Pipe input stream into OpenVMS backup.

[VMS Support]

I have a list of files that I want to backup into a single saveset. The list is too long for the 255-limited command line (even using as many wildcards as possible). Does anyone know if/how I can 'pipe' the file list into BACKUP?

OpenVMS 7.2-1H1

Thanks

[Mike Reznak · Accepted solution]

Hi,

what about to define the list into multiple logical names?

Mike

[Steven Schweda]

VMS (Alpha) V7.3-2 with VMS732_BACKUP V4.0
seems to have /INPUT_FILES:

BACKUP

/INPUT_FILES

Input Save-Set Qualifier

Directs BACKUP to treat the input-specifier as the file name of a
list of files. This file specifies the input files for a BACKUP
operation.


I don't know how far back this goes, though.

[Ian Miller.]

"BACKUP /INPUT_FILES"
is not in VMS V7.3-1

[John Travell]

Backup /INPUT_FILES is NOT present on V7.3-1 unless it appears in an eco I have not noticed.
JT:

[Steven Schweda]

Yeah. It seems to be new in V7.3-2.

[Jan van den Ende]

Re Steven, Ian & John:

Another good reason to upgrade!

Re Mike:
It sounds like a good idea, but it will only give minor releave: Now the BACKUP command will be smaller, but the DEFINE will be too long. The two MAY be combined to both go halfway, but I am not sure if that will be acceptable to the parser.
Looks like a task for ExtendedDCL, in other words: you would need to upgrade.

.. and that would supply you with several other goodies too!

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

[Aaron Lewis_1]

You can do this with a simple DCL. First create a list of each file you need to backup. I am assuming that these files are located in several different directories and/or node in a cluster.

1) Create a directory to store a list of
the files (DIRX)

2) DIR/NOHEAD/NOTRAIL/out=dirx:list.one
This will give the full path name of
each file.

3) copy all list.xxx into a single file.

4) Create backup DCL:
Open/read mstr dirx:master.list
loop:
read/end=done mstr file
back/log/NOREW tape:bkup_name
goto loop

done:
close mstr
dismount tape
exit

The NOREW is the key. It prevents VMS/tape drive from going back to the begining, and allows you to append as many files as you need.

I can post a more complete example if needed

[Wim Van den Wyngaert]

Aaron,

Don't you have to put "file" on the backup command line too ?

Won't this create a large number of save sets on tape (with identical names) and thus give bad performance/capacity because of the overhead ?

Wim

[Aaron Lewis_1]

Wilm, once again, you are correct. I should always wait until I'm on my second cup of coffee before replying. As for the overhead issue, it would have to be a trade-off, if he wants to get all relevent data on a single tape. I suppose, if there was enough free disk space, he could copy all files into a single directory, and then back it up as a single save set.

[Karl Rohwedder]

We circumvented this limitation by defining logical names, e.g.
$ ass file1 1
$ ass file2 2
$ ass file3 3
$ ass 1,2,3 filelist
$ backup filelist ...


A note to /INPUT_FILES:
If you use this qualifier together with /VERIFY, beware that BACKUP uses the diskspec of the last file in the inputfile to verify all files, which leads to a lot of file not found errors.
Engineering can provide you with a fix, but every new backup eco overrides this fix. A real solution shall be provided in the furure.

regards Kalle
regards Kalle

[Wim Van den Wyngaert]

Just an idea :

Mark with dfu all files that you don't need with backup year 2030 (or whatever).
Then backup /before=tom/backup.

Wim