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Configuring archecker to validate backups taken with ontape

Question & Answer


Question

How can you configure and use archecker to validate archives taken with ontape?

Answer


INTRODUCTION

You can use the archecker utility to validate backups that you made with ontape. It verifies that all pages that are required to restore a backup exist on the media in the correct form. After you successfully verify a backup, you can restore it safely.

The archecker utility verifies standard and whole-system backups. It cannot verify logical-log backups and it does not perform a restore.

See manual IBM® Informix® Backup and Restore Guide for more information about archecker.


STEPS

    1. Configuring archecker

    The archecker has a configuration file and its default location is:

    • UNIX and Linux

      • $INFORMIXDIR/etc/ac_config.std
    • Windows

      • %INFORMIXDIR%\etc\ac_config.std

    You can change the default location of the archecker configuration file by setting the AC_CONFIG environment variable to its full pathname. You must specify the entire path, including the configuration file name. Common configuration parameters include:

      AC_MSGPATH
        Full path to the file where archecker writes error and informational messages

      AC_STORAGE
        Full path to the directory where archecker will write its validation information

      AC_VERBOSE
        Controls the amount of information archecker writes to the message log as well as to the users screen. Set to 0 for no message or to 1 to receive messages

      AC_TAPEDEV
        Full path to the tape device or file where the archive is stored. This usually matches the TAPEDEV configuration parameter, but can differ if the archive has been moved from its original media

      AC_TAPEBLOCK
        Set to the block size in Kbytes that was used when the archive was taken. This parameter must match the TAPEBLOCK parameter in the ONCONFIG file.
    2. Running archecker

      archecker -tvds
        -t
          Read the tape directly

        -v
          Verbose mode

        -d
          Delete old temporary files used in previous archecker executions

        -s
          Print status message to the screen

    Archecker can be executed with the database server in online or offline modes. You must log in as root or informix to execute archecker.

    Example:

    In this example, the archecker utility was configured with AC_VERBOSE set to 1 in the AC_CONFIG file:

      $ archecker -tvds

      Informix Dynamic Server Version 9.30.UC2W1
      Program Name:   archecker
      Version:        4.7
      Released:       03/06/02 22:42
      Compiled:       03/06/02 22:43  on SunOS 5.6 Generic_105181-25

      AC_STORAGE       /spare1/archecker
      AC_MSGPATH       /spare1/archecker/ac_msg.log
      AC_VERBOSE       on
      AC_TAPEDEV       /spare1/backups/spaces
      AC_TAPEBLOCK     16
      Please put in tape number 1.
      Type 1 <return> or 0 to end:1

      Scan PASSED.
      Control page checks PASSED
      Reserve page validation PASSED
      Table checks PASSED.
      BLOBChunk checks PASSED.
      Tables/Fragments validated:              113

    Note: If archecker shows problems with the backup, contact Technical Support.

Related Information

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Document Information

Modified date:
16 June 2018

UID

swg21154059

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