linux cp command to archive database?

hi all. We're working on an oracle server, linux (suse 7.3) based, in migrating to a faster machine with bigger harddrive. First we plugged in the correctly partitioned harddrive from the new machine, then booted off the Oracle server via a knoppix cdrom, and mounted both hda and hdb, and did:

> cp -a /mnt/orig/* /mnt/dest/

to copy everything from the original to the new harddrive (I know this command is sufficient in cloning the system).

The cp command gave an error to the following files pertaining to the oracle (9) database:

exampl01.dbf
control01.ctl
control02.ctl

It said "cp: Input/output error".

Could this imply the harddrive corrupt (like bad sectors), or is there something that I don't know about Oracle database files, which possibly be preventing from using te"cp" command? It shouldn't matter if it's Oracle database or any file, that cp command can manipulate, correct? We're using Reiser filesystem btw.

I could do "dd" to clone the server harddisk, but if it's bad sector problem, then that wouldn't be a solution anyway.

any input I appreciate, Received on Wed Jun 23 2004 - 17:48:23 CDT