Backing up hard disk for transfer to new disk.

[Greg Wettstein]

I have XENIX 2.3.3 running on an ALR 386/220 with 4 megabytes of RAM and
an 80 megabyte hard disk which is partitioned into a 30 megabyte root (/)
filesystem and a 50 megabyte user (/u) filesystem.  Sitting next to my
desk is a 330 megabyte ESDI hard drive which is still sitting there because
of indecision on how to transfer the contents of the 80 megabyte drive
to the 330 megabyte drive.

My question is basically: What is the best utility/procedure to use so that
the contents of the 80 megabyte drive can be transfered to the 330 megabyte
drive with a minimum of system disruption?

Before I go on I should probably say that I do have a magnetic tape drive
on the machine (Mountain).

My main concern is not the /u filesystem because I plan on just using tar
to dump that to a couple of tapes.  My real concern is the root filesystem
because of problems(rumors) that I have heard regarding the ability of SCO's
tar to handle the /dev directory and other special files.

I know about the backup facility available through the sysadm menus but I
have heard some fairly dark stories about this utility as well.  I have
tried to keep the root filesystem relatively virgin but this box is in a
production environment and I would rather not take the time to have to
re-install the system and the collection of updates and patches that makes
everything run as it should.

I would appreciate whatever comments, concerns and questions you would be
willing to direct either to the net or e-mail.  Thanks in advance for any
informaion which may be forthcoming.

                                         As always,
                                         Dr. G.W. Wettstein
                                         NU013809 at NDSUVM1

`The truest mark of a man's wisdom is his ability to listen to other men
 expound their wisdom.'