NAME

       vos_release - Updates read-only volumes to match the read/write source volume

SYNOPSIS

       vos release -id <volume name or ID> [-force]
           [-cell <cell name>]
           [-noauth] [-localauth] [-stayonline]
           [-verbose] [-encrypt] [-noresolve] [-help]

       vos rel -i <volume name or ID>
           [-f] [-c <cell name>] [-stayon]
           [-noa] [-l] [-v] [-e] [-nor] [-h]

DESCRIPTION

       The vos release command copies the contents of the indicated read/write source volume to
       each read-only site defined in the source volume's Volume Location Database (VLDB) entry.
       (Use the vos addsite command to define sites as necessary before issuing this command).
       Each read-only copy has the same name as read/write source with the addition of a
       ".readonly" extension.

       For users to have a consistent view of the file system, the release of the new volume
       version must be atomic: either all read-only sites receive the new version, or all sites
       keep the version they currently have. The vos release command is designed to ensure that
       all copies of the volume's read-only version match both the read/write source and each
       other. In cases where problems such as machine or server process outages prevent
       successful completion of the release operation, AFS uses two mechanisms to alert the
       administrator.

       First, the command interpreter generates an error message on the standard error stream
       naming each read-only site that did not receive the new volume version. Second, during the
       release operation the Volume Location (VL) Server marks site definitions in the VLDB entry
       with flags ("New release" and "Old release") that indicate whether or not the site has the
       new volume version. If any flags remain after the operation completes, it was not
       successful. The Cache Manager refuses to access a read-only site marked with the "Old
       release" flag, which potentially imposes a greater load on the sites marked with the "New
       release" flag. It is important to investigate and eliminate the cause of the failure and
       then to issue the vos release command as many times as necessary to complete the release
       without errors.

       The pattern of site flags remaining in the volume's VLDB entry after a failed release
       operation can help determine the point at which the operation failed. Use the vos examine
       or vos listvldb command to display the VLDB entry. The VL Server sets the flags in concert
       with the Volume Server's operations, as follows:

       •   Before the operation begins, the VL Server sets the "New release" flag on the
           read/write site definition in the VLDB entry and the "Old release" flag on read-only
           site definitions (unless the read-only site has been defined since the last release
           operation and has no actual volume, in which case its site flag remains "Not
           released").

       •   If necessary, the Volume Server creates a temporary copy (a clone) of the read/write
           source called the ReleaseClone (see the following discussion of when the Volume Server
           does or does not create a new ReleaseClone.) It assigns the ReleaseClone its own
           volume ID number, which the VL Server records in the "RClone" field of the source
           volume's VLDB entry.

       •   The Volume Server distributes a copy of the ReleaseClone to each read-only site
           defined in the VLDB entry. As the site successfully receives the new clone, the VL
           Server sets the site's flag in the VLDB entry to "New release".

       •   When all the read-only copies are successfully released, the VL Server clears all the
           "New release" site flags. The ReleaseClone is no longer needed, so the Volume Server
           deletes it and the VL Server erases its ID from the VLDB entry.

       By default, the Volume Server determines automatically whether or not it needs to create a
       new ReleaseClone:

       •   If there are no flags ("New release", "Old release", or "Not released") on site
           definitions in the VLDB entry, the previous vos release command completed successfully
           and all read-only sites currently have the same volume. The Volume Server infers that
           the current vos release command was issued because the read/write volume has changed.
           The Volume Server creates a new ReleaseClone and distributes it to all of the read-
           only sites.

       •   If any site definition in the VLDB entry is marked with a flag, either the previous
           release operation did not complete successfully or a new read-only site was defined
           since the last release. The Volume Server does not create a new ReleaseClone, instead
           distributing the existing ReleaseClone to sites marked with the "Old release" or "Not
           released" flag. As previously noted, the VL Server marks each VLDB site definition
           with the "New release" flag as the site receives the ReleaseClone, and clears all
           flags after all sites successfully receive it.

       To override the default behavior, forcing the Volume Server to create and release a new
       ReleaseClone to the read-only sites, include the -force flag. This is appropriate if, for
       example, the data at the read/write site has changed since the existing ReleaseClone was
       created during the previous release operation.

OPTIONS

       -id <volume name or id>
           Specifies either the complete name or volume ID number of a read/write volume.

       -force
           Creates a new ReleaseClone and distributes it all read-only sites regardless of
           whether or not any site definitions in the VLDB entry are marked with a flag.

       -cell <cell name>
           Names the cell in which to run the command. Do not combine this argument with the
           -localauth flag. For more details, see vos(1).

       -noauth
           Assigns the unprivileged identity "anonymous" to the issuer. Do not combine this flag
           with the -localauth flag. For more details, see vos(1).

       -localauth
           Constructs a server ticket using a key from the local /etc/openafs/server/KeyFile
           file. The vos command interpreter presents it to the Volume Server and Volume Location
           Server during mutual authentication. Do not combine this flag with the -cell argument
           or -noauth flag. For more details, see vos(1).

       -verbose
           Produces on the standard output stream a detailed trace of the command's execution. If
           this argument is omitted, only warnings and error messages appear.

       -stayonline
           Avoids taking replica sites offline by cloning both the source and destinations to
           temporary clones, applying updates, and then bringing all clones online as updated
           readonly volumes.

       -encrypt
           Encrypts the command so that the operation's results are not transmitted across the
           network in clear text. This option is available in OpenAFS versions 1.4.11 or later
           and 1.5.60 or later.

       -noresolve
           Shows all servers as IP addresses instead of the DNS name. This is very useful when
           the server address is registered as 127.0.0.1 or when dealing with multi-homed
           servers. This option is available in OpenAFS versions 1.4.8 or later and 1.5.35 or
           later.

       -help
           Prints the online help for this command. All other valid options are ignored.

EXAMPLES

       The following command clones the read/write volume usr and releases it to the read-only
       sites defined in its VLDB entry.

          % vos release usr

PRIVILEGE REQUIRED

       The issuer must be listed in the /etc/openafs/server/UserList file on the machine
       specified with the -server argument and on each database server machine. If the -localauth
       flag is included, the issuer must instead be logged on to a server machine as the local
       superuser "root".

SEE ALSO

       vos(1), vos_addsite(1), vos_examine(1), vos_listvldb(1)

COPYRIGHT

       IBM Corporation 2000. <http://www.ibm.com/> All Rights Reserved.

       This documentation is covered by the IBM Public License Version 1.0.  It was converted
       from HTML to POD by software written by Chas Williams and Russ Allbery, based on work by
       Alf Wachsmann and Elizabeth Cassell.