A combination of locking and timing issues with certain database applications can result in an error code 142 on a backup.

This anomaly is most likely to occur when older Xenix binaries are used on a Unix system. In reality, signal 14 is sent to the process for the following reason. Versions of BackupEDGE (prior to 01.01.02)ran into difficulties with applications that used mandatory, versus advisory, types of locks. With mandatory locking, any program attempting to open a file, including tar and cpio, would hang.

BackupEDGE intelligently sets a wakeup call, which lets the process know whether or not it is hanging. When all is clear and there is no chance of hanging the process reading a file, the wakeup call is dismantled.

Dismantling the wakeup call occurs in several stages. Rare instances occur where a wakeup call 'squeeks' through when some mechanisms to handle it are dismantled, resulting in an error code 142.