>After this, I get a lot of:
>
>WARNING: <host>:<directory> does not support optional exclude

You've just met up with one of the better things added to Amanda recently
(IMHO).  From 2.4.3 and on, the server and client pass feature information
back and forth so they know what each side is capable of.  In theory,
this will make it easier to add things in the future and still maintain
some level of backward compatibility.

As to this specific example, based on a quick scan of the code I think
the exclude information (list or file) will still be passed to the client,
which is a good thing in your case.  However, the client will still fail
if the exclusion file does not exist.

You might be able to get around these warnings with some clever dumptype
defining.  For instance:

  define dumptype normal-old {
    # This is for an "old" (pre-2.4.3) client.
    ... the other usual dumptype stuff ...
    exclude list .exclude.list
  }

  define dumptype normal {
    # This is for a "new" (2.4.3 or later) client.  Inherit everything
    # from "normal-old", then override the exclude directive.
    normal-old
    exclude list optional .exclude.list
  }

Then pick either "normal-old" or "normal" for the dumptype in your
disklist file.  As clients are converted, change the dumptype.
Eventually, rename "normal-old" to "normal" and add the "optional"
keyword.

Note -- I have not tested this.  It's just a theory.

>Also, are there any other pitfalls associated with combining a version 
>2.4.3 server and 2.4.2p2 clients

Probably :-).

Oh, you want details.  In theory the feature information capability
will limit such conflicts.  I don't know of any others, and even this
one makes a best attempt at being benign.

>Toralf Lund

John R. Jackson, Technical Software Specialist, jrj AT purdue DOT edu