Solaris tar command to backup data on tape device
Tar name come from Tape ARchiver. It is both a file format and the name of the program used to handle such file. Tar archive files have names ending in ".tar". If an archive is compressed, the compression program adds its own suffix as usual, resulting in filename endings like ".tar.Z", ".tar.gz", and ".tar.bz2". Tar doesn't require any particular filename suffix in order to recognize a file as an archive. Tar was originally created for backups on magnetic tape, but it can be used to create tar files anywhere on a filesystem. Archives that have been created with tar are commonly referred to as tarballs.
Create a new set of backup
To create a Tar file, use tar command as follows:
# tar cvf /dev/rmt/X file1 file2 dir1 dir2 file2 …
Where
- c – Create a new files on tape/archive
- v – verbose i.e. show list of files while backing up
- f – tape device name or file
For example, backup /export/home/vivek/sprj directory to tape device /dev/rmt/0, enter
# tar cvf /dev/rmt/0 /export/home/vivek/sprj/
Remember c option should only use to create new set of backup.
Appending or backing up more files to same tape using tar
tar provides r option for appending files to tape. For example to backup /data2/tprj/alpha1 files to same tape i.e. appending files to a first tape device:
# tar rvf /dev/rmt/0 /data2/tprj/alpha1/*
Where
- r – append files to the end of an archive/tape
List files on a tape using tar command
To display file listing of a first tape use tar as follows:
# tar tvf /dev/rmt/0
To listing the Contents of a Stored Directory (for example wwwroot directory):
# tar tvf /dev/rmt/0 wwwroot
Where
- t – list the contents of an archive/tape
Retrieve / restore tape backup taken with tar
1) Use tar command as follows to retrieve tape drive backup to current directory:
(a) Change directory where you would like to restore files:
# cd /path/to/restore
# pwd
(b) Now, do a restore from tape:
# tar xvf /dev/rmt/0
To specify target directory use –C option
Restore everything to /data2 directory:
# tar xvf /dev/rmt/0 –C /data2
To retrieve directory or file use tar as follows:
# tar xvf /dev/rmt/0 tprj
Note that Solaris tar command is little different from GNU tar, if you wish to use gnu tar with Solaris use command gtar. Gnu tar accepts same command line options plus bunch of additional options 
See Sun Solaris tar man page and tapes ~ creates /dev entries for tape drives attached to the system.
You may also be interested in other helpful articles:
- Solaris : Tape device names and control the tape drive
- Solaris : Controlling tape device/drive using mt command
- How Do I make Linux filesystem backup with dd?
- Bash shell script tip: Run commands from a variable
- How to: Backup Up and Restore the Solaris OS With ufsdump
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Tags: archive tape, c option, command line options, gnu tar, rvf, solaris tar, sun solaris, tape archive, tape backup, tar, tar command, tar cvf, tar file, tar xvf, tarballs, target directory, tvf
how would i create a tar file so it does not copy the tar directory structure. For example:
tar -cf temp.tar /usr/local/myfile.txt
I dont want to have the directory structure in the tar file. I dont want “/usr/local/” in the tar file. I just want to file to be stored in the tar file.
how would i create a tar file so it does not copy the tar directory structure. For example:
tar -cf temp.tar /usr/local/myfile.txt
I dont want to have the directory structure in the tar file. I dont want “/usr/local/” in the tar file. I just want to file to be stored in the tar file.
Hmm…
Try format
tar –cvf mytar.t.ar.gz file1 file2
By default it includes directory name however you can pass the following x or fF arguments to tar
tar –cvf –x dir1, dir2 mytar.t.ar.gz .
x Exclude. Use the exclude-filename argument as a
file containing a list of named files (or
directories) to be excluded from the tarfile when using the key letters c, x, or t.
F - With one F argument, tar will exclude all direc tories named SCCS from the tarfile. With two argu ments, FF , tar will exclude all directories named SCCS
hi suppose i took a tape backup entire harddisk.now but my hard disk crashed . i want to recover this partition slice table whether it’s possible or not.plz help to sort it out
Just restore data from tape to hard disk. Did you used tar or dump command?
hi…
when i do this
tar xvf /dev/rmt/0 tamer
where is tamer is a dir in the tape .
befor i didthis command im allredy in th path where i whant this dir to besor in
but whene i check i cannot find the data
hellp me pls
Is there a way to check how much used space / freespace in the tape
How do you only restore a specific file type onto a specific folder ?
Also, is there a way to restore files depending on date ?