Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!purdue!decwrl!hplabs!hp-pcd!hplsla!hpubvwa!vantage!ray
From: ray@vantage.UUCP (Ray Liere)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: How to back up HP-UX non-file portion
Message-ID: <330023@vantage.UUCP>
Date: 2 Oct 89 17:28:56 GMT
Organization: Vantage Consulting and Research Corporation
Lines: 35

We have an HP9000/540 running HP-UX #5.21.

The utility that allows one to make a recovery system (mkrs) does not work
under 5.21, and I am to come up with some ways to enable us to recover from
some catastrophe that, for example, wipes the disk clean. Upgrading to 5.3
(which fixes mkrs) is not an option that I have.

I see 2 possibilities, and possibly a 3rd?:
  1. make (a few) image copies of the disk (we have the 132Mb 7914 with internal
     cartridge tape unit and one controller, so I can press the lever and get
     a disk image onto tape -- unfortunately, as I understand it, the copy is
     made without error checking)
  2. plan on re-installing 5.21 from scratch (the "Read Me First" says that the
     tapes are for install or update)
  3. "trick" HP-UX into allowing me to backup the part of HP-UX that is not
     in files (and therefore not put onto normal backup tapes)

This 3rd option is the one I especially wish to solicit your opinion on.
I remember way back when (1984?) hearing that it was possible. Does anyone know
the details? I recall that one somehow got the non-file portion of HP-UX into
a (large) file and then backed it up in the normal manner. It is not clear
to me how one would do this. And it is definitely not clear to me how
to then install this file on a bare disk (since there would be no operating
system ... chicken and egg situation ...).

Any insights/warnings/advice/... on ANY of the above options would be very
much appreciated.

Ray Liere
Vantage Consulting and Research Corporation
voice: (503)657-7294
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