Backup3G/COSbackup 3.2.3 Release Notes

From Documentation

Features

Implementation of the Patch applies fixes according to solutions described in the attached table - please refer for full details.

Fixes included in this Patch are cumulative including prior patches.

They are:

• expiring media may leave unused contents files in the COSbackup media database
• print error when media catalogue is printed from at-end command
• unable to restore files bigger than 2 gigabytes on Dynix/ptx when using TAR or DUMPmethods
• multi-volume scan may only scan a subset of the tape files
• waiting for drive during a media copy may time out even though drive is available
• during a multi-step, multi-part restore a read error occurs, repositioning on media for restoreof subsequent step may be incorrect
• all fixes in COSbackup 3.2.2 patch
  • unclear details logged or displayed in monitor about media duplication
  • media copy hangs if using drivepools
  • media copy does not wait for target drive to become available
  • retention for duplicated media same as source
  • auto job acknowledgement implies auto unload
  • log file title displayed as “db_lock: waiting for the drive”
  • FSdump backup method uses “dump” command instead of “vdump” on Digital Unix
  • recovery cannot be pre-configured
  • searching media indexes slow
  • media contents incorrect when appending backup job killed
  • incremental tar backup method backs up the list of files rather than the files
  • a not yet started backup job can be acknowledged
  • loading class not displayed when changing drive details
• all fixes in COSbackup 3.2.1 patch
  • wrong flags in FScpio
  • typo in offsite program
  • disable appending backup “ready mode”
  • rewind after a backup using Rewind_op
  • “unload” not run during auto-acknowledgement
  • unload failing should not stop acknowledgement
  • messages from auto-acknowledgement and unload not going into logfile
  • symbolic links creacted by config task are imcomplete

The major new features in version 3.2.3 are:

• improved error recovery during restore if a media error occurs
• scanning multi-volume media sets

The major new features in version 3.2.2 are:

• media copy can be run from at end command of backup job, COSbackup interface, and command line
• multi-part file backup on 32 bit architecture was restricted to file sizes up to 1 gigabyte for image backups

Environment

Software Prerequisites: Before you can install COSbackup 3.2.3 (patch), COSMOS 3.2.1 (or newer) and COSbackup 3.2, 3.2.1 or 3.2.2 must already be installed on the same host.

Notes

Patch applied after COSbackup 3.2 has been configured: If you are using, or choose to use appending backups, you must change the label type for each media type used from “COSstdtape” to “COSstdindx”.

To change media type:

1. Select Media from the COSbackup button bar.
2. Select Maintain > Media type.
3. Select a media type to change, then select Maintain > Change.
4. Change label type from “COSstdtape” to “COSstdindx”.

   Label type

   This determines what label format and method will be used to electronically label volumes:

   COSstdtape

   writes a short file containing the media number and ‘date last written’ to the start of the tape, but does not write an end-of-data marker.

   COSstdindx

   writes the label to the start of a tape, and an end-of-data marker after the last file.

   end_label

   writes the label to the last block of a diskette.

   sV_ filesys

   System V filesystem label using the labelit command.

   blank

   volumes will not be labeled.

Press Accept to save this media type information.

If any of your media types have a label type of “COSstdBOT”, please call the Functional Support Line.

Patch applied after COSbackup 3.2.1 patch applied: No further action required.

Patch applied after COSbackup 3.2.2 patch applied: No further action required.

Patch applied after COSbackup 3.2.3 patch applied: No further action required.

Patch applied after local customising to COSbackup 3.2/3.2.1/3.2.2 The patch is not applied to customised files. If any files listed in the attached table have been modified, then the patch will need to be applied to these local modifications. Please contact the Functional Support Line for assistance.

Patch installed same time as COSbackup 3.2: No further action required.

Technical Notes: Using COSbackup V3.2.3

This section contains some technical notes, tips, and troubleshooting information to help you when installing or upgrading to COSbackup V3.2.3. Detailed information on setting up and using COSbackup can be found in the Backup3G User Guide V3.2.

Arbitrary commands can easily be run as part of a backup job

The scan method now defaults to multi-volume media scan, where the scan proceeds from the last tape in the set to the first.

To manually scan a single volume from the command line, you can still use the command:

FSdrive <drivename> scan

Media scan now default to multi-volume

The scan method now defaults to multi-volume media scan, where the scan proceeds from the last tape in the set to the first.

