Prerequisites for the dump command

About this section

The prerequisites for the dump command depend on the format of the dump command. For example, the prerequisites for backing up data to a remote tape drive and to a local tape drive are different. This section describes the general prerequisites that must be met regardless of the dump command format. It also describes the specific prerequisites for specific backup procedures.

General prerequisites

You must meet these prerequisites for the dump command to run successfully:

• You must have enough tape space for the backup. Refer to "Determining the number of tapes for the backup" to determine the number of tapes required for the backup.
• The tape drive is available. That is, it is not currently used for data backup or recovery.

Prerequisites for backing up to a nonqualified tape drive

The tape drive must be included in the /etc/cloned_tapes file.

Prerequisites for backing up to a remote tape drive

These are the prerequisites for backing up data to a tape drive attached to a remote host:

• You must know the maximum blocking factor supported by the remote host to which data is backed up. Some computers allow a blocking factor greater than the default used by the dump command (63). Make sure that the blocking factor you specify in the dump command does not exceed the maximum blocking factor supported by the remote host.
• If you use a blocking factor greater than 63, you must know the maximum blocking factor supported by the system that you plan to use for restoring the data. If the maximum blocking factor is 63 on the system for restoring data, that system cannot restore data from a tape file created with a blocking factor greater than 63.
• You must know the maximum tape file size supported by the remote host to which data is backed up. For example, some UNIX systems do not support tape files larger than 2 GB. In the dump command, you need to specify the tape file size appropriate to your remote host.
• If you use a tape file size larger than 2 GB, you must know the maximum tape file size supported by the system that you plan to use for restoring the data. If the maximum tape file size is 2 GB on the system for restoring data, that system might not be able to restore data from a tape file greater than 2 GB.
• The remote host must support the rmt protocol.
• The filer being backed up must have a trusting relationship with the remote host.

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Part No. 210-02334
File: dump6.htm
Last updated: 02/24/99 12:17:01