Blocking transactions when the log directory is full

When the Db2® database manager cannot create a log file in the active log path because there is not enough room for the new file, you get errors indicating the disk is full. If you set the blk_log_dsk_ful database configuration parameter, the Db2 database manager repeatedly attempts to create the log file until the file is successfully created instead of returning disk full errors.

If you set the blk_log_dsk_ful database configuration parameter, the Db2 database manager attempts to create the log file every 5 minutes until it succeeds. If a log archiving method is specified, the Db2 database manager also checks for the completion of log file archiving. If an archived log file is archived successfully, the Db2 database manager can rename the inactive log file to the new log file name and continue. After each attempt, the Db2 database manager writes a message to the administration notification log. The only way that you can confirm that your application is hanging because of a log disk full condition is to monitor the administration notification log.

Until the log file is successfully created, any user application that attempts to update table data is not able to commit transactions. Read-only queries might not be directly affected; however, if a query needs to access data that is locked by an update request, or a data page that is fixed in the buffer pool by the updating application, read-only queries also appear to hang.