.e., to compact
all databases in the folder, Data\Sales,
specify Sales.
If you choose "Compact all databases" or
don't specify a database path), Compact
compacts all databases in the Data folder
 and folders within the Data folder.

Compact - Options

Command line
Option Description
equivalent

Compacts all databases with a specified

percent of unused space. For example, if
Compact database only if
you specify 10, databases with 10% or more
unused space is greater than -S percent
recorded unused space are compacted. Note
x percent
that the unused space calculation is not
always a reliable measure of unused space.

Discards built view indexes. Use this option

Discard any built view
-D to compact databases just before you store
indexes
them on tape. Does copy-style compacting.

Compacts databases without converting to

the current release file format of the server
that stores the databases or reverts databases
to the previous release file format. For
Keep or revert database to example, on Domino 6 servers, this option
-R
previous format compacts Domino 5 databases without
converting them to the Domino 6 file format
and converts Domino 6 databases to the
Domino 5 file format. This option uses
copy-style compacting.

Compact - Style

Command line
Option Description
equivalent

Uses in-place compacting and recovers

unused space without reducing file size
unless there's a pending structural change to
In-place (recommended) -b
a database, in which case copy-style
compacting occurs. Recommended method
of compacting.

In-place with file size -B Uses in-place compacting, recovers unused

reduction space and reduces file size unless there's a
 pending structural change in which case
copy-style compacting occurs. If you use
transaction logging, do full database
backups after compacting completes.

Uses copy-style compacting. Use this option

Copy-style -c
to solve database corruption problems.

Enables users to continue to access

databases during compacting. If a user edits
Copy-style: Allow access
-L a database during compacting, compacting
while compacting
is canceled. Useful only when copy-style
compacting is done.

Enables compacting to continue even if it

Copy-style: Ignore errors and encounters errors such as document
-i
proceed corruption. Only used for copy-style
compacting.

Compact - Advanced
Note that advanced Compact options are not available through the Compact tool on the Files tab
of Domino Administrator.

Command
Option* Description
line equivalent

Document table bitmap Disables "Document table bitmap optimization"

-f
optimization: Off database property. Does copy-style compacting.

Document table bitmap Enables "Document table bitmap optimization" database

-F
optimization: On property. Does copy-style compacting.

Disables "Don't support specialized response hierarchy"

Don't support specialized
-h database property; in other words, support specialized
response hierarchy: Off
response hierarchy. Does copy-style compacting.

Enables "Don't support specialized response hierarchy"

Don't support specialized database property; in other words, do not support
-H
response hierarchy: On specialized response hierarchy. Does copy-style
compacting.

Enable transaction logging:

-t Disables transaction logging.
Off
Enable transaction logging:
-T Enables transaction logging.
On

Don't maintain unread marks: Disables "Don't maintain unread marks" database
-u
Off property; in other words, maintain unread marks.

Don't maintain unread marks: Enables "Don't maintain unread marks" database
-U
On property; in other words, do not maintain unread marks.

NOTE: Select "Set advanced properties" before you enable or disable any of the above
properties.

C. Fixup
When you restart a server, the server quickly searches for any unlogged databases that were
modified but improperly closed because of a server failure, power failure, hardware failure, and
so on. A few minutes after server startup is complete, the Fixup task then runs on these databases
to attempt to fix any inconsistencies that resulted from partially written operations caused by a
failure. When users attempt to access one of these databases and Fixup has not yet run on the
database, the users see the message "This database cannot be opened because a consistency
check of it is in progress." A similar Fixup process occurs when you restart a Lotus Notes client.

Multiple Fixup tasks run simultaneously at server startup to reduce the time required to fix
databases. The number of Fixup tasks that Domino runs by default at startup is equal to twice the
number of processors available on the server. Although this default behavior should be adequate
in most circumstances, you can edit the NOTES.INI file to include the Fixup_Tasks setting. The
actual number of tasks run is the smaller of the configured number of tasks that can run and the
number of databases that require fixing. For example, if you set Fixup_Tasks to 4, but only one
database requires fixing, then only one Fixup task runs.

Keep in mind that, after you set up transaction logging, Fixup is not needed or used to bring
databases back to a consistent state.

Fixup- Options

Fixup options in Fixup tool

Command line equivalent Description
and Task - Start tool

Fixup all databases databasepath "Fixup only this database or folder" runs Fixup onl
Fixup only this database or specifid database or all databases in a specified fold
folder To run Fixup on a database in the Domino data fold
enter the file name, for example SALES.NSF. To r
Fixup on a database or databases in folders within t
data folder, enter the path relative to the data folder
example, to run Fixup on all databases in the
DATA\SALES folder, specify SALES.
 "Fixup all databases" or no command line database
runs Fixup on all databases on the server.
Note To specify databases or folders to run on usin
Fixup tool, select the database(s) or folder(s).

