VLDB.DB0(5)

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💖 VLDB.DB0 💖 — the vldb.DB0, vldb.DBSYS1 page, from section 5 of the AFS File Reference, bestie

okay so THIS is a manpage about two little binary files that are, no exaggeration, the backbone of your whole AFS cell. they live in section 5 (file formats, iykyk). let's get into it 🫶

✨ NAME ✨

vldb.DB0, vldb.DBSYS1 — contain the Volume Location Database and associated log

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

so. the file vldb.DB0 contains the Volume Location Database (VLDB), and bestie, this thing is literally tracking the location of all AFS volumes stored on file server machines in the cell. every single one. the Volume Location (VL) Server (the vlserver process, she's the main character here) hands out info from this database to Cache Managers whenever they need to get at some AFS data. iconic behaviour, no notes ✨

then we have vldb.DBSYS1, which is a log file — and the way this works is so satisfying: the VL Server logs each database operation before performing it. so when an operation gets interrupted, the VL Server just replays the log to complete the operation. like, she remembers everything, she finishes what she started. periodt 💅

both files are in binary format and they reside in the /var/lib/openafs/db directory on each of the cell's database server machines.

and here's the teamwork moment 🧚 — when the VL Server starts or restarts on a given machine, it establishes a connection with its peers and verifies that its copy of the database matches the copy on the other database server machines. and if it doesn't match?? the VL Servers call on AFS's distributed database technology, Ubik, to distribute to all of the machines the copy of the database with the highest version number. highest version wins, that's the rule 👑

⭐ lowkey important: always use the commands in the vos suite to administer the VLDB. do not freestyle. it is advisable to create an archive copy of the database on a regular basis, using a tool such as the UNIX tar command. back it up bestie, future you will be so grateful 🙈

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

IBM Corporation 2000. <http://www.ibm.com/> All Rights Reserved.

This documentation is covered by the IBM Public License Version 1.0. It was converted from HTML to POD by software written by Chas Williams and Russ Allbery, based on work by Alf Wachsmann and Elizabeth Cassell.

and that's the whole page, angel 💜 this came to you from OpenAFS, dated 2026-07-27, and yes it still says VLDB.DB0(5) in the corner. slay, go archive your database 🎀

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