Moving large amount of data between HP-UX and Windows

[John Coxeter]

We need to move a 250Gb database from HP-UX to an Itanium server running Windows Datacenter. It will not be a single file but unloads of the tables. I am not allowed to put this over the network, so need to find an alternative solution. We have Ultrium tape drives available, but I am not aware of any means of reading Unix tapes on Windows, also as it is Datacenter there will be severe restrictions on the software we are allowed to install on it.

[Stephen Keane]

Can you not install gnutar on the Windows platform?

[Robert-Jan Goossens]

cross cable ?

will take a while but it works.

Robert-Jan

[Leif Halvarsson_2]

Hi,
Do you use any backup software that support multiple platforms (e.g. DataProtector). It will do the job very easy.

[Peter Godron]

John,
if you can tar a set of files onto tape from the UNIX box,take the tape to the Windows box and read the tape with WinTar from

http://mirrors.kernel.org/gnu/tar/tar-1.12.msdos.exe

you may be in business.

Regards

[Steven E. Protter]

If the boxes are networked, you can use openssh to tranfer files.

Openssh is allowed because authentication is secure.

HP-UX
http://software.hp.com/portal/swdepot/displayProductInfo.do?productNumber=T1471AA

Its called SEcure shell.

There are several flavors of openssh for Windows.

SEP

[Paul Cross_1]

I just read all the above responses and, honestly, a tape (although a good idea) will take much more time (must be tarred onto the tape, and then untarred off the tape) than over a private network. Frankly, the crossover cable sounds like the best idea!

[Stephen Keane]

Of course the cross-over cable isn't going to be practical if the two machines are physically separated by a significant distance.

[Bill Hassell]

Tape is often VERY much faster than a network! Remember that network speeds are in bits. Divide by 10 to get the wirespeed byte rate:

10 BaseT = 1 Mbytes/sec
100 BaseT = 10 Mbytes/sec
1000 BaseT = 100 Mbytes/sec

A relatively old DLT 8000 will need data supplied at about 10 Mbytes/sec or it will be starved for data and have to repostition. If you have Utrium tape drives, the 460 requires at least 450 Mbytes/sec to keep busy, way beyond Gigabit LAN connection speeds. Even the Ultrium 215 needs 15 Mbytes/sec to keep the tape moving all the time. And you can never reach the 'wire speed' for data transfers over a network. So even a private network is going to take longer to backup over a LAN then backup and restore with a modern high speed tape.

Windows wasn't designed to be compatible with anything but itself, so common backup tools simply aren't available. You'll have to use a common backup format. There are lots of commercial programs (not free) that work very well, and also lots of free backup programs written for both Windows and Unix. If the software cannot be freeware, then take a look at DataProtector from HP.

[harry d brown jr]

Not able to use the network? Figures, I wouldn't want a windoze box on my network :-)

Do you have a tape drive that works on both systems? - if so get TAR for windoze: http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/tar.htm

Are the two servers physically near each other? if so, then you are lucky because the Itanium and probably your windoze box have GigE capable cards. This means you can either use a cross-over or not (yes, you should be able to use a normal cable as GigE is supposed to negotiate) between the two machines. MAKE SURE YOU USE JUMBO FRAMES to achieve 110Mbyte through-put. On your HP box set up a .rhost login. on your windoze box open a command window and cd to the proper directory, then use "rcp -b .<> " - note the DOT between host and username.

Or just load HP-ux on the itanium box.

live free or die
harry d brown jr

[John Coxeter]

Thanks for all the responses, the boxes are not physically close so crossover cable connection is out. They are on different networks it would need a firewall change for them to see each other and networks are not happy about the large amount of data to be moved. Ultrium tape drives are available on both servers, I am pursueing the gnu tar solution at the moment, or (dare I mention) Windows Services for Unix