9402 : How do I do a full backup ?

[Alex]

Hi again !

Now that I've been able to reset the password for QSECOFR, my next step with
that 9402-436 is to make sure I can recover the mistakes I'll do when
playing with it. Since I'm a complete newbie on the AS400 platform, I'm sure
I'm gonna crash everything one day or the other.

What are the options to make a full backup of the system, apps, config
files, database and so on ?

I have absolutely no media with the beast. The backup should be
"self-restoring" as much as possible : I can't even reinstall the OS (V3R7M0
and possibly SSP - don't know yet) from scratch !

There are 3 SCSI disks (2GB each). I wonder whether I could also simply put
them in a PC running Linux, and dd their content byte by byte to an image
file and burn that onto a DVD. But I'm not sure low level parameters such as
sector size would be compatible (I don't want to believe I've it all backed
up and discover that the backup is useless the day I need it).

What do the veterans think ?

Thanks for your help !

[Marc Rauzier]

Post by Alex
What do the veterans think ?

If you are running OS400 (any release), you could try to run GO SAVE
option 21. It runs for you the following command (that you can find
using the Help key):

* SAVSYS (save microcode, OS400, security datas, configuration)
(basically QSYS library)
* SAVLIB *NONSYS (all libraries but QSYS)
* SAVDLO *ALL (the Document Library Objects)
* SAV OBJ(('/*' *INCLUDE) ('/QSYS.LIB' *OMIT) ('/QDLS' *OMIT)) (all the
remaining Integrated File System objects)

Check the "Backup and Recovery guide", for example, for V4R1 (this is
the older I have found and you should not find so much different items)

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/pubs/pdfs/as400/V4R1PDF/QB3ALE00.PDF

The online folder for V3R7 documentation is here:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/pubs/pdfs/as400/V3R7PDF/
There is probably the "Backup and recovery guide" inside, but I have
never took a look at each file ;-)


I am sorry not to be able to help you regarding the SSP side.

[nsm]

Post by Marc Rauzier

Post by Alex
What do the veterans think ?

If you are running OS400 (any release), you could try to run GO SAVE
option 21. It runs for you the following command (that you can find
* SAVSYS (save microcode, OS400, security datas, configuration)
(basically QSYS library)
* SAVLIB *NONSYS (all libraries but QSYS)
* SAVDLO *ALL (the Document Library Objects)
* SAV OBJ(('/*' *INCLUDE) ('/QSYS.LIB' *OMIT) ('/QDLS' *OMIT)) (all the
remaining Integrated File System objects)
Check the "Backup and Recovery guide", for example, for V4R1 (this is
the older I have found and you should not find so much different items)
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/pubs/pdfs/as400/V4R1PDF/QB3ALE00.PDF
The online folder for V3R7 documentation is here:http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/pubs/pdfs/as400/V3R7PDF/
There is probably the "Backup and recovery guide" inside, but I have
never took a look at each file ;-)
I am sorry not to be able to help you regarding the SSP side.
--
Cordialement
Marc Rauzier
(pour me répondre, ne pas utiliser le from mais le reply-to)

Normally a tape streamer (QIC-format) is included in the system unit.
You need to get a tape compatible with the unit installed, and the run
the save command as described earlier in the thread.

This backup includes EVERYTHING on your AS/400. Also the SSP
environment if you use that.

A total restore will be possible from the media. The procedure is
described in the backup and recovery guide. If the OS is completely
trashed, it will normally be completed using the system unit directly.

Niels

[Alex]

Post by nsm
Normally a tape streamer (QIC-format) is included in the system unit.
You need to get a tape compatible with the unit installed, and the run
the save command as described earlier in the thread.

Yes there is a QIC 2GB. I think I have blank tapes for that, since I have
the same on my RS/6000.

Post by nsm
This backup includes EVERYTHING on your AS/400. Also the SSP
environment if you use that.

great !

Post by nsm
A total restore will be possible from the media. The procedure is
described in the backup and recovery guide. If the OS is completely
trashed, it will normally be completed using the system unit directly.

Is there also the notion of partition ? I mean, on most of the other
platforms I know, having the files backed up is not enough if the disk(s) is
really wrecked. One also needs to be able to recreate a partition, format
it, and make it bootable.

There are 3 disks. I guess they are organized in a knid of RAID array. Would
the restoration also take care of recreating that setup ?

Thanks !

