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- From: doug@alliant.alliant.com (Doug Bloomberg)
- Subject: Use of high density(or remote) dumps for FX/1-VFX/80
- Message-ID: <1992Dec18.173435.27033@alliant.com>
- Sender: doug@alliant.com (Doug Bloomberg)
- Organization: Alliant Computer Systems Corp.
- Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 17:34:35 GMT
- Lines: 63
-
-
- --
- Subj: Root partition backups on FX/1 - VFX/80
- Group: comp.sys.alliant
- Author: Doug Bloomberg, Sr Systems Support Engineer, Alliant Computers
- (doug@alliant.com)
-
- Customer Service Advisory for administrators of FX/8 - FX/80 systems
-
- PROBLEM: Some customers are making use of high-density tape storage
- and/or remote dumps to a high-density storage device systems
- for filesystem backups. In the event of a root drive
- failure, the root partition cannot be restored from these
- formats without first performing a "scratch install" of
- Concentrix.
-
- CAUSE: The versions of Concentrix which are bootable from floppy
- disks support only the "default" tape devices:
-
- rxt00 Multibus 1/2" tape (9 trk)
- rxtv00 VME 1/2" tape (9 trk)
- rst00 SCSI 1/4" cartridge (FX/1)
- rscst00 SCSI 1/4" cartridge (FX/4, FX/40)
-
- SOLUTION: Maintain a reasonably current backup of your root partition
- on this "default" media (typically the same media that
- Concentrix is shipped to you on). This takes only a few
- minutes and can save hours if the root drive needs replacement.
-
- For this purpose, "reasonably current" means that your
- backup was made:
-
- o With your current OS revision
- o Since any major configuration changes
- o Since any hardware changes
- o Since the last build of Customunix (if applicable)
-
- The restrictions are simple:
-
- o Tape must be "dump" format (not "tar" or others)
- o Must be level 0 dump of the root filesystem
- o Root must be on the standard root device
- (typically xd00r or xdv00r)
- o Dump must be on "supported" media as shown
- above
-
- These criteria should be sufficient to ensure that your
- root partition can be restored from a cold boot. You may
- wish to have more frequent backups, on any media type, to
- maintain recent copies of files like /etc/passwd.
-
- To restore a root backup made in accordance with these
- guidelines, follow the installation instructions for
- a "new install", substituting your level 0 root-filesystem
- dump for the "Concentrix root binary tape".
-
- For more information, see:
-
- o Concentrix System Administration guide
- o Concentrix 5.0 Tips & Techniques
-
- or call Alliant Customer Service. 1-800 225-4268
-
-