System Administration Guide
Chapter 3, Backing up filesystems
About media devices

About media devices

The Backup Manager uses the Device Query Interface (DQI) to determine what media devices are available on your system and display their names wherever you are prompted to select a media device. You can also use a device that is not supported in the DQI by deleting the current entry in the ``Media Device'' field and entering the desired device file (for example, /dev/rct0).

NOTE: To permanently add a non-DQI device to the list of default devices, see ``Setting the default media values''.

Depending on the hardware you have installed, the Backup Manager supports these media devices by default: 

Table 3-1 Media devices

 ----------------------------------------------------------------
 Device                            Description   Device File
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
 1/4-inch Cartridge Tape Drive 0   Primary       /dev/rct0
                                   cartridge
                                   tape
 1.44MB 3.5in Floppy Drive 0       Primary       /dev/rfd0135ds18
                                   1.44MB
                                   floppy
 1.44MB 3.5in Floppy Drive 1       Secondary     /dev/rfd1135ds18
                                   1.44MB
                                   floppy
 720KB 3.5in Floppy Drive 0        Primary       /dev/rfd0135ds9
                                   720KB
                                   floppy
 720KB 3.5in Floppy Drive 1        Secondary     /dev/rfd1135ds9
                                   720KB
                                   floppy
 360KB 5.25in Floppy Drive 0       Primary       /dev/rfd048
                                   360KB
                                   floppy
 360KB 5.25in Floppy Drive 1       Secondary     /dev/rfd148
                                   360KB
                                   floppy
 1.2MB 5.25in Floppy Drive 0       Primary       /dev/rfd096
                                   1.2MB
                                   floppy
 1.2MB 5.25in Floppy Drive 1       Secondary     /dev/rfd196
                                   1.2MB
                                   floppy

To set a specific media device to be the default, see ``Setting the default backup device''.

For each media device on your system, the Backup Manager uses default values for the block and volume sizes. To change these default values, see ``Setting the default media values''. 

NOTE: Although the DQI automatically senses the type of media on your system, in some cases the DQI cannot automatically sense the capacity (volume size) of the drive, and so sets the volume size to 0. To use the Backup Manager to back up such a filesystem, you must first set the volume size for the devices on your system. See ``Setting the default media values'' for more information.

See also: