AFSERVER.CONF(8)

NAME
@serverconf@ - server side configuration file for afbackup

DESCRIPTION
This file needs not be edited by hand with an editor, instead the program @serverbindir@/afserverconfig can be used. If you are running X, the programs are the same, but start with an 'x'; (Tcl/Tk must be installed): and @serverbindir@/xafserverconfig. The parameters described below are the same for both versions. Entries consist of lines starting with the parameter name, then follows a colon and the value of the parameter. Comment lines can be inserted as desired starting with the # character.

ENTRIES

Backup-Device
    This is the device the backup is written to. It can be any tape device with the capability to distinguish between several files on the media. It is mandatory to supply the no-rewind device here, otherwise this package won't work properly. Suitable device names for some OS-es:
      AIX: /dev/rmt0.1
      Solaris: /dev/rmt/0bn
      IRIX: /dev/rmt/tps0d4nr
      HP-UX: /dev/rmt/0hn
      Linux: /dev/nst0
      Digital UNIX: /dev/nrmt0h

Tape-Blocksize
    The blocksize of the tape device. This value specifies how many bytes are written to tape or read from it with one system call. Usually this value is at least 512 or a multiple of it. It is not very important if the blocksize is set to 2048 or 1024. The main thing to keep in mind is that if there is a minimum, it should be respected (e.g. 1024 on AIX), otherwise media space is wasted.

Cartridge-Handler
    This value must be 1 or 0, which means, that you either have a cartridge handling system (i.e. some kind of robot) (1) or not (0). If you don't have a robot, you may nonetheless maintain a set of cartridges, that you will have to manually number. The backup server side will inform you via email or console output, whenever another cartridge has to be inserted into the drive and what number it requires it is.

Number Of Cartridges
    This number specifies, how many cartridges you are maintaining. If you have a cartridge handling system (some kind of robot), this must be the number of cartridges, your system is juggling.

Last Cartridges
    Several cartridge sets can be used. Here they may be specified supplying the last cartridge of each set separated by whitespace. If this parameter is not given, there is only the default set number 1 with all available cartridges. Not all cartridges need to be used by the sets, but only the last ones can be omitted. E. g. if 3 cartridge sets are needed (1-3, 4-8, 9-10), you may supply here: 3 8 10.

Max Bytes Per File
    The stream of data, that represents your backup, is divided into pieces (files on tape). This is done to find the files faster during a restore. This value determines, how large the pieces on tape may be in bytes. Some good values for a few tape technologies:
      QIC: 20000000
      DAT: 30000000
      Exabyte: 50000000
      DLT: 100000000

Cart-Insert-Gracetime
    This is the time in seconds, the program waits after another cartridge has been put into the drive. Normal devices need a certain time span to mount the tape to get it ready for use. Normally this value is not critical. If you estimate it too low, the ioctl-system-call will wait until the device becomes available. This time is sometimes longer than two minutes, so if you want to proceed quickly after a cartridge change, you may measure the maximum time your system needs. Some tried values for a few tape technologies:
      QIC: 20
      DAT: 30
      Exabyte: 70
      DLT: 70

Device-Unavailable-Send-Mail-After-Min
    If the streaming device is not accessible (i.e. an open or a tape handling command fails) or another backup server process is still running, the server process re-tries his attempts regularly. If it fails longer than the time in minutes supplied here, an e-mail is sent to the configured user in charge (see: User To Inform). Supplying 0 means: never send mail.

Device-Unavailable-Give-Up-After-Min
    Same as Device-Unavailable-Send-Mail-After-Min, but this time not an e-mail is sent, but the server process exits silently leaving a warning in the log file. Supplying 0 means: try forever, never exit.

Device-Probe Interval
    This is the interval in seconds, after that regularly the device is probed to be ready for reading. Thus after having ejected a cartridge it is automatically recognized, if a new cartridge has been inserted. For other media (e.g. exchangeable disks) this may not be suitable. Supply a 0 in these cases for no probing.

