Re: Question about tbtape (Online 5.10)

Doug McAllister wrote: > Richard Spitz wrote: > > > We don't have the personnel resources to manually change the tape > > every day, so I'd like to use the "nonrewind" device and use one tape > > for a week's worth of backups: Level 1 for six consecutive days and > > then a level 0 on the seventh day, changing the tape after that and > > storing it offsite. > > > > What I am concerned about is what tbtape does after the message > > "Please mount tape and press Return to continue". Does the tape always > > rewind to the beginning, or does it start after the last recorded > > backup? Remember, I want to use the "nonrewind" device. > > tbtape ALWAYS rewinds the device to the beginning. You cannot stack > multiple files on a single tape volume. Not true. Tbtape NEVER rewinds. It only EXPECTS a rewind on close(). That is why the manuals say that you must use a rewind device. If you use a no-rewind device, and your backup spans multiple tapes, your restore will fail, because the header of the second tape will not be in the correct location on tape (I can go into more detail on the mechanics of why this happens, if necessary). As long as your archive stays on a single tape, using a no-rewind device should work fine (but is still unsupported). The problem with using a no-rewind device is finding where the archive starts, if it isn't the first thing on the tape. Tbtape will not *find* your archive for you on the tape. When you insert the tape in your tape drive, you'd better have it already forwarded to the correct place. June -- june_t@hotmail.com Lost in the wilds of Palo Alto, living on M&M's