Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!torsqnt!geac!gjetor!adeboer
From: adeboer@gjetor.geac.COM (Anthony DeBoer)
Subject: Re: SUMMARY: Backup while in multi-user mode
Message-ID: <1991May27.132333.26592@gjetor.geac.COM>
Organization: Geac Canada Ltd.
References: <VERBER.91May22112356@revere.mps.ohio-state.edu> <KJIBZ8B@xds13.ferranti.com> <1991May24.013214.2526@servalan.uucp>
Date: Mon, 27 May 91 13:23:33 GMT

In article <1991May24.013214.2526@servalan.uucp> rmtodd@servalan.uucp (Richard Todd) writes:
>1. "dump" preserves the access times on files, and "restore" restores the
>files with the access times set correctly.  "cpio" neither records the access
>times in its archive nor leaves the access times of the files on disk 
>unaffected.  Thus, "cpio" screws up any schemes one may have for locating 
>user files that haven't been accessed in, say, 6 months and automatically
>moving them off to tape and deleting them.  

If your cpio implements the "a" parameter, you can do a backup without
affecting the access times of the files on the disk:

# find . -print | cpio -ovBca > /dev/rmt0

Of course, if you ever have to restore these files, the access time would
get munged at that point.
-- 
Anthony DeBoer NAUI#Z8800 | adeboer@gjetor.geac.com   | Programmer (n): One who
Geac Canada Ltd.          | uunet!geac!gjetor!adeboer | makes the lies the 
Toronto, Ontario          | #include <disclaimer.h>   | salesman told come true.