System restore

[nocuser_1]

Our VMS admin is away and we need to do a restore. I think I can figure out the commands for that but what I don't know is where the backup logs are so I can find the files I need. Any help you can provide I would be greatful for. VMS 7.1-2

[Dale A. Marcy]

If you can locate the backup saveset, do a backup/list file.ext/sav and the first few lines will show the backup command used to back up the files. Somewhere in that command should be the /list=filespec.ext. That will tell you where the listing file of the backup was created.

[Dale A. Marcy]

Output message before thinking. That same command gives you the listing of all files stored in the saveset.

[Hoff]

This question is unfortunately impossible to answer in anything other than the most generic of terms. There are just too many ways to perform system BACKUP operations. Or not perform them. Or to perform them with questionable results. There are just too many variables here.

You're either going to get a very serious course in system management and system recovery and in BACKUP itself, or you'll want to get in contact with your system manager. Or a visit with somebody that can help you dig through your archive(s) and figure out what you have for BACKUPs. (If anything.)

Normally you boot the distribution CD or a copy of the bootable environment installed on the disk, and issue the command

BACKUP /IMAGE /VERIFY fr_ddcu: /SAVE to_ddcu:

This restores the first saveset on the fr_ddcu: tape onto the specified target device.

Where fr_ddcu: is the tape or disk containing the backup, and to_ddcu: is the target disk device. You may need to add the savesaet name and potentially the saveset directory to the fr_ddcu: specification, depending on the source.

If you need to perform an individual file restore, that can be found with a /SELECT=[dir]file.ext qualfier, and a command similar to:

BACKUP fr_ddcu:saveset /SAVE -
/SELECT=[dir]file.ext ddcu:[scratch]

And I'd send the restored file to a scratch directory until and unless you have the right one. As with the disk image restore, you'll need to figure out and know which saveset to use, and other such details.

You can list the contents of tapes with a non-foreign MOUNT and a DIRECTORY of the tape, and you can list the contents of the savesets with BACKUP ddcu: /SAVE /LIST.

And the usual caveats: you can damage a production environment (badly) with errant commands, including the use of BACKUP commands and system privileges.

There's a section at the back of the System Management Utilities Reference manual's chapter on BACKUP that shows the usual and typical BACKUP commands for various operations.

http://www.hp.com/go/openvms/doc/

And welcome to the ITRC forums.

Stephen Hoffman
HoffmanLabs LLC

[nocuser_1]

How do I find the backup saveset? Sorry I'm not very experienced with VMS.

[Dale A. Marcy]

The answer to finding the backup saveset is very dependent on your local setup. Most likely it is written to tape. It is the file that contains everything that is backed up (i.e., the output of the backup operation). As Hoff correctly stated, you may need to contact your VMS admin.

[nocuser_1]

Is there a default location for the backup archives?

[Dale A. Marcy]

Sorry, no default (other than the directory where located when issuing the backup command). The output is specified in the backup command that is issued.

[Jon Pinkley]

What is doing your backups while your VMS admin is away?

Looking at what does that would be a good clue to someone that is familiar with VMS.

Hopefully there is someone at your site, or you have an support organization that can remotely access your system to handle issues when the admin is away.

This all assumes you don't need to restore the system disk, and you still have a working system.

[Hoff]

There's no requirement and no evidence as yet that there even are any system backups around.

We don't know what tool is used to create the archive. This is BACKUP most usually, but not always. I've seen zip used. Other tools (SLS, OVDP, EMC Legato, etc) can also be used. Databases have their own and specialized tools.

We don't know where the archives are stored.

We don't know what sort of disk or tape is used for the archives.

We don't know if encryption was used.

We don't know what sort of cycle is involved, whether this is a periodic full BACKUP, or full and incremental, or an ad-hoc archival processing.

We don't know that the backups were made with files in a static and restorable environment. More than a few folks get into trouble with /IGNORE=INTERLOCKS, as the file system integrity interlocks can get cranky when they get ignored.

And if this is a whole-disk system disk restore of any of a variety of typical on-line BACKUP operations and BACKUP commands, some manual stitching can be required. And there can be further local steps and customizations required, depending on the disk and the configuration and the processing required.

There's no "instant magic automatic restore" button or knob. Sorry. This is going to take some work, even if you're the fellow that set up the archive, and even if the process was set up correctly and has been regularly tested. If not...

This really is immensely open-ended...