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

[Bob Toxen]

Beware!

Some versions of dump/restore fail to preserve directory permissions,
instead creating all directories mode 777 on restore!

I saw this about 5 years ago when Rackspace restored my client's backup
following hard disk failure.  It was UGLY to recover from.

I'd suggest either rsync or tar.

Be sure to ALSO record inode to file names.  This is critical in case of
file system damage so that when fsck reports inode ### as damaged you
know which file/dir to restore.

I suggest something similar to the following just before one does
backups so that /root/inode_list can be recovered from backup if
necessary.

  find / -ls > /root/inode_list

Bob Toxen
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On Wed, Feb 29, 2012 at 11:05:21PM -0500, Jim Kinney wrote:
> dump ignores blank space. It's only concerned  with files.
> Dump will not get the boot sector data.
> 
> The no label may just be a really old drive or a jumper is set wrong to
> turn off LBA.
> 
> Note: it's not required for  full dump to reset the dump flags. You can
> just ignore the flags with dump -level0
> 
> Master/slave: for performance needs, it;s best to have the source and
> target drive on different ATA cables. If they share a cable as
> master/slave, it will run at slightly less than 50% the dump speed as if
> they were on different cables. It make no different which is master as long
> as they are different if on the same cable.
> 
> I use rsync for this now. Dump is _so_ 1970's :-)
> 
> On Wed, Feb 29, 2012 at 9:50 PM, Courtney Thomas <
> courtneycthomas at bellsouth.net> wrote:
> 
> > 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  :-)
> >
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > 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.
> >
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Finally, does master/slave jumper matter here ?
> >
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > All guidance gratefully requested,
> >
> > Courtney
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> -- 
> James P. Kinney III
> 
> As long as the general population is passive, apathetic, diverted to
> consumerism or hatred of the vulnerable, then the powerful can do as they
> please, and those who survive will be left to contemplate the outcome.
> - *2011 Noam Chomsky
> 
> http://heretothereideas.blogspot.com/
> *

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