What Should You Backup?

To completely back up your system, you should copy three types of information:

User and system files. User files are usually the largest part of a system backup. They cannot otherwise be duplicated, except from hardcopy. Since, in total, they can be the product of several months or even years of labor, user files can be considered the most important element within your computer system. All system files are in groups within the SYS account; most system files are owned by the PUB group of the SYS account.
The file system directory. The file system directory contains your account, group, and user structure, plus all associated capabilities. Each volume set has its own directory that must be saved to provide a complete backup.
The current system configuration. The system configuration includes system tables, queues, device I/O attachments, and other parameters.

The various types of data are backed up using different mechanisms:

System configuration information is backed up on a system load tape (SLT).
User and system files, and the file system directory are backed up on STORE media, which can include tape, DDS, or disk.

Backing up system configuration files separately from other files is to your advantage because user, system, and system directory files usually change often while system configuration files change infrequently. Also, with the capability of backing up each type of file separately, you can avoid backing up any inadvertent corruption of system files while still backing up your other files.

Use the SYSGEN program to create a system load backup to supplement a STORE backup. The SYSGEN program enables you to back up the system configuration. You cannot back up operating system and configuration files with the STORE program. When you use STORE to perform system backups, you must still use the SYSGEN program to create a system load tape from which you can reload your system configuration.

To put SLT and store filesets on a single tape, you can use the combined SLT and Storeset functionality. Refer to Chapter 10, "Backing Up the System Configuration," for details of using the SYSGEN utility and combining an SLT and Store set.

What Should You Backup?

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