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Are you sure you're doing a COMPLETE backup?

Ken Graap EXPERT RESPONSE FROM: Ken Graap

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QUESTION POSED ON: 16 April 2004
I was reading your answer to a person wanting to schedule a 'SAVLIB *ALLUSR' and you said it had to be run from the console in a restricted condition. I agree with what you said, but why would you not say to use the GO BACKUP menu and save all libraries, folders, directories, SECDTA, and config with a planned schedule? It works very well. I have several customers using it. What does it miss if it is not the same?


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Using the scheduling function available via GO BACKUP will not completely save the system. A SAVSYS command isn't run via the GO BACKUP batch submittal option, because it can't be run when a backup job is run as a batch process.

The SAVSYS command is critical for achieving a complete backup of the iSeries. It was designed to backup several things:

Excerpt from the HELP text for the SAVSYS command...

The Save System (SAVSYS) command saves a copy of the Licensed Internal Code and the QSYS library in a format compatible with the installation of the AS/400 system. It does not save objects from any other library. In addition, it saves security and configuration objects that can also be saved using the Save Security Data (SAVSECDTA) and Save Configuration (SAVCFG) commands.

As indicated above, security and configuration data can be saved while the system is active, but in order to save the License Internal Code (LIC) and to create a tape from which you can restore OS/400 in the event of a total system loss, you will need to run SAVSYS.

This is an incredible feature too! I can't think of another system where I can "completely restore" the system from backup tapes. Recovering my desktop or a Windows-based server, has always required "rebuilding" the base system prior to restoring anything. Don't you wish Windows had a feature where you could backup the entire server to tape or DVD and then use that backup to boot from and completely the recover the "saved system image" back to a new or repaired piece of hardware? Wow... what a concept!

There are several different opinions on how often a SAVSYS command needs to be run though. I prefer to run one once a month after I've applied PTF's and IPL'ed the system. This insures that I have the most current SAVSYS image in the event I need to completely recover my system.

I've also chosen to run this type of backup "attended". In my opinion, having someone on-site once a month for a few hours to insure that we have correctly applied PTF's and run a SAVSYS process, is a small price to pay in order to have someone immediately available if any problems occur.

In my experience tape drives have failed, PTF's have not applied correctly and bad media has been encountered during the SAVSYS/IPL process. All of these events require human intervention. Lots of people may not agree with my philosophy on how to run a SAVSYS. However, we must all do what we think is best when it comes to administering our systems and this philosophy has worked well for me.

I hope this clarifies my previous answer on this subject... and thanks again for participating in "Ask the Experts"!

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