Backing Up Execution Context

rocketman

Just been reading some posts from 2015 on Execution context but my problem is slightly different in that my overnight backups will occasionally fail when it encounters an unusually large Execution Context Blob that has got "stuck", (should be about 1.8Gb size but stops at 205Mb).

So my question is - is it safe to exclude execution context from the overnight backup (Logs are always flushed first)

Supplementary question(s) so I can maybe refine my processes. What causes them to get stuck in the first place. Earlier I had 193 records in the EC table - based on their process name, many of them were from 1st April (annual membership renewal time) and should have been well finished by now.

The big one that always causes the overnight to stop is a bulk email SEND process where there are multiple attachments associated with the mail and the attachments themselves are of a significant size. The attachments themselves are uploaded into AIM (mainly PDF's) would It be better to upload them to disc and include a link in the email? - just thinking out loud. The first question is the important one and may get me out of a hole.

BLOMASKY

You did not mention what database you are using (mySQL, MSSQL) and what backup program you are using. with MSSQL, backing up a database does NOT look at the table content, it just creates a backup of the DB. Are you inserting data into a new table in your backup process?

Bruce

rocketman

Using MySQL - the command line mysqlbackup which is set in windows task scheduler to trigger overnight.

Am going to increase Max_allowed_packet later to see if that helps.

kklosson

Hmmm. My understanding of the Execution_Context table was that it holds the active processes which are displayed when you access Active Processes from the Administrator perspective. Several posts from Support express concern when this table grows too large. I myself had a run-in with this and posted my story here: Execution_Contexts - one mother's story (comment)#p56322.

So, why does the table have so much data?

rocketman

It turned out to be a particular process (sending a bulk email with multiple attachments) that blew Max_Allowed_Packet (mysql) and everything was getting stuck. Deleted everything when the server was quiet - like a 4:00am alarm call - and increased Max_Allowed_Packet.

All good so far.