A line-of-least-resistance response would be to put autoflush in the config
file and Amanda will automatically flush the existing files in the holding
directory before dumping that night's files.  Since we use DLT8000 tape
drives, which hold 40 GB native and the average size of a full backup is in
the order of 15 GB, this presents no problems. 

Your mileage may vary....

Donald L. (Don) Ritchey
E-mail:  Donald.Ritchey AT exeloncorp DOT com

-----Original Message-----
From: Per von Zweigbergk [mailto:pvz AT linux DOT se]
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2003 2:56 PM
To: Rebecca Pakish Crum
Cc: amanda-users AT amanda DOT org
Subject: Re: Using Amanda without a tape changer


torsdagen den 22 maj 2003 kl 21.42 skrev Rebecca Pakish Crum:

>> So, what happens if:
>>
>> 1) Someone forgot to change tape one day, or even for a week,
>> but then
>> continues to swap tapes as if nothing happened, not running amflush?
>
> It depends on how big your holding disk is. In my case, with the size 
> of
> my holding disk, the first no tape day would collect the first level 0
> dump and save it to the holding disk with that day's datestamp. The 
> next
> day, if there's still not a tape it would bump everything to a level 1
> and keep that on the holding disk, too..., and then the next day a 
> level
> 2 and so on until it ran out of room in the holding disk for any level
> and then it would fail the backup.
>
> Then when you came in and ran "amflush config" you would see a menu of
> all of the dates left on your holding disk and you could pick and 
> choose
> which, if any, you wanted to flush.

Yes, but what would happen if I never ran amflush? (Just for the sake 
of argument? :)

>>
>> 2) If there is a week long holiday, does the operator have to flush
>> onto 5 more tapes?
>
> No, you can choose to flush them all to one tape if it will fit. But
> since you are a school, and no data would be changing during that
> vacation time (*unless you have teachers who are gluttons for
> punishment, I guess*), wouldn't you just turn off that cron job for 
> that
> week??

Yeah. But I'm trying to develop a "least path of resistance" method of 
administration. :) I.e. if I don't HAVE to remove it from the cron job, 
I see no reason why.

-- 
Per von Zweigbergk <pvz AT e.kth DOT se>


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