Linux® on the Mainframe

14.2. Introduction to backup and restore

Companies establish backup and restore procedures against loss of data if:

• Users unintentionally delete or damage data.^[31]

  ^[31] Loss of data due to erroneously hitting a key is also known as a “finger check.” In an early version of the S/360 Time Sharing Option (TSO), the command for editing a file was the single character E, while the command for deleting a file was a D. A glance at your keyboard will tell you why this short command for deletion was soon abandoned for the three-character command DEL.

• An operating system or application crashes.

• Hardware fails (for example, a disk head crash).

Linux on the mainframe allows for the usual schemes, including tape libraries and dual copy facilities, that are ...