SA Lab Exp 8 Part 2

File Management and Backup in Unix-like Systems

This segment explains commands and methodologies related to file management and backup, focusing primarily on the cpi command and the dump/restore commands.

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Scientific Concepts and Discoveries Presented

File Merging and Extraction Using the cpi Command

• CPI stands for Copy Copy Out.
• It is used to merge multiple files into a single archive (e.g., tar file) or extract files from such archives.
• cpi operates in three modes:
  • Input mode (-I): Merges files into an archive.
  • Output mode (-O): Extracts files from an archive.
  • Pass mode (-P): Copies files from one directory to another without archiving.
• File lists for archiving or copying are created using the find command.
• Proper use of input/output redirection and pipe symbols is necessary.
• The -H option specifies the archive format (e.g., TAP, ZIP).

Backup and Restoration Using dump and restore Commands

• dump backs up entire file systems.
• restore recovers files from backups created by dump.
• Two types of backups:
  • Full backup (level 0): Backs up all files.
  • Incremental backup (levels 1-9): Backs up only files changed since the last backup.
• Backups are recorded sequentially as records, historically stored on tape files.
• Important dump command options:
  • -0 for full backup.
  • -F to specify the file name to dump to.
  • -u to update the backup record.
  • -b to specify block size.
  • --list to list file systems available for backup.
  • --estimate to estimate the space required for backup.
• Incremental backups save time and space by only backing up changes since the last full or incremental backup.
• Multiple directories can be backed up in one command.

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Methodology Outline for Using cpi and dump Commands

Using cpi

1. Create a list of files to be archived using the find command.
2. Use cpi -I with the file list to merge files into an archive.
3. Use cpi -O with redirection to extract files from an archive.
4. Use cpi -P to copy files from one directory to another.
5. Use the -H option to specify the archive format if needed.

Using dump and restore

1. Use dump -0 for a full backup of a file system.
2. Use dump -n (where n > 0) for incremental backups.
3. Specify the backup file name with -F.
4. Optionally specify block size with -b.
5. Use restore to recover files from backup archives.
6. Use dump --list to view file systems.
7. Use dump --estimate to check space requirements before backup.

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Researchers or Sources Featured

No researchers or sources are explicitly mentioned. The content appears to be a tutorial or lab demonstration on Unix/Linux commands.