cpio -x

[Fred Martin_1]

Has the -x option always been available for cpio, or is this new with ver.11?

I have always used cpio for my daily backups but noticed some time ago that it didn't do so well with special files.

Today I was reading man on cpio and noticed the -x option.

Does anyone know if it covers -all- special files? i.e. can I completely restore a system with a full cpio (assuming there's enough of an OS left to run cpio for the restore)?

[Steven E. Protter]

the -x option was in the cpio released as part of HP-UX 11.00. I just checked a system and I don't think I updated cpio since install.

The only way I know to completely restore a system including lif and boot is Ignite. Though it appears that cpio can fix a partially damaged system. If the LIF area is trashed your only option is to restore off a make_tape_recovery tape.

SEP

[Stanimir]

Yes, really "cpio -x" is restore all dev-files. But it is not good idea, I thing, to
make full copy of your system doing cpio.
As was mentioned above, use Ignite.
Meantime you could use cpio -x for
backup /dev, for example, or for moving data
between disks.

[Uday_S_Ankolekar]

-x option is available in 10.20 , 11, and 11i.
per man pages it does take backup of special files but I think ignite tape(make_tape_recovery) would be better choise.

-USA..

[Leif Halvarsson_2]

Hi,
The -x option in cpio is very old (at least 10 years I think).

I have often, with earlier versions of HP-UX, cloned system disks with cpio. I have not tried with HP-UX 11.x (as Ignite is a better tool) but I don.t think there is any differences, all special files is created.

[Fred Martin_1]

Thanks folks. I'm reading the fbackup man now - will probably do an ignite tape every two or three months, with fbackup as the daily/weekly routine.

I've only about 30 GB of data and one DLT tape drive - no library - so mine is a simple case.

[Fred Martin_1]

I'm reading man frecover. It appears that it's intended to recover whole directory trees. Can the "include" be a list of specific filenames, not directory names?

[Steven E. Protter]

Fred,

You are not in my opinion planning on running Ignite often enough.

I run this script to back up vg00 and enable me to restore boot disk without hitting data once a week.

#!/usr/bin/sh
/opt/ignite/bin/make_tape_recovery -Av -x inc_entire=vg00

I also run it prior to almost any patch installation so I have a way of backing out the changes fast should the system not boot after the installation.

My DR strategy is this: Regular make_tape_recovery backups, weekly fbackups and nightly Veritas backups on critical data. Weekly full backups followed by incrementals.

The recovery strategy is if the system is trashed, restore off Ignite tape first and then restore the rest of the data from fbackup or Veritas.

SEP

[Bernhard Mueller]

Fred,

regarding your last question: yes with -i you can include individual files, as well as directories which is more common.

Regards,
Bernhard

[Bernhard Mueller]

fbackup and cpio are both safe tools to cover special files.

[Fred Martin_1]

Well, cpio -x skips sockets.

[Massimo Bianchi]

I do not see the necessity to backup a socket. They are temp files, so skipping them is only correct, from my point of view.

And fo a direct answer, the best way of restoring special files, in the need, is:

- ignite, if there was a total crash
- by hand, using a paper copy of an ioscan -fn
- re-creating when possible, using insf.

As previously said, cpio in not a disaster-recovery tool (like ignite) nor a full backup solution by otself.

Massimo