tar and vdump on same tape?

xadamz23 · December 5, 2005, 7:01pm

Hello,

This might be a dumb question, but I havent been able to find the answer anywhere.

I currently have a backup script that uses 'tar' to backup some files to tape. I need to add a directory to the backup script, but I want to use 'vdump' to back it up to tape.

So my question is can I backup using 'tar' then backup using 'vdump' to the SAME tape? Can they reside on the same tape without causing any issues?

BOFH · December 5, 2005, 8:54pm

You should have no problem putting multiple types of file systems on a tape assuming there's enough room to hold it.

You'll need to "fast forward" past the tar backup (I do this on Solaris so I can't guarentee the commands I'm offering here will help, but maybe the concepts will help you find the proper commands on your OS):

mt -f /dev/rmt/0n fsf 1

On Sun, the 0n device is the first tape but it's the "no rewind device" so mt will forward to the first block past the EOF and not rewind the tape (this is important). You can change the last number if you want to back up a third block of data.

Next use the backup command to back up the data. If you have another file system to back up, you can continue past the vdump backup as long as you use a "no rewind device" for vdump. Otherwise you'll have to jump past two backup blocks:

mt -f /dev/rmt/0n fsf 2

To restore from the second backup on the tape, you use the same mt command to get past the first EOF block to the vdump backup and then restore it.

Hope that helps as I don't know what vdump is. You can also pick up O'Reilly's backup and recovery book. Excellent book.

Carl

yasin · August 12, 2008, 7:25am

bofh:

You should have no problem putting multiple types of file systems on a tape assuming there's enough room to hold it.

You'll need to "fast forward" past the tar backup (I do this on Solaris so I can't guarentee the commands I'm offering here will help, but maybe the concepts will help you find the proper commands on your OS):

mt -f /dev/rmt/0n fsf 1

On Sun, the 0n device is the first tape but it's the "no rewind device" so mt will forward to the first block past the EOF and not rewind the tape (this is important). You can change the last number if you want to back up a third block of data.

Next use the backup command to back up the data. If you have another file system to back up, you can continue past the vdump backup as long as you use a "no rewind device" for vdump. Otherwise you'll have to jump past two backup blocks:

mt -f /dev/rmt/0n fsf 2

To restore from the second backup on the tape, you use the same mt command to get past the first EOF block to the vdump backup and then restore it.

Hope that helps as I don't know what vdump is. You can also pick up O'Reilly's backup and recovery book. Excellent book.

Carl

Hi,

first of all use:
ufsdump 0ucf /dev/rmt/0hbn /
this comand to do the backup for any file system ( here we do for root). notice the following
h : stands for high density tape
b: block
n: no rewind
0: the name of drive 1 or 2 or 3 as you defind it

second use :
tar cvf /rmt/0hbn /dataaa (dataaa is your data that you want to back it up).

yasin

yasin · August 12, 2008, 7:27am

Hi,

first of all use:
ufsdump 0ucf /dev/rmt/0hbn /
this comand to do the backup for any file system ( here we do for root). notice the following
h : stands for high density tape
b: block
n: no rewind
0: the name of drive 1 or 2 or 3 as you defind it

second use :
tar cvf /rmt/0hbn /dataaa (dataaa is your data that you want to back it up).

yasin