Content server migration - loadercli and I'm running nuts...

Question

We have an (old) content server database of 150 GB on 7.3.0.52 and we're trying to migrate that database to Linux x86_64 bit. I tried the following before:
- tried to install/run 7.3 on SuSE SLES 11 SP1 - failing (new kernel threading)
- tried to restore the 7.3 backup on 7.5 - failing (host pagaes too old)
- tried to use 'loadercli' of 7.5 (Note 962019) - failing (ASCII --> Unicode)
- now trying to use 7.6.06.20 and stuck
I want to use pipes as transport and use loadercli on the target system (7.6).
I created two files (according to note 962019)
EXPORT USER
catalog outstream pipe '/home/sqdcos/trans/COS.CAT'
data outstream pipe '/home/sqdcos/trans/COS.DATA' PAGES
package outstream file '/home/sqdcos/trans/COS.export'
and
IMPORT USER
catalog instream pipe '/home/sqdcos/trans/COS.CAT'
data instream pipe '/home/sqdcos/trans/COS.DATA' PAGES
package outstream '/home/sqdcos/trans/COS.import'
The pipes are not existing.
I start the export which seems to work, the COS.CAT pipe is created.
As soon as I start the import, I get the following error message:
IMPORT USER
catalog instream pipe '/home/sqdcos/trans/COS.CAT'
data instream pipe '/home/sqdcos/trans/COS.DATA' PAGES
package outstream '/home/sqdcos/trans/COS.import'
// M    Execute   PACKAGE  to transform  CATALOG
// M    Import    PACKAGE x'01000000A296EB4EB45800009B16031EC842BF0100000000'
// M    Number of TABLES   transformed : 3
// M    Processed command is a PAGES format based copy from database
// with ASCII catalog to database with UNICODE catalog
// M    Execute   PACKAGE  to transform  DATA
// M    Number of TABLES   to transform: 0
// E -25329:    The given data file '/home/sqdcos/trans/COS.DATA' was not
// generated using EXPORT in PAGE Format (missing table description).
plus I get an additional pipe created "COS.DATA0000"
What am I missing here? I'm fiddling with this since hours and I can't figure what I'm doing wrong.
Markus

Answer 1

what is the source platform (just to be able to test here)?
Source platform is SLES 9 32bit
Target is SLES 11 SP1 64bit
> 50% less data volume in the target sounds strange.
it is, data is missing.
> What does the loader.log say - source and target - anything suspicious?
Not really, it looks "good":
loadercli -d COS -n xx.xx.xx.xx -u SAPR3,SAP -b COS_EXPORT.sql
Loader protocol: '/home/sqdcos/sdb/connd266/loader/log/loader.log'
Loader packages: '/home/sqdcos/sdb/connd266/loader/packages'
User SAPR3 connected to database COS schema SAPR3 on 191.1.1.29.
EXPORT USER
catalog outstream pipe '/home/sqdcos/trans/COS.CAT'
data outstream pipe '/home/sqdcos/trans/COS.DATA' RECORDS
package outstream file '/home/sqdcos/trans/COS.export'
Successfully executed:
Total number of tables (definition) exported: 3
Total number of tables (data)       exported: 3 (excluded: 0, failed: 0)
loadercli -d COS -u SAPR3,SAP -b COS_IMPORT.sql
Loader protocol: '/home/sqdcos/sdb/connd266/loader/log/loader_2011121600202813.log'
Loader packages: '/home/sqdcos/sdb/connd266/loader/packages'
User SAPR3 connected to database COS schema SAPR3 on local host.
IMPORT USER
catalog instream pipe '/home/sqdcos/trans/COS.CAT'
data instream pipe '/home/sqdcos/trans/COS.DATA' RECORDS
package outstream '/home/sqdcos/trans/COS.import'
Successfully executed:
Total number of tables (definition) imported: 3
Total number of tables (data)       imported: 3 (excluded: 0, failed: 0)
Could/should we use a higher version on the target system?
Markus