make_tape_recovery

[Randy_9]

I trying to restore assorted directories using backups from "make_tape_recovery" tapes.
I am able to see and extract from the first tape using the commands:
==> mt -t /dev/rmt/0mn rew
==> mt -t /dev/rmt/0mn fsf 1
==> tar xvf /dev/rmt/0mn

But when I use the same commands on the 2nd tape I get:

# tar tvf /dev/rmt/0mn
Tar: blocksize = 0; broken pipe?

This is the 2nd set of tapes I've tried, first tape works, 2nd I get the problems. I cleaned the heads, kicked the tires... what am I doing wrong?

Thanks,

Randy

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi Randy:

For the first (and normally only) tape you are skipping the bootable LIF (written by Ignite). The next file is the actual 'pax' ('tar') archive.

Thus, for the second tape, merely use 'tar -tvf /dev/rmt/0m'.

I sould urge you to confine you vg00 and your 'make_tape_recovery' to *only* the standard logical volumes for HP-UX. Having done this, I use:

# make_tape_recovery -x inc_entire=vg00 -I -v -a /dev/rmt/0mn

This easily fits a standard vg00 configuration on a single tape.

Regards!

...JRF...

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom Randy,

If one tape works and another does not, surely its not the commands you use.

If this is part of a multi tape make_tape_reocvery the first two mt -t commands may not be needed, as tape 2 may be done with a different head format.

This is one of the problems in using a tool meant to restore whole systems to do partial backups. Definitely posssible, I've done it, but its much easier to have two tapes, one for core OS and a second, written with fbackup or DP 5.

The best sysadmins I know are lazy, like me. They don't want to work hard at stuff like this.

SEP

[Randy_9]

This is a 4 tape set, for the 2nd tape, I get:

# mt -t /dev/rmt/0mn rew
# tar -tvf /dev/rmt/0mn
#

When the set was made, it requested the extra tapes. I know better now then to use this to backup the whole VG00.

Will assign points, thanks everyone!

Randy

[Randy_9]

I lost many filesystems due to a lost drive. Even though 1 am having problems reading the 2nd tape using "tar", would I be better off just restoring everything from single-user mode? Do you think the tapes be unreadable would be readable using them in this fashion?

[Tiziano Contorno _]

Randy, try not to "fsf 1" the second tape.
Then if it still fails, you may consider to reload the whole backup (tape 1 in the tape drive, reboot, sea ipl, some drinks).

Regards.

[Torsten.]

If you lost data in vg00 due to a disk failure, just restore your whole ignite tape. Thats what it made for.

Insert the tape and boot from it. No interaction necessary. This will restore your boot disk (I assume you have no mirror).

[Randy_9]

restore in progress, I was just trying to avoid taking the system down completely. Oh well.... Points assigned.

Thanks everyone!

Randy

[Randy_9]

using advice from the A-team,