Strange 'Result too large' error when copying

[kbradnam]

Hi,

SuperDuper keeps stopping during a backup, it always gets to the same file before stopping. The relevant part from the SuperDuper log is listed below. Any ideas?

I'm going to try removing the offending file (just a database log file) and rerunning.

Keith

|06:45:06 PM|Info| WARNING: Caught I/O exception(34): Result too large
|06:45:06 PM|Info| WARNING: Source: /Korflab/Data_sources/WormBase/WS140/database/log.wrm, lstat(): 0
|06:45:06 PM|Info| WARNING: Target: /Volumes/Spitfire_backup/Korflab/Data_sources/WormBase/WS140/database/log.wrm, lstat(): 0
|06:45:06 PM|Info| Logging attributes for item: /Korflab/Data_sources/WormBase/WS140/database/log.wrm of type: 8
|06:45:06 PM|Info| Type:
|06:45:06 PM|Info| Creator:
|06:45:06 PM|Info| kIsOnDesk: NO
|06:45:06 PM|Info| kColor: NO
|06:45:06 PM|Info| kIsShared: NO
|06:45:06 PM|Info| kHasNoINITs: NO
|06:45:06 PM|Info| kHasBeenInited: NO
|06:45:06 PM|Info| kHasCustomIcon: NO
|06:45:06 PM|Info| kIsStationery: NO
|06:45:06 PM|Info| kNameLocked: NO
|06:45:06 PM|Info| kHasBundle: NO
|06:45:06 PM|Info| kIsInvisible: NO
|06:45:06 PM|Info| kIsAlias: NO
|06:45:06 PM|Error| SVUclone: Error: Couldn't create
|06:45:06 PM|Error| : Result too large
|06:45:06 PM|Error| SVUclone: Error copying /Korflab/Data_sources/WormBase/WS140/database/log.wrm to /Volumes/Spitfire_backup/Korflab/Data_sources/WormBase/WS140/database/log.wrm of type 8
|06:45:06 PM|Error| : Result too large
|06:45:06 PM|Error| ****FAILED****: result=256 errno=1 (Operation not permitted)
|06:45:06 PM|Info| Error copying /Korflab/Data_sources/WormBase/WS140/database/log.wrm to /Volumes/Spitfire_backup/Korflab/Data_sources/WormBase/WS140/database/log.wrm of type 8

[dnanian]

"Result too large" sounds like you're running out of space, Keith, but I can't tell based on what you're showing me. Check the amount available on the drive...

[kbradnam]

Hmm, I removed the offending file from the source drive and re-ran the script (in Smart Update mode). This time it gave the same error but on another file. There is definitely enough space (source = 32 Gb, target = 120 Gb).

I've now tried running a full erase and then backup and this has got passed the problem files.

Keith

P.S. Both these files were possibly being modified at the time I first tried backing them up and getting the error.

[dnanian]

Well, I was wondering if the disk -- at the time you got that error -- had enough space on it. I'm guessing it was actually full.

There's a bug in a low-level Apple routine we use where, if certain files are written to at the same moment we're copying it -- typically over and over -- it'll look larger than it really is, and get copied until the disk is full. This happens at a point where we don't have control, and while we've reported it to Apple, it's hard to work around... but we're trying...

[Mimetic]

I think Spotlight is the problem. I found it refused to make the backup volume private. Then, I found I had to run Disk Utility and repair the volume...it found many errors.

I just could not get Spotlight to stop indexing the volume.

Finally, I just erased the entire backup, and I'm copying fresh. The backup showed less space than it should have; it's identical in size to the original yet showed no space free.