AIX backup command not overwriting tapes

[ariochian]

Hi all,

I have a control workstation hanging off of 2 SP model frames, MCA and PCI types.

each node remote copies a mksysb file over a filesystem on the CWS and then on a Sat. morning, the cws is suppose to back up the files onto tape, however I have been noticing the date currently this tape shows Apr. 21 was the latest backup and each file on that tape is Apr 21. why isnt the backup command overwritting those file with new ones?


here is the back up commanding script (cut from smitty used in a corn shell script)

please help if you can. the only thing I can think of doing is a tctl -f /dev/rmt0 erase on the friday night before the backup on Sat.

#MKSYSB
#SAVES FILES LOCATED IN "nodebkups"
#TO 8mm TAPE
x() {
ARGS=''
LOCAL=''
while getopts 'b:f:lps:v' OPTION; do
case $OPTION in
b) cd $OPTARG || exit $? ;;
f) DEVICE=$OPTARG ;;
l) LOCAL='-fstype jfs' ;;
p) ARGS=$ARGS' -p' ;;
s) SOURCE=$OPTARG ;;
v) ARGS=$ARGS' -v' ;;
esac
done
/usr/bin/find $SOURCE $LOCAL -print |
/usr/sbin/backup -iq -f $DEVICE $ARGS
}
x -f'/dev/rmt0' -s'/nodebkups/f1n1files/bos.obj.f1n1 /nodebkups/f1n5files/bos.obj.f1n5 /nodebkups/f1n9files
/bos.obj.f1n9 /nodebkups/f2n1files/bos.obj.f2n1 /nodebkups/f2n3files/bos.obj.f2n3 /nodebkups/f2n5files/bos.o
bj.f2n5 /nodebkups/f2n7files/bos.obj.f2n7 /nodebkups/f2n9files/bos.obj.f2n9 /nodebkups/f2n11files/bos.obj.f2
n11 /nodebkups/f2n13files/bos.obj.f2n13' '-l' '-v'

 

[sushveer]

Hi ariochian

Why don't you try your backup in the following manner at command line and check the backed up tape...

#find /sourcedir -print|backup -i -f /dev/rmt0

Also u can use

for full backups(0 level):
----------------------------

#backup -0 -u -f /dev/rmt0 /sourcedDir (rewind tape)
#backup -0 -u -f /dev/rmt0.1 /sourceDir (non rewinding tape)
The 'u' flag updates /etc/dumpdates file...so that you can track your full backups updates.
Let me know the results...
good luck!

sushveer
IBM certified specialist-p-series AIX5L System Administration
AIX/SOLARIS/WEBSPHERE-MQ/TIVOLI Administrator

 

[ariochian]

Sushveer,

thanks for responding.

Yes I have done the find thing, I guess I should have stated that this script runs out of cron, if I do any backups manually it works, and I get the current date.

The problem with the -0 used in the backup command you cannot use it with the -q or so the command line says,

question, if the file is the exact same size then does it consider that file as a non changed file and does not overwrite it?

I have not tried it with -u command. but will attempt it.