xref: /original-bsd/sbin/dump/dump.8 (revision 37acaaf2)
1.\" Copyright (c) 1980, 1991 Regents of the University of California.
2.\" All rights reserved.
3.\"
4.\" %sccs.include.redist.man%
5.\"
6.\"     @(#)dump.8	6.9 (Berkeley) 07/23/91
7.\"
8.Dd
9.Dt DUMP 8
10.Os BSD 4
11.Sh NAME
12.Nm dump
13.Nd filesystem backup
14.Sh SYNOPSIS
15.Nm dump
16.Op Cm 0123456789fusdWn Op Ar argument ...
17.Op Ar filesystem
18.Sh DESCRIPTION
19.Nm Dump
20examines files
21on a filesystem
22and determines which files
23need to be backed up. These files
24are copied to the given disk, tape or other
25storage medium for safe keeping (see the
26.Cm f
27option below for doing remote backups).
28A dump that is larger than the output medium is broken into
29multiple volumes.
30On most media the size is determined by writing until an
31end-of-media indication is returned.
32On media that cannot reliably return an end-of-media indication
33(such as some cartridge tape drives)
34each volume is of a fixed size;
35the actual size is determined by the tape size and density and/or
36block count options below.
37By default, the same output file name is used for each volume
38after prompting the operator to change media.
39.Pp
40The following options are supported by
41.Nm dump:
42.Bl -tag -width 4n
43.It Cm 0\-9
44Dump levels.
45A level 0, full backup,
46guarantees the entire file system is copied.
47A level number above 0,
48incremental backup,
49tells dump to
50copy all files new or modified since the
51last dump of the same or lower level. The default
52level is 9.
53.It Cm f Op Ar file
54Write the backup to
55.Ar file ;
56.Ar file
57may be a special device file
58like
59.Pa /dev/rmt12
60(a tape drive),
61.Pa /dev/rsd1c
62(a disk drive),
63an ordinary file,
64or
65.Ql Fl
66(the standard output).
67Multiple file names may be given as a single argument separated by commas.
68Each file will be used for one dump volume in the order listed;
69if the dump requires more volumes than the number of names given,
70the last file name will used for all remaining volumes after prompting
71for media changes.
72If the name of the file is of the form
73.Dq host:file ,
74.Nm dump
75writes to the named file on the remote host using
76.Xr rmt 8 .
77.It Cm d Ar density
78Set tape density to
79.Ar density .
80The default is 1600BPI.
81.It Cm n
82Whenever
83.Nm dump
84requires operator attention,
85notify all operators in the group
86.Dq operator
87by means similar to a
88.Xr wall 1 .
89.It Cm s Ar feet
90Attempt to caluculate the amount of tape needed
91at a particular density.
92If this amount is exceeded,
93.Nm dump
94prompts for a new tape.
95It is recommended to be a bit conservative on this option.
96The default tape length is 2300 feet.
97.It Cm u
98Update the file
99.Pa /etc/dumpdates
100after a successful dump.
101The format of
102.Pa /etc/dumpdates
103is readable by people, consisting of one
104free format record per line:
105filesystem name,
106increment level
107and
108.Xr ctime 3
109format dump date.
110There may be only one entry per filesystem at each level.
111The file
112.Pa /etc/dumpdates
113may be edited to change any of the fields,
114if necessary.
115.It Cm W
116.Nm Dump
117tells the operator what file systems need to be dumped.
118This information is gleaned from the files
119.Pa /etc/dumpdates
120and
121.Pa /etc/fstab .
122The
123.Cm W
124option causes
125.Nm dump
126to print out, for each file system in
127.Pa /etc/dumpdates
128the most recent dump date and level,
129and highlights those file systems that should be dumped.
130If the
131.Cm W
132option is set, all other options are ignored, and
133.Nm dump
134exits immediately.
135.It Cm w
136Is like W, but prints only those filesystems which need to be dumped.
