ctl_cyrusdb questions, looking for answers

[Simon Matter]

> Hi,
>
> does anybody know, how ctl_cyrusdb works (how it should be used)? I've
> seen ctl_cyrusdb's man pages, but there is just few notes and nothing
> more.
>
> I assume ctl_cyrusdb is used (in /etc/cyrus.conf) to generate
> "checkpoints" of the Cyrus databases, presumably those in /var/lib/imap.
>
> The information that man does not provide is

Hi Michal,

At this time it seems to better read the source in imap/ctl_cyrusdb.c.
Manpage writers are warmly welcomed :)

>
> 1) Listing of database files "checkpointed"
> 2) Description of checkpoint format
>   a) "ls /var/lib/imap" suggest two sets of checkpoint database are
> retained.

I'm not really sure here. Cyrus-imapd checkpoints databases and archives
some of them (mboxlist_db, quota_db, annotation_db). Archives are put and
rotated into the db.backup[1,2] dirs.

>   b) Description of checkpoint configuration options, if any, to control
> checkpoint sets
> 3) Checkpointed image backup requirements

Not exactly sure what you mean here. I think you only need the database in
db.backup? and of course clean the environment before restoring such a db.

> 4) Appropriate cross-references to utilities used to determine database
> corrution requiring recovery procedure

I'm not sure there really exists such a thing despite the list archives.

> 5) Appropriate recovery procedure when invocation with "-r" vs. "-r -x'
> is required.

I don't remember to have used -x in the last 10 years using cyrus-imapd. I
really don't know what the cleanup part means. Is it cleaning up unused
space in a db file or does it mean handling of open transactions?

Regards,
Simon