Backing up in 5.1A

[ferster]

I have True64UNIX 5.1A and i doing backups of root filesistem (ADVFS) by vdump (in multiuser mode), I read documentation to 5.1B and treke is "strictly recommanded" making backups in single user mode. In documentation for 5.1A is it not. Are this backups maked in multiuser mode usable or not ? Can it makes any errors unrecaverable with "verify" ?
Thanks

[Ivan Ferreira]

As we provice 7x24 services, we cannot take down the servers for a full backup. We always do in multi user mode. We where able to recover the server from this backup. I cannot warranty that will always work, but as we do full operating system backups every day, one of these backups should be able to recover the system. This is my experience.

TruCluster backups are also done in multi user mode.

[Lionel Giraudeau]

Same here, we are making vdump in multi-users mode and we've been able to vrestore a system wuthout any problem (happens only one time, then not sure that it'll ever work).

[Joris Denayer · Accepted solution]

If you want to make a AdvFS rootfilesystem backup in multi-user.

- wait for a quiet moment in the production
- sync multiple times and create a clone filesystem with the clonefset command.
- mount the clone fileset and make your backup.
- umount clone fileset and remove it with the rmfset command.

Same can be done for /usr

This will give you the highest "quality" of backup in multi-user mode.

Good Luck