[Marc Rauzier]

Post by Alex
Is there also the notion of partition ? I mean, on most of the
other platforms I know, having the files backed up is not enough
if the disk(s) is really wrecked. One also needs to be able to
recreate a partition, format it, and make it bootable.

In the AS400 (oups iSeries, oups System i) world, a partition is more
related to CPU, memory, hardware logical partition (read : you can
share CPU and memory, and allocate I/O cards to several virtual images)
than disks. Just to avoid you some ideas : your hardware is not able to
implement logical partitions.

For the disks, we talk about Auxiliary Storage Pools.
The "Backup and Recovery guide" is your friend :-)

Post by Alex
There are 3 disks. I guess they are organized in a knid of RAID
array. Would the restoration also take care of recreating that
setup ?

No. Disks protection is setup by using DST after a manual IPL.
Regarding your actual protection, and using V3R7, I doubt the 3 disks
are part of a Raid set. If I remember fine, until V5R3 (or V5R2 maybe),
the minimum number of disks in a parity set was 4.

[Alex]

Post by Marc Rauzier
In the AS400 (oups iSeries, oups System i) world, a partition is more
related to CPU, memory, hardware logical partition (read : you can
share CPU and memory, and allocate I/O cards to several virtual images)
than disks. Just to avoid you some ideas : your hardware is not able to
implement logical partitions.

I would start with simple things, anyway :)

Post by Marc Rauzier
For the disks, we talk about Auxiliary Storage Pools.
The "Backup and Recovery guide" is your friend :-)

I'm knee deep into it...

Post by Marc Rauzier
No. Disks protection is setup by using DST after a manual IPL.
Regarding your actual protection, and using V3R7, I doubt the 3 disks
are part of a Raid set. If I remember fine, until V5R3 (or V5R2 maybe),
the minimum number of disks in a parity set was 4.

OK, so would they be seen as 3 different areas, or are they aggregated into
one logical space ?

Or would all the space be aggregated then logically split into several areas
(it's like that on the z/VM setup I use at work) ?

[Alex]

Post by Marc Rauzier
If you are running OS400 (any release), you could try to run GO SAVE
option 21. It runs for you the following command (that you can find
* SAVSYS (save microcode, OS400, security datas, configuration)
(basically QSYS library)
* SAVLIB *NONSYS (all libraries but QSYS)
* SAVDLO *ALL (the Document Library Objects)
* SAV OBJ(('/*' *INCLUDE) ('/QSYS.LIB' *OMIT) ('/QDLS' *OMIT)) (all the
remaining Integrated File System objects)

Looks like what I was looking for.

Post by Marc Rauzier
Check the "Backup and Recovery guide", for example, for V4R1 (this is
the older I have found and you should not find so much different items)
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/pubs/pdfs/as400/V4R1PDF/QB3ALE00.PDF
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/pubs/pdfs/as400/V3R7PDF/

Thanks for the links ! I'm going to read that in the coming weeks.

Post by Marc Rauzier
There is probably the "Backup and recovery guide" inside, but I have
never took a look at each file ;-)

That's my problem also. As a beginner, I'm also discovering gigabytes of
docs and it's a bit hard to find anything in it - and make sure I'm not
forgetting something.

Post by Marc Rauzier
I am sorry not to be able to help you regarding the SSP side.

No problem. You already provided me with very valuable information above.

[Peter Kinsman]

The 236 and 436 models of the AS/400 were introduced as a means of getting
old System/36 customers on to black boxes. The 236 was SSP only, but the
436 was available as SSP only or SSP plus OS/400. As you mention the
QSECOFR password, I assume that you initially get an OS/400 sign-on but can
transfer to what is essentially a guest System/36 and you can set up an
internal LAN so that they can communicate. There used to be a very useful
manual Operator Tasks - Multiple Operating Systems SC21-8384-00 which
described this in detail.
Seen from OS/400, the SSP machine appears as one object, and its
configuration as another.
Use WRKOBJ OBJ(*ALLUSR/*ALL) OBJTYPE(*M36)
or WRKOBJ OBJ(*ALLUSR/*ALL) OBJTYPE(*M36CFG) to see them
Work with Objects Using PDM
S44409DA
This is how they appear using PDM.

Library . . . . . M36 Position to . . . . . . . .
Position to type . . . . .

Type options, press Enter.
2=Change 3=Copy 4=Delete 5=Display 7=Rename
8=Display description 9=Save 10=Restore 11=Move ...

