dickc82
asked on
must restart after backup to backup again
I have a sco 4.0 server that will only run one backup. The only way I have found to run backup again is to restart. It is a External Jumbo 250 tape drive.
Long time since I worked with a config like that, are you running backup using Software supplied with the Jumbo Tape Drive, or directly using TAR, or CPIO, directly to the tape device. I seem to remember a problem with some versions of the Jumbo software that would not reset the tape drive after a backup, and left it unuseable. I ended up just using Tar, and foregoing the compression, but I believe their was a workaround suggested using a direct reset command to the tape drive. Try contacting supplier to see if a later version of the software is available. Sorry not to be more help, but is about 8 years ago I worked with these.
ASKER
I have this same problom at two sites. One is using a backup software, this site is using the TAR command. They have recently replaced the drive with another of the same model that is when this started.
ASKER
I have this same problom at two sites. One is using a backup software, this site is using the TAR command. They have recently replaced the drive with another of the same model that is when this started.
Hi dickc82,
About 1 and half years ago, I was looking after 400+ sites using SCO. At the time, I did not use any software package to do the backup,
all I did was written a shell script to do the backup, and use cron task to call the script automatically.
If you are do a complete system backup, use cpio to do the job, it will allow you to copy any type of the files in SCO to the tape or other harddisk.
if you ONLY need to copy data files, the "tar" command is an option. (PS: the SCO version of tar have problem with coyp some of the special files, not to use for Full System backup).
I think a backup script is very easy to write. please try to do it and you will have more control.
Cheers!
About 1 and half years ago, I was looking after 400+ sites using SCO. At the time, I did not use any software package to do the backup,
all I did was written a shell script to do the backup, and use cron task to call the script automatically.
If you are do a complete system backup, use cpio to do the job, it will allow you to copy any type of the files in SCO to the tape or other harddisk.
if you ONLY need to copy data files, the "tar" command is an option. (PS: the SCO version of tar have problem with coyp some of the special files, not to use for Full System backup).
I think a backup script is very easy to write. please try to do it and you will have more control.
Cheers!
Dick82
I am not sure about a couple of points you have made.
1) You have recently changed the tape drives,
In both systems ??
With exactly the same model ?? or replaced Jumbo 100MB with the 250MB drive.
2) You can make one good backup after rebooting ??
Does this first backup terminate without errors ??
Have you checked to see that it has completed ??
It does not produce a core dump ??
I have checked back through my old notes, it was around 95/96. I installed 10 sites using initially SCO Xenix with Jumbo 40MB drives, then later installations using SCO Unix with Jumbo 100MB drives. I don't remember any particular problems with the early installations, only with the later ones using 100MB drives under SCO Unix. Points I made at the time were as follows
1) Check that tape drive is set up properly in tar defaults table. Correct No. of blocks for uncompressed size.
2) Do not use compression (if you need to compress files for space reasons use compress utility before tar).
3) Make sure all file names to be backed up are no more than 14 characters total length.
Sorry for earlier comment on drivers, it was a long time ago, I hope you have not wasted time looking for them.
Drivers were originally written for SCO Xenix, hence the 14 character file name limit, there was one update for SCO Unix which did not remove this limitation. Colorado were taken over by HP, who promptly dropped support for SCO, and have not produced any new drivers for SCO use since. SCO have never accepted the Jumbo drives as a supported product. The 14 character file name limit was documented, it will cause core dump, and hang the driver programme. I never used the 250MB drive, and I suppose it is possible that this simply will not run properly under SCO.
Hope the above helps, if you can give me any more details please do, it may trigger of a forgotten memory.
I am not sure about a couple of points you have made.
1) You have recently changed the tape drives,
In both systems ??
With exactly the same model ?? or replaced Jumbo 100MB with the 250MB drive.
2) You can make one good backup after rebooting ??
Does this first backup terminate without errors ??
Have you checked to see that it has completed ??
It does not produce a core dump ??
I have checked back through my old notes, it was around 95/96. I installed 10 sites using initially SCO Xenix with Jumbo 40MB drives, then later installations using SCO Unix with Jumbo 100MB drives. I don't remember any particular problems with the early installations, only with the later ones using 100MB drives under SCO Unix. Points I made at the time were as follows
1) Check that tape drive is set up properly in tar defaults table. Correct No. of blocks for uncompressed size.
2) Do not use compression (if you need to compress files for space reasons use compress utility before tar).
3) Make sure all file names to be backed up are no more than 14 characters total length.
Sorry for earlier comment on drivers, it was a long time ago, I hope you have not wasted time looking for them.
Drivers were originally written for SCO Xenix, hence the 14 character file name limit, there was one update for SCO Unix which did not remove this limitation. Colorado were taken over by HP, who promptly dropped support for SCO, and have not produced any new drivers for SCO use since. SCO have never accepted the Jumbo drives as a supported product. The 14 character file name limit was documented, it will cause core dump, and hang the driver programme. I never used the 250MB drive, and I suppose it is possible that this simply will not run properly under SCO.
Hope the above helps, if you can give me any more details please do, it may trigger of a forgotten memory.
No comment has been added lately, so it's time to clean up this TA.
I will leave a recommendation for this question in the Cleanup topic area as follows:
- PAQ & remove points
Please leave any comments here within the next 7 days
PLEASE DO NOT ACCEPT THIS COMMENT AS AN ANSWER !
tfewster (I don't work here, I'm just an Expert :-)
I will leave a recommendation for this question in the Cleanup topic area as follows:
- PAQ & remove points
Please leave any comments here within the next 7 days
PLEASE DO NOT ACCEPT THIS COMMENT AS AN ANSWER !
tfewster (I don't work here, I'm just an Expert :-)
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/etc/inittab file or in the /etc/rc file.
Edit them to find out the commands.
Some commands are fired only once as defined in /etc/inittab, however you can call it manually, if you
want.