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    Dear Dr. Know
      Under-Serviced Zones
      System Backup

Data Communications Glossary

Dr. Know

Dear Dr. Know,

I have some zones that seem under-serviced during rush hour, what can I do? Sincerely,

Under-serviced

Dear Under-serviced,

One way to help get a zone more service is to give it some backup. What you need to do is look at your zone map and take note of nearby zones, that you could "pull" cars from. Remember that cars you "pull" will need to be able to service any fare in the entire zone. If the backup zone is separated from the main zone by natural (river, lake ) or un-natural (high traffic rail lines) obstacles , cars will have a difficult time getting to the fare during busy periods. Backup zones can be turned on and off (globally) via the supervisor screen. This helps when you want to only use backups during certain times of the day. For help in setting up backup zones please consult the Address Manager section of your Cabmate documentation, or contact Mobile Knowledge customer support 1-866-624-5330. Good-Luck!

Dr. Know

"HEALTH" TIP:

Remember, even though your fares are stored on your server hard disk, they should be manually backed up to tape on a monthly basis. This not only insures that your fares are archived, but also allows disk space to be freed up if older fare records can be deleted. If you require help doing this, please call Mobile Knowledge customer support at 1-866-624-5330.

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Dear Dr. Know,

I was reading your Health Tip on under serviced zones, when it occurred to me that maybe I shouldn't be backing up just my fares for safety, but perhaps I should be backing up my entire system. Is this possible, and if so, how do I do this?

Regards, Cys Tembakup

Dear Cys Tembakup,

If your tape drive's total capacity allows you to backup your entire system then the process is pretty simple. You must first log in as "root" on your server, then place a maximum capacity tape (for your particular drive) in the tape drive. You then execute the command: tar cvp8 ./* & from the root directory. If you performed this correctly, you will notice lines of text similar to the following appearing on your screen:

a ./dispatch/db/client/bg/acctblib.pl 880 tape blocks
a ./dispatch/db/client/bg/acctserv 5169 tape blocks
a ./dispatch/db/client/bg/acctserv.pf 1 tape blocks
a ./dispatch/db/client/bg/acctstart 42 tape blocks
a ./dispatch/db/client/bg/emps.error 9495 tape blocks

When the command prompt is returned to your console, the backup has completed.

If the capacity of your tape drive is too small to archive your entire disk(s) space then you must choose the directories to archive. The following directories contain the most critical, dynamic data on your system.

On a Cabmate 6.X system you should choose these directories:

/usr/gandalf
/usr/apex (may not apply to all sites)
/usr/disp
/db
/files
/fares
/dispatch
/usr/log
/usr/lib/spectab*
/usr/sysconf.

On a Cabmate 7.X or 8.X system the following directories should be chosen:

/gmsi
/data
/db/cache/cabmate

We have left out the /backups directory because as mentioned in the "Under Serviced Zones" Health Tip you should already be archiving this directory on a monthly if not bi-weekly basis.

To perform a backup of the chosen directories you will need to log in as "root" and then from the root directory execute the following:

tar cvp8 .[a] .[b] and so fourth
replacing the [a] and [b] etc. with the appropriate directories.
For example on a 7.X or 8.X system you would type:
tar cvp8 ./gmsi ./data ./db/cache /cabmate &

Again, if you executed this correctly you will see lines similar to the following appearing on your screen:

a ./data/supvstat/day31.stat 1 tape blocks
a ./data/supvstat/day28.stat 1 tape blocks
a ./data/supvstat/day28.rep 3 tape blocks
a ./data/supvstat/day31.rep 2 tape blocks
a ./data/supvstat/day1.rep 3 tape blocks
a ./data/supvstat/day3.rep 2 tape blocks
a ./data/supvstat/day10.rep 1 tape blocks

Please note that these backups should be performed on the main server only on a slow hour of the day as it may, depending on your system speed, slow down your dispatching operations. Once the archives are complete, keep the tapes in a safe place. Regular backups (once a month) are also recommended as this aids in data disaster recovery. For assistance in backing up your data, please contact Mobile Knowledge customer support 1-866-624-5330.

Dr. Know

"HEALTH" TIP:

Did you know that Mobile Knowledge is committed to a continuous improvement process in order to ensure that we consistently improve our products and services? Due to our continuous improvement process, we have changed the procedure for requesting a Return Material Authorization (RMA) number. If you have a "sick" terminal or other piece of Mobile Knowledge hardware, that is currently covered under warranty or service agreement, then please contact the RMA Department by phone at 1-866-624-5330, fax at 1-613-287-0235 or email them at rma@mobile-knowledge.com. The RMA Department will be glad to fax or email you back the procedure and forms that need to be filled out in order to receive your RMA number.

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Email: drknow@mobile-knowledge.com