Veritas-bu

[Veritas-bu] Question: Backup what the symlink points to? [NC]

2007-05-02 12:24:27
Subject: [Veritas-bu] Question: Backup what the symlink points to? [NC]
From: misha.pavlov at sgcib.com (misha.pavlov AT sgcib DOT com)
Date: Wed, 2 May 2007 12:24:27 -0400
> how to make NetBackup backup what a symlink points

Correct if I'm wrong, but I'd say even if this is possible( would be 
follow the symlinks option for tar, which NBU basicaly use ), it would be 
an exception which we'd have to explicitly specify.
After all a symlink is a file on it's own and backup should not care if 
the content of that file has a pointer or actual data - the job is to dump 
the file itself.


Note, that bpbrm does warn us about the links:

bpbrm/log.042807:15:40:37.162 [11602] <8> bpbrm handle_backup: from client 
cometstg-bk: WRN - /ARDBS01/sybdump is only being backed up as a symbolic 
link


I got intrigued myself to know and here are another bits of info I just 
found:

man bpbackup yields:

     o    If you specify a UNIX file that  is  a  link,  bpbackup
          backs up only the link itself, not the file to which it
          links.

NBU 5.1 SA Guide, Chapter 3, Managing Backup Policies, page 113

Symbolic Links to Files or Directories
For symbolic (soft) links, include the file path to the source file in 
your list in order to back up the actual data. If a file is a symbolic 
link to another file, NetBackup backs up only the link, not the file to 
which the link points. This prevents multiple backups of the source file.
Because symbolic links are restored only as a symbolic link to the source 
file, you must restore the source file along with the link in order to get 
the data.

and

Chapter 4, Managing Catalogs and Images, page 212

Caution Do not specify a link as the final component in a UNIX path or the 
entire catalog backup will fail. While NetBackup follows links at other 
points in the path, NetBackup does not follow a link when it is the final 
component. If any other part of a listed path is a symbolic link, 
NetBackup saves the actual path during the backup.


So the open question is "Can we force NBU to follow the links, as GNU tar 
does ?"



This message uses only 100% recycled electrons.



Justin Piszcz <jpiszcz at lucidpixels.com> 
Sent by: veritas-bu-bounces at mailman.eng.auburn.edu
05/02/2007 10:44 AM


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[Veritas-bu] Question: Backup what the symlink points to?






This concerns UNIX:

I need to look this up but was wondering if anyone knew off the top of 
their head how to make NetBackup backup what a symlink points to or if 
that is even possible?

I know about the cross-link option but that concerns mounts and 
filesystems, not sym-links.

Justin.
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