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SWAP FILE ERROR ON SOLARIS " may contain holes - can't swap on it"

hi, i just tried to create a swap file on a storage volume because i don't have enough space on my server. but i get error
"/swap_folder/swapfile" may contain holes - can't swap on it

the os is solaris. I took the procedure on the oracle website.

# mkdir /swap_folder

create swap file 
# mkfile -nv 100m /swap_folder/swapfile    (100 megabyte swap file)

activate swap:
# swap -a /swap_edw/swapfile

edit vfstab:
# vi /etc/vfstab

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Williams225

ASKER

the file system type is ufs

Williams225

ASKER

i also tried

mkfile -nv 100m /swap_folder/swapfile (100 megabyte swap file)

and

mkfile 100m /swap_folder/swapfile (100 megabyte swap file)

achellstrom

What version of Solaris are you running? The -n option was supported on SunOS 4, but on SunOS 5 (Solaris 2) -n works only when the file is to be used by NFS. Local swap files cannot be created with the -n option.

Williams225

ASKER

i use solaris 10. i also tried without the -n option , i had the same problem

achellstrom

This is pointing to a problem with the underlying file system. Can you copy the exact input and what is being outputed, so I can see exactly what you are seeing? What is the output of df -h

achellstrom

Try running fsck on the filesystem you are attempting to build the extra swap on.

Williams225

ASKER

the partition where i am trying to create the swap is a partition on a storage

achellstrom

what type of stoarage a thumb drive, disk drive, fiber attached san storage, sas drive, ssd drive, sata, other?

balasundaram_s

swapfile has to be contiguous. In this case, the underlying filesystem does not have 100MB of contiguous free space.
Try creating a swap file on another filesystem with more free space.

achellstrom

That is a good point what size is the underlying file system. Although 100MB is not very large. If the inode information is incorrect it would likely cause this problem.

SOLUTION

Brian Utterback

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achellstrom

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yuzh

Please check to make sure that it is not on a ZFS filesystem.

or try without -nv options
mkfile 100m /swap_folder/swapfile

hossamshaaban

i think you enter the wrong path in the sawp -a command as you create new file "/swap_folder/swapfile" and you pass a file "/swap_edw/swapfile" to swap -a command, plz check again and feedback me.

SWAP FILE ERROR ON SOLARIS &quot; may contain holes - can't swap on it&quot;

SWAP FILE ERROR ON SOLARIS " may contain holes - can't swap on it"