On Mon, Nov 11, 2002 at 08:02:37AM +0100, Nicolas Cartron wrote:
> 
> I want to install Amanda on a production environment,
> backup server on FreeBSD and clients running Linux, Solaris or FreeBSD.

I suspect you really mean "you are considering installing amanda".
> 
> I read in the section dedicated to Amanda (in the 'Unix backup & recovery',
> O'reilly) the following lines :
> 
> AMANDA currently starts a new tape for each run and does not provide a
> mechanism to append a new run to the same tape as a previous run
>  ... 
> Does that mean that if i want to do the same with Amanda, i have to
> rotate the tape every day ?

That's what it means. ....  Though you could collect multiple backups on
disk (aka holding disk) then "flush" all to tape at one time.

> We are currently running Brightstor from Computer Associates,
> doing a full backup every sunday, and incremental backups on ONE tape
> everyday.

Such a traditional way of backing up is exactly what amanda tries
to get away from.  Amanda mixes some full backups and some incrementals
each day with the aim of a consistant sized backup each day.

No more 18 hour, 300 GB dumps on Sunday and 2 hour 10 GB dumps other days.
Instead amanda does 60 GB dumps daily, including Sunday.


> (I forgot to explain that I have 2 DLT tapes backuping the datas).

Amanda can be folded, spindled, and mutilated in many ways.  It was not
designed to use multiple drives, but "I think" some are doing just that.

-- 
Jon H. LaBadie                  jon AT jgcomp DOT com
 JG Computing
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