In article jch@nowhere.net "jch" writes:

> [...]
> 3) On a another, larger test disk, installed IBM BM, and created a
> primary partition C: of about 2,000 Mb. [...]
> 4) Restored the same test image from the USB drive as before with
> "Use size/start from IMZ header" checked. This time, the BM came up
> correctly, but the OS/2 system /did not/ boot. Just got the flashing
> cursor in the TL corner of the screen. This usually means that the
> loader code is not in place, or not correct.
>
> [...]

WAG: could the familiar gremlin of >2GB partition + old driver
code be part of the problem? (Am a tad hazy on details; maybe
someone else can pick up this ball and run with it -- or chuck
it away. )
--
Andrew Stephenson

Andrew Stephenson wrote:
> In article jch@nowhere.net "jch" writes:
>
>> [...]
>> 3) On a another, larger test disk, installed IBM BM, and created a
>> primary partition C: of about 2,000 Mb. [...]
>> 4) Restored the same test image from the USB drive as before with
>> "Use size/start from IMZ header" checked. This time, the BM came up
>> correctly, but the OS/2 system /did not/ boot. Just got the flashing
>> cursor in the TL corner of the screen. This usually means that the
>> loader code is not in place, or not correct.
>>
>> [...]
>
> WAG: could the familiar gremlin of >2GB partition + old driver
> code be part of the problem? (Am a tad hazy on details; maybe
> someone else can pick up this ball and run with it -- or chuck
> it away. )
_____
The 2Gb primary partition is the first one on the disk, and is
acceptable for OS/2 Warp 4. I use this configuration daily. The
question relates to the IMZ size/start related option of DFSEE when
restoring partition image files.

/John

--
Regards / JCH

jch wrote:
> _____
> All OS/2 Users,
>
> Did some more work testing ability of DFSEE to restore OS/2 C: partition
> from USB connected drive. Here is what i found:
> 1) Imaged small, freshly installed OS/2 test system to USB drive. Disk
> parameters were C=707, H=32, S=63, bytes/sec=512. This gives
> 729,759,744 bytes, and is the correct size as printed on the disk.
> 2) Formatted the drive with HPFS FS, and restored the image from USB
> drive to test system with "Use size/start from IMZ header" checked. The
> restored system booted perfectly, as expected.
> 3) On a another, larger test disk, installed IBM BM, and created a
> primary partition C: of about 2,000 Mb. The disk parameters were C=788,
> H=255, S=63, bytes/sec=512. This gives 6,481,520,640 bytes, and is also
> the correct size as printed on the disk. Formatted C: partition with HPFS.
> 4) Restored the same test image from the USB drive as before with "Use
> size/start from IMZ header" checked. This time, the BM came up
> correctly, but the OS/2 system /did not/ boot. Just got the flashing
> cursor in the TL corner of the screen. This usually means that the
> loader code is not in place, or not correct.
>
> I have not had the time to test what happens when the "Use size/start
> from IMZ header" is /unchecked/. Am i correct in guessing that when
> that option is left unchecked the restore process will produce a
> bootable partition because it does not obey the IMZ header disk geometry
> instructions? If anyone can confirm /yes/, that would save me some time.
>
As I understand it, an image of a partition is just what the name suggests, that is
an exact comy of the partition. It must be restored to a partition of the same size.

To change the partition size and geometry, what you need to do is zip up the original
partition being sure to preserve empty directories and extended attributes; create
the new, larger partition with the same drive letter; finally unzip the zipped
partition.

The new partition, with the file restored should now boot. If it does not, boor from
another partition or from the install disks and run sysinstx.com x:, where x is the
restored drive.

