BACKUP_SAVEDB(8)

📦
version 1.8.16.1 · 10 versions
, in ubuntu stonking

💾 backup_savedb — the backup savedb glow-up (AFS Command Reference, manual section 8) ✨

okay bestie, sit down, hydrate, because we're about to make a whole entire backup copy of the Backup Database and it's gonna be so clean 🫶

✨ NAME ✨

backup_savedb — makes a saved copy of the Backup Database 💖 (yes, that's literally it, that's the whole job, and she does it flawlessly)

📜 SYNOPSIS 📜

backup savedb [-portoffset <TC port offset>]
    [-archive <date time>+] [-localauth]
    [-cell <cell name>] [-help]

backup sa [-p <TC port offset>]
    [-a <date time>+]
    [-l] [-c <cell name>] [-h]

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

So here's the vibe: backup savedb creates a backup copy of the entire Backup Database and writes it to the tape in the device controlled by the Tape Coordinator that you pointed at with the -portoffset argument. That's the mission. That's the assignment. 💅

And listen — if your database is damaged (like, backup dbverify came back screaming), this command repairs as much of the corruption as possible while it's making the saved copy. Not me being a hero and a backup tool at the same time. 👑

The Backup Server also creates a dump record for the saved database in the Backup Database — but only in the disk version of the database, NOT in the version written to tape. important distinction, don't forget it.

If the "FILE YES" instruction shows up in the /var/lib/openafs/backup/CFG_device_name file associated with the port offset you specified, then backup savedb dumps the database copy to the backup data file listed for that port offset in the Tape Coordinator's /var/lib/openafs/backup/tapeconfig file instead of to tape. For clarity, the rest of this text is gonna say "tapes" like it's always tapes — but bestie, the Backup System handles backup data files in pretty much the same way. 🤝

Now, if you pass the -archive flag, then after writing the saved copy of the database, the Backup System truncates the on-disk copy of the database by deleting volume dump records with timestamps prior to the date and time you specified. (It does not delete the dump records created by previous backup savedb commands, though. she's not messy like that.)

If the tape you're writing the database copy to has an AFS tape name, it has to be "Ubik_db_dump.1" or "<NULL>". Any permanent name is acceptable. ✨

The Tape Coordinator's default response to this command is to access the first tape by invoking the "MOUNT" instruction in the local /var/lib/openafs/backup/CFG_device_name file — or, if there is no "MOUNT" instruction, by prompting the backup operator to insert the tape. However (plot twist 💀), if the "AUTOQUERY NO" instruction appears in the CFG_device_name file, or if whoever ran butc included the -noautoquery flag, then the Tape Coordinator instead just expects the tape to already be in the device. If it's not, the Tape Coordinator invokes the "MOUNT" instruction or prompts the operator. It also invokes "MOUNT" or prompts for any additional tapes needed to finish the operation — and the backup operator has to arrange to provide them. no cap, that part's on you. 🙈

💅 OPTIONS 💅

  • -portoffset <TC port offset> — says which Tape Coordinator's port offset number is handling the tapes for this operation.
  • -archive <date time>+ — gives a date and time; volume dump records with earlier timestamps get deleted from the disk copy of the Backup Database after the Backup System dumps the database. (A dump's timestamp lives in the "created" field of the output from backup dumpinfo.) BUT — if a dump set contains any dump created after the specified date, then none of the dump records associated with that dump set get deleted. And dump records for previous dumps of the database (the ones created with backup savedb) are never deleted; use backup deletedump to remove those. 🗑️

You provide one of two values:

  • The string "NOW" to mean the current date and time — in which case the Backup System deletes all dump records except those for dumps of the Backup Database itself.
  • A date value in the format mm/dd/yyyy [hh:MM]. The month (mm), day (dd), and year (yyyy) are required, and valid year values range from 1970 to 2037 — higher values are not valid because the latest possible date in the standard UNIX representation is in February 2038. The Backup System automatically reduces any later date to the maximum value. 🔥

The hour and minutes (hh:MM) are optional, but if you provide them they must be in 24-hour format (so for example, "14:36" represents 2:36 p.m.). If you omit them, the time defaults to 59 seconds after midnight (00:00:59 hours). Similarly, the backup command interpreter automatically adds 59 seconds to any time value you provide. In both cases, adding those 59 seconds compensates for how the Backup Database and backup dumpinfo represent dump creation times in hours and minutes only. Like — the Database records a creation timestamp of "20:55" for any dump created between 20:55:00 and 20:55:59. Automatically adding 59 seconds to a time thus includes the records for all dumps created during that minute. math queen behavior honestly 🧮👑

  • -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. (she said focus. 🎯)

🎀 EXAMPLES 🎀

This example writes a copy of the Backup Database to the tape device controlled by the Tape Coordinator with port offset 1:

% backup savedb -portoffset 1

look at her go. one line. flawless. 💖

👑 PRIVILEGE REQUIRED 👑

Whoever runs this 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 shortcuts bestie, the list is the list. 📋

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

butc(5), backup(8), backup_dbverify(8), backup_restoredb(8), butc(8)

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.

🫶 that's the whole page bestie — nothing skipped, nothing skipped, every flag and every caveat is still here. now go save that database. 💾✨

OpenAFS · dated 2026-07-27 · backup_savedb(8) · that's a wrap, mwah 💋

📦 where this page comes from