OpenVMS utilities & system help

[WADE S]

JPE,

Thanks for all of the help. This doesn't appear to be totally working. Here's the output I'm seeing.

$ BACKUP/NOINIT/IMAGE DKA100: $1$DGA3001:
%BACKUP-I-NOBACKUP, DKA100:[SYS0.SYSEXE]PAGEFILE.SYS;1 data not copied, file mar
ked NOBACKUP
%BACKUP-I-NOBACKUP, DKA100:[SYS0.SYSEXE]SWAPFILE.SYS;1 data not copied, file mar
ked NOBACKUP
%BACKUP-I-NOBACKUP, DKA100:[SYS0.SYSEXE]SYS$ERRLOG.DMP;2 data not copied, file m
arked NOBACKUP
%BACKUP-I-NOBACKUP, DKA100:[SYS0.SYSEXE]SYS$ERRLOG.DMP;1 data not copied, file m
arked NOBACKUP
%BACKUP-I-NOBACKUP, DKA100:[SYS0.SYSEXE]SYSDUMP.DMP;1 data not copied, file mark
ed NOBACKUP
%BACKUP-E-OPENIN, error opening DKA100:[SYS0.SYSMGR]ACCOUNTNG.DAT;1 as input
-SYSTEM-W-ACCONFLICT, file access conflict
%BACKUP-E-OPENIN, error opening DKA100:[SYS0.SYSMGR]ACME$SERVER.LOG;4 as input
-SYSTEM-W-ACCONFLICT, file access conflict
%BACKUP-E-OPENIN, error opening DKA100:[SYS0.SYSMGR]LAN$ACP.LOG;4 as input
-SYSTEM-W-ACCONFLICT, file access conflict
%BACKUP-E-OPENIN, error opening DKA100:[SYS0.SYSMGR]OPERATOR.LOG;5 as input
-SYSTEM-W-ACCONFLICT, file access conflict
%BACKUP-E-OPENIN, error opening DKA100:[SYS0.SYSMGR]SYS$SMHANDLER.LOG;4 as input
-SYSTEM-W-ACCONFLICT, file access conflict
%BACKUP-F-STRUCLEV, inconsistent structure level on $1$DGA3001:
$ DISMOU $1$DGA3001
$ MOUN/SYSTEM $1$DGA3001 EVA3K
%MOUNT-I-MOUNTED, EVA3K mounted on _$1$DGA3001: (HP)
$

[Jan van den Ende]

Wade,

It looks like you are trying a bacup of your live system disk, right?

Well, in itself that IS possible, but:
to also include files that are currently open for write needs /IGNORE=INTERLOCK.
Which, in the wording of Hoff (himself) should be read as: /ALLOW=Corruption.

Here is why:
Files open for write are by fefinition subject to modifications. Any modifications that are coupled (say: a data record and its index) are scanned and copied at different times. TROUBLE!

For files that are self-contained (ie, the data in one file is not coupled to that in another) the way around this is to make an FDL of that file, and CONVERT/SHARE/FDL=.. that file to a consustent copy.
Now, after the BACKUP, you have a consistent file FROM THE MOMENT YOU STARTED the CONVERT.
(That is why the better Database systems have some tool to perform that functionality while keeping track of ongoing changes).

Files like PAGEFILE.SYS do not normally hold data that need to be preserved. Those files are "marked NObackup". Their METAdata _IS_ copied, so the restore DOES create the files correctly, but the content is ignored.

The official way to make a consistent backup of a system disk is by shutting the system down and making a STANDALONE BACKUP.
Many production system can not have that, and they do second best: for relevant files do the Convert/share trick, and then split off one member of the system disk shadow set. That is a VERY short activity, so there is a VERY small (but nonzero!, hence the safeguard) chance of inconsistency. Now the member that was set aside can "at leisure" be saved externally.

I hope this explaines some...

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

[WADE S]

I understand that some files may be in use & not accessible during the backup, but what is this error? %BACKUP-F-STRUCLEV, inconsistent structure level on $1$DGA3001:

How do I look at the files that were backed up on the EVA disk?

[Robert Gezelter]

Wade,

What command did you use to INITIALIZE the disk?

- Bob Gezelter, http://www.rlgsc.com

[WADE S]

Robert,
I used
INIT $1$DGA3001 EVA3K /NOHIGH/OWN=SYSTEM/CLUSTER=16/SHARE/LIMIT=5

[Jan van den Ende]

Wade,

sorry for the delay.
(1 April is the date that (in 1572) my home town was the first to be liberated from Spanish occupation. It is considered the beginning of our nation, and is heavily re-enacted each year. I have a part in that, so...)

>>>
%BACKUP-F-STRUCLEV
<<<
VMS has for a long time had OnlineDiskStructure-2 (ODS-2), fairly recently ODS-5 was introduced. (fully upward compatible, but not downward).
Your source disk looks like ODS-5, and I have forgotten to add /STRUCT=5 to your INIT command.
Backup tried to copy a file with ODS-5 enhanced features to the ODS-2 disk, and did so as well as possible, but reported that it could not fully succeed.
2 ways to solve this:
- INIT again WITH STRUCT=5
- SET VOLUME /STRUCT=5
and redo the BACKUP

(no way back, except a full new INIT )

In your answer to Robert, /LIMIT=5.
This is a typo. yes?

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

[Jan van den Ende]

Beuh! Crazy typo:

>>>
OnlineDiskStructure-2
<<<

Should of course be OnDiskStructure-2

Must be some weird mind process that made me type this, and not even notice un proofreading.

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

[WADE S]

JPE,

No, that's not a typo.
Should it have been /limit=5G, or something of that nature. Like I said, I'm not an OpenVMS user, so I wasn't sure.

Also, I set up DECwindows, but it doesn't appear that I can do much as far as GUI based utilities. So are any of the command line utilities available as GUI based utilities in DECwindows?

Once again, I really appreciate the help.

[WADE S]

I don't believe I need anymore help on this.
Thanks Gentlemen.