[comp.sys.amiga] Backups for HD

jones@uv4.eglin.af.mil (Calvin Jones, III) (03/16/90)

Chris Brand <wizard@sosaria.imp.com> writes:

> The only one I know that does compression, MRBackup, uses the standard
> Amigados file format, so it's incredibly slow. 

I've used MRBACKUP and found that I can live with it's speed by using it 
to backup to aome sort of a "fake floppy" --- either a RAD: configured 
to be congruent with a real floppy, or a fake floppy on a hard drive.  
Then, after each fake floppy is "filled", use diskcopy to create the 
actual backup disk (in another task --- remember, the Amiga CAN 
multitask 8-) ).
 
I don't bother with compression, and kinda like the warm feeling in my 
tummy, knowing that all my data is stored in nice standard AmigaDos 
format that can be read on ANY system!  I don't even need to fool with 
MRBACKUP to restore... Just diskcopy the floppy to RAD:, copy RAD: to 
the HD, reformat rad: (with the quick option) and prompt for another 
floppy.
 
When I changed disk drives to the one I now have on my BBS, I used this 
method to restore about 140 floppies.  It would take about 50 seconds to 
restore a floppy to a clean partition, and about 70 seconds by the time 
a 110 meg partition was over 100 megs full.
 
Your mileage, of course, may vary.
 
   --- Cal
   //  Cal Jones - Internet:  <Jones@UV4.Eglin.AF.Mil>
 \X/               BBS:  904-243-6219  1200-9600HST  340Meg, all Amiga
                         Single Tasking?    *JUST SAY NO!!!*

bmacintyre@watdragon.waterloo.edu (Blair MacIntyre) (03/16/90)

jones@uv4.eglin.af.mil (Calvin Jones, III) writes:
>Chris Brand <wizard@sosaria.imp.com> writes:
>
>> The only one I know that does compression, MRBackup, uses the standard
>> Amigados file format, so it's incredibly slow. 
>
>I've used MRBACKUP ...
> 
>I don't bother with compression, and kinda like the warm feeling in my 
>tummy, knowing that all my data is stored in nice standard AmigaDos 
>format that can be read on ANY system!  I don't even need to fool with 
>MRBACKUP to restore... 

Hmmm ... I agree that it's nice knowing that your files are in AmigaDOS
format, _but_ when you use compression, they are still in AmigaDOS format,
each file being individually compressed.  For a complete restore, the
compression is a pain, but you doen't need MRBACKUP to restore them in
any event.  The "compress/decompress" program (the port of the Unix one)
works fine (yes, the files are stored as .Z files).

Just wanted to clarify that for people who aren't familiar with MRBACKUP.
I feel that the combo or compression and standard AmigaDOS format makes
this the most "robust" program.  I don't feel safe having my backups in
someones neato-keen-custom-format on floppy.  
 
-- 
-- Blair MacIntyre, Professional Leech on Society ( aka CS Graduate Student )
-- bmacintyre@{watcgl, watdragon, violet}.{waterloo.edu, UWaterloo.ca}
-- Date, verb: prearranged socializing with intent.

871579l@aucs.uucp (Todd Lowe) (03/17/90)

In article <22075@watdragon.waterloo.edu> bmacintyre@watdragon.waterloo.edu (Blair MacIntyre) writes:
>jones@uv4.eglin.af.mil (Calvin Jones, III) writes:
>>Chris Brand <wizard@sosaria.imp.com> writes:
>>
>>> The only one I know that does compression, MRBackup, uses the standard
>>> Amigados file format, so it's incredibly slow. 
>>
>Hmmm ... I agree that it's nice knowing that your files are in AmigaDOS
>....  I don't feel safe having my backups in
>someones neato-keen-custom-format on floppy.  
> 
Well I use Quarterback for my back ups and am quite satisfied with it.
Although it does not use Amiga Dos format it makes up for it with speed and
relyability.  It takes just over 30 minutes to back up 25Megs onto *UNFORMATED*
floppies. It uses its own format, but i store a backup of it with my HD backup
disks so I always have it handy if I need to restore something, and I have
had to about 4 times since I started using it.  Restores are just as fast, and
you can restore individual files or the whole drive and have option to put
the files in the same place , a different place, and whethor on not to restore
the full subdirectory structure.

-Todd  
871579l@aucs