NOTE: Consider using RSYNC instead of FTP Moving Test Data/Backup via RSYNC from RI Tester to Server
"There are two kinds of computer users -- those who have already experienced a disk failure and those who will." -- Anon.
Failure is inevitable in even the most reliable of computer systems. The system controller for the RI 7100A is no exception. Following the procedures in this note will ensure you have a complete, up-to-date backup of your System Software for quick restoration when that failure occurs.
The RI System Software is completely contained within a directory on the D: disk partition of the System Controller. The directory name is "RiApps". If you perform a complete backup of this directory, all essential RI System Software files will be saved. If you use directories outside of RiApps for your own use, it is your responsibility to back up those areas as well.
The directories in RiApps are all necessary to the operation of the tester, with the exception of the "Testdata" directory. This directory is used to hold data logs of the tested parts during production. If not cleaned regularly, it can grow very, very large and should not be made a part of your regular backup. Another directory that can be very large is the Testplan directory. It stores the testplans and test executives used by the RI System Software. It is a good idea to back this directory up with the system software, as these testplans are an essential part of a running system. The last directory that deserves special mention is the Caltests directory. It holds the testplans used to calibrate, diagnose, and verify the RI 7100A tester. These plans, taken together, are also very large. Like the production testplans, they are very necessary. However, they typically don't change often -- usually only at the request of Roos Instruments personnel. They should be backed up at least once after each calibration of the tester. |
The standard installation of the RI System Software includes a set of utility programs called Zip and Unzip. These programs make it easy to back up and archive any set of information, including entire directory trees, with a single command. To back up the RiApps directory tree, first open an OS/2 Command Window. One place to find the icon which launches an OS/2 Command Window is on the button bar, usually on the right-hand side as in the example below:
Once opened, change the directory to the RiApps directory and execute the ZIP command:
In this example, the flag -r causes all subdirectories to be scanned for backup (recursively) and the flag -x causes files matching a specification to be excluded from the backup. Excluded files include other "zip" files, any file with a file extension ending in "2," and all files from the Testdata directory. (Files ending in "2" are specific backups created by the RI System Software itself.)
After the backup file RiBackup.zip has been created, it should be moved to another computer for safekeeping. If your RI System Controller is attached to a LAN, you can use the LAN for storage of backups. (Most backups, after compression, are 20-80M bytes.)
The newer System Controllers support the use of USB Memory sticks, these are convenient methods of data storage and transfer.
Please contact RI Support prior to restoring the RI System Software from backups. We need to know what caused the initial failure or what symptoms you were experiencing prior to the restore.
If you are looking for regular FTP transfers of the test data, see Moving Test Data via FTP from RI Tester to Server.