# tmp dir confusion
**URL:** https://forums.percona.com/t/tmp-dir-confusion/5491
**Category:** Percona XtraBackup
**Created:** [March 17, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/tmp-dir-confusion/5491 "2017-03-17T20:09:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@booger](https://forums.percona.com/u/booger)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/tmp-dir-confusion/5491/1 "2017-03-17T20:09:38Z")
Hi, If I am using innobackup with xbstream to backup to an nfs mount is it better to use a local temp dir or a dir on the nfs mount? ie if
/nfs is destination nfs mount should I use
innobackupex --xbstream /tmp \> /nfs/backup.xbstream
or
innobackupex --xbstream /nfs \> /nfs/backup.xbstream
---
### Author:  [@jrivera](https://forums.percona.com/u/jrivera)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/tmp-dir-confusion/5491/2 "2017-03-17T20:17:03Z")
The command should be
```auto
--stream=xbstream
```
[url][https://www.percona.com/doc/percona-xtrabackup/2.4/howtos/recipes\_ibkx\_stream.html[/url]](https://www.percona.com/doc/percona-xtrabackup/2.4/howtos/recipes_ibkx_stream.html%5B/url%5D)
But to avoid problems when you hit connection issues with your NFS at the time of a backup, we tend to recommend to backup to your local drive and the cp the backup to the NFS after
```auto
innobackupex --stream=xbstream ./ > /path/to/local/backup_dir/backup.xbstream
```
Once backup completes, mv or cp the file to the NFS mount
---
### Author:  [@booger](https://forums.percona.com/u/booger)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/tmp-dir-confusion/5491/3 "2017-03-17T21:04:30Z")
thanks, so with the command you provided the backup is initially written to ./ and then “tarred” and moved to /path/to/local/backup\_dir/backup.xbstream?
---
### Author:  [@jrivera](https://forums.percona.com/u/jrivera)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2017, 9:06pm UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/tmp-dir-confusion/5491/4 "2017-03-17T21:06:40Z")
Yes, if you want you can specify it:
```auto
innobackupex --stream=xbstream /tmp > /path/to/local/backup_dir/backup.xbstream
```
This way temporary files are created in the /tmp directory.
---
### Author:  [@booger](https://forums.percona.com/u/booger)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/tmp-dir-confusion/5491/5 "2017-03-17T21:48:34Z")
thx, I guess it just seems odd that you need to specify a temp dir to stream to stdout