tuning dumpcycle, runspercycle, and tapecycle
Greetings. For backups to a server with one DLT-IV drive, I would like to change the tape once per week. During the week, I would like to do one full backup on day 1, and incremental backups on days 2-5. To do this, I set "dumpcycle 1 week" and "runspercycle 5" and "tapecycle 1 tapes". However, in the dump reports, I get this message every dump, even on the incremental days: planner: tapecycle (1) <= runspercycle (5) planner: Full dump of hostname.networktest.com:/ promoted from 6 days ahead. This sounds like amanda does a full dump each time. True? If so, what is the correct config for one full dump plus four incremental dumps? This is for 2.4.4p4_2 on FreeBSD 4.10. Thanks! dn
Re: tuning dumpcycle, runspercycle, and tapecycle
On Sunday 13 February 2005 12:02, David Newman wrote: >Greetings. For backups to a server with one DLT-IV drive, I would > like to change the tape once per week. During the week, I would > like to do one full backup on day 1, and incremental backups on > days 2-5. > >To do this, I set "dumpcycle 1 week" and "runspercycle 5" and > "tapecycle 1 tapes". However, in the dump reports, I get this > message every dump, even on the incremental days: Tapecycle is the number of tapes in the inventory that can be re-used. For you, the minimum would be at least 10. >planner: tapecycle (1) <= runspercycle (5) > planner: Full dump of hostname.networktest.com:/ promoted from 6 > days ahead. > >This sounds like amanda does a full dump each time. True? Yes, because it thinks its over-writing the last full level 0 with each new backup. >If so, what is the correct config for one full dump plus four > incremental dumps? > >This is for 2.4.4p4_2 on FreeBSD 4.10. > >Thanks! > >dn -- Cheers, Gene "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author) 99.33% setiathome rank, not too shabby for a WV hillbilly Yahoo.com attorneys please note, additions to this message by Gene Heskett are: Copyright 2005 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.
Can tapes be grouped for different types of back-up?
Until recently I had a DDS3 tape streamer. Then it broke down a few weeks ago and I bought a DDS4 tape streamer. I therefore have a lot of DDS3 tapes which I like to use for incremental back-ups because the new tape streamer can also handle DDS3 tapes. I will then ear mark the DDS4 tapes for full back-ups. Is that possible and how can that be accomplished? -- Regards, Erik P. Olsen
Re: Can tapes be grouped for different types of back-up?
On Sunday 13 Feb 2005 21:43, you wrote: > Until recently I had a DDS3 tape streamer. Then it broke down a few > weeks ago and I bought a DDS4 tape streamer. I therefore have a lot of > DDS3 tapes which I like to use for incremental back-ups because the new > tape streamer can also handle DDS3 tapes. I will then ear mark the DDS4 > tapes for full back-ups. Is that possible and how can that be > accomplished? Hi. Create two different amanda.conf and then you have two groups of tapes labelled for the different sets. But please read: http://www.amanda.org/docs/topten.html#id2519312 -- Kind Regards, Gavin Henry. Managing Director. T +44 (0) 1467 624141 M +44 (0) 7930 323266 F +44 (0) 1224 742001 E [EMAIL PROTECTED] Open Source. Open Solutions(tm). http://www.suretecsystems.com/
Re: tuning dumpcycle, runspercycle, and tapecycle
On Sun, 13 Feb 2005, Gene Heskett wrote: On Sunday 13 February 2005 12:02, David Newman wrote: Greetings. For backups to a server with one DLT-IV drive, I would like to change the tape once per week. During the week, I would like to do one full backup on day 1, and incremental backups on days 2-5. To do this, I set "dumpcycle 1 week" and "runspercycle 5" and "tapecycle 1 tapes". However, in the dump reports, I get this message every dump, even on the incremental days: Tapecycle is the number of tapes in the inventory that can be re-used. For you, the minimum would be at least 10. planner: tapecycle (1) <= runspercycle (5) planner: Full dump of hostname.networktest.com:/ promoted from 6 days ahead. This sounds like amanda does a full dump each time. True? Yes, because it thinks its over-writing the last full level 0 with each new backup. This isn't so good; again, I'm looking for one full dump and four incremental dumps on each tape. (FWIW, the server in question is at a remote location and we can't get to it every day.) Jon LaBadie's post on the Amanda top 10 list suggests that Amanda is not the right tool for this. Is there some way to do this using Amanda? If not, any recommendations for alternatives? thanks dn
Re: Can tapes be grouped for different types of back-up?
