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1994-06-30
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345 lines
Using MicroSolutions Backpack for
Parallel Port Tape B/U on OS/2
Tue, 7 Jun 1994
Roleigh Martin
United HealthCare Corp.
Mail Stop MN06-6130
9705 Data Park Drive
Minnetonka MN 55343
Internet address:
rol@uhc.com
(if mailing through Compuserve)
>INTERNET:rol@uhc.com
CAVEAT:
=======
The documentation below reflects my own experiences only. No
warranty is given for its use. United HealthCare Corp. has no
connection with this document.
BACKGROUND:
===========
The only way I know to use any brand parallel port Qic-80 tape
drive with OS/2 is to use the software that comes with it and the
OS/2 freeware called EABACKUP which creates two add'l files to
back up (with the native tape drive DOS software) and EARESTOR
(part of EABACKUP) which rebuilds the EA's for OS/2. The OS2USER
forum on Compuserve has this OS/2 freeware for downloading (see
below for details). This is what we have successfully tested out
(backup, simulated-crash, and full restore, and tested-ok-
operations afterwards).
I called all over trying to see if either Backpack, Conner, or
Colorado supported OS/2 natively (they don't; Colorado is working
on it). Indelible Blue didn't have any s/w for sale to support
either of these 3 vendor's parallel port qic-80 backup tapes on
OS/2 nor did they know of any in existence.
These are the two files in the OS2USER forum library(s) on
Compuserve:
[71041,736] Lib: 4
EABK21.ZIP/Bin Bytes: 105520, Count: 1394, 29-Oct-92
Title : Extended Attribute Backup Utility Version 2.02
Keywords: EA BACKUP EXTENDED ATTRIBUTE FAT HPFS UTILITY FLOPPY
RESTORE DELETE
Version 2.02 of a utility that backs up and restores OS/2
extended attributes (EAs). EAs in a directory and its
subdirectories can be backed up to a file on a floppy or hard
drive. Works with HPFS and FAT, can selectively restore or
delete EAs, and can backup "in use" EAs. OS/2 2.0 is required.
An optional $5 contribution is requested.
This version fixes a problem that prevents version 2.01 from
running under OS/2 after the October IBM Service Pack is
applied.
[73323,2576] Lib:17
BOOT2X.ZIP/Bin Bytes: 61234, Count: 797, 03-May-94
Title : A utility to build a BOOTable OS/2 V2 system.
Keywords: IBM OS2EWS BOOT2X DISK
The BOOTOS2 program is a utility that allows you to build a
BOOTable OS/2 V2 system using an existing OS/2 V2 system.
The BOOT system can be installed on either Floppy Disks or a
Hard Disk Partition. This is an IBM OS/2 Employee Written
Software program.
MY CONFIGURATION:
=================
I have a 202mb PC with OS/2 2.1 installed on it. Running OS/2
FDISKPM.EXE, the partition information is as follows:
name status access filesystem type mbytes
startable :primary BOOTMANAGER 1
DOS bootable C:primary FAT 102
OS/2 bootable D:logical FAT 100
Caveat: as you can see, I don't use HPFS, and I don't know how
well, if at all, the backup method/software I've used works with
HPFS.
MY TRIAL OS/2 BACKUP/DISK-DESTRUCTION/RESTORE:
==============================================
Today, 6-7-94, I just finished my test Backpack parallel port
OS/2 backup/restore and everything works great, although there
are a few steps involved. They are documented below.
I did the following steps:
1. I used BOOTOS2 to create a single boot diskette. There is no
spare space left on the diskette.
2. From my PC, I created a DOS 6.2 boot diskette. I put
Backpack's BPBACKUP.EXE on this diskette plus a DOS freeware
file utility QDEL (which I've had for years) which lets me
deletes files via prompting (even system/read-only/hidden
files). I created an OS/2 directory and put OS/2 FORMAT.EXE
on the diskette in that directory.
!! Note: before doing step 3, I installed EABACKUP and
EARESTOR on my OS/2 machine, in D:\CIS\UTILS.
