Hello. I am seeking advice on the proper way to backup my Alphastation. 
I have a single Alphastation 250 4/266, with a 8505 8mm tape drive attached
in a Storageworks pizza box.  I have been backing up my system, while logged
on as root, using the following commands:
Tape #1:
dump -0unN /dev/rz0a    
dump -0un /dev/rz0g 
        Note: /dev/rz0a is the / directory
              /dev/rz0g is /usr
Tape #2:
dump -0un /dev/rz6e
        /dev/rz6e is /ibm/pe
Tape #3:
dump -0un /dev/rz3c
        /dev/rz3c is /big
I am not logged on at the "console" level when I issue these dump commands.
My questions are:
Is my backup method valid?  Am I putting two dumps on the same tape properly
using the dump -0unN method?  Should I be at the console level or is being
logged as root okay?  Is there a method that I could have the computer do
this for me at night, as opposed to me issuing the commands by hand?  Is
there a backup package that could help me do this properly?  Could all these
directories fit on one tape?
I know these are a lot of questions, but I worried that some day I'll lose
some files or a disk, and not be able to restore them properly.  The sage
advice of longer-term users will be gratefully accepted, and I will summarize.
Here is a report of the df -k command for my disks:
hopland> df -k
Filesystem  1024-blocks        Used       Avail Capacity  Mounted on
/dev/rz0a         63231       48126        8781    85%    /
/proc                 0           0           0   100%    /proc
/dev/rz0g        801763      571471      150115    79%    /usr
/dev/rz3c       4061956     2676117      979643    73%    /big
/dev/rz6b        213331        5491      186506     3%    /tmp
/dev/rz6e       3411648      871760     2198723    28%    /ibm/pe
/dev/rz4c        627866      627866           0   100%    /cdrom
Thanks for any and all help,
Colin Brooks
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Colin Brooks                       	      
GIS Program Analyst 				
Integrated Hardwood Range Management Program            
Hopland Research & Extension Center 		  
4070 University Rd.                 		   
Hopland, CA 95449                  		   
Primary #'s - TEL:(707)744-1270 FAX:(707)744-1040
Work E-mail: cbrooks_at_nature.berkeley.edu  
http://www.pacific.net/~cbrooks/gis1.htm 	                  
I'm also found at:		      		   
ESPM, University of California - Berkeley	  
160 Mulford Hall			      	
Berkeley, CA 94720-3114		      
Secondary #'s - TEL: 510-643-1136  FAX: 510-643-5438
****************************************************
Received on Fri Jan 10 1997 - 19:14:58 NZDT