[KLUG Members] backing up

[Dirk H Bartley]

I am having a little trouble backing up.  I am using tar as follows:
tar -cvzpf /dev/st0 -T /root/backup/whattobackup

when I restore the files with :
tar -xvzpf /dev/st0 it restores and then hangs.  When I try backup and then
restore a small amount of data it completely hangs and fails on the restore. 
(control c stops the hang.)

The tape device is a 4mm dat.  Here is from dmesg

Vendor: SEAGATE   Model: DAT    06240-XXX  Rev: 8160
Type:   Sequential-Access                  ANSI SCSI revision: 03

Anyone have any ideas for why it is hanging at the end of long restores and not
restoring small backups at all?

On a side note, for network backups of files on a host without the tape drive,
what is your preferred method.  I have been using tar and ssh with some luck as
follows:

tar -czp TEST* | ssh srv2 'cat > /BAI.unidata/BAI.accounts/TEST.tgz'

but this is done to a file and not to a tape device.  Is it perfectly acceptable
to do this

tar -czp TEST* | ssh srv2 'cat > /dev/st0'

I also noticed from man tar that you can put a hostname before a tar.   -f,
--file [HOSTNAME:]F  What mechanism does this use and does it work/is it secure
like with ssh.

Dirk