System Management Concepts:
Operating System and Devices

Backing Up User Files or File Systems

To back up user files and file systems, you can use the Web-based System Manager, the SMIT fast paths smit backfile or smit backfilesys, or the commands listed in Backup Methods.

You can use the SMIT interface for backing up single and small file systems by name, such as /home on your local system. Note that SMIT cannot make archives in any other format than that provided by the backup command. Also, not every flag of the backup command is available through SMIT. SMIT might hang if multiple tapes or disks are needed during the backup. For more information, see the backup command description in AIX 5L Version 5.2 Commands Reference.

Use the backup command when you want to back up large and multiple file systems. You can specify a level number to control how much data is backed up (full, 0; incremental, 1-9). Using the backup command is the only way you can specify the level number on backups.

The backup command creates copies in one of the two following backup formats:

• Specific files backed up by name using the -i flag.
• Entire file systems backed up by i-node using the -Level and FileSystem parameters. The file system is defragmented when it is restored from backup.