Follow Techotopia on Twitter

On-line Guides
All Guides
eBook Store
iOS / Android
Linux for Beginners
Office Productivity
Linux Installation
Linux Security
Linux Utilities
Linux Virtualization
Linux Kernel
System/Network Admin
Programming
Scripting Languages
Development Tools
Web Development
GUI Toolkits/Desktop
Databases
Mail Systems
openSolaris
Eclipse Documentation
Techotopia.com
Virtuatopia.com
Answertopia.com

How To Guides
Virtualization
General System Admin
Linux Security
Linux Filesystems
Web Servers
Graphics & Desktop
PC Hardware
Windows
Problem Solutions
Privacy Policy

  




 

 

System Administration Guide: Devices and File Systems
Previous Next

Backup Device Names

You specify a tape or diskette to use for backup by supplying a logical device name. This name points to the subdirectory that contains the “raw” device file and includes the logical unit number of the drive. Tape drive naming conventions use a logical, not a physical, device name. The following table shows this naming convention.

Table 30-2 Basic Device Names for Backup Devices

Device Type

Name

Tape

/dev/rmt/n

Diskette

/vol/dev/rdiskette0/unlabeled

In general, you specify a tape device as shown in the following figure.

Figure 30-1 Tape Drive Device Names
Illustration shows logical tape device name that includes magnetic tape device directory, drive, and the optional density values.

If you don't specify the density, a tape drive typically writes at its “preferred” density. The preferred density usually means the highest density the tape drive supports. Most SCSI drives can automatically detect the density or format on the tape and read it accordingly. To determine the different densities that are supported for a drive, look at the /dev/rmt subdirectory. This subdirectory includes the set of tape device files that support different output densities for each tape.

Also, a SCSI controller can have a maximum of seven SCSI tape drives.

Specifying the Rewind Option for a Tape Drive

Normally, you specify a tape drive by its logical unit number, which can run from 0 to n. The following table describes how to specify tape device names with a rewind or a no-rewind option.

Table 30-3 Specifying Rewind or No-Rewind for a Tape Drive

Drive and Rewind Value

Use This Option

First drive, rewind

/dev/rmt/0

First drive, no rewind

/dev/rmt/0n

Second drive, rewind

/dev/rmt/1

Second drive, no rewind

/dev/rmt/1n

Specifying Different Densities for a Tape Drive

By default, the drive writes at its “preferred” density, which is usually the highest density the tape drive supports. If you do not specify a tape device, the command writes to drive number 0 at the default density the device supports.

To transport a tape to a system whose tape drive supports only a certain density, specify a device name that writes at the desired density. The following table describes how to specify different densities for a tape drive.

Table 30-4 Specifying Different Densities for a Tape Drive

Drive, Density, and Rewind Value

Use This Option

First drive, low density, rewind

/dev/rmt/0l

First drive, low density, no rewind

/dev/rmt/0ln

Second drive, medium density, rewind

/dev/rmt/1m

Second drive, medium density, no rewind

/dev/rmt/1mn

The additional density values are shown in Backup Device Names.

Previous Next

 
 
  Published under the terms fo the Public Documentation License Version 1.01. Design by Interspire