[olug] SCSI Tape drives

[Mike Peterson]

What brand of tape drive or media are you using?

Tapes are not normally mounted on UNIX/Linux but there is software with
Windows that mounts tapes and allows them to be accessed like Hard Drives.
Tapes are preformatted and just usually overwritten until they wear out.
The mt command is used to eject the tape media from the drive.

Depending on what you are backing up, you could use either cpio or tar to
write the files to the tape.

I use a commercial product for backup of my servers.
It does a bit by bit verify after each backup and logs the backup and verify
and emails me when both are completed.
The format is tar but backs up all the files that cpio does.
It also provides software compression if the tape hardware does not support
hardware compression.
I do a full system backup and not just some of the files on each server.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Craig Wolf" <CJWolf at mpsomaha.org>
To: <olug at olug.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2004 3:52 PM
Subject: Re: [olug] SCSI Tape drives


> This is a brand new installation so the tape cases were just opened,
> should be blank.  I was just fuzzy on HOW to do what I want to do.  IE:
> Mount the tape, format/label the tape if it is the right tape, copy the
> files from XXX to the "backup" directory, then backup the "backup"
> directory to the tape, eject the tape.  I did not want to use a piece of
> software from the freshmeat because I did not want to have to fight with
> "will it work when I upgrade OS".  I have part of the script written but
> I was fuzzy on the tape access as I stated before.  8)
>
> Craig Wolf
> Linux Web Server Support
> Desktop/Network Specialist
> 402-894-6283
>
>
> >>> mpeterson at mail.charlesfurniture.com 3/16/2004 >>>
> Are you trying to read tapes created with another program for test
> purposes?
>
> /dev/st0 is the tape device usually for IDE or SCSI Tape drives for
> the
> first tape unit.
> /dev/nst0 is used for appending more than one volume to a tape drive.
>
> You would read a label with the same format that it was written in.
> Such as tar or cpio.
>
> Most tapes are preformatted, but can be erased using the mt command.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jay Swackhamer" <Jay at RebootTheUser.com>
> To: "Omaha Linux User Group" <olug at olug.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2004 2:31 PM
> Subject: Re: [olug] SCSI Tape drives
>
>
> > also, look at 'mt' for moving the tape forward/backward etc..
> > in the event that you didnt know, use the 'no rewind device'
> >
> > i.e.
> > /dev/nst0
> >
> >
> >
> > >
> > >
> > >  man tar
> > >  man cpio
> > >
> > >   Those are places to start ... I'm no expert and its been many
> years
> > > since
> > > I dealt with tape on unix. I hear cpio is the preferred weapon
> these
> days
> > > ...
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Craig Wolf wrote:
> > >
> > >> I am looking for a website to help me with working with a tape and
> the
> > >> tape drive.  Specifically formatting a tape, appending to the end
> of a
> > >> tape, reading the tape label, finding out WHAT device to
> reference,
> etc.
> > >>  I have googled but I am not searching on the right terms
> apparently.
> > >> I am writing a custom backup script and want to make sure I am
> doing it
> > >> right.  Thanx to all in advance for any and all help!!  8)
> > >>
> > >> Craig Wolf
> > >> Linux Web Server Support
> > >> Desktop/Network Specialist
> > >> 402-894-6283
> > >>
> > >> _______________________________________________
> > >> OLUG mailing list
> > >> OLUG at olug.org
> > >> http://lists.olug.org/mailman/listinfo/olug
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > >
> >
> >
> > -- 
> > Jay Swackhamer
> > Reboot The User
> > 15791 West Dodge Road
> > Suite 135
> > Omaha, NE 68118
> > (402) 933-6449
> > (402) 933-6456 Fax
> > http://www.RebootTheUser.com
> > _______________________________________________
> > OLUG mailing list
> > OLUG at olug.org
> > http://lists.olug.org/mailman/listinfo/olug
>
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