[ale] does DUMP backup only the 'used' HD fraction, OR, the 'entire' HD, blank space and all ?

[Courtney Thomas]

Greetings Again !

I'm trying to archive a HD to a smaller drive using DUMP, and I'm OK if it
only archives the written portion of the source drive, but if it 
requires that
the 'blank' space also be included, then I guess I'll need to buy a 
larger drive.

I'm aware of the chflags nodump capability which'd apparently permit
omitting part of the source of this intended complete backup, i.e. dump 
-0.....

What I seek is a full backup so that I can simply remove a failed drive, 
plug
this one in, and run, essentially as I'm now doing with the source 
drive. I've
got months of effort in putting together this drive and I'll shoot myself if
I don't get it backed up before the inevitable occurs  :-)

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Also, the archive drive is a new, but older Seagate (never used), drive 
[ATA]
which I've tested, block by block, [dd] without error, which partitions and
formats without difficulty, but for unknown reasons, will not permit 
labeling.
[R/W DMA error.] Please instruct how to handle this.

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Finally, does master/slave jumper matter here ?

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All guidance gratefully requested,

Courtney