When you issue a dump database or dump transaction command, Backup Server checks whether the device type of the specified dump device is known (supplied and supported internally) by SAP ASE.
If the device is not a known type, Backup Server checks the tape configuration file (default location is $SYBASE/backup_tape.cfg) for the device configuration.
If the configuration is found, the dump command proceeds.
If the configuration is not found in the tape device configuration file, the dump command fails with this error message:
Device not found in configuration file. INIT needs to be specified to configure the device.
To configure the device, issue the dump database or dump transaction with the init parameter. Using operating system calls, Backup Server attempts to determine the device’s characteristics; if successful, it stores the device characteristics in the tape configuration file.
If Backup Server cannot determine the dump device characteristics, it defaults to one dump per tape. The device cannot be used if the configuration fails to write at least one dump file.
Tape configuration by Backup Server applies only to UNIX platforms.