HP 3000 Manuals

STORE and TurboSTORE/iX Manual

Scheduling Backups 

There are two important considerations when planning a backup schedule:

   *   Plan full and partial backups to efficiently duplicate the most
       recent system information.

   *   Schedule a regular time for performing backups.

Full and Partial Backups 

There are two ways to perform a system backup.  A full backup copies all
files stored in your system whether or not any of the information in them
has changed since the last backup.  A partial backup copies only the
files that have changed since the last full backup.  This can be done
with the DATE parameter of the STORE command.  A well-planned backup
schedule combines both methods.  It usually calls for a full backup once
a week and a partial backup each remaining workday.  If you follow such a
schedule, you would lose no more than 24 hours worth of information
should the system experience problems.

Figure 2-1  shows a sample backup schedule that combines both full and
partial system backups.


          Figure 2-1.  Sample Backup 

Selecting a Time for Backups 

It is best to perform backups at a time when people are not normally
using the system.  Often, system administrators choose to perform backups
at the close of the workday or later in the evening.  It is also a good
idea to schedule the backup for the same time every day so users know
when to expect it and can plan ahead.

Be sure to schedule enough time for each backup.  Full backups take more
time and more media than partial backups.  Performing a partial backup a
day or so after a full backup takes less time and less backup media than
a partial backup performed almost a week later.  As the week progresses,
users will have modified or added more files since the last full backup,
and more new information must be duplicated.  If you perform a full
backup on Friday, the first partial backup on Monday may take only one
tape, for example, and not much time.  By Thursday, however, the day
before the next scheduled full backup, a partial backup requires several
tapes, for example, and considerably more time, but still less than a
full backup.

The TurboSTORE ONLINE option allows you to backup critical applications
that need to be available at all times.  Refer to Chapter 6, "STORE and
TurboSTORE Command Options," for additional information.

MPE/iX 5.0 Documentation