automating ontape - script

[amobasse]

Hi,
I'm trying to automate ontape and wrote a script to be executed in the crontab. But I am having an issue with my script. Since ontape when invoked it will ask for input like mounting a tape drive "Please mount tape 1 on /infxbu/backup.out and press Return to continue ..." I am sending a null/carriage return thru my script but for some reason is not working. I was wondering if anybody already have a script that I can take a look at or anybody can point out my mistake in the script. Thank you in advance for any help.
Here is the script

host=`hostname`
log=/usr/local/logs/infxontape.log
echo "Starting `hostname` ontape `date`" >> $log
echo "\n"|ontape -s -L 0 >> $log
if [ $? -ne 0 ]
then
echo "ERROR: $hosts did not complete its ontape backup!!!" >> $log
exit 1
else
echo "`hostname` ontape backup created successfully at `date`" >> $log
fi

 

[olded]

As I recall, you have to redirect input from a file to get ontape to work:

# untested
ontape -s -L 0 < input_file > $log

For a carriage return, I don't think \n will work. You have to use the octal representation \012. To emulate a CR, within input_file, place \012 on a line by itself.

 

[PHV]

You may also use expect.

Hope This Helps, PH.
FAQ219-2884
FAQ181-2886

 

[amobasse]

Thank you guys. What is expect?

 

[olded]

Expect is a tool for automating interactive applications. While it's available on most Linux systems, you typically have to download it for other systems. Here's the expect home page:

http://expect.nist.gov

The most common example is automating the passwd command which is impossible from the shell:

#!/usr/local/bin/expect --
# wrapper to make passwd(1) be non-interactive
# username is passed as 1st arg, passwd as 2nd
# Executable only by root
set password [lindex $argv 1]
spawn /usr/bin/passwd [lindex $argv 0]
expect "password:"
send "$password\r"
expect "password:"
send "$password\r"
expect eof
# end script

An excellent book is Exploring Expect by Don Libes.

 

[mberni]

in newer Informix versions ontape supports output to files and standard output. Maybe this is an option too.