SetFile-Command
    This is the (shell-) command to run to position the tape to a certain file. Usually this is something like a combination of: mt -f <device> rewind and mt -f <device> fsf <number>. If the command you are supplying here starts to count with 1 for the first file on tape, you should insert %n for the <number>. If it starts with 0, replace <number> with %m. If you don't want to type the devicename again here, you may write %d instead.

SkipFile-Command
    This is the (shell-) command to run to skip over to a file later on tape. Usually this is something like
     mt -f <device> fsf <number> Insert %n, where the number of files to skip over must be supplied in the command, in the example instead of <number>, and %d, where the device should appear (here: <device>).

Setcart-Command
    This is the (shell-) command to run to put a certain cartridge into the device. If the command you are supplying here starts to count with 1 for the first cartridge, you should insert %n in the place, where the cartridge number must appear. If it starts with 0, replace it with %m. If you don't want to type the devicename again here, you may write %d instead. If you don't have a command to perform this task, don't supply anything here. In this case you must set your cartridge handling system to sequential mode (automatically putting the next cartridge in, when the actual one is ejected).

Changecart-Command
    This is the (shell-) command to run to eject a cartridge actually placed inside the streamer device. This is normally something like mt -f <device> rewoffl (but better consult your man-pages). You have to supply this either if you have no cartridge handling system (robot) or if you have no command to set the cartridge directly by number. In the latter case this package tries to maintain the number of the actual cartridge in a file and to (hopefully) keep it consistent with the reality. In this case the cartridge handling system must be configured to sequential mode (automatically putting the next cartridge in, when the actual one is ejected).

Erasetape-Command
    The (shell-) command to run, if the tape must be erased. (actually not needed).

User To Inform
    If you don't have a cartridge handling system (robot), a human maintainer must put the appropriate cartridge into the tape device. If you supply a mail program, an e-mail is sent to the user given here, which informs him, that and which cartridge (by number) must be put into the tape device. If a timespan is configured, after that an automatic e-mail should be sent due to an unaccessible tape device, it is directed to this user (see Device-unavail-send-mail-after-min)

Mail-Program
    The mail program used to send messages to a human maintainer. This is done, whenever another cartridge must be put into the tape device and it can't be done automatically (by a robot or whatever). If you don't want to type the username again here, you can instead write %u . If you don't want mails to be sent, you may instead supply any other command, that reads the standard input and does something reasonable with it, e.g. redirects it to the console: cat > /dev/console

Tape-Pos-File
    In this file some values are stored, e.g. the number of the cartridge actually placed inside the streamer device.

Logging-file
    Logging information concerning errors or other notable events is redirected to this file.

Lock-file
    To prevent the server program from being started several times a lock file is created and this is it's name.

Encryption-Key-File
    The file containing the encryption key for authenticating the backup client to the server. This file must contain at least 5 characers and must not have read permission for group or world.

Program-Directory
    If you are using the remote start option for backing up clients, this is the directory, where programs must reside, that can be started remotely. No other programs can be started remotely (for security reasons).

Init-Command
    Here you may supply a (shell-) command to be run, when the backup server side wakes up, i.e. the server process starts. A %p appearing in this command is replaced with the name of the client, that connected the backup service.

Exit-Command
    Here you may supply a (shell-) command to be run, when the backup server side goes to sleep, i.e. the server process ends. A %p appearing in this command is replaced with the name of the client, that connected the backup service.

FILES

@serverlibdir@/@serverconf@
    Server configuration file

@serverlogdir@
    The directory for logging the server actions

@servervardir@
    Some internal state information of the server.

SEE ALSO
afclientconfig(8), xafclientconfig(8), full_backup(8), incr_backup(8), afverify(8), afrestore(8), print_errors(8), afclient.conf(8), afserver.conf(8), tar(1)

AUTHOR
afbackup was written by Albert Fluegel (af@muc.de). This manpage was extracted from the text docs by Christian Meder (meder@isr.uni-stuttgart.de).