Home > IT Answers > AS/400 > AS400 Backup to Flatfiles
Longcut1
15 pts.
 AS400 Backup to Flatfiles
AS/400 backup
I am totally unfamilar with AS400 backup, so please forgive this basic question. Can an AS400 create a backup flat-file that could be stored on an NFS mounted drive location? The idea would be to create this flat-file backup, and then use a backup agent running on a Unix host to backup the flat file? Is there any chance that this could work? If so, would it pose issues during the recovery process? Thank you in advance for any insight you might be able to provide.

Software/Hardware used:
ASKED: May 15, 2008  4:50 PM
UPDATED: April 21, 2010  7:30 AM
RELATED QUESTIONS
Answer Wiki:
Hi, You can save to a savefile and store the savefile on the NFS and then backup the savefile using your backup agent. During recovery you would have to reverse the process - shouldn't be any real problems with this. The question is - Why do you want to do this? If you can backup and restore directly from and to the AS/400 this has got to be a quicker and more reliable way. Regards, Martin Gilbert.
Last Wiki Answer Submitted:  May 16, 2008  8:33 am  by  Gilly400   23,625 pts.
All Answer Wiki Contributors:  Gilly400   23,625 pts.
To see all answers submitted to the Answer Wiki: View Answer History.


RSS - Discussions Help
Discuss This Question:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

 

I am working with a client that had asked this question about his environment. I am not sure why they want to look at this type of process verses doing the backup/restore direct.

Thanks so much for the info.

Joe…

Longcut1
 15 pts.
 

I also have a customer who is interested in nfs backup and I am not that familiar with the AS/400. They would like to run all their AS/400 (i520 w/ v5r4m0) backups onto a nfs mount (likely a RedHat Linux server presenting the filesystem). Two benefits: (1) AS/400 now is backing-up to disk and (2) can now leverage BackupExec and single tape library to write to tape. I believe they are using native BRMS

Mmossman
 20 pts.
 

Hi,

If the AS/400 is already backing up to disk (this is most likely to be using save files), then you will only need to copy the save files to the NFS mount.

Regards,

Martin Gilbert.

Gilly400
 23,625 pts.
 

Can the backups be written directly to the NFS mount? If not, is the copy a simple AS/400 copy command or ftp like I’ve seen in other threads and can this be automated?

Mmossman
 20 pts.
 

Hi,

Afraid you can’t backup directly to the NFS (as far as I know). You can use FTP for the copy, but it shouldn’t be necessary. You should be able to use the CPYTOSTMF command to copy to your NFS.

Regards,

Martin Gilbert.

Gilly400
 23,625 pts.
 

One possibility might be to use a feature of V5R4 call Virtual Tape. It creates a “tape” backup in the IFS (a unix-like file system) on the System i (aka AS400). You may then be able to copy. ftp , whatever. I must say I haven’t tried this, so I don’t know for sure if it would work

graybeard52
 3,115 pts.
 

Hi Graybeard,

I’ve done the same thing with virtual optical and that worked fine, so I’d guess the virtual tape should also work.

Regards,

Martin Gilbert.

Gilly400
 23,625 pts.
 

Can the backups be written directly to the NFS mount?

Yes and no.

The standard series of SAV* commands can’t do it. But the Save to Application (QaneSava) API can be used to perform saves and it can write its records wherever it chooses.

It requires a complementary Restore from Application (QaneRsta) API to do the restore.

Tom

TomLiotta
 107,995 pts.