frecover and last modified

[Dee_3]

When performing an application update we are using frecover and have been assuming that our Veritas solution was picking up those restored files in the nightly differential backup. We have found that is not true, apparently because the last modified date is not getting updated (in other words the archive bit is not telling Veritas to pick up the file)
What option do I use with frecover so this last modified is indeed modified when I restore the files?

[Bruno Ganino]

Here some examples of restoration of the data:
In order to restore the files using frecover in the directory /home/deptA from a tape of format DDS (DAT):
frecover -x -i /home/deptA

If the files are at the moment in a directory on the disc that is more recent of the correspondents files on the tape, frecover NOT overwrite the more recent version on disc since is not specified the option -o.

In order to restore the files using frecover from all the directory under /home/text from a tape formed DDS (DAT) to the directory /tmp on the system:
cd/tmp frecover -x -oF -i /home/text
The option -F eliminates the main names of distance from all the files on the tape that answer to the inclusion criteria.
If there are files in directory /tmp the whose names correspond to those coming from from the tape, specifying the option -o overwrite the version on disc, even if the copy on disc is more recent.
Directory /tmp the now contains all the files of which the backup had been carried out from /home/text without the directory main.
HTH
Bruno

[Dee_3]

I have no problems restoring the files - the issue is the last modified date/time. It is coming off the frecover file and NOT changing when the files are put down on the system. Then my Veritas solution has no clue to pick it up in the nightly differential because the last modified date is older than the current date.

[Patrick Wallek]

If you have a list of the files you restored you could do a 'touch' of each file to modify the date/time stamp of the file.

There may be a way to tell frecover to do this, I am not sure. Have a look at the frecover command line options in the frecover man page.

[Dee_3]

Touch is not an option and I have really looked at the man pages and admin books and can find nothing to modify that date. This is causing serious problems because files that have been changed are not getting backed up until the weekly full. ARGH - I have now spent a whole day on this and cannot find a good solution!

[Patrick Wallek]

OK, if you are restoring the files from an fbackup tape and they are not being touched, and not being backed up until your weekly full, I don't quite see the problem. I mean if you've got the fbackup tape they could always be re-recovered.

When the files are recovered they are recovered with the date/time stamp of when they were backed up, which you know.

As long as you have a backup copy, you should be fairly safe until your regular weekly.

[Dee_3]

I tried touch and that did not work. The issue is that we are doing a software update and the files that are put down via fbackup are retaining the last mod date/time of the fbackup file - Veritas (for Unix) uses the mod date to determine if it should back up the file. If the modified date in the recovered file is prior to the current date of the system - Veritas will not back that file up during a differential.

[Dee_3]

Patrick - I am so sorry - touch worked fine - you would think I had not been doing this for 10 years - Hopefully I can add to your points for solving this! Thanks, Dee

[Patrick Wallek · Accepted solution]

Glad to hear it worked for you. Always glad to be of service.