System backup

[Swain]

Hi,

We have a VAX system running openVMS v6.2
We need to take the backup of system drive (boot drive). Please let me know what is the procedure. Do I need to take the system to single user mode?
It's the first time we are executing this and it needs to be first time right. Please explain in detail.

Thanks,
Amaresh

[Karl Rohwedder]

The only supported, reliable way is the 'standalone backup' (or a 2nd bootable disk to boot from).
Normally you have a standalone backup bootmedium, e.g. a tape, or you create a special systemroot [SYSE.] to boot from, using the procedure SYS$UPDATE:STABACKIT.COM.
Pls. consult the OpenVMS documentation for further help.

regards Kalle

[Steven Schweda]

> We have a VAX system running openVMS v6.2
> We need to take the backup [...]

Backup to what? Do you have a tape drive?

> [...] Please explain in detail.

You first.

There's easy-to-find documentation which is
not quite so obsolete as your OS, but which
should be useful:

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/index.html
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/os83_index.html
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/os73_index.html
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/73final/6017/6017pro.html
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/73final/6017/6017pro_044.html#6017backup

[Swain]

We have tape drive on the system. The system is critical one and demands minimum downtime.

[Steven Schweda]

> [...] The system is critical one and
> demands minimum downtime.

If it demands a reliable backup of the system
disk, then it also demands using Standalone
BACKUP (or booting real VMS off some other
disk), as explained in the documentation:

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/73final/6017/6017pro_050.html#sbkup_sec

> [...] Do I need to take the system to
> single user mode? [...]

It's not called "single-user mode" in VMS,
but something like that (that is, having an
idle disk) is the only guaranteed way to get
a consistent backup, as explained in the
documentation.

[Swain]

Thanks for correcting me, Steve!
That's called standalone backup.

[Steven Schweda]

> That's called standalone backup.

It's not exactly the same, of course. And,
as explained in the documentation, with a
reasonably recent VMS installation CD-ROM,
you can boot up a real VMS (from "[SYS1]"),
which is friendlier than Standalone BACKUP.
(I know not if V6.2 is new enough, but a
quick look at the CD-ROM contents should
reveal it. Or, just try it.)