Reports to the log file every database that Fixup op

Report all processed databases
-L and checks for corruption. Without this argument, F
to log file
logs only actual problems encountered.

When you run Fixup on a specific database, Fixup

Scan only since last fixup -I checks only documents modified since Fixup last ra
Without this option, Fixup checks all documents.

When you run Fixup on all databases, Fixup checks

documents in the databases. Without this option, Fi
Scan all documents -F checks only documents modified since it last ran.
Note To specify this option using the Fixup tool,
deselect "Scan only since last fixup."

Checks documents more quickly but less thoroughl

Perform quick fixup -Q Without this option, Fixup checks documents
thoroughly.

Prevents Fixup from running on views. This option

Exclude views (faster) -V reduces the time it takes Fixup to run. Use if view
corruption isn't a problem.

Prevents Fixup from purging corrupted documents

that the next time Fixup runs or the next time a use
Don't purge corrupted opens the database, Fixup must check the database
-N
documents again. Use this option to salvage data in documents
the corruption is minor or if there are no replicas of
database.

Reverts ID tables in a database to the previous relea

Optimize user unread lists -U format. Don't select this option unless Customer Su
recommends doing so.

Runs on databases that are enabled for transaction

logging. Without this option, Fixup generally doesn
Fixup transaction-logged on logged databases.
-J
databases If you are using a certified backup utility, it's impor
that you schedule a full backup of the database as s
after Fixup finishes as possible.

Fixup open databases -O If you run Fixup on open databases, Fixup takes the
 databases offline to perform the fixup.
This is the default if you run Fixup and specify a
database name. Without this option, when you do n
specify database names, Fixup does not run on ope
databases.

Applies only to running Fixup on a single database

When a database isn't taken offline and is in use, th
Don't fixup open databases -Z Fixup is not run.
This is the default when Fixup is run on multiple
databases.

Verifies the integrity of the database and reports err

Verify only -C Does not modify the database (for example, does n
purge corrupted documents).

Fixup subdirectories -Y Runs Fixup on databases in subfolders (subdirector

Does not run Fixup on databases in subfolders

Don't fixup subdirectories -y
(subdirectories).

II. Best utilities for weekly maintenance

If you are not running transactional logs, run the following for weekly maintenance, preferably
on the weekend when your server is not under a great work load:
Compact –B –s 10

If you are running transactional logs, run the following for weekly maintenance:
Compact –b –s 10

The above command compacts any database with more than 10% of white space. The "-b" and "-
B" means an in-place compaction. The "–b" is used with transaction logs so that no new dbIIDs
are assigned to the databases.

There is no need to run Fixup or Updall as part of a weekly maintenance schedule. Fixup should
be run only if corruption is suspected of a database and Updall is run every night by default. Run
Updall with switches if view corruption is suspected.

NOTE: It is good practice to periodically rebuild views using Updall -r and it is very important
to rebuild full text indexes periodically using Updall -x.

III. Best utilities for recovery

When databases should be repaired, used the steps below for recovery. This section also contains
instructions for running Domino maintenance utilities from the command line on the various
operating system platforms.
When should you use unscheduled maintenance?
Unscheduled maintenance is not scheduled and includes database repair and database upgrade.
The exact maintenance depends on the task and database type. If corruption occurs in the
Domino Directory, the Domino server must be in a stopped state to run maintenance.

Database corruption
Database corruption is caused by something happening outside the ordinary that makes the
database unusable such as user complaints or error messages are reported. For example, when the
server generates messages indicating database corruption (with or without a crash), the following
output may occur:
-- "database.nsf is damaged....
-- DbMarkCorrupt(DbFixup: invalid slot found, could not be repaired)...
-- database.nsf is CORRUPT - Now Read-Only!"

If the database uses transactional logging

When you use transactional logging to log changes to Domino databases, a server automatically
uses the transaction log to restore and recover any transaction-logged databases after a system
failure. Databases that are not set to transaction logging are checked via a normal consistency
check. If a disk failure occurs and archived-style transaction logging is used, you can use the
transaction log along with a certified backup utility to restore and recover databases.

If these steps fail, use the following:

1. fixup database.nsf -J -F
2. compact database.nsf -b
3. updall database.nsf -R -X

These utilities will change the dbIID associated with transaction logging so that if you run
archived-style transaction logging, immediately perform a full database backup.

If no transactional logging is in place for the database

When the database is not transaction logged, run the utilities as follows:
1. fixup database.nsf -F
2. compact database.nsf -c -i
3. updall database.nsf -R -X

Another option
If the steps above are unsuccessful, try creating a new replica of the database and replacing the
original with the new replica. Creating a new replica forces a complete rebuild of the database
and repairs corruption or removes items that are irreparable.