James J. Weinkam wrote:
> jch wrote:
>> _____
>> All OS/2 Users,
>>
>> Did some more work testing ability of DFSEE to restore OS/2 C:
>> partition from USB connected drive. Here is what i found:
>> 1) Imaged small, freshly installed OS/2 test system to USB drive.
>> Disk parameters were C=707, H=32, S=63, bytes/sec=512. This gives
>> 729,759,744 bytes, and is the correct size as printed on the disk.
>> 2) Formatted the drive with HPFS FS, and restored the image from USB
>> drive to test system with "Use size/start from IMZ header" checked.
>> The restored system booted perfectly, as expected.
>> 3) On a another, larger test disk, installed IBM BM, and created a
>> primary partition C: of about 2,000 Mb. The disk parameters were
>> C=788, H=255, S=63, bytes/sec=512. This gives 6,481,520,640 bytes,
>> and is also the correct size as printed on the disk. Formatted C:
>> partition with HPFS.
>> 4) Restored the same test image from the USB drive as before with
>> "Use size/start from IMZ header" checked. This time, the BM came up
>> correctly, but the OS/2 system /did not/ boot. Just got the flashing
>> cursor in the TL corner of the screen. This usually means that the
>> loader code is not in place, or not correct.
>>
>> I have not had the time to test what happens when the "Use size/start
>> from IMZ header" is /unchecked/. Am i correct in guessing that when
>> that option is left unchecked the restore process will produce a
>> bootable partition because it does not obey the IMZ header disk
>> geometry instructions? If anyone can confirm /yes/, that would save
>> me some time.
>>
> As I understand it, an image of a partition is just what the name
> suggests, that is an exact copy of the partition. It must be restored to
> a partition of the same size.
>
> To change the partition size and geometry, what you need to do is zip up
> the original partition being sure to preserve empty directories and
> extended attributes; create the new, larger partition with the same
> drive letter; finally unzip the zipped partition.
>
> The new partition, with the file restored should now boot. If it does
> not, boot from another partition or from the install disks and run
> sysinstx.com x:, where x is the restored drive.
_____
The procedure you suggest is essentially what my HP T1000 tape based
backup program provided, and should work just fine. If DFSEE cannot
restore an image file to a partition of a different size (smaller or
larger) then i would consider that a limitation.

Are there any DFSEE experts out there who use OS/2, and have
successfully used it to restore an OS/2 image of a given partition size
to another partition size (on another disk, for instance) with success,
meaning that the restored partition boots properly?

/ John

--
Regards / JCH

jch wrote:
>
> Are there any DFSEE experts out there who use OS/2, and have
> successfully used it to restore an OS/2 image of a given partition size
> to another partition size (on another disk, for instance) with success,
> meaning that the restored partition boots properly?
>
> / John
>
There is a learned bunch at the Yahoo! DFSEE group:

> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/dfsee-support/

Brendan McCullough wrote:
> jch wrote:
>>
>> Are there any DFSEE experts out there who use OS/2, and have
>> successfully used it to restore an OS/2 image of a given partition
>> size to another partition size (on another disk, for instance) with
>> success, meaning that the restored partition boots properly?
_____
Brendan,

Thanks for this link. I joined up, and it looks like my question is
answered there by JvW himself.

The fundamental difference between the OS/2 Backup Exec program (with a
tape machine) and DFSEE is that the former is file system based, while
the latter is sector based.

The file system based backup/restore approach is also employed by Linux
and BSD via the dump/restore utilities. In the Unix world, one can move
a system from one disk to another easily, even if the size is different.
This is because one has to define the various partitions first, then
one creates the file system(s). After that is done, one can run restore
using a source file on another disk. The restore utility rebuilds all
the files, plus the soft and hard links. A boot sector is written to
the new disk, and presto.

/ John

--
Regards / JCH

Which ..

jch wrote:
> Brendan McCullough wrote:
>> jch wrote:
>>>
>>> Are there any DFSEE experts out there who use OS/2, and have
>>> successfully used it to restore an OS/2 image of a given partition
>>> size to another partition size (on another disk, for instance) with
>>> success, meaning that the restored partition boots properly?
> _____
> Brendan,
>
> Thanks for this link. I joined up, and it looks like my question is
> answered there by JvW himself.
>
> The fundamental difference between the OS/2 Backup Exec program (with a
> tape machine) and DFSEE is that the former is file system based, while
> the latter is sector based.
>
> The file system based backup/restore approach is also employed by Linux
> and BSD via the dump/restore utilities. In the Unix world, one can move
> a system from one disk to another easily, even if the size is different.
> This is because one has to define the various partitions first, then
> one creates the file system(s). After that is done, one can run restore
> using a source file on another disk. The restore utility rebuilds all
> the files, plus the soft and hard links. A boot sector is written to
> the new disk, and presto.
>
> / John
>

... is exactly why the complete hard disk clone operation works! At that point
the entire drive does have the 'correct' information and organization, with
which to boot, provided that the boot partition is set as bootable with DFSEE.

This in mind, what I have also done, if I want to change the partition sizes
and so on is simple. I take a working cloned drive. I use DFSEE to move any
partitions toward free space needed to create the extra mid-organization free
space needed to expand any given partition. I then use DFSEE to simple expand
a partition to a larger size. I then reboot and let CHKDSK run to assure
things are as needed in the new partition size. And then, if needed, I simply
slide any of the initially moved partitions back to the edge of the free space
to get rid of what isn't really needed.

This has worked fine when moving from USB to IDE or to SATA, or to even SCSI
drives here. As long as HPFS file system drives are involved, which are all
that are used here at the moment.

Hope this helps some more.

--


--> Sleep well; OS2's still awake!

Mike Luther