Backup for BSD 4.3 System Managers

The tar and cpio commands can move data between systems. The AIX tar command is not fully compatible with the 4.3 BSD tar command. The AIX tar command requires the -B option (blocking input) if it is reading from a pipe. The AT&T cpio command is compatible with the AIX version.

AIX can read and write in dump and restore command format. For example, the AIX backup command with the syntax:

backup -0uf Device FilesystemName

is the same as the 4.3 BSD dump command with the syntax:

dump 0uf Device FilesystemName 

Similarly, the AIX restore command with the syntax:

restore -mivf Device

is the same as the 4.3 BSD restore command with the syntax:

restore ivf Device

AIX also has the 4.3 BSD rdump and rrestore commands. The only difference between the two versions is that for AIX each argument must be preceded by a - (dash). For example, the following command:

rdump -0 -f orca:/dev/rmt0 /dev/hd2

is equivalent to the 4.3 BSD command:

rdump 0f orca:/dev/rmt0 /dev/hd2

The AIX backup command with the following syntax:

backup -0f /dev/rmt0 /dev/hd2 

is equivalent to the 4.3 BSD dump command with this syntax:

dump 0f /dev/rmt0 /dev/hd2

Non-IBM SCSI Tape Support

AIX does not directly support non-IBM SCSI tape drives. However, you can add your own header and interface that use the IBM SCSI driver. For more information, see the information on adding an unsupported device to the system in AIX Kernel Extensions and Device Support Programming Concepts.

For more information, see "Backup Overview for System Management".