137.El
138.Pp
139.Nm Dump
140requires operator intervention on these conditions:
141end of tape,
142end of dump,
143tape write error,
144tape open error or
145disk read error (if there are more than a threshold of 32).
146In addition to alerting all operators implied by the
147.Cm n
148key,
149.Nm dump
150interacts with the operator on
151.Em dump's
152control terminal at times when
153.Nm dump
154can no longer proceed,
155or if something is grossly wrong.
156All questions
157.Nm dump
158poses
159.Em must
160be answered by typing
161.Dq yes
162or
163.Dq no ,
164appropriately.
165.Pp
166Since making a dump involves a lot of time and effort for full dumps,
167.Nm dump
168checkpoints itself at the start of each tape volume.
169If writing that volume fails for some reason,
170.Nm dump
171will,
172with operator permission,
173restart itself from the checkpoint
174after the old tape has been rewound and removed,
175and a new tape has been mounted.
176.Pp
177.Nm Dump
178tells the operator what is going on at periodic intervals,
179including usually low estimates of the number of blocks to write,
180the number of tapes it will take, the time to completion, and
181the time to the tape change.
182The output is verbose,
183so that others know that the terminal
184controlling
185.Nm dump
186is busy,
187and will be for some time.
188.Pp
189In the event of a catastrophic disk event, the time required
190to restore all the necessary backup tapes or files to disk
191can be kept to a minimum by staggering the incremental dumps.
192An efficient method of staggering incremental dumps
193to minimize the number of tapes follows:
194.Bl -bullet -offset indent
195.It
196Always start with a level 0 backup, for example:
197.Bd -literal -offset indent
198/etc/dump 0uf /dev/nrst1 /usr/src
199.Ed
200.Pp
201This should be done at set intervals, say once a month or once every two months,
202and on a set of fresh tapes that is saved forever.
203.It
204After a level 0, dumps of active file
205systems are taken on a daily basis,
206using a modified Tower of Hanoi algorithm,
207with this sequence of dump levels:
208.Bd -literal -offset indent
2093 2 5 4 7 6 9 8 9 9 ...
210.Ed
211.Pp
212For the daily dumps, it should be possible to use a fixed number of tapes
213for each day, used on a weekly basis.
214Each week, a level 1 dump is taken, and
215the daily Hanoi sequence repeats beginning with 3.
216For weekly dumps, another fixed set of tapes per dumped file system is
217used, also on a cyclical basis.
218.El
219.Pp
220After several months or so, the daily and weekly tapes should get
221rotated out of the dump cycle and fresh tapes brought in.
222.Sh FILES
223.Bl -tag -width /etc/dumpdates -compact
224.It Pa /dev/rmt8
225default tape unit to dump to
226.It Pa /etc/dumpdates
227dump date records
228.It Pa /etc/fstab
229dump table: file systems and frequency
230.It Pa /etc/group
231to find group
232.Em operator
233.El
234.Sh SEE ALSO
235.Xr restore 8 ,
236.Xr rmt 8 ,
237.Xr dump 5 ,
238.Xr fstab 5
239.Sh DIAGNOSTICS
240Many, and verbose.
241.Pp
242Dump exits with zero status on success.
243Startup errors are indicated with an exit code of 1;
244abnormal termination is indicated with an exit code of 3.
245.Sh BUGS
246.Pp
247Fewer than 32 read errors on the filesystem are ignored.
248Each reel requires a new process, so parent processes for
249reels already written just hang around until the entire tape
250is written.
251.Pp
252.Nm Dump
253with the
254.Cm W
255or
256.Cm w
257options does not report filesystems that have never been recorded
258in
259.Pa /etc/dumpdates ,
260even if listed in
261.Pa /etc/fstab .
262.Pp
263It would be nice if
264.Nm dump
265knew about the dump sequence,
266kept track of the tapes scribbled on,
267told the operator which tape to mount when,
268and provided more assistance
269for the operator running
270.Xr restore .
271.Sh HISTORY
272A
273.Nm dump
274command appeared in Version 6 AT&T UNIX.
275