3. Under a normal OS/2 HD boot, I ran "EABACKUP c:\ c:\ /s" and
again as "EABACKUP d:\ d:\ /s".
4. I then booted off DOS diskette.
5. I ran A:BPBACKUP. I then backed up C: and D: drives to a
Qic-80 (DC 2120 3m) tape.
!! Note: steps 6-7 simulate loosing one's hard disk.
6. I booted off an OS/2 diskette; and typed LABEL and ENTER,
ENTER. (you need this label name for step 7).
7. With A: as the current prompt, I typed: OS2\FORMAT D: /FS:FAT
(the software asks you for the current, pre-existing label
name: I entered OS2 which it was).
(My destruction test only bothered to "crash D:" as my C:
was a MS-DOS drive and wasn't needed to be "crashed" to prove
whether my OS/2 drive would work if restored.)
8. I booted off the DOS diskette now.
9. I ran A:BPBACKUP and restored the D: backup made in step 5 to
D:.
10. I typed D: to position myself to the root of D:.
11. I typed A:QDEL EA* and when offered opportunity to delete
"EA DATA. SF" file, I deleted it -- you could have used (I'm
guessing) ATTRIB or something else.
The EARESTOR facility tells you that you can (a) skip backing
up this file to tape, or (b) delete this file after
restoring, or (c) let an OS/2 chkdsk /f program run fix
things. I chosed option b.
12. I booted off the OS/2 diskette.
13. Since EABACKUP and EARESTOR were already on the drive
prior to backing up the file, i typed:
D:\CIS\UTILS\EARESTOR d:\ d:\ /s
14. I then booted off my OS/2 hard disk and everything works
fine!
POSTSCRIPT -- HOW ANOTHER PERSON DOCUMENTS THE ABOVE GENERICALLY:
=================================================================
The following is CIS message 236094 which clued me onto the
direction to take.
> #: 236094 S6/New User Questions [OS2USER]
> 22-May-94 05:25:49
> Sb: #235826-tape bkup - OS2 file sys
> Fm: Ron Higgin 76516,2115
> To: Robert L Wears 76357,2322 (X)
Robert,
You've already received some good advice re OS/2 backup
utilities. Since you mentioned using Central Point's backup with
OS/2 I'm going to give you some information you may find
enlightening with regard to DOS and Windows based backup
utilities.
In general DOS based backup/restore (actually it's the RESTORE
that does the damage) utilities will in fact DESTROY the links to
extended attributes (EAs) stored in the special EA "holding"
files on your FAT formatted disk (the "holding" files are those
hidden ones with a " SF" file extension).
The EA "link" information is actually stored in the directory
entry for each file that has EAs attached to it. The directory
entry bytes used to store this information are not used (that is,
are marked as "reserved") in DOS systems. Consequently normal DOS
based directory update activity will cause the bytes to be set to
zero causing the EA link information to be lost. The EA
information is still in the EA "holding" file BUT there is no way
to reattach it to the owning file once the file's EA link
information has been destroyed.
Most commonly used DOS based backup/restore utilities do NOT save
and/or restore the EA link information. Users often believe their
backup utility makes an EXACT image copy of the hard hard disk
partition when used in "full" backup mode. Some advanced backup
utilities for high priced backup hardware devices do BUT most, if
not all, commonly used backup utilities (PCTools, etc.) do NOT.
They in fact operate at the file rather than disk partition level
and hence end up (inadvertently) setting the EA link information
to zero. This is NOT a problem for backup programs that produce
TRUE IMAGE copies of hard disk partitions.
Note that the same "lost EA link" problem occurs when many DOS
based disk defrag utilities are run against a partition
containing files and directories ACCESSED while running under
OS/2. At this time the only DOS based defrag utilities I'm aware
of that will not corrupt the EA links are:
o Norton's SpeedDisk (V4.5 or later)
o SoftLogic Disk Optimizer (V4.01 or later)
o FastTrax (commercial product)
o SafePack (shareware)
o Disk Organizer (shareware)
In general all DOS based file/directory manipulation utilities
are suspect when it comes to EA information. For example, running
the DOS based "COPY" or "XCOPY" utility (under REAL DOS) against
a file or directory with associated EA information will also
result in a "lost EA link" condition for each such file written.