Managing corruption during the business day

1. Run Fixup as follows (without quotes) to check the integrity of the corrupt database and report
problems without making any changes: "fixup database.nsf -L –F -O -C"
2. It is not recommended to use the Fixup utility to perform repairs during business hours. If
attempts to repair the database absolutely cannot wait until non-business hours, then use the
following options with the compact task:
compact database.nsf -c -L -i

NOTE: The best recommendation is to enable transaction logging which provides database
integrity. Fixup is not needed when transaction logging is enabled.

3. After running either of these, run the following to rebuild the views and indexes (if possible,
wait until off-hours).
updall database.nsf –R -X
For further information, refer to Document #1193738, "Managing corruption recovery during the
business day."

Domino Server upgrade

When upgrading from one Domino version to the next, the way the database is physically laid
out on disk (disk structure) is also upgraded. It is important before upgrading to ensure that the
database structure is valid and consistent. This prevents errors during the database upgrade
process. Utilities in a new version of Domino can provide assistance if database errors are
encountered after the upgrade. Upgrading the full text search index for each database is optional
but easy enough to do and recommended, so that you are using the latest full text search engine
in the new version of Domino.

Before upgrading

1. Before upgrading, it is recommended that you complete database clean-up on the existing
server by running Updall on the views, as follows:
updall –R –X

There are several options that can be run before upgrading. Running Updall -R -X is the most
favorable option for avoiding corruption because it completely rebuilds the view indexes and full
text index. Other choices are:
Updall -v (updates the view indexes)
Updall -R (completely rebuilds the view indexes)
Updall -X (completely rebuilds the full text index)

2. You should also run "fixup –F" to run consistency checks.

NOTE: If you are running transaction logging, you don't have to run Fixup but if you want
to, be sure to add the -J switch.

3. Run Compact as follows: "compact –c –i"

 NOTE: If you are running transaction logging, remove the –c and –i switches and be sure to
add the -b switch. This is different from upper case -B, as -B will change the dbIID of any
transactionally logged databases.

If mail files are corrupt after server upgrade

1. Run "fixup –F".

2. Run "compact -c -D -i –K" (copy-style, delete view indexes, ignore errors, set large UNK
table bit).

3. Run "updall –R –X".

For further information, refer to Document #1201020, "Error: 'Database Is Corrupt; Cannot
Allocate Space' when Opening Database After Server Upgrade."

After upgrading
After an upgrade, it is recommended to upgrade to the latest search engine. Even though Domino
is backward compatible to all previous full text engines, it is a good idea to upgrade to the latest,
using "updall –X". This will rebuild all existing full text indexes using the new engine and
enable its new features.

When should you NOT use unscheduled maintenance?

Domino may automatically detect and repair database problems or there may be no database
problems. So even though your first instinct is to perform maintenance on an affected database
immediately, consider the following before you act:
The first time a crash occurs
Although a crash can leave databases in an inconsistent state, Domino attempts to correct this
inconsistency upon restart by performing a consistency check (if transaction logging is not
enabled). During this check, Domino attempts to repair any damaged databases/documents. If
no failure is reported, then Fixup is generally not necessary and is not recommended as
routine maintenance. If a server experiences repeated crashes and the NSD indicates issues
with a database, running Fixup may be needed. In this case, running Fixup with Domino in a
stopped state is recommended.

If a crash occurs that does not indicate it was due to a database issue
If the crash stack does not indicate anything related to database access, then database
corruption is unlikely (except for possible inconsistent states mentioned above), so running
maintenance is probably not warranted.

How do you run the Domino maintenance utilities from the command line?
The methods and syntax for running maintenance from the command line vary by platform. The
following example shows how to run Fixup on the names.nsf for Windows, iSeries, and
Unix/Linux/zSeries. Use these examples as a guide for also running Compact and Updall from
the command line.
NOTE: If corruption occurs in the Domino Directory, the Domino server must be in a stopped
state to run Fixup.

For Windows, use "nfixup names.nsf –F". Note that if you are running transaction logging, be
sure to add the -J switch.

For the iSeries, use the following:

RUNDOMCMD SERVER(serverName) CMD(CALL PGM(QNOTES/FIXUP)
PARM(‘names.nsf’ ‘-F')) BATCH(*NO)

If you are running transaction logging, be sure to add the -J switch after -F. Also, it MUST
run from QSECOFR or the equivalent.

For Unix/Linux/zSeries, use "<path>/fixup names.nsf -F". Note that if you are running
transaction logging, be sure to add the -J switch. Also, you MUST be logged in as a Notes user
with the Notes Data directory as the current directory.