Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!lll-winken!aunro!alberta!cpsc.ucalgary.ca!yogi.fhhosp.ab.ca!honte.uleth.ca!senetza
From: senetza@honte.uleth.ca (Len Senetza)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.ultrix
Subject: Backup Question (dump)
Summary: How does dump handle open files
Keywords: backup dump wipe pull up pants
Message-ID: <1991May22.145513.15048@honte.uleth.ca>
Date: 22 May 91 14:55:13 GMT
Organization: University of Lethbridge
Lines: 22

I'm wondering how dump handles open files.  Does it back them up?  Does
it skip them?  Does it trash them in the process of backing them up?  I
realize that having a file open while dumping (or any other type of
access) can have unpredictable results, but I wanna know how dump
handles it.  

See, when we do our backups we don't shut-down to single user mode.  We
have a DECserver 3100 serving 2 DECstation 3100's and 22 VAXstation
3100's in a computing science lab.  This stuff has to be running almost
continually (hardware failure is practically the only excuse).  So, we
have to do live backups.  

I'm not trying to start a flame war about how to do backups and all that 
-- I know, and we have to take the risk of losing a couple of files here 
and there.  I just want to know how dump handles open files.  Oh, we're
currently running Ultrix 3.1D.  Yes, we are upgrading to 4.2 ASAP.

-- 
Len Senetza                   Internet: senetza@hg.uleth.ca      <preferred>
Academic Consultant                     senetza@honte.uleth.ca
University of Lethbridge
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada