Application API/Operations
The Application API changes the backup server interface, but most of the code that constitutes the API itself resides on the client. The operations listed below are from the perspective of backup clients.
conventions
Commands are invoked with a single argument, the subcommand, and a number of additional options. So, for example, a simple support invocation might look like
/path/to/my/app support --config DailySet1
Properties that are specified in the Amanda configuration are provided to the application as additional command-line options, e.g.,
/path/to/my/app backup .... --FROBNICATION-ENGINE ON
If a property has several values, it will appear repeatedly on the command line:
/path/to/my/app index .... --SEARCH-PATH /foo --SEARCH-PATH /bar
| XXX | User:Martineau: Case sensitivity? Dashes vs. underscores? |
Other languages: [[::Application API/Operations|English]] {{#ifexist: {{#if: | | {{#if: | :}}Application API/Operations}}/Fr | • {{#if: |français| [[::Application API/Operations/Fr|français]]}}|}}
{{#ifexist: {{#if: | | {{#if: | :}}Application API/Operations}}/Zh-cn | • {{#if: |中文（中国大陆）| [[::Application API/Operations/Zh-cn|中文（中国大陆）]]}}|}}
subcommands
support command
support [--config config] [--host host] [--disk disk] [--device device] [--PROPERTY_NAME PROPERTY_VALUE]*
- 0utput on fd1
CONFIG YES|NO HOST YES|NO DISK YES|NO MAX-LEVEL level INDEX-LINE YES|NO INDEX-XML YES|NO MESSAGE-LINE YES|NO MESSAGE-XML YES|NO RECORD YES|NO INCLUDE YES|NO INCLUDE-LIST YES|NO INCLUDE-OPTIONAL YES|NO EXCLUDE YES|NO EXCLUDE-LIST YES|NO EXCLUDE-OPTIONAL YES|NO COLLECTION YES|NO CALCSIZE YES|NO MULTI-ESTIMATE YES|NO RECOVER-MODE SMB
| XXX | User:Martineau: What purpose does this command serve? Are all of the options required? |
Other languages: [[::Application API/Operations|English]] {{#ifexist: {{#if: | | {{#if: | :}}Application API/Operations}}/Fr | • {{#if: |français| [[::Application API/Operations/Fr|français]]}}|}}
{{#ifexist: {{#if: | | {{#if: | :}}Application API/Operations}}/Zh-cn | • {{#if: |中文（中国大陆）| [[::Application API/Operations/Zh-cn|中文（中国大陆）]]}}|}}
backup command
backup [--message (line|xml)] [--index (line|xml)] [--config config] [--host host] [--disk disk] --device amdevice --level level [--record] [--PROPERTY_NAME PROPERTY_VALUE]*
- output on fd1
data stream
- output on fd3
- (if no --message or --message line)
error message HEADER variable=value, information that should go in the amanda header. SIZE value suffix where suffix could be K, (kilobytes) M, (megabytes) or G (gigabytes)
- output on fd3
- (if --message xml)
format not yet defined
- output on fd4
- (if --index line)
index stream (One filename by line)
- output on fd4
- (if --index xml)
xml index stream (format not yet defined)
Error messages are line-based and should begin with a | for normal ouput, ? for strange or error output, and & for unknown output
Input: Specifies what is to be backed up: A filesystem, device, particular set of files, database table, etc.
Action: Reads the specified object.
Output: A set of collections (containing the backup data), and information on a set of user objects (identifier, attributes, associated collections)
restore command
restore [--message (line|xml)] [--index (line|xml)] [--config config] [--host host] [--disk disk] --device amdevice --level level [--PROPERTY_NAME PROPERTY_VALUE]* [./file-to-restore]+
- Input on fd0
data stream
- Output on fd1
- (if no --message or --message line)
error message
- 0utput on fd1
- (if --message xml)
format not yet defined
Input: List of user objects to be restored, relevant collections, and target locations for the restore.
Action: Reads the collections and writes the relevant user objects in their original form to the specified location.
Output: None (other than administrative messages)
index command
index [--message (line|xml)] [--index (line|xml)] [--config config] [--host host] [--disk disk] --device amdevice --level level [--PROPERTY_NAME PROPERTY_VALUE]*
input fd1: data stream output on fd3: (if no --message or --message line) error message output on fd3: (if --message xml) format not yet defined output on fd4: (if --index line) index stream (One filename by line) output on fd4: (if --index xml) xml index stream
Input: Octet stream of all the collections from a single job.
Action: regenerate index data from the datastream
Output: Byte offsets for each collection in the stream, and information on the set of user objects in the stream.
estimate command
estimate [--message [line|xml]] [--config config] [--host host] [--disk disk] --device amdevice --level level [--PROPERTY_NAME PROPERTY_VALUE]*
output on fd1: (if no --message or --message line) error message that should be logged. SIZE value'suffix where suffix could be K, M, G output on fd1: (if --message xml) format not yet defined
Input: Information on what is to be backed up: A filesystem, device, particular set of files, database table, etc.
Output: An estimate of how much space this data set will consume.
selfcheck command
selfcheck [--message (line|xml)] [--config config] [--host host] [--disk disk] --device device --level level [--record] [--PROPERTY_NAME PROPERTY_VALUE]*
- Output on fd1
- (if no --message or --message line) (Could be many lines)
OK [message] ERROR [message]
- 0utput on fd1
- (if --message xml)
format not yet defined
Input: Information on what is to be backed up: A filesystem, device, particular set of files, database table, etc.
Action: Determines if there are any configuration problems.
Output: Success or failure.
Print-Command
Input: Information on what is to be backed up: A filesystem, device, particular set of files, database table, etc.
Output: Prints a one-line command, if one exists, to restore this data from tape. This can be used for non-Amanda bare-metal disaster recovery.