Most EA information associated with DOS based application
directories and files is cosmetic in nature. For example, the
OS/2 font and sort options for your directories ("folders" in
OS/2 terminology) are saved as EA information. Hence losing the
EA link only means you have to recustomize the "folder"
properties. No biggie. On the other hand much of the EA
information for OS/2 based files (both applications and the
operating system itself) is CRITICAL to the operation of the
system and/or application. Losing an EA link for a single file
could result in you having to completely reinstall OS/2!
Definitely a BIGGIE!
At this point I hope I've given you new/renewed respect for the
importance of properly maintaining and preserving EA link
information.
Clearly the easiest, but not cheapest, way to avoid all problems
with EAs is to use only OS/2 based functions to backup/restore,
defrag, and generally manipulate files/directories on disk
partitions accessed by apps running under OS/2. However I suspect
you, like other users, want to protect your current investment in
DOS based utilities. In the spirit of this I will offer you a
reliable, albeit time consuming, alternative to buying new
utility software.
First, you MUST obtain a shareware utility package called
EABACKUP. This package consists of two utilities: EABACKUP which
will back up EA information from the "holding" files to a
standard DOS format file and EARESTOR which, using the EABACKUP
file, will restore and reattach file/directory EA information
AFTER it has been "lost" through a restore/defrag operation. The
EABACKUP/EARESTOR utility package can be downloaded from the
OS2USER forum; file name is "EABK21.ZIP".
Once you have obtaed the EABACKUP utility you may use the
following procedure to safely defrag or backup/restore a disk
using ANY DOS based utility:
PRIOR to defragging or backing up FAT disk partitions
=====================================================
1. Boot OS/2 from a DISKETTE. You can use your OS/2
installtion disks to do this or, preferably, download a
utility called "BOOTOS2" (file name "BOOT2X.ZIP" in the
OS2USER forum) which will build you an OS/2 boot diskette
customized to your system configuration.
2. Run a "CHKDSK /F" against each disk partition to be
defragged or backed up. This insures you don't have any
problems before you start messing around.
3. Run the EABACKUP utility against each disk partition to be
backed up or defragged.
4. Boot DOS from a DISKETTE.
5. Run your DOS based utility against each partition to be
backed up or defragged.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER defragging OR restoring FAT disk partitions
=============================================================
1. Boot OS/2 from a DISKETTE.
2. Run a "CHKDSK /F" against each partition you just defragged
or restored to. This will remove the EA information from
the "holding" file for any file/directory that had EA links
BEFORE you defragged the corresponding partition. This will
also prevent you from ending up with duplicate EA
information in the "holding" file.
3. Run EARESTOR against each partition you defragged or
restored to.
NOTE
----
For RESTORE operations, make certain you ALWAYS restore the
appropriate EABACKUP (*.EAB) files from the SAME tape that
contains the files you just restored. It is absolutely
CRITICAL that you provide EARESTOR with the correct level
of the EAB files!
4. Run a "CHKDSK /F" against each partition you defragged or
restored to. This will verify that all is OK, giving you
that nice warm feeling that OS/2 will be able to boot from
the hard disk.
5. Boot OS/2 from the hard disk.
Notice that all this was done WITHOUT ever using "Dual Boot".
Follow this procedure religiously and you won't have any
problems.
One final note. Do NOT back up or EVER restore the EA "holding"
(*. SF) files. Restoring a holding file will downlevel the EA
information for the ENTIRE system, and will most likely result in
a complete system failure!
Hope this helps.
Ron Higgin [OS/2 Advisor]
=================================================================
The above documentation was written and/or gathered by:
=================================================================
| Roleigh Martin, Rt. MN06-6130 Opinions are mine not UHC |
| UHC, Advanced Technology AT&T/vmail: (612) 945-6529 |
| 9705 Data Park Drive FAX: (612) 945-6502 |
| Minnetonka, MN 55343 Email: rol@lochness.uhc.com |
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