From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Sep 13 06:12:50 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id DA89316A4BF for ; Sat, 13 Sep 2003 06:12:50 -0700 (PDT) Received: from clunix.cl.msu.edu (clunix.cl.msu.edu [35.9.2.10]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id EF00B43F3F for ; Sat, 13 Sep 2003 06:12:49 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from jerrymc@clunix.cl.msu.edu) Received: from clunix.cl.msu.edu (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by clunix.cl.msu.edu (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id h8DDCmOg001943; Sat, 13 Sep 2003 09:12:48 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from jerrymc@localhost) by clunix.cl.msu.edu (8.12.9/8.12.9/Submit) id h8DDCmYZ001942; Sat, 13 Sep 2003 09:12:48 -0400 (EDT) From: Jerry McAllister Message-Id: <200309131312.h8DDCmYZ001942@clunix.cl.msu.edu> To: materribile@yahoo.com (Mark Terribile) Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 09:12:48 -0400 (EDT) In-Reply-To: <20030913070011.62055.qmail@web21105.mail.yahoo.com> from "Mark Terribile" at Sep 13, 2003 12:00:11 AM X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.5 PL2] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Q's on dump(8) and restore(8) X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 13:12:51 -0000 > > Hi, > I'm looking to improve and automate my primitive > backups and I'm considering dump(8)/restore(8). But > before I go this route, I'd like to be sure I can > control their behavior. Unfortunately, the man pages > don't seem to completely describe the interaction > between the numerical dump flag in /etc/fstab and > the dump level. Can anyone elucidate? I believe that the /etc/fstab dumpflag tells it to not back up files in any dump level above the number (or the number and above, I don't remember for sure), essentially 1 is the number used. Level '0' dumps always back up all files unless you use some extra dump flags. As for a scheme, it really depends on how big each file system is compared to the size of your backup media and how much your files change on a daily or weekly, etc basis in each filesystem (dumps are always by filesystem). If you have large filesystems - much larger than your media size, - takes multiple tapes on a full dump and your files in the filesystem change a lot frequently - level 1 dump may use more than 1 tape after two days, then you will probably want to implement some scheme like the basic Sn Mn Ts Wd Th Fr St 6 0 1 2 3 4 5 or possibly the modified tower of Hanoi scheme you mention below and that is described in an example in the man page. If your filesystem is not so huge or particularly if only a few files are likely to change regularly - so a weeks work of changed files fit on one tape, then something like Sn Mn Ts Wd Th Fr St 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 Would be the easiest. If your filesystems will fit on one tape, just do a fulldump (level 0) each time. ////jerry > > In the same vein, does anyone know the > `modified tower of Hanoi' algorithm the man page > recommends? > > Mark Terribile