Hi dears, i�m working with a sun sparc server(M4000) , solaris 10 installed.
I need a little help, because i wanna know if is it possible to backup the whole system in a usb disk.
I�m gonna explain you a little more why i want to do it.
Currently i have installed a Solaris 10 working with veritas, sybase and a propietary software. I have to change the propietary software to make some test. For that i have to reinstall Solaris, sybase, and veritas, reconfigure the system and install the propietary software.
The problem is, that i have to make the test and recover the current configuration. For that i want to backup all the information to a usb disk (500g), and when i finish testing, could copy all the information again.
In windows i would do it using the ghost program and making a snapshot of the whole disk. But here with spark and solaris i don�t know what is the best way to do it.
The stuff is: backup the server now, can delete the solaris and install another things, when i finish testing could recover my server in the current status that has today.
Thanks in advance.
Could you provide more detail like:
Do you use SVM for OS filesystems and Veritas for app, or all Veritas FS?
How many disks do you have?
Are you using any type of RAID.
Do you use Veritas for OS and Application?
Do you use SVM?
Can you post a mount -p
What you try to achieve is not as simple as you would with "ghost" for Windows.
Don't you have a spare disk to do the testing?
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Hi Juan thanks for your answer.
I don�t have a RAID.
The server has two disk working together (it was automatically configured).
I think veritas only reply the database. But now, the other server (the stanby is down).
I don�t know what is SVM.
Now i�m going to the place where i have the server to get the logs. (mount -p)
Do you need any other log? (SVM, Veritas configuration, disk configuration). Please send me a detail.
Thanks!
SVM is Solaris Volume Manager. It's basically the Volume Manager Solution provided by Oracle, it can do some of the things Veritas can do. Veritas is way more powerful reliable and expensive 
What you are trying to achieve is not rocket science, but be aware that you could face some problems that will require additional knowledge like boot process troubleshooting
and Veritas Volume.
If this is your only production box I definitely wouldn't rely on a USB backup.
That said, it would be nice to know the solaris version () the filesystem structure (mount -p).
Do you have a Solaris Installation CD? Does the box has a CD/DVD drive? Have you tried to boot from the CD/DVD?
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I have Symantec Veritas. I have solaris installation cd, i can send you the realease i have when i get the information.
I�m gonna get: Solaris version (uname -X), df -k, mount -p, and some veritas information (hastatus etc). Is it ok?, do you need some other information to guide me?. Which tool i can use, i saw something like flarcreate, ufsdum, or vxdump, and i see some command like dd ....... What do you have in mind?
THanks in advance:!
it depends on the configuration...
if you have raw slices for the OS, then ufsdump is the best.
If you have Veritas Filesystem for the database then it could be possible to clone the veritas filesystems, umount the original filesystems, mount the cloned filesystems, and when you roll back just mount back the old filesystems. but depends obviously if you have available space.
If not vxdump would do the job if you have vxfs over veritas volume manager, if you have ufs over veritas volume manager then we can use ufsdump as well...
Feel free to IM me, I sent the details by PM.
cheers
Juan