Exploiting IBM AIX Workload Partitions

260 Exploiting IBM AIX Workload Partitions

11.1 Backing up and restoring WPARs

The dedicated command for backing up a WPAR is the savewpar command. The savewpar is

similar to the mksysb command, but for WPARs. Unlike the mksysb command, the savewpar

images are not bootable.

The savewpar command finds and backs up all files belonging to a specified WPAR when the

WPAR does not contain any volume group other than rootvg.

For WPARs that contain endpoint devices that are configured as back ends for volume

groups, you use the savevg command for backup.

The types of backups that savewpar and savevg create can be stored by the Network

Installation Management (NIM) server or saved in a tape, DVD, CD, or file that is stored in a

safe place. Refer to Example 11-1.

Example 11-1 List of flags for savewpar command

Usage: savewpar [-X] [-V] [-i] [-m] [-e] [-b blocks] [-f device] [-p] [-v]

[-N] [-a] [-A] [-Z] wparName

-X Expand /tmp if needed.

-V Verify backup readability (tape only).

-i Create the image.data file.

-m Create the image.data file and physical partition maps.

-e Exclude the files/directories listed in /etc/exclude.<WPARname>.

-v List files as they are backed up.

-p Do not pack files as they are backed up.

-b blocks Number of 512-byte blocks to write in a single

output operation.

-f device Name of device to receive the backup information.

Default is /dev/rmt0

-B Do not backup files from writeable namefs mounts in the mount group.

-N Backup files from writeable NFS mounts in the mount group.

-a Do not backup extended attributes or NFS4 ACLs

-A Back up DMAPI filesystem files.

-Z Do not back up encrypted files.

wparName Name of Workload Partition to backup.

The savewpar command runs from the command-line interface (CLI) or the SMIT interface.

The fastpath is savewpar, as shown in Example 11-2.

Example 11-2 savewpar command from the CLI

root@750_1_LPAR_3:/usr/tivoli/tsm/server/bin> savewpar -i -f /work/itsowpar.sw itsowpar

Creating information file (/image.data) for itsowpar.

Creating list of files to back up

Backing up 2694 files

2694 of 2694 files backed up (100%)

0512-038 savewpar: Backup Completed Successfully.

The image.data file is created in the directory /tmp/wpardata/<name_of_wpar>. It includes the

list of logical volumes, file systems and their sizes, list of volume groups, WPAR name,

general information about a WPAR, and storage information about a WPAR. You use this file

when you have to restore a WPAR on separate disks.

Another configuration file for a WPAR is the specification file. For additional details, refer to

12.10, “Using specification files for system WPAR” on page 292.