On Sun, 2005-02-13 at 22:43 +0100, Erik P. Olsen wrote: > Until recently I had a DDS3 tape streamer. Then it broke down a few > weeks ago and I bought a DDS4 tape streamer. I therefore have a lot of > DDS3 tapes which I like to use for incremental back-ups because the new > tape streamer can also handle DDS3 tapes. I will then ear mark the DDS4 > tapes for full back-ups. Is that possible and how can that be > accomplished? I just use different configurations for the different jobs with different tapetypes. Small backups to DDS3, bigger to DDS4 (both in the DDS4 drive), and whoppers to DLT VS160. Amanda's still going to do level 0's to the DDS3 at least once in every cycle, and incrementals to DDS4. My configs are used for backing up different types of data. -- Glenn English [EMAIL PROTECTED] signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part
Re: tuning dumpcycle, runspercycle, and tapecycle
On Sun, Feb 13, 2005 at 03:20:14PM -0800, David Newman wrote: > On Sun, 13 Feb 2005, Gene Heskett wrote: > > >On Sunday 13 February 2005 12:02, David Newman wrote: > > This isn't so good; again, I'm looking for one full dump and four > incremental dumps on each tape. (FWIW, the server in question is at a > remote location and we can't get to it every day.) > > Jon LaBadie's post on the Amanda top 10 list suggests that Amanda is not > the right tool for this. Is there some way to do this using Amanda? > > If not, any recommendations for alternatives? > Jon LaBadie's post on the top 10 list also discusses the most common alternative. -- Jon H. LaBadie [EMAIL PROTECTED] JG Computing 4455 Province Line Road(609) 252-0159 Princeton, NJ 08540-4322 (609) 683-7220 (fax)
Re: tuning dumpcycle, runspercycle, and tapecycle
On Sunday 13 February 2005 18:20, David Newman wrote: >On Sun, 13 Feb 2005, Gene Heskett wrote: >> On Sunday 13 February 2005 12:02, David Newman wrote: >>> Greetings. For backups to a server with one DLT-IV drive, I would >>> like to change the tape once per week. During the week, I would >>> like to do one full backup on day 1, and incremental backups on >>> days 2-5. >>> >>> To do this, I set "dumpcycle 1 week" and "runspercycle 5" and >>> "tapecycle 1 tapes". However, in the dump reports, I get this >>> message every dump, even on the incremental days: >> >> Tapecycle is the number of tapes in the inventory that can be >> re-used. For you, the minimum would be at least 10. >> >>> planner: tapecycle (1) <= runspercycle (5) >>> planner: Full dump of hostname.networktest.com:/ promoted from >>> 6 days ahead. >>> >>> This sounds like amanda does a full dump each time. True? >> >> Yes, because it thinks its over-writing the last full level 0 with >> each new backup. > >This isn't so good; again, I'm looking for one full dump and four >incremental dumps on each tape. (FWIW, the server in question is at > a remote location and we can't get to it every day.) The only way you are gong to do that is with a big holding disk, which you then dump weekly by putting a tape in the drive and doing a amflush. How many tapes do you actually have, and are they being stored off-site should the worst happen? Anyway for that, dumpcycle=7 runspercycle=5, tapecycle=how many you have. Put a tape in the drive monday morning and do an amflush. Note that the reserve value for the holding disk will need to be reduced considerably in order for amanda to be able to do level 0's to it. The default is that 100% of it is reserved for incrementals. Set that up on that machines crontab that belongs to the operator you configured amanda to be run as. Monday thru friday evenings for exec times. >Jon LaBadie's post on the Amanda top 10 list suggests that Amanda is > not the right tool for this. Is there some way to do this using > Amanda? >If not, any recommendations for alternatives? Most are more costly, often by large amounts. If the tape server itself isn't part of the facilities daily operations, the monday morning flush should be ok.yxt^JYVa Just call that dept, have someone put the tape in that you mailed back to them the previous week, monitor the dumps progress and when its done, have them eject the tape and mail it back to you, provided that you are the offsite storage site. You could even put the tape in and out instructions in the machines crontab by having it send the email to the responsible person. Better yet in a wrapper script but I'll leave the writing of that to you since I'm not privy to enough to even think about it. >thanks > >dn -- Cheers, Gene "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author) 99.33% setiathome rank, not too shabby for a WV hillbilly Yahoo.com attorneys please note, additions to this message by Gene Heskett are: Copyright 2005 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.
