Pathname rules for UNIX client backups
To back up UNIX clients, use the following conventions for entries in the backup selections list.
Table: Pathname rules for UNIX client backups
Item | Description |
|---|---|
Pathnames per line | Enter one pathname per line. NetBackup supports a maximum path length of 1023 characters for UNIX clients. |
Forward slash | Begin all pathnames with a forward slash (/). |
Wildcard characters | The following wildcard characters are allowed: *
?
[ ]
{ }For UNIX clients, wildcards can appear anywhere in the path. |
Trailing spaces | If a backup selection list entry contains trailing spaces and a matching entry is not found, NetBackup deletes the spaces and checks again. If a match is not found, NetBackup skips the entry and logs a message in the Problems report or the All Log Entries report: TRV - cannot process path pathname: No such file or directory. Skipping TRV - Found no matching file system for pathname |
Mount points | Pathnames that cross mount points or that the client mounts through NFS can affect the backup configuration. Read about the Follow NFS and Cross mount points attributes before you create a backup selection list. |
Bootable tapes | NetBackup can back up operating system, kernel, and boot files. However, NetBackup cannot create bootable tapes. Consult your system documentation to create a bootable tape. |
Omitted or excluded files | By default, NetBackup does not back up all files. See Files that are excluded from backups by default. Exclude specific files from backups by creating an exclusion list on the client. |
Busy File Settings | The Busy File Settings host properties for UNIX clients offers alternatives for handling busy and locked files. |
Access Control Lists (ACLs) | On Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, Linux Red Hat 4 (and later), Linux SUSE SLE 9 (and later), and supported Mac platforms, NetBackup backs up Access Control Lists (ACLs). |
Sun PC NetLink | |
Extended attribute files and named data streams |
See About backing up and restoring extended attribute files and named data streams. |
VxFS extent attributes | On Hewlett-Packard and Solaris SPARC platforms, NetBackup backs up VxFS extent attributes. |
Symbolic links |
NetBackup backs up the symbolic link object and does not attempt to follow the link to back up what it may point to. To achieve a backup of the target of the symbolic link, include that target in the file list. Restoring the symbolic link object restores only the object and not the data to which it may point. To restore the target data, select it from the backup image. See About hard links to files and directories. Note: If NetBackup restores a symbolic link as root, NetBackup changes the owner and group to the original owner and group. When NetBackup restores a symbolic link as a non-root user, the owner and group are set to the owner and the group of the person who performs the restore. Resetting the owner and group does not cause problems. When the UNIX system checks permissions, NetBackup uses the owner and group of the file to which the symbolic link points. |
Directory junctions | NetBackup backs up the directory junction object and does not attempt to traverse into the directory to which it may point. To achieve a backup of the target of the directory junction, include that target in the file list. Restoring the directory junction link object restores only the object and not the data to which it may point. To restore the target data, select it from the backup image. |
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