BACKUP Copy Skips some files?

[Jack Trachtman]

We recently used BACKUP to make a copy of a
large disk with many files. In comparing
the number of directories/files/disk-blocks
used on the source vs the new disk, we find
that all directories were copied, but about
85 of 30,000 files were not copied. The person
making the copy did not use the /IMAGE
qualifier but instead opted for [*...]*.*;*

What files would typically not get copied
in this scenario? TIA

[Uwe Zessin]

I can't check right now, but there used to be a situation where a parse omitted directories in the master file directory (MFD = [000000]) whose first character was a "$". I forgot if it was [000000...]*.*;* or [*...]*.*;* - I think the second specification will also skip all files in the MFD.

The thing with the leading "$" used to be documented - has/had to do with the recursive structure of 000000.DIR;1 being an entry in itself [000000].

[Jess Goodman]

Did you save the output of the BACKUP command? BACKUP should generate error messages if it is unable to copy a file. Three of the possible errors are:

-SYSTEM-W-ACCONFLICT, file access conflict
(if /INGORE=INTERLOCK was not used)

-SYSTEM-W-NOSUCHFILE, no such file
(if the old volume had directory entries pointing to non-existant files)

-RMS-E-CRE, ACP file create failed
-SYSTEM-W-TOOMANYVER, too many higher file versions
(if there exist more versions of an existing file then its version limit)

It also could be related to file aliases. BACKUP's beheviour with aliases has changed over the years so I'm not sure of the currrent details, but your count of files on the old volume may count some files twice due those files, or their containing directories, having aliases.

[Ian Miller. · Accepted solution]

BACKUP SYS$SYSDEVICE:[000000...]
gets the files and directories in [000000]

BACKUP SYS$SYSDEVICE:[*...]
gets the directories in [000000] not the files
like BACKUP.SYS, INDEXF.SYS and so on.

This may account for some of the difference.

[Robert Gezelter]

Jack,

Also, remember files that were marked NOBACKUP.

- Bob Gezelter, http://www.rlgsc.com

[Uwe Zessin]

NOBACKUP means that the contents will not be copied, but I have never seen that no file is created at the destination.

[Robert Gezelter]

Uwe,

I am referring to the "Not Copied" phrasing. I have seen people use that wording when the contents were not copied, so I mention it.

If the files show up in the listing, then NOBACKUP could be excluded.

Could it be that the user ommitted the ";*" from the file selection? The exact BACKUP command should be obtainable from the /LIST option on the saveset.

- Bob Gezelter, http://www.rlgsc.com

[Kris Clippeleyr]

Hi Jack,
Could it be that you have a BACKUP version that is limited to a depth of 8 directories?
I've seen people use rooted directories (aka concealed devices) to create directories more than 8 levels deep (if you count starting from the 000000.DIR). I know that (at least in the old days) BACKUP just skipped the files in the directories more than 8 levels deep if you specified a [*...] as input.
Regards,
Kris (aka Qkcl)

[Jack Trachtman]

Problem due to "Operator Error". Sorry.