What's wrong with my batch file for ntbackup? /um switch

[Jeff Taylor]

I am trying to run a backup job using a .cmd file per Microsoft's
suggestion for an unmanaged daily backup but it doesn't work. (Q239892
and Q267574 - method 3)

Here's the dailybackup.cmd file:

start /wait rsm.exe refresh /lf"SEAGATE DAT 04106-XXX SCSI
Sequential Device" C:\WINDOWS\system32\ntbackup.exe backup
"@C:\Documents and Settings\saxguy\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Windows NT\NTBackup\data\daily.bks" /v:yes /r:no /rs:no
/hcn /m normal /j "daily" /l:f /p "4mm DDS" /um

I don't have the /n switch because MS says it's best to let RSM use
the default date/time label.

But when I double click on the .cmd file it just flashes and goes
away.

What's the reason?

I have been trying for months to get ntbackup to run a daily backup
job of selected files using one of two DDS3 tapes. Set to overwrite, I
expect the job to not care which tape is in (I selected "New" for
which type of media to use when i defined the job) but it doesn't work
reliably.

Seems to be RSM and the way it handles labels I guess? I discovered
the /um switch which is supposed to obviate any requirement for user
interaction on a stand alone tape drive (Seagate DAT) but I have yet
to see it work reliably.

I can do manuals just fine but that takes the fun out of automation
plus it irks me that this shouldn't be rocket science to schedule a
backup.

I keep one tape in the drive and one in a safe location and swap them
out fairly often. I don't want to be bothered by a request to "put in
XXX tape please" to continue a backup. Just overwrite what is on the
tape in the drive and be done with it.

Any help is really appreciated

Jeff

 

[Damian N Leibaschoff [MSFT]]

We might have lost the <CR> when posting, but the CMD does not look ok in
regards to the lines.

Please confirm that it actually looks like this:

start /wait rsm.exe refresh /lf"SEAGATE DAT 04106-XXX SCSI Sequential
Device"

C:\WINDOWS\system32\ntbackup.exe backup "@C:\Documents and
Settings\saxguy\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\WindowsNT\NTBackup\data\daily.bks" /v:yes /r:no /rs:no /hcn
/m normal /j "daily" /l:f /p "4mm DDS" /um

Regards,
Damian

--
Damian N. Leibaschoff, MS IST, MCSE
Microsoft Corporation

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

=====================================================

When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via

your newsreader so that others may learn and benefit

from your issue.

=====================================================

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

FWIW, here's a working example of a daily backup command, taken from a
Microsoft KB article:

@echo off
rsm.exe refresh /LF "ARCHIVE Python 06408-XXX SCSI Sequential Device"
c:\tools\sleep 30
for /f "Tokens=1-4 Delims=/ " %%i in ('date /t') do set dt=%%i-%%j-%%k-%%l
for /f "Tokens=1" %%i in ('time /t') do set tm=-%%i
set tm=%tm::=-%
set dtt=%dt%%tm%
c:\winnt\system32\ntbackup.exe backup "@C:\Documents and
Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows
NT\NTBackup\data\monday.bks" /n "%computername%-%dtt%" /d "daily %dtt%"
/v:yes /r:no /rs:no /hcn /m normal /j "daily %dtt%" /l:s /p "4mm DDS" /UM
rsm.exe eject /PF"%computername%-%dtt% - 1" /astart
call c:\tools\copylog.cmd
exit

 

[Henry Craven]

The "/UM" Switch is case sensitive and -must- be Uppercase.

 

[Mark Mancini]

I always use lower case and it always backs up on any media I put in. I
don't know of any MS command or switch that is case sensitive like Unix.

--
Sincerely,
Mark Mancini, CCA, CCNA, Master CIW&CI, CNE 4&5, MCSE+I 4&2000
www.MCSE2000.com
www.AppLauncher.com

 

[Mark Mancini]

Jeff,
Set /rs:yes and NOT no otherwise cataloging a tape to restore will take
HOURS!

 

[David Candy]

Backup isn't but some of the network utilities are, like nbtstat. Also MS can't make up it's mind to use - or / with some acceptinmg either and some one or the other. Some don't support /? or /help (or -? or -help). But generally it's not case sensitive. But you have to check.

 

[Rob Stow]

I always use lower case and it always backs up on any media I put in. I
don't know of any MS command or switch that is case sensitive like Unix.

Every DOS or Windows program is responsible for reading in,
parsing, and interpreting its own command line. It is up
to the programmers to determine how they want to handle case
sensitivity. However, the de facto standard is for switches
to be case-insensitive and it is up to the programmers to
document exceptions in the manual and it is up to you to RTFM.

Programs that have case-sensitive commmand line switches
are more common than most people realize. Perhaps the
best known examples are the installers for IE4, IE5, and IE6.
(IE4setup.exe, IE5setup.exe, and IE6setup.exe.)
All of those are case sensitive for some - but not all -
of their command line switches.

 

[Henry Craven]

Well there you go. We had exactly the opposite experience.
Changing to Uppercase /UM instantly fixed failing command line Backups.

--
Henry Craven.

========= Post It Appropriately: ============
SBS 4/4.5 : microsoft.public.backoffice.smallbiz
SBS 2000 : microsoft.public.backoffice.smallbiz2000
SBS 2003 : microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs
=====================================

 

[Jeff Taylor]

Thanks everyone. Will try the suggestions and report back. Bit of a
cold so recuperating at the moment!

Jeff

 

[Jeff Taylor]

Well I tried all suggestions as far as my script and it still just
loads a DOS screen for a few seconds then ends.

Here are my changes:

start /wait rsm.exe refresh /lf"SEAGATE DAT 04106-XXX SCSI
Sequential Device"

C:\WINDOWS\system32\ntbackup.exe backup "@C:\Documents and
Settings\saxguy\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\WindowsNT\NTBackup\data\daily.bks" /v:yes /r:yes /rs:no
/hcn /m normal /j "daily" /l:f /p "4mm DDS" /UM

Haven't tried the Sleep utility. Do you think RSM/NTBackup requires
it?

Jeff

 

[Henry Craven]

Have you tried pasting the Commandline into a cmd window and reading the
error returned ?

--
Henry Craven.

========= Post It Appropriately: ============
SBS 4/4.5 : microsoft.public.backoffice.smallbiz
SBS 2000 : microsoft.public.backoffice.smallbiz2000
SBS 2003 : microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs
=====================================