Description of problem: Repeated Kernel Panics while using LVM Snapshot Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS release 3 (Taroon Update 4) lvm-1.0.8-5 2.4.21-15.0.4.ELsmp #1 SMP Sat Jul 31 01:25:25 EDT 2004 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux How reproducible: The Kernel Panic happens while trying to make a backup of the follwing device: /dev/vg_1/lv_imap2 ext3 268352200 126207656 128513056 50% /var/spool/imap2 The Backup of a similar devices on the same machine and the same HD worked well: /dev/vg_1/lv_imap1 ext3 268352200 69058348 185662364 28% /var/spool/imap1 Steps to Reproduce: 1. lvcreate -L31G -s -n lv_snapshot_imap2 /dev/vg_1/lv_imap2 2. mount /dev/vg_1/lv_snapshot_imap2 /mnt/snapshot_imap2 3. dump -u0 -f imap2.dump /dev/vg_1/lv_snapshot_imap2 We tried three times and the crash happened after different amounts of data being dumped: 7.7G 050328-1721/imap2.dump 83G 050329-0940/imap2.dump 29G 050329-0940/imap2_neu.dump We did not make any more tests because it is our imap-server in production :-( The problem is severe because we are without a reliable update of the user mailboxes. Additional info: The dump of the source-device (not the snapshot) works without kernel panics. Additionaly we tried the scenario on a test machine first: we got one kernel panic on the first day but after that we had an uptime of 62 days.
Created attachment 112510 [details] screenshot
Switching component to "kernel".
Created attachment 112579 [details] lvdisplay of active snapshots (see next comment)
Hi one more experience - I switched to an elder kernel we user first on our testmachine 2.4.21-15.0.4.ELsmp and with lvm-1.0.8-9 and the first backup of the critical partition succeeded. But after making backups of the rest of the partitions an additional dump of the first partition caused the "well known" kernel panic again :-( I will attach the state of the snapshots after reboot of the machine - maybe it is some help.
Looks like another instance of BZ #135266. Fix is scheduled for U5.
*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 135266 ***
A fix for this problem was committed to the RHEL3 U5 patch pool on 25-Jan-2005 (in kernel version 2.4.21-27.9.EL).
An advisory has been issued which should help the problem described in this bug report. This report is therefore being closed with a resolution of ERRATA. For more information on the solution and/or where to find the updated files, please follow the link below. You may reopen this bug report if the solution does not work for you. http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2005-294.html