Same tape device for Logical Logs & Instance/Unix backup

Hi all, I'm trying to find a good direction for Informix and Unix filesystem backup on the same tape device (Informix Dynamic Server 7.20) I'm planning to backup logical logs on one cassette in the days (with ontape -s -U database1 database2 ....every morning with LTAPEDEV set to tape device) And stop the logical logs backup with ontape -s -N database1 database2 ...take out this cassette and put the new cassette for Informix instance /Unix filesystem backup in the night before go home The Informix instance backup 'ontape -s -L 0' will save in the harddisk first (but I still worry if one day the Informix instance backup doesn't have enough disk space to backup. I still find out how to calculate the current size of the Informix instance backup) before copying to the cassette with cpio command in the Unix filesystem backup. It will run automatically every night by cron daemon. I wonder if someone can tell me if I will have a good backup with this solution or not....at least I can restore the Informix instance after crash :-) Thanks in advance for any idea. H.V

No! Using ontape -s -U db1 db2 ... will *not* back up your logical logs. It sets db1 db2 etc. to unbuffered logging and takes a system archive (level 0). Similarly, ontape -s -N db1 db2 ... does the same but turns logging off for those databases. Neither command backs up the logical logs to LTAPEDEV. To back up the logs, use ontape -a periodically (backs up all used logs) or ontape -c (runs continuously until interrupted, backing up each log as it fills). It is okay to take the Level 0 to disk first and then use cpio to put that file onto tape as part of the Unix backup (using cpio). To restore you would need to restore the level 0 file from the cpio archive and then restore using ontape and feed in your logical log tape(s) when prompted. Chris Huy Vu wrote: > Hi all, > > I'm trying to find a good direction for Informix and Unix filesystem backup > on the same tape device (Informix Dynamic Server 7.20) > > I'm planning to backup logical logs on one cassette in the days (with > ontape -s -U database1 database2 ....every morning with LTAPEDEV set to tape > device)> > And stop the logical logs backup with ontape -s -N database1 database2 > ...take out this cassette and put the new cassette for Informix instance > /Unix filesystem backup in the night before go home > > The Informix instance backup 'ontape -s -L 0' will save in the harddisk > first (but I still worry if one day the Informix instance backup doesn't > have enough disk space to backup. I still find out how to calculate the > current size of the Informix instance backup) before copying to the cassette > with cpio command in the Unix filesystem backup. It will run automatically > every night by cron daemon. > > I wonder if someone can tell me if I will have a good backup with this > solution or not....at least I can restore the Informix instance after crash > :-) > > Thanks in advance for any idea. > > H.V -- =============================================================== Chris Jenkins Tel: +44 181 844 3059 (Direct) Informix Software mailto:Chris.Jenkins@informix.com >>> All statements and opinions expressed are entirely my <<< >>> own and may not reflect those of Informix Software <<< ===============================================================