Opt Object Type Size Text
MPLA36 *M36CFG 12288 MPL Advanced System/36 September
1998
MPLA36 *M36 2098413568 MPL Advanced System/36 September
1998

Bottom
Parameters or command
===>
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F5=Refresh F6=Create
F9=Retrieve F10=Command entry F23=More options F24=More keys

You can therefore save SSP using SAVOBJ from OS/400 but from the System/36
itself you would have to save libraries, files and possibly folders
separately.
Because your tape drive can probably only hold 2.5Gb, it might help to save
the Operating Sytem and User Data separately using options 22 and 23 from
the SAVE menu.
Quite by coincidence, clearing my office yesterday, I found the Redbook
Softcopy Library for versions 3.6 and 3.7 so if you need any assistance I
should be able to find it.

Best of luck - or should it be Bon chance

Peter Kinsman

Post by Alex
Hi again !
Now that I've been able to reset the password for QSECOFR, my next step
with that 9402-436 is to make sure I can recover the mistakes I'll do when
playing with it. Since I'm a complete newbie on the AS400 platform, I'm
sure I'm gonna crash everything one day or the other.
What are the options to make a full backup of the system, apps, config
files, database and so on ?
I have absolutely no media with the beast. The backup should be
"self-restoring" as much as possible : I can't even reinstall the OS
(V3R7M0 and possibly SSP - don't know yet) from scratch !
There are 3 SCSI disks (2GB each). I wonder whether I could also simply
put them in a PC running Linux, and dd their content byte by byte to an
image file and burn that onto a DVD. But I'm not sure low level parameters
such as sector size would be compatible (I don't want to believe I've it
all backed up and discover that the backup is useless the day I need it).
What do the veterans think ?
Thanks for your help !
--
Alex
[JDR] Visitez Extremia, un monde gratuit et en francais pour D&D et
autres jeux de role.
www.extremia.org

[Alex]

Post by Peter Kinsman
The 236 and 436 models of the AS/400 were introduced as a means of getting
old System/36 customers on to black boxes. The 236 was SSP only, but the
436 was available as SSP only or SSP plus OS/400. As you mention the

I also got 2 S/36 which that AS/400 replaced in the 90's.

Post by Peter Kinsman
QSECOFR password, I assume that you initially get an OS/400 sign-on but
can transfer to what is essentially a guest System/36 and you can set up
an internal LAN so that they can communicate. There used to be a very
useful

I guess so. I didn't try yet.

Post by Peter Kinsman
manual Operator Tasks - Multiple Operating Systems SC21-8384-00 which
described this in detail.
Seen from OS/400, the SSP machine appears as one object, and its
configuration as another.
Use WRKOBJ OBJ(*ALLUSR/*ALL) OBJTYPE(*M36)
or WRKOBJ OBJ(*ALLUSR/*ALL) OBJTYPE(*M36CFG) to see them
Work with Objects Using PDM S44409DA
This is how they appear using PDM.
Library . . . . . M36 Position to . . . . . . . .
Position to type . . . . .
Type options, press Enter.
2=Change 3=Copy 4=Delete 5=Display 7=Rename
8=Display description 9=Save 10=Restore 11=Move ...
Opt Object Type Size Text
MPLA36 *M36CFG 12288 MPL Advanced System/36 September
1998
MPLA36 *M36 2098413568 MPL Advanced System/36 September
1998
Bottom
Parameters or command
===>
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F5=Refresh F6=Create
F9=Retrieve F10=Command entry F23=More options F24=More keys

OK great !

Post by Peter Kinsman
You can therefore save SSP using SAVOBJ from OS/400 but from the System/36
itself you would have to save libraries, files and possibly folders
separately.
Because your tape drive can probably only hold 2.5Gb, it might help to
save the Operating Sytem and User Data separately using options 22 and 23
from the SAVE menu.

I'll do that. I think it will be easier.

Post by Peter Kinsman
Quite by coincidence, clearing my office yesterday, I found the Redbook
Softcopy Library for versions 3.6 and 3.7 so if you need any assistance I
should be able to find it.

OK I'll remember that. But I'm currently downloading all the V3R7 folder
from publib.boulder.ibm.com.

Post by Peter Kinsman
Best of luck - or should it be Bon chance

hum... Thanks - I'll take both, I guess :-))