Re: tuning dumpcycle, runspercycle, and tapecycle
David Newman wrote: On Sun, 13 Feb 2005, Gene Heskett wrote: On Sunday 13 February 2005 12:02, David Newman wrote: Greetings. For backups to a server with one DLT-IV drive, I would like to change the tape once per week. During the week, I would like to do one full backup on day 1, and incremental backups on days 2-5. [snip] Yes, because it thinks its over-writing the last full level 0 with each new backup. This isn't so good; again, I'm looking for one full dump and four incremental dumps on each tape. (FWIW, the server in question is at a remote location and we can't get to it every day.) Jon LaBadie's post on the Amanda top 10 list suggests that Amanda is not the right tool for this. Is there some way to do this using Amanda? If not, any recommendations for alternatives? Not exactly an answer to your question, but its a familiar problem; I know 'stuff' about the backups and the machines that are being backed up. I know 'stuff' about rate of file changes and filesystem growth. How do I explain this to amanda? Eg; Cases where zero-level backups are virtually guaranteed to fit onto a tape... I've been experimenting with 'stratecy noinc' (IIRC the spelling of that). Unfortunately, I've found that when, in rare cases, the zero-level won't fit I sometimes see messages like 'cannot switch to incremental' and knock me down with a feather but it doesn't back anything up at all for that DLE. What I'd like to know is how to tell it "always do a full dump except when theres not enough room and then -- and *only* then -- revert to an incremental"
Re: tuning dumpcycle, runspercycle, and tapecycle
On Sunday 13 February 2005 20:27, Steve Wray wrote: >David Newman wrote: >> On Sun, 13 Feb 2005, Gene Heskett wrote: >>> On Sunday 13 February 2005 12:02, David Newman wrote: Greetings. For backups to a server with one DLT-IV drive, I would like to change the tape once per week. During the week, I would like to do one full backup on day 1, and incremental backups on days 2-5. > >[snip] > >>> Yes, because it thinks its over-writing the last full level 0 >>> with each new backup. >> >> This isn't so good; again, I'm looking for one full dump and four >> incremental dumps on each tape. (FWIW, the server in question is >> at a remote location and we can't get to it every day.) >> >> Jon LaBadie's post on the Amanda top 10 list suggests that Amanda >> is not the right tool for this. Is there some way to do this using >> Amanda? >> >> If not, any recommendations for alternatives? > >Not exactly an answer to your question, but its a familiar problem; > I know 'stuff' about the backups and the machines that are being > backed up. I know 'stuff' about rate of file changes and filesystem > growth. How do I explain this to amanda? > >Eg; > >Cases where zero-level backups are virtually guaranteed to fit onto > a tape... I've been experimenting with 'stratecy noinc' (IIRC the > spelling of that). > >Unfortunately, I've found that when, in rare cases, the zero-level > won't fit I sometimes see messages like 'cannot switch to > incremental' and knock me down with a feather but it doesn't back > anything up at all for that DLE. That is by default, the holding area is 100% reserved for incrementals. Add a line in your amanda.conf that says reserved = 30% Make sure that the holding disk is big enough, but drive space is peanuts these days. > >What I'd like to know is how to tell it "always do a full dump > except when theres not enough room and then -- and *only* then -- > revert to an incremental" You are trying to housebreak amanda, which can be done. But it then ignores the smarts built into amanda in the form of amanda collecting its own history data, and reacting to that. Once you start a regular scheduled backup strategy, amanda will typically take around 2 dumpcycles before the individual nites scheduled work will settle down. Subject to modifications if amanda can see that a huge anount of a disklist entry is new every night, which will cause that entry to remain at a level 1 for incrementals. Her targets are: 1) to use about the same amount of media every run in order to make the best use of the facilities it has, and it can be quite good at that, putting 3.9GB on a 4GB tape night after night without hitting an EOT error. 2) to make sure that at any one time, there will have been a full level 0 backup of everything in the disklist at some point in the last "dumpcycle" days worth of tapes. -- Cheers, Gene "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author) 99.33% setiathome rank, not too shabby for a WV hillbilly Yahoo.com attorneys please note, additions to this message by Gene Heskett are: Copyright 2005 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.
Re: Can tapes be grouped for different types of back-up?
Erik P. Olsen wrote: Until recently I had a DDS3 tape streamer. Then it broke down a few weeks ago and I bought a DDS4 tape streamer. I therefore have a lot of DDS3 tapes which I like to use for incremental back-ups because the new tape streamer can also handle DDS3 tapes. Note that although DDS4 drives can handle DDS3, DDS2 and DDS1 tapes, the drive manufacturers do not recommend the regular use of smaller tapes in DDS4 drives. You may end up with drive that *only* supports DDS3 tapes again. The backward compatibility is really meant only so you can occasionally read your older backups. See your tape drive manual for details. That being said, I used DDS3 tapes in my DDS4 drive for many months before I found out about this, and nothing bad seems to have happened.
Re: Can tapes be grouped for different types of back-up?
On Sunday 13 February 2005 16:43, Erik P. Olsen wrote: >Until recently I had a DDS3 tape streamer. Then it broke down a few >weeks ago and I bought a DDS4 tape streamer. I therefore have a lot > of DDS3 tapes which I like to use for incremental back-ups because > the new tape streamer can also handle DDS3 tapes. I will then ear > mark the DDS4 tapes for full back-ups. Is that possible and how can > that be accomplished? Not with only one config setup. And with 2, then the one you would like to use for incrementals doesn't know anything about the fulls, so it gets a tummy ache. Amanda's record keeping is going to make that difficult. From my own experience with DDS2, if the DDS3's have more than 20 passes on them, I think I'd retire them one by one, replacing them with DDS4's made by dd'ing the label block from the DDS3, and dd'ing it back to the DDS4 tapes, thereby keeping amanda out of the loop until such time as all the DDS3's have been cycled out. At that point, change the tapetype by running an amtapetype to make a new tapetype descriptor and edit its use into your amanda config. I just had an intrigueing idea though. What if there were two identical config dirs setup, each subdir for the data amanda keeps was lndir'ed to yet a third dir which was then the common dir for all of amanda's data. The only real files in the two config dirs would be the amanda.conf, and the tapelist. It seems like a bit of hassle for the initial setup, but could anyone throw a showstopper into this picture? -- Cheers, Gene "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author) 99.33% setiathome rank, not too shabby for a WV hillbilly Yahoo.com attorneys please note, additions to this message by Gene Heskett are: Copyright 2005 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.
