Re: Tape Support for Informix & Backups

Neil Truby wrote: > riedyw@my-dejanews.com wrote: > > > > ONTAPE > > We are currently using this method. Simple to implement. Requires manual > > intervention (prompted for options and changing tapes). Can only write to > > tape. > Not true. You can write to disk as well. It's not supported, but not > because it doesn't work (I can assure you it does), but because it's > easy to overwrite. sigh. YES, IT IS SUPPORTED. See my FAQ at http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Bridge/4578/faq.html It is also easy to overwrite, but that doesn't give Informix an excuse to say it's unsupported. > > All of these backup medias are slow and small in comparison to DLT. > > Currently our backups take a LONG time due to the slow transfer rate > > (relative to DLT) and the need to flip the tape. What is Informix's plan to > > support DLT? > I've had no problems using DLT on v7.13 on Solaris with ontape. > onarchive didn't work with DLT. I believe from other postings that many > other Informix versions/operating systems are OK with DLT. I know of several installations that use DLT. For ontape, the only real restriction is that it must look like a normal rewinding tape device to the OS; e.g. it should behave properly to commands like open() and close(), and not require calls to mt(). June -- june_t@hotmail.com Grounded in Palo Alto, living on Chips Ahoy! cookies