Creating a root volume group backup to tape, removable hard disk cartridge, or file

You can use SMIT to create a system backup to be stored to tape, removable hard disk cartridge, or in a file.

For instructions on how to back up to CD or DVD, see Creating a system backup to CD-R, DVD-R, or DVD-RAM.

To create a root volume group backup:

• Use the following SMIT procedure:
  1. Enter the smit mksysb fast path.
  2. In the Back Up the System menu, make the following selections:
     • Select which medium you want to use in the Backup DEVICE or File field. If you want to create a bootable backup, the medium must be tape, removable hard disk cartridge, or CD/DVD. See Creating a system backup to CD-R, DVD-R, or DVD-RAM for more information. Then, select the appropriate option below:

       TAPE, removable hard disk cartridge

       Press the F4 key to list available devices and highlight the device name.

       FILE

       Enter a full path and file name in the entry field.

     • If you want to create map files, select yes in the Create Map Files? field.

       Map files match the physical partitions on a drive to its logical partitions. When installing from a backup image, the BOS installation program uses map files to position the logical volumes on the target drive in the same partitions they were on in the source system. If you do not create map files, the installation program relies on the logical volume manager (LVM) to determine placement for the logical volumes. For more information, see Using map files for precise allocation in Operating system and device management.

       Note: If you plan to reinstall the backup to target systems other than the source system, or if the disk configuration of the source system might change before reinstalling the backup, do not create map files.
     • To exclude certain files from the backup, select yes in the Exclude Files field, then create a /etc/exclude.rootvg file with an ASCII editor, and enter the file names that you do not want included in your system backup image. You can use patterns for the file names that conform to the pattern matching conventions of the grep command. For example, to exclude all the contents of the directory called scratch, put the following line in the exclude file:

       /scratch/

       For another example, exclude the contents of the directory called /tmp and avoid excluding any other directories that have /tmp in the pathname by adding the following line to the exclude file:

       ^./tmp/

       Note: All files are backed up relative to the current working directory. This directory is represented by a . (dot character). To exclude any file or directory for which it is important to have the search match the string at the beginning of the line, use a ^ (caret character) as the first character in the search string, followed by a . (dot character), and then followed by the file name or directory to be excluded.

       If the file name or directory being excluded is a substring of another file name or directory, use ^. (caret character followed by dot character) to indicate that the search should begin at the beginning of the line and/or use $ (dollar sign character) to indicate that the search should end at the end of the line.

     • To list each file as it is backed up, select yes in the List files as they are backed up? field. Otherwise, you see a percentage-completed progress message while the backup is created.
     • If you modified the image.data file and do not want a new one created, select no for Generate new /image.data file?. (The image.data file contains information about the sizes of all the file systems and logical volumes in your rootvg.)
     • If you are creating a bootable backup (to tape or removable hard disk cartridge) and you want to expand the system /tmp file system (if required by the backup program), select yes for EXPAND /tmp if needed?.
     • If the tape drive you are using provides packing (or compression), set the Disable software packing of backup? field to yes.
     • If you chose tape as the backup medium, either leave the default in the Number of BLOCKS to write in a single output field or enter a different number.
     • If you chose file as the backup medium, press Enter. If you chose tape or removable hard disk cartridge as the backup medium, insert the first blank tape or removable hard disk cartridge into the drive and press Enter.
  3. The COMMAND STATUS screen displays, showing status messages while the system makes the backup image.

     If you chose tape or removable hard disk cartridge as the backup medium, the system might prompt you to insert the next tape or removable hard disk cartridge during the backup by displaying a message similar to the following:

     Mount next Volume on /dev/rmt0 and press Enter.

     If this message displays, remove the tape or removable hard disk cartridge and label it, including the BOS version number. Then insert another tape or removable hard disk cartridge and press Enter.

     When the backup process finishes, the COMMAND: field changes to OK.

  4. When the backup completes, press F10 to exit SMIT.
  5. If you selected tape or removable hard disk cartridge as the backup medium, remove the last tape or removable hard disk cartridge and label it. Write-protect the backup tapes or removable hard disk cartridge.
  6. Record any backed-up root and user passwords. Remember that these passwords become active if you use the backup to either restore this system or install another system.

You have created the backup of your root volume group (rootvg). If you created bootable tapes or removable hard disk cartridge, you can use these tapes or removable hard disk cartridge to start your system if for some reason you cannot boot from hard disks.