Stale NFS handle error triggered when accessing deleted directory or file paths

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Environment

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 Service Pack 4 (SLES 11 SP4)

Situation

Commands such as 'ls <deleted_file_or_directory>' result in an ESTALE error:-

ls: cannot access <deleted_file_or_directory>: Stale NFS file handle

The error is seen after a deletion of a file or directory, usually after some time has passed since the delete event occurred.

If an attempt to access the deleted file/path occurs soon after the the deletion event, then the error may not be seen.

Kernel versions affected: 3.0.101-88.1 > 3.0.101-108.13.1

Resolution

A maintenance patch was released for this issue on 11th December 2017:-

Patch 13375: kernel version 3.0.101-108.18.1

Cause

Additional Information

This problem does not affect SLES11 SP3 or SLES12.x kernels.

A support agreement is needed in order to obtain the patch mentioned in this document.

Disclaimer

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