I have to learn how to backup my server 1

[SeanAIX430]

AIX 4.3
4GB 4mm tape drive

I had assumed that the backup was working properly since before I arrived here at the company. Of course today we need to get something back and there's nothing on the tape. I have no idea how to check the tape or setup a backup. So if you could tell me how to:

Format the tape(if necessary)
backup the OS once and keep that tape offsite
backup all the data on the server
setup the backup schedule to run every night

Thanks!

 

[DukeSSD]

Look in the Redbook SG24-6191-00

http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/redbooks/pdfs/sg246191.pdf

There are lots of free Redbook PDFs on AIX / RS6000 / PSeries topics, have a search.

 

[KenCunningham]

In addition to DukeSSD's suggestion, you might also need to consider why the backup wasn't working in the first place. Do you have the script which was supposed to do the job and if so, does it write to any logs - they might give you a clue if so (perhaps a faulty drive/tape or whatever combination). Was the backup set up to run from cron? Looking at the crontab entry (crontab -l) should tell you the name (and possibly the path) of the backup script which you can then examine. Let us know how you get on.

 

[SeanAIX430]

Thanks folks! This is what I get

# crontab -l
00 02 * * 2-6 /nightly
#run weekly systems maint.
#00 03 * * 1 /sysmaint
0 11 * * * /usr/bin/errclear -d S,O 30
0 12 * * * /usr/bin/errclear -d H 90

I'll go research the redbooks link
Thanks again!

 

[SeanAIX430]

It might also be an issue with the drive itself:

0512-017 mksysb: Cannot write to the device /dev/rmt0
Either write protected or in use.

 

[hfaix]

You post with the error, tells me the tape is bad or isn't compatible.

What type of tape is it? Your drive might be bad too. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to run a cleaning tape through it ( if you have one).

 

[KenCunningham]

Have you checked whether the tape is write protected? Can you post the output of mt -f /dev/rmt0 status?

 

[SeanAIX430]

# mt -f /dev/rmt0 status
rmt0 Available 04-C0-00-1,0 4.0 GB 4mm Tape Drive
attribute value description user_set

mode yes Use DEVICE BUFFERS during writes True
block_size 0 BLOCK size (0=variable length) True
compress yes Use data COMPRESSION True
ret_error no RETURN error on tape change or reset True

It's not write protected. I think I'm going to buy another of these tape drives off ebay and try it in my server. Does the tape have to be formatted?

 

[KenCunningham]

Your drive looks OK. Have you tried another tape?

 

[SeanAIX430]

I've tried a couple of other tapes, but I guess I should be checking the error logs:


The Service Request Number(s)/Probable Cause(s)
(causes are listed in descending order of probability):

915-320: Error Log Analysis indicates a permanent hardware failure
rmt0 FRU: 21H1572 04-C0-00-1,0
4.0 GB 4mm Tape Drive
n/a FRU: n/a 04-C0-00-1,0
Test media.

I bought one off of ebay, when it gets in I'll install it and see what happens if I run tapechk. If and when I can get a functioning tape I still need to know how to setup a daily backup. Thanks!

 

[aceed]

You can also consider 3rd party software backup such as Veritas, Legato, Omniback, Bakbone,etc......
but mysysb is very important for rootvg

Regards
aceed

 

[KenCunningham]

aceed is correct, but mistyped mksysb I think! Happy New Year.

 

[jpor]

It might also be an issue with the drive itself:

0512-017 mksysb: Cannot write to the device /dev/rmt0
Either write protected or in use.

Have you tried typing the command: ps -ef |grep rmt0

And seeing if you still have a backup script still trying to run from a previous backup thats still trying to access the tape drive?

It's also worth viewing the script /nightly to see what it does in terms of a back-up.

( "To become Wise, first you must ask Questions&quot

 

[SeanAIX430]

# ps -ef |grep rmt0
root 17780 16092 1 10:27:27 pts/18 0:00 grep rmt0

Where is the nightly script located?

 

[KenCunningham]

From your crontab entry, it looks as if it's in your root (/) directory. Post it here and we can have a look at what it does. Amend anything in it you don't want in the public domain (passwords etc).

 

[SeanAIX430]

Over the weekend I installed the other tape drive that I bought off ebay. I got the exact same message about some 915-320 error, which i can't find anywhere online.

# cat nightly
tar -cvf /dev/rmt0 /usr/ud41 /kendall /etc > /tmp/backup.doc

I also went into smit to look at the Problem determination logs and found a bunch of Tape drive failure listings.

So even thought the guy I bought the drive from said it was working in the server it came out of it could be defective as well?

 

[KenCunningham]

Bad luck indeed. Maybe it's the tape controller rather that the drive?

 

[SeanAIX430]

I looked around online and inside the case, but haven't yet found any description of where the Tape drive controller resides. What can I do to check the tape controller?

Also I get a SRN 915-320 that keeps coming up and I am unable to get that error explained anywhere! It doesn' show up in google or on the IBM site at all!

 

[SeanAIX430]

Well after all that I grabbed a newer HP tape and ran a tapechk and it came back as good. So I might actually be backing up. Now I have to verify the backups. I've been trying to find the commands online to have the files on the tape show onscreen so I can check them, but I can't find the right commands. Please help, Thanks!!

 

[KenCunningham]

Sean - did you ever find the nightly script and if so, does it clarify what commands are used to backup your system? We'll need this to verify how you can view the save.