[rescue] SGI Backup/Imaging question..

[David Holland]

I'm about ready to install IRIX 6.5 on the Indy here, however, I'd like
to backup the IRIX 5.3 that's currently installed in some form that I
could re-install should I want to....  

So, I thought I'd run my backup plan by someone here before I start, and
manage to paint myself in a corner. 

I've 6.5 installation media but no 5.3 media.  Plenty of network, and
storage into the Linux box too. 

FWIW: the Indy has 2x1GB disks in it.

My thoughts were one of two things.. 

(Simplest, but least certain of it working)

dd if=/dev/rdsk/dks0d1vol bs=10240 | rsh linux dd of=/backup/root
bs=1024

Repeat for second disk. 

Restoration is simply: 

Boot 6.5 installations disk/miniroot, get to command prompt and: 

rsh linux dd if=/backup/root bs=10240 | dd of=/dev/rdsk/dks0d1vol
bs=10240 

Does this create the partition tables? Or do I need to create them
manually via fx first?

---

Second method: 

1) Copy the /, and /data filesystems to the linux box via RSH/DD/TAR
cd /; tar Bcvf - . | rsh linux dd of=/backup/root bs=10240 

2) Copy the volume header slices.
dd if=/dev/rdsk/dks1vh of=volhdr1 bs=10240; ftp volhdr1 to linux box. 

3) Save a copy of the output from fx of the partition table. 

(Repeat for second disk) 

Restoration is: 

1) Boot 6.5 fx from cdrom. 
2) Recreate partition tables saved in step 3 above. 
3) Boot 6.5 installation disk, and stop at miniroot. 
4) Obtain shell. 
5) ifconfig ethernet (ec0) appropriately.
6) ftp linux box, and get volhdr1. 
7) dd if=volhdr1 of=/dev/dks1vh bs=10240
8) On linux box, extract mkfs from root backup. 
9) ftp linux box, and get mkfs
10) ./mkfs /dev/dsk/dks0d1s0     (Or would it be /dev/root?) 
11) mount /dev/dsk/dks0d1s0 /root
12) cd /root
13) rsh linux dd if=/backup/root bs=10240 | tar Bxvf -
14) reboot into Irix 5.3 

(Repeat for second disk) 

The second method is somewhat more complex. :-) However, I've a better
feel that it'll work, so that's the one I'm leaning toward.  It also
leaves the backup on the linux box in a "usable" form. 

Anyone who does IRIX administration see anything wrong with this plan,
or anything obvious I've missed? 

(I guess if I had to, I could just play disk swap games, but that
wouldn't teach me anything but how to play hardware tricks, and what's
the fun in that?  :-)  ) 

Thanks, 

David