[SUMMARY] "mv" file between fs' moves file, directory entry, but space was not freed ...

Quoting "Bryan J. Smith" <b.j.smith@ieee.org>:
> All --
> [ Solaris 8 ]
> I just moved (using the "mv" command) a 1.4GB file from one 4GB
> filesystem to a 24GB filesystem.  While the file was copied to the
> second filesystem, and the directory entry was removed from the 
> first, the space on the first was _not_ freed -- at least not according
> to "df".  When I do a "du" the space is no longer being used.  As
> such, I assume the inodes are still in use somehow, but lost (i.e. 
> not referenced) in the directory tree.
> Anyone else seen this problem before?  Is there a bug with "mv" on near
> full filesystems -- because the 4GB was close to full (88%) at the time of the move.
> More pertinent, does anyone know how to resolve the incorrect "df" usage
> and/or free up the inodes with_out_ umounting the filesystem?  Thanx in advance.

Okay, some UNIX fundamentals combined with Apache details caused my issue.

First off, thanx to everyone who noticed the obvious -- I deleted a file that was still in use!  [ Doh!  
Man, I'm an idiot! ]

Secondly, thanx to most everyone who suggested I use the "lsof" utility to attempt to find which 
file/inode was in use.  I already had "lsof" installed from Sunfreeware.COM just earlier this week 
(along with other goodies from Sunfreeware.COM).  I already figured the program using it was 
Apache (see the P.S. below), and there were literally hundreds of files open by httpd.  So I wasn't 
able to nail down the actual inode.

Third, while I had changed my logging in Apache to log to a different file (actually a different 
filesystem altogether -- /var), and _had_ done an "apachectl graceful" it didn't reliquish the file.  
So I did an "apachectl stop && apachectl start" and instantly saw 1.4GB more free on my /usr 
filesystem.  I should have known that a graceful might not cut it.

-- Bryan

P.S. (off-topic)  I just started this job and have been converting all logging to using "Cronolog" 
(http://www.cronolog.org) so the log files are daily and far more manageable.  The previous admin 
was not only letting them grow to a rediculous size, but he was just doing a "mv" right on the files 
once a month -- while Apache was running!  Ack!

-- 
Bryan J. Smith     (suffix-free title for your protection)
mailto:b.j.smith_at_ieee.org             http://www.thebs.org
----------------------------------------------------------
   community : free will          communism : will free
_______________________________________________
sunmanagers mailing list
sunmanagers@sunmanagers.org
http://www.sunmanagers.org/mailman/listinfo/sunmanagers