  Networking, BACKUP, and File Archives? 
 The Question is:
 
I would like to backup an OpenVMS file created by an application for a Credit
 Union.
 
 
I would like to performa the backup using a WAN connection such as a VPN
 Internet connection using IP.  The target system would preferably be a Linux
 platform.  This would be a daily backup of a file of 20 GigaBytes.
 
The questions are:
 
1- Can it be be done?
2 Can the file be restore even if the target system is not an OpenVMS platform?
  Is the file structure preserved after the backup and restore?
3- What DCL procedure can I use on the OpenVMS system to automate such a daily
 backup?
4- What IP stack options do I have for my OpenVMS system?
5- Can the file be encrypted prior to the transfer?
 
Thank you so much for your support.
Warm regards
Derya
 
 The Answer is :
 
  The OpenVMS Wizard STRONGLY suggests you read the available OpenVMS
  documentation or you contract with HP Services or a third-party entity
  to provide this -- the OpenVMS Wizard cannot help but infer you are
  quite unfamiliar with OpenVMS, with OpenVMS commands and utilities,
  with encryption, and with networking.  (This inference may or may not
  be correct, of course.)
 
  The OpenVMS Wizard would also encourage more direct maintenance of
  data archives, as the wide-area network itself can be a comparatively
  weak point of the proposed archival scheme -- both in terms of the
  creation, and in terms of the restoration.  The mixing of platforms is
  also quite feasible, but the OpenVMS Wizard infers your familiarity is
  potentially with Linux or related platforms and that you have relatively
  less familiarity with heterogeneous file transfer and distributed file
  storage -- you may or may not wish to learn this, and may or may not
  want to contract for assistance and/or training here.
 
  The answers, in order:
 
  1: Yes.  Of course.
 
  2: This depends entirely on the tool used.  Various common tools can
  create archives which are maintained and accessable across platforms,
  and various tools can create archives which are not as portable.  Each
  of these tools has trade-offs, as well.
 
  3: One that you write, or one that you contract to have written.  This can
  use one of the available scheduling packages or scheduling-related
  Freeware, or a solution can use periodic batch resubmissions of the
  command procedure using a standard OpenVMS batch queue and batch job.
 
  4: Various, including the TCP/IP Services package licensed with most
  OpenVMS systems, as well as available third-party stacks.  To determine
  if you have an IP stack installed, you can enter the DCL command SHOW
  NETWORK.
 
  5: Yes.  Of course.  The OpenVMS Encryption product, and various pointers
  in the OpenVMS FAQ can be of interest.  Considerations here include the
  specific requirements for the encryption algorithm used, and particularly
  for the local data integrity and data security requirements.
 
  The OpenVMS Wizard would encourage direct contact with the HP Customer
  Support Center and particularly with the HP Services organization.
 
 Answer written or last revised on  28-JUL-2003 
