Using the dump command

About the dump command

You can enter the dump command any time the tape devices you want to use are free to back up data in a specified path. After the dump command is finished, the data in the path is written to tape.

You can run up to eight dump commands (depending on the hardware you are using) in parallel on up to eight tape drives, one command per drive. Parallel backups increase throughput.

For detailed information

The dump command is complex and has many options. The following sections discuss how to construct a dump command:

Dump command syntax
Recommendations for performing a backup
Specifying the backup level
Understanding increment chains
Specifying the tape device
Specifying the dump path
Specifying a list of files
Excluding items from a backup
Specifying a name for a backup
Specifying no Windows NT ACLs
Specifying the blocking factor
Specifying the tape file size
Specifying updates to the /etc/dumpdates file