tar,cpio,ufsdump (HELP URGENT!)

[cgswong]

Hi all,

I need some advice on which backup program to use. I am trying to backup up database files as well as the entire system (Sun Solaris 7 E4500/E3500). Some of the database files sizes are > 2GB.

I used 'ufsdump' but the script for that program had to have an error check after each 'ufsdump' line and it's best to have the system in single user mode. Not feasible for me and I would like to implement 'online' backups without changing the scripts too much. 'ufsdump' doesn't appear to be the best option for 'online' backups. I've tried 'cpio' but that program can't handle files sizes > 2GB (it's not large file aware according to 'man' pages). So I started using 'tar' but it appears that if the file listing is too long, or the backup goes over one tape, it doesn't work.

So my question is then this: Does anyone have any recommendations as to what backup program I can use for database backups (file sizes > 2GB), system backups, and archive backups (many files with some file sizes > 2GB)? Please bear in mind that the restore procedure must be as easy and transparent as the backup procedure.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[edfair]

Haven't checked for availability on your system, but if they are available I suggest one of them. Backup-edge from Microlite or Lone-Tar from Lone-Star. Both are supersets of tar, with bit level verification , daily reporting, and disk set recovery for an entire system.
Both set up automatic daily backup when installed.
Cost is somewhere around $300 retail for the systems I use, may be higher for yours. Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[lfoata]

I suggest you visit the backupcentral.com site. It contains many free scripts for online backups of different databases (Oracle, Informix, Sybase). Those scripts also compress the database files.
I have used orabach.sh for some time and it is fast and reliable and also vrey easy to restore. (is you now how to copye a file you can restore.

Also on that site, you will find a very professional evaluation of the different solutions for backup (freeware or commercial).

backupcentral.com is the best site for backup and restores. Go ask Curtis.

 

[cgswong]

Thanks, but Microlite doesn't have a Solaris version and and I can't find Lone-Star. I was looking for something a little less expensive (like free preferrably).

 

[cfsalmeida]

Since version 2.6 solaris suport largefiles, a largefile is a file (in a 32-bits system), greater than 2GB, up to 1 terabyte, when you create a UFS filesystem on Solaris >=2.6, by default you are able to create 2-GB or larger files on it,however, when you create a VXFS filesystem, you must specify a special option (-o largefiles) to the 'mkfs' command, if this option is not specified, you will be unable to create >2GB files on the VXFS filesystem, even though you are on Solaris >=2.6.
The tar version bundled with Solaris may have some problems with largefiles, but you can use "GNU-tar", gnu tar supports largefiles (>2GB) since version 1.1, you can get gnu-tar 1.13 in pkgadd format in "

http://www.sunfreware.com",

for
cpio if you use the correct file header format, then cpio successfully backed up a large file, you can use the following header formats in &quot;-H <header>&quot; option.
-H tar/TAR
-H ustar/USTAR
-H odc
If you don't use the above formats, any other header type is limited to 2 GB of file size.

Hope this helps.
Regards,

Carlos Almeida.

 

[cgswong]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. I've checked out

http://www.sunfreeware.com

before, but lost address the site (until now). Thanks.

I've also checked out backupcentral, but the restore was always my problem. Guess I need to read the usage better.

Thanks again.