Steve N. wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I have an interesting Korn Shell programming challenge for anyone who
> wants to try it. Here is the scenario:
>
> 1) I have a backup that is presently made using "cpio -ovC512 >
> /dev/rmt0"
> 2) The first file on the cpio backup contains an index of all the
> files that were copied onto the tape and is named
> "/tmp/backup_list.$$" where $$ is the PID that created the backup. It
> is followed by the rest of the files that were backed up. (This is
ALL
> stored in one tape file, not using rmt0.1)
>
> When we restore the backup, we want to read the index file off the
> tape and stop reading the cpio backup, then confirm with the user
that
> the data being restored is the one that they actually want to
restore.
> We can then decide to proceed (which loads the full backup tape) or
> aborts. The idea is that we don't want to wait hours for the full
tape
> backup to be read or loaded, only to find out that it is the wrong
> tape that was inserted. We also want it to be automated, so the user
> does not have to interrupt the backup using CTRL-C or whatever and
> then restart it.
>
> Is there any way we can load the first file ONLY and stop the cpio,
so
> the operator can confirm that the tape which was inserted is the
> correct one, before actually loading the entire backup?
>
> If this cannot be done using cpio and there is an alternate AIX
> command (tar, backup, dd) we can look into changing it, but we still
> would need to use a unique index name to avoid overwriting another
> backup going through to an alternate tape drive.
>


You could segment the tape with the first segment containing a file
with all the information you want the operators to have, and the second
segment containing the backup. But you seem to indicate you don't want
to use rmt0.1??? Am I interpreting that correctly?

--
Dana French