BTRFS operation running randomly

[kricker]

Today I noticed my server was running slow and not responding to SMB requests in a timely manner. Looking at the webGUI I noticed I could not even stop the tower. It showed "Disabled -- BTRFS operation is running." I have seen this happen before. What would cause this? Will it eventually stop running? Is there a way to get any statues on what it is doing and how much longer it will be running? I had my server running in troubleshooting mode using "Fix Common Problems." I'll grab the logs and post them as soon as I can get back into the system. The only btrfs drive I have is a single cache drive.

FCPsyslog_tail.txt

tower-diagnostics-20180409-0506.zip

Edited April 9, 2018 by kricker

[JorgeB]

This should only happen when you add or remove a cache drive pool, if it happens again grab the diags on the GUI or by typing diagnostics on the console.

[kricker]

There is no drive pool, only the one cache drive. The system becomes unresponsive. I just uploaded the diagnostics that are dumped in the logs folder on my flash drive from Fix Common Problems. I'll grab diagnostics from the tower now. I had to force it down and restart it.

tower-diagnostics-20180409-0821.zip

[JorgeB]

Don't see nothing btrfs related on the log, maybe you have a scheduled cache balance configured to run, e.g. with user scripts?

[kricker]

Not that I am aware of. I have not done anything with user scripts. Any tips as where I could look for that?

[JorgeB]

If you haven't created one it won't run by itself, grab diagnostics next time it happens.

[kricker]

One would think that would be the case. Like I said I have seen this happen before. What is starting it I am at a lose for. Thanks for the tip on what to look for.

Edited April 9, 2018 by kricker

[kricker]

I checked user scripts and I did not have anything for running a BTRFS check. I disabled the unBalance server to see if that has any effect. I did replace my cache drive many months back and somehow inadvertently setup a cache pool. I changed it back to a single cache drive right after though. Maybe I have some lasting effect from that?

[JorgeB]

16 minutes ago, kricker said:

Maybe I have some lasting effect from that?

That wouldn't make much sense, but who knows, wee need the diags when it happens again.

[kricker]

For sure.

[kricker]

Since disabling unBalance server, my tower has been running very stable. I am still keeping an eye on it.

[trurl]

3 minutes ago, kricker said:

Since disabling unBalance server, my tower has been running very stable. I am still keeping an eye on it.

 

Glad to hear it.

 

unBalance is not really a server (service?) though. It is more like a utility. It doesn't do anything until you tell it to. Some seem to have the idea that it sits in the background and does something constantly, such as rebalance your disks all the time.

 

It's possible that you had already told it to do something and it was still doing it in the background. Or your problem had some other cause and it's just a coincidence that it cleared up after you disabled unBalance.

 

[kricker]

The unBalanced plugin calls it a "server", so I just referred to it as that. Since I wasn't currently using it for anything I figured I might has well "turn it off". I understand it doesn't run all the time and it may very well be a coincidence.  I'm just reporting what is currently happening.