Solaris 8 Administrator's Guide

Chapter 8. Data Management

So far, I’ve looked at the various ways that data is stored and manipulated on Solaris systems, by both user applications and system services. It may seem like an obvious assertion, but the management of data is a key reason for implementing many computer systems. For example, the purpose of database systems is to record data that is primarily authentic, as well as reliably accessible and secure. After all, an authentic data store is useless if it cannot be accessed easily, and a secure data store that cannot guarantee the validity of transactions performed on tables would be similarly futile.

In this chapter, I examine the principles of good data management and explore how Solaris provides tools to put these ideas into daily practice. I use real-world examples from the sphere of storage management, including backup and restore operations. Data loss or corruption can be prevented by adhering to a simple set of principles (e.g., mirroring and striping) that can be implemented through specialized hardware, third-party software, or a set of simple scripts and a tape drive. Informing users about their responsibilities and about the limitations of backup and restore software is also important. You will also learn about popular options for storage media, such as hard disks, CD-ROM drives, and Zip/Jaz drives.

Although traditional backup and restore strategies can prevent data loss, revision control systems such as the Source Code Control System (SCCS) can reduce ...