Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Administration Unleashed

Using Amanda for Backups 231As you can see from the example file, the amcheck utility runs a self-check, and the -margument causes any errors to be emailed to all the administrators listed in amanda.conf.The amdump utility starts the actual backup process. Create a similar cron task on yourAmanda server. The amdump command must be run by the amanda user, so be sure to addthe cron task to the list of jobs for the amanda user. For details on configuring a crontask, refer to Chapter 11, “Automating Tasks with Scripts.”Table 10.4 contains brief descriptions of the Amanda utilities that can be used on theAmanda server.TABLE 10.4 Amanda Server UtilitiesServer Utility Descriptionamdump Usually used in scripts to start the backup process on all configured clients.Email is sent upon completion, reporting successes and failures.amcheck Run before amdump to verify the correct tape is mounted and client filesystemsare ready.amcheckdb Check that each tape in the Amanda database is listed in the tapelist file.amcleanup If amdump fails before completion, use this command to clean up.amddAmanda version of dd. Use for full restore if the standard dd program is notavailable.ammtAmanda version of mt. Use for full restore if the standard mt program is notavailable.amadmin Interactive command to perform admin tasks such as forcing a full backup,checking backup status of clients, and determining which tape will be usedfor the next backup run.amflush Write files from holding disk to tape or backup media. Use if a tape failureoccurs and after fixing the problem with the tape device.amgetconf Look up the value of an Amanda parameter.amlabel Label tapes to use with Amanda. Tapes must be labeled before Amanda canuse them. Must use label naming convention defined by labelstr inamanda.conf.amoverview Display list of hosts and filesystems backed up, along with their backupschedule.amplot Produce a graph, using gnuplot, to show Amanda performance. Can beused to determine if performance can be improved with different settings.amreport Email a statistics report for an Amanda run to the administrator.amrmtape Delete a tape from the backup rotation.amstatus Determine status of previous or running backup run.amtoc Produce a TOC for a backup run. Usually run after amdump in cron script.amverify Check all tapes for errors.amverifyrun Check the tapes used by the last run for errors.amtape Perform tape changer tasks such as resetting, ejecting, and cleaning.amtapetype Create a tapetype definition for use in amanda.conf.10