Back up using runbckup command takes too long

We are running Lotus 6.5 on an AS/400 270, V5R2. We back up using the runbckup command to an Ultrium 3580 tape drive. To restore a person's mailbox we use rstdev after ending the Domino server. We have approximately 300 mail files, and restoring one mailbox can take up to eight hours, which is unacceptable. Is there something we could do differently to speed up the process? Thanks.

You either need to change your backup restore program to something that can do online backups and restores, or you need to use the tried and true OS/400 method of backing up to another partition/drive set on a snap during off-hours. Restores would then require a short downtime as you move the restored file from the backup area to production.

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Isn't there a way to restore a file on the AS/400 using the RST command? An eight hour restore for one mail file is ridiculous.

There is also a BRMS product that will restore files much quicker, allowing you to use a sequence number to go right to the file on the tape.

—Jim N.

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This was first published in September 2004

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