To manually scan a single volume from the command line, you can still use the command:

FSdrive <drivename> scan

Media copy now run from ‘At-end command’, COSbackup interface or command line

There are now three ways to produce a duplicate set of a backup media volume set. In all cases the target drive must be of the same media type as the source drive.

1. From the At-end command as defined for a backup job:
   FScopy [-u] [-U] [-T <minutes>] [-r <retention>|-r <days>] <target drive>
   This will copy the media set used for the current backup to a new media set in the target drive. The expiry date of the duplicate set is set to the same date as that of the backup job. This can be overridden by specifying “-r <retention>” or “-r <days>”.
   
   If the target drive is likely to be busy when needed for creating a duplicate media set, a timeout parameter may be added to the above command, “-T <minutes>”. If this parameter is omitted and the target drive is busy, the media copy will fail.
   
   
2. Via COSbackup interface, from the COSbackup button bar:
   Media > select media set > Maintain > Copy
   
   You will be prompted for the run mode, the source drive and the target drive. The retention defaults to that of the selected media set, but may be overridden.
   
   When using manually loaded drives, unless the output media volume is preloaded in the target drive, a “Change media” will appear on the backup job monitor. To preload a scratch media volume, from the COSbackup button bar:
   Drive > select target drive > Operations > Load scratch
   
   
3. From the command line, as would be used by COStask or COSduty, or a 3rd party batch processing product:
   FScopy -b [-u] [-U] [-T <minutes>] [-r <retention>|-r <days>] -s <media number> <source drive> <target drive>
   The retention period must be defined in the retention table. If it is not, the retention of the duplicate set will be set to “forever”.

Restore steps may now be pre-configured

You may now initiate a restore via the command line. This may be used by COStask or COSduy to preconfigure specific application restores. The command is:

FSrestore -i|-b [-D <to directory>] [-h <to hostname>] [-v <drive>] [-M <method>] [-f <files>] [-d <directories>] [<media number>]

If any parameters are missing a prompt will be displayed requesting the missing values.

Warnings

None known.

Hardware and OS Dependencies

Digital UNIX: Hard links on Digital UNIX 4.0 not backed up

The cpio program is faulty on Digital UNIX 4.0. Therefore, the cpio backup methods cannot properly support the backing up of hard linked files. Hard-linked files are files with the same inode.

Appears: When selectively recovering files from a cpio backup, when there are hard-linked files in the backup. Backup will report that it cannot find the file.

Suggested action: Use a backup format other than cpio for directories containing hard-linked files.

HP/UX, Sequent PTX: Dump recovery displays tty warning message

COSbackup’s dump backup and recovery methods use the operating system’s own dump command to read and write data. On some UNIX systems dump assumes it is being run interactively from a terminal. It tries to get access to a tty, and displays these messages:

Cannot open(“/dev/tty”): No such device or address
  set owner/mode for ‘.’? [yn]

Appears: When recovering files from a dump backup using the ‘dump recovery’ method. This has been observed on HP/UX and PTX (Sequent), and may occur on other platforms.

Suggested action: These messages can be ignored. They do not affect the recovery at all.

IRIX: FSdump on IRIX 6.2 does not support selected recovery

IRIX 6.2 uses xfsdump to write dump format backups. This program does not allow selected recoveries of files, and so COSbackup can’t support selected file recovery from backups in dump format.

SCO UNIX: Block size of backups on SCO ODT 5

The rsh daemon on SCO ODT 5 does not work correctly. When executing a process that outputs to stdout on SCO from a remote host, a block size greater than 4k causes the rsh daemon to hang. This means that the calling process does not exit either. To counteract this, all COSbackup V3.2 programs on SCO ODT 5 output data to stdout with a block size of exactly 4k. This may lead to longer backup times when backing up a SCO filesystem to a remote tape drive.

SCO UNIX: Problem with SCO ODT 5 rsh daemon causes slower backups

The rsh daemon on SCO ODT 5 does not work correctly. When executing a process that outputs to stdout on SCO from a remote host, a block size greater than 4k causes the rsh daemon to ‘hang’. This means that the calling process does not exit either.

To counteract this, all COSbackup V3.2 programs on SCO ODT 5 output data to stdout with a block size of exactly 4k. This avoids the possibility of remote backups not exiting successfully, but may lead to longer backup times when backing up a SCO filesystem to a tape drive on a remote host.