Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!merrick
From: merrick@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Tom Merrick)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.aix
Subject: Re: backup question
Message-ID: <1991May24.120033.24208@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>
Date: 24 May 91 12:00:33 GMT
References: <91143.132238U233A@wvnvm.wvnet.edu>
Sender: news@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Organization: The Ohio State University
Lines: 25
Nntp-Posting-Host: top.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu

In article <91143.132238U233A@wvnvm.wvnet.edu> <U233A@wvnvm.wvnet.edu> writes:
>     What ramifications are there in backing up the system
>while users are still logged on?  In addition, we do not
>unmount the filesystems prior to the backup executing.
>It appears that under both of those circumstances, the filesystems
>are being backed up ok.  I havn't had any problems so far in
>restoring files that were backed up under these conditions.
>
>I'd be glad for advice.  Thanks---/tony

You could conceivably lose a large amount of data if you backup by inode.
This would happen if the subdirectory was being modified while the backup
process was going on.  If this subdirectory is corrupted, then all of the
files under it would be unaccessible.

I tend to do a backup of each file system by name using the following
command:

  cd /usr && find . -xdev -print | backup -iqpf /dev/rmt0.x

So if a file is being modified during the backup, that file is lost and not
the rest of the files in the subdirectory.

Tom Merrick
Ohio State University