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Re: AdvFS clonefset and vdump

 
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Dan Boxall
Occasional Advisor

AdvFS clonefset and vdump

Reading through the documentation, I came across the following:

'AdvFS filesets can be safely backed up on line using the AdvFS clonefset utility'.

We use Networker to backup the whole of the server but we also use vdump to backup /,/usr,/var. When we use vdump should we be using the clonefset utility? Does anyone else use this feature? Does this mean that the vdump isn't safe when not using the clonefset utility?
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Ralf Puchner
Honored Contributor

Re: AdvFS clonefset and vdump

it is more a discussion about:
"should the files be closed during backup"

And clonefset will do the job creating a snapshot of the files so downtime during backup is smaller and files are save during backup operation otherwise there is the risc backup will be done during shrink or growth of a file leading to an undefined state.

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Dan Boxall
Occasional Advisor

Re: AdvFS clonefset and vdump

Ok, in my instance we use vdump to backup the vital file systems in order to recover from a disaster, then use networker for a full system restore. When we use vdump we have databases and applications running on the server, but these are installed on different file systems, so downtime isn't an issue.
So should we be using the clonefset to backup /,/usr, and /var? In past experience using the above methods have not introduced any problems.
Ralf Puchner
Honored Contributor
Solution

Re: AdvFS clonefset and vdump

Dan,

as written before: If a file is still open during backup the result is not defined meaning the file could be damaged. So checking /, /usr, /var depending on the files which will be written is necessary and depend on your configuration and software.

Maybe it will be an issue, maybe it will not. But it is wise to create a valid full backup within single user mode or via clonefset. Period.
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Dan Boxall
Occasional Advisor

Re: AdvFS clonefset and vdump

Thanks, Ralf.
Orrin
Valued Contributor

Re: AdvFS clonefset and vdump

Hi,
We use the advfs clonefset utility, and it definitly is the way to go.

As someone said " Backups always work, it's the restores that fail."

Please do a test restore ... and be sure.

As for us we shutdown the database, delete the old clone, create the new clone, start the database and do the backup. Since the database is down, we do the clonfset of the / , usr and var fsets as well..

We have done a complete restore to a test box and everything works great. Best of luck.

Regards,
Orrin.
Sim Alam (DoE)
New Member

Re: AdvFS clonefset and vdump

We have used cloned AdvFS filesets for years in our backups and haven't had a problem. We use them for doing hot backups of Oracle and they work beautifully.

We test them regularly by doing DR tests and application upgrade testing. It just works!