Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!aplcen!haven!adm!news From: mwm@decwrl.dec.com (Mike) Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards Subject: Re: Checkpoint/Restart (was "no subject - file transmission") Message-ID: <24193@adm.BRL.MIL> Date: 16 Aug 90 17:45:49 GMT Sender: news@adm.BRL.MIL Lines: 22 >> Mark Holcomb writes: >> > I need a tool that would stop a running process and let it be >> > restarted at a later date. >> >> [problems deleted] >> Seriously, doing this in any substantive manner is difficult and I'm sure >> it would be virtually impossible to bullet-proof it on UNIX. Yes - but you don't need it bullet-proofed; you just need it to work most of the time. After all, being able to restart 90% of the time is much better than being able to restart 0% of the time. Other OSs provide this facility (or similar ones) in the face of these difficulties; Unix ought to be able to. In fact, if I recall correctly, UniCOS (the Cray SysV port) does provide a checkpoint facility, for exactly the kind of long-running processes that Mark was asking for it for. Why does this line come to mind: "Do the easy 90% and give it to the users; do the hard 10% only if they then ask for it."