vdfbkup.pl - Create a backup of a VAPOR Data Collection
vdfbkup.pl [options] vdffile directory
vdfbkup.pl [options] vdffile command [command args]
vdfbkup.pl -restart
vdfbkup.pl will make a backup of VAPOR Data Collection (VDC) associated with the named .vdf file, vdffile. In the first form of the command the backup files are written to the named directory. In the second form of the command, each backup file generated by vdfbkup.pl is passed as an argument to the user command specified by command. Each occurrence of the token %s in the command argument list is replaced by the path to the vdfbkup.pl backup file.
Files contained in the VDC that are smaller than a threshold are archived in a tar file. Files that exceed the threshold are backed up directly: copied, without modification to directory if the first form of the command is used, or passed as arguments to command if the second form of vdfbkup.pl is invoked.
The third form of the command allow restarting from a previous, failed session.
Specify the blocking factor to be used by the tar command. The argument, block_size is passed directly to tar as the -b option argument.
This option specifies the maximum UNIX command line argument length permitted by the system, in bytes. This option should only be needed in the event that the UNIX shell limit is unusually restrictive, or if the VDC contains many, many small files that would otherwise fit into a single tar archive. Unfortunately there is no portable way to determine the maximum argument length permitted by a given system.
This option specifies the maximum size in MBs of a single VDC file that will be placed in a tar archive. Files that are larger than size will be backed up without placing them in a tar archive.
This option specifies the maximum size in MBs of a single tar file that vdfbkup.pl may genearate. Multiple tar files are generated as needed.
Normally vdfbkup.pl creates a manifest listing all of the files backed up. If this option is specified the manifest will not be generated.
Echo, but do not execute any commands. This option may be used to see what files would be backed up by vdfbkup.pl if this option were not present.
Operate quietly. Normally, vdfbkup.pl is quite verbose, echoing each command before executing it.
Attempt to restart from a previous session. vdfbkup.pl maintains a hidden state file as it backs up data. The file, .vdfbkup_restart.txt is written to the current working directory. If the command is terminated abnormally this option allows restarts using the state file. The state file maintains the command line arguments used to invoke vdfbkup.pl, the absolute path to the .vdf file and lists of files yet to be successfully copied.
The command:
vdfbkup.pl mydata.vdf /usr/bin/scp %s myremotehost:/remote_directory
would back up the VDC files associated with mydata.vdf to the remote system, myremotehost, using the scp command.
An Overview of VAPOR Data Collections
Last updated on $Date$