BACKUP_ADDVOLSET(8)

💖 backup_addvolset — the AFS Command Reference, but make it cute ✨

okay so bestie, welcome to BACKUP_ADDVOLSET(8) from the AFS Command Reference 🎀 this is the one where we manifest a brand-new, completely empty volume set into existence. no cap.

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✨ NAME ✨

backup_addvolset — creates a new (empty) volume set 🫶

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

backup addvolset -name <volume set name> [-temporary]
    [-localauth] [-cell <cell name>] [-help]

backup addvols -n <volume set name> [-t] [-l]
    [-c <cell name>] [-h]

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

So the backup addvolset command is literally the moment of creation: it makes a whole new volume set, and by default it drops that thing straight into the Backup Database 💅

Pro tip from your girl: name the volume set so it actually describes what's inside it. Like, if you want the volume entries in the "user" volume set to match every single user volume, then just call it "user". Main character naming energy. BUT — the volume set name must be unique within the Backup Database of the local cell. No duplicates, periodt.

Once you've done this, go ahead and run backup addvolentry to actually define the volume entries that live inside your shiny new volume set.

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Sometimes tho, you just want volume sets that don't get permanently recorded in the Backup Database — for example when you're using backup volsetrestore to restore a group of volumes that weren't necessarily backed up together in the first place. Very "we're doing our own thing" of you. 😌

For that, include the -temporary flag. A temporary volume set only exists for the lifetime of the current interactive session, which means the flag is effective only when used during an interactive session (the kind you open by issuing the backup interactive command).

Lowkey important: if you include -temporary when you issue the command at the regular command shell prompt, the command appears to succeed, but the volume set is not created. 💀 it's giving fake success.

And as mentioned, a temporary volume set ceases to exist the moment the current interactive session ends — or you can use the backup delvolset command to delete it before that happens. your choice, queen.

One actual advantage of temporary volume sets? The backup addvolset command, plus any backup addvolentry commands you subsequently use to add volume entries to it, complete more quickly than for regular volume sets, because no records are created in the Backup Database. speed. 🏎️✨

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💅 OPTIONS 💅

• -name <volume set name> — names the new volume set. The name can include up to 31 of any character other than the period. Also, avoid other metacharacters as well — just, like, don't play with fire bestie 🙈
• -temporary — creates a volume set that exists only within the context of the current interactive session. It is not added to the Backup Database.
• -localauth — constructs a server ticket using a key from the local /etc/openafs/server/KeyFile file. The backup command interpreter presents it to the Backup Server, Volume Server and VL Server during mutual authentication. Do not combine this flag with the -cell argument. For more deets, 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 deets, see backup(8).
• -help — prints the online help for this command. All other valid options are ignored. (it said "not me listening to anyone else" 😭)

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🍓 EXAMPLES 🍓

The following command creates a volume set called "sys":

% backup addvolset sys

slay. it's official. it exists now. 🎀

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👑 PRIVILEGE REQUIRED 👑

The issuer must be listed in the /etc/openafs/server/UserList file on every machine where the Backup Server is running — or must be logged onto a server machine as the local superuser "root" if the -localauth flag is included.

no key, no entry, no vibe check passed. sorry babe. 🫶

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

backup(8), backup_addvolentry(8), backup_delvolentry(8), backup_delvolset(8), backup_listvolsets(8), backup_volsetrestore(8)

iykyk 💜

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📜 COPYRIGHT 📜

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.

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and that's the whole page, bestie!! ✨ this absolute icon of a manpage was brought to you by OpenAFS, dated 2026-07-27 🦋💖 go forth and add those volume sets. mwah. 💅🎀