backup

Purpose

Use the backup command to create a file system backup request. File system backups are distinct from database backups, which are initiated by Recovery Manager (RMAN).

Backup requests are held locally in obtool until you execute the backup command with the --go option. Oracle Secure Backup forwards the requests to the scheduler, at which time the requests become jobs and are eligible to run.

Backups made with the backup command are called on-demand backups. On-demand backups run one-time-only and run either immediately or at a specified time in the future. In contrast, scheduled backups run according to a user-specified schedule, which you create with the mksched command.

Each time it performs a backup, Oracle Secure Backup records the name and attributes of each file system object that it backs up. It writes this data to the Oracle Secure Backup catalog, which is stored on the administrative server. Oracle Secure Backup maintains a discrete backup catalog for each client in the administrative domain.

Prerequisites

You must have the perform backups as privileged user right if you specify the --privileged option. Otherwise, you must have the perform backups as self right.

Syntax

backup::=

bac•kup [ --level/-l backup-level ] [ --priority/-p schedule-priority ]
[ --at/-a date-time ] [ --family/-f media-family-name ]
[ --restrict/-r restriction[,restriction]... ]
[ --privileged/-g | --unprivileged/-G ]
[ --expirerequest/-x duration] [ --quiet/-q ]
{ --dataset/-D dataset-name... | --go }

Semantics

--level/-l backup-level

Identifies a backup level. The default level is 0. Refer to "backup-level" for a description of the backup-level placeholder.

--priority/-p schedule-priority

Assigns a schedule priority to a backup. The default priority is 100. Refer to "schedule-priority" for a description of the schedule-priority placeholder.

--at/-a date-time

Specifies the date and optional time to perform the backup. By default the backup is eligible to run immediately. If you specify a future date, then the backup is eligible to run at the date and time specified rather than immediately. Refer to "date-time" for a description of the date-time placeholder.

--family/-f media-family-name

Defines the media family to be used for the backup. If you do not specify a media family, then Oracle Secure Backup defaults to the null media family. In this case, the volume has no expiration time and its write window remains open forever. By default, VOL is used for the volume ID prefix, as in the volume ID VOL000002.

--restrict/-r restriction ...

Defines a device, host, or device/host pair in the administrative domain that identifies one or more acceptable devices for the backup. Refer to "restriction" for a description of the restriction placeholder.

In the absence of a device restriction, the backup runs on the first available device. You can specify the restriction as a device name (as assigned by mkdev or chdev) or as an attachment for a device.

--privileged/-g

Requests that the backup run in privileged mode.

On Linux and UNIX hosts, a privileged backup runs under the root operating system identity. For example, Oracle Secure Backup user joeblogg runs under operating system account root. On Windows systems, the backup runs under the same account as the Oracle Secure Backup service on the Windows client.

--unprivileged/-G

Requests that the backup run in unprivileged mode (default).

When you create an Oracle Secure Backup user with the mkuser command, or modify a user with the chuser command, you associate an operating system user with the Oracle Secure Backup user. When an Oracle Secure Backup user makes an unprivileged backup or restore of a host, the host is accessed by means of the operating system user identity associated with the Oracle Secure Backup user. For example, assume Linux user jblogg is associated with Oracle Secure Backup user joeblogg. If you log on to obtool as joeblogg and initiate an unprivileged backup of a Linux host, then the backup runs under operating system account jblogg and backs up only those files accessible to jblogg.

--expirerequest/-x duration

Deletes the backup job if it is not executed within the specified duration after the job first becomes eligible to run. If you specify the --at option, then the time period begins at the date and time specified by --at; if you do not specify the --at option, then the time period begins when you execute the backup command.

Refer to "duration" for a description of the duration placeholder.

--quiet/-q

Does not display job ID or status information when a backup job is dispatched to the scheduler. Use this option in conjunction with the --go option.

--dataset/-D dataset-name ...

Identifies the dataset file, which is a file that defines the data to be backed up, or dataset directory. If you specify the name of a dataset directory, then it is equivalent to naming all of the dataset files contained within the directory tree. The --dataset and --go options are not mutually exclusive.

By default, file system backups initiated by obtool do not cross mount points. Refer to "Dataset Statements" to learn about mount point statements that you can use in dataset files.

--go

Sends all backup requests that are queued in the request queue to the Oracle Secure Backup scheduler. Backup requests are held locally in obtool until you execute backup with the --go option or exit obtool. If you exit obtool without specifying --go, then all queued backup requests are discarded. obtool warns you before deleting the requests.

If two users log in to obtool as the same Oracle Secure Backup user, and if one user creates backup requests (but not does not specify --go), then the other user does not see the requests when issuing lsbackup.

When backup requests are forwarded to the scheduler, the scheduler creates a job for each backup request and adds it to the job list. At this time, the jobs are eligible for execution. If the --at option was specified for a job, then this job is not eligible for execution until the specified time arrives.

Oracle Secure Backup assigns each on-demand backup job an identifier consisting of the username of the logged in user, a slash, and a unique numerical identifier. An example of a job identifier for an on-demand backup is sbt/233.

Example

Example 2-3 illustrates a privileged backup with a priority 10. The data to be backed up is defined by the home.ds file. Assume that this file contains the following entries, which specify that the /home directory on brhost2 should be backed up:

include host brhost2
include path /home

The backup is scheduled to run at 10 p.m. on June 14.

ob> backup --level full --at 2005/06/14.22:00 --priority 10 --privileged 
--dataset home.ds --go
Info: backup request 1 (dataset home.ds) submitted; job id is admin/6.

Example 2-4 creates two on-demand backup requests, one for dataset datadir.ds and the other for dataset datadir2.ds, and restricts each to a different tape drive. The backup --go command forwards the requests to the scheduler. The lsjob command displays information about the jobs.

ob> backup --level 0 --restrict tape1 --dataset datadir.ds
ob> backup --level 0 --restrict tape2 --dataset datadir2.ds
ob> backup --go
Info: backup request 1 (dataset datadir.ds) submitted; job id is admin/8.
Info: backup request 2 (dataset datadir2.ds) submitted; job id is admin/9.
ob> lsjob --long admin/8 admin/9
admin/8:
    Type:                   dataset datadir.ds
    Level:                  full
    Family:                 (null)
    Scheduled time:         none
    State:                  completed successfully at 2005/05/17.16:30
    Priority:               100
    Privileged op:          no
    Run on host:            (administrative server)
    Attempts:               1
admin/9:
    Type:                   dataset datadir2.ds
    Level:                  full
    Family:                 (null)
    Scheduled time:         none
    State:                  completed successfully at 2005/05/17.16:30
    Priority:               100
    Privileged op:          no
    Run on host:            (administrative server)
    Attempts:               1