abbonizi@NADC.ARPA (M. Abbonizio) (08/03/88)
Hello VMS managers, Does anyone backup their system disk from the DCL command level? What are the drawbacks? Do you use /IGNORE = (INTERLOCK or NOBACKUP)? What effects does this have on PAGEFILE.SYS and SWAPFILE.SYS which are marked "No Backup" when restored? Any info or hints appreciated. The system is a cluster running VAX/VMS 4.5. Mike Abbonizio ARPAnet - abbonizi@NADC.arpa
helen@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Helen Rapozo) (08/07/88)
In article <8808031554.AA11042@NADC.ARPA> abbonizi@NADC.ARPA (M. Abbonizio) writes: >Hello VMS managers, > > Does anyone backup their system disk from the DCL command level? What are > the drawbacks? Do you use /IGNORE = (INTERLOCK or NOBACKUP)? What effects > does this have on PAGEFILE.SYS and SWAPFILE.SYS which are marked "No Backup" > when restored? Any info or hints appreciated. > We use /IGNORE=INTERLOCK when we backup the system disk, but never with NOBACKUP. When any file is encountered with NOBACKUP it will only backup the file header information like how big the file is and other attribubes. That way when you restore the file it will take up that much space on the disk. The contents of the file will be meaningless but these files only contain temporary information anyway. Just to let you know that while we back up our system disk fully every week, we still do a standalone backup of the system drive once a month (in place of a weekly). We run a VAX 8200 and two MicroVAX II. -- BITNET address: helen@uhccux UH Admin Network: HCCADA::CS_RAPOZO US Mail Address: 874 Dillingham Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96817, Ph# (808) 845-9202 PLATO address: helen rapozo/honcc/hawaii
GG.SPY@ISUMVS.BITNET ("John Hascall") (08/08/88)
> Date: Wed, 3 Aug 88 11:54:54 EDT > From: "M. Abbonizio" <abbonizi@NADC.ARPA> > Subject: Backing up the system disk from DCL > To: John Hascall <GA.JPH@ISUMVS> > > Hello VMS managers, > > Does anyone backup their system disk from the DCL command level? What are > the drawbacks? Do you use /IGNORE = (INTERLOCK or NOBACKUP)? What effects > does this have on PAGEFILE.SYS and SWAPFILE.SYS which are marked "No Backup " > when restored? Any info or hints appreciated. > > The system is a cluster running VAX/VMS 4.5. > > Mike Abbonizio > I use: $ backup /buffers=5 /ignore=interlock /image /record /rewind - 'disk' 'save_set'/LABEL='backup$volser' (Note that this is in a command procedure, hence the symbols...) It just gives a message that the files are marked NOBACKUP and continues on it's merry way. While on the subject of backup (* FLAME ON *) One thing which annoys me to no end is that when you specify /record (to record the time of the backup in the file header) and a user deletes a file after the time it is backed up and the time the file header is to be updated backup gets all bent out of shape...It would certainly be nice if this was handled as nicely as /nobackup files are.. John Hascall ISU Comp Center
BRUCE@LOCKE.HS.WASHINGTON.EDU (BRUCE EDWARDS) (08/08/88)
Mike, We tend to back up our system disk at DCL level. We use /IGNORE=INTER and the PAGEFILE and SWAPFILES get created on a restore, but without any data. Our system disk is an RA81 and we generate an RP06 offline pack with the system root every so often. After we restore the disk from the Backup tapes we install the additional pointers for the [SYSEXE] and [SYSMAINT] directories write the Boot block and use an different boot file to bring up the system. We also backup (to another disk) every hour or so some key datafiles. Things may not be perfect when you restore, but you tend to lose less. We also keep an eye on which files are interlocked to spot any new problems. It is a lot easier to set up this procedure ahead of time then to wait until problems occur. This way we can run in a degraded mode until the Disk is repaired and also allows us to regenerate the system disk on a new RA81. We have run this procedure with both HSC and UDA based RA-81's and are currently running VMS 4.7. The major drawbacks relate to what files are open. Some files need to be individually repaired, some we just grab a different copy and some we ignore. We keep 3 backups of our hourly important data file backup. Hope this helps Bruce Edwards John Locke Computer Center University Of Washington SB-50 Seattle, WA 98195 Bitnet -- BRUCE@UWALOCKE Internet--bruce@locke.hs.washington.edu (128.208.10.1)