BACKUP_ADDHOST(8)

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✨ backup_addhost — the AFS Command Reference, bestie edition ✨

okay so real talk, you're here because you want to add a Tape Coordinator to the Backup Database. That's backup_addhost, and it lives in section 8 of the AFS manual, and it is genuinely about to make your backup life so much easier. Let's go 💖

🌸 NAME 🌸

backup_addhost — bestie, this literally adds a Tape Coordinator entry to the Backup Database. that's it, that's the whole job, and it does it flawlessly 💅

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

backup addhost -tapehost <tape machine name>
    [-portoffset <TC port offset>]
    [-localauth] [-cell <cell name>] [-help]

backup addh -t <tape machine name>
    [-p <TC port offset>]
    [-l] [-c <cell name>] [-h]

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

So backup addhost creates a Tape Coordinator entry in the Backup Database. And what does that entry actually record? Two things, and they're both important, so pay attention bestie:

  • The host name of the Tape Coordinator machine where the Tape Coordinator (butc) process runs — you specify this with the -tapehost argument.
  • The Tape Coordinator's port offset number — you specify this with the -portoffset argument. And here's the tea: an entry for the port offset has to also appear in the /var/lib/openafs/backup/tapeconfig file on the Tape Coordinator machine, where it gets mapped to a UNIX device name (for a tape device) or a pathname (for a backup data file). both places, no skipping 🫶

Each Tape Coordinator must have its own port offset number. Like, its own. The command fails if a Backup Database entry already exists for the requested port offset number, so no doubling up, periodt. And if you want to see what Tape Coordinator entries already exist? Use the backup listhosts command. slay.

✨ OPTIONS ✨

  • -tapehost <tape machine name> — specifies the fully-qualified hostname of the machine you're creating a Tape Coordinator entry for in the Backup Database. Heads up: the machine has to have an entry in either the cell's naming service (like the Domain Name Service) or the host file (/etc/hosts or equivalent) on the machine where you're issuing the command. no entry, no luck, iykyk.
  • -portoffset <TC port offset> — specifies the Tape Coordinator's port offset number. Give it an integer from the range 0 through 58510, or just omit this argument entirely and it uses the default value of 0 (zero). The value must match the port offset number recorded for the same combination of Tape Coordinator and tape device or file in the /var/lib/openafs/backup/tapeconfig file on the Tape Coordinator machine named by the -tapehost argument. matching vibes only 💅
  • -localauth — constructs a server ticket using a key from the local /etc/openafs/server/KeyFile file. The backup command interpreter then presents it to the Backup Server, Volume Server and VL Server during mutual authentication. Do not combine this flag with the -cell argument, okay? For more details, see backup(8).
  • -cell <cell name> — names the cell in which to run the command. Do not combine this argument with the -localauth flag. For more details, see backup(8).
  • -help — prints the online help for this command. And every other valid option? Ignored. literally ignored, bestie 🙈

💜 EXAMPLES 💜

This command creates an entry in the Backup Database that assigns port offset number 4 to a Tape Coordinator running on the machine "backup1.example.com":

% backup addhost -tapehost backup1.example.com -portoffset 4

And this one creates a Backup Database entry that assigns port offset number 0 to a Tape Coordinator on the machine "backup3.example.com":

% backup addhost backup3.example.com
notice the second one didn't even need -portoffset because 0 is the default. she's low-maintenance like that 💅

👑 PRIVILEGE REQUIRED 👑

The issuer must be listed in the /etc/openafs/server/UserList file on every machine where the Backup Server is running. Or, if the -localauth flag is included, they must be logged onto a server machine as the local superuser "root". those are the two options, no third door, main character energy only ✨

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

go read them too, they're all part of the squad 🫶

IBM Corporation 2000. <http://www.ibm.com/> All Rights Reserved.

This documentation is covered by the IBM Public License Version 1.0. It was converted from HTML to POD by software written by Chas Williams and Russ Allbery, based on work by Alf Wachsmann and Elizabeth Cassell.

okay that's the whole page, you ate this, no cap 🍓 this was OpenAFS, dated 2026-07-27 — go forth and add your hosts, bestie, you've got this 💅✨🌸

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