Re: Back up using tape or remote
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1
> Ultimately the client wishes to run the back up remotely from their office
> location and store the data off site. However I'll accept if this may be
> impossible.
Offsite backup is a logistical problem rather than a technical problem.
Either they are willing to pay for a courier/drop the tapes at the offsite
location/whatever, or they aren't.
If there is a computer at the offsite location you want to back up to, then
you can also use a network (internet, vpn, two modems, WAN, whatever) to ship
the data offsite. For internet,vpn,WAN the command will be scp <files to back
up> backup_site_name:backup/. For a direct modem connection you would need
to set up a script and use the zmodem tool.
> first off can debian support this?
Of course, every operating system supports that. Even ancient ones like DOS.
> second would a tape drive work and what tape drives are compatible for a 40
> meg solution?
Yes, a tape drive would work, though it would be hideously expensive for only
fourty megabytes (!) of data. If you happened to have a 40MB tape drive
lying around...
Most tape drives can be coaxed into working with Debian. The linux hardware
database contains a list of hardware that is definatly compatable with linux,
and if you want greater reliability/more certainty that it will be supported
in future releases, then you're best off relying on that.
But for 40 megs, why not buy a CD writer? (Or a zip drive) It will enable you
to go up to 650MB without any trouble and, relative to a tape drive, it is
practically free.
> Third can you recommend a software that makes this sort of process possible
> with debian.
Well, tar stands for "Tape archival"... tar -c /files_to_back_up will write
all the files to a tape. If you're writing to something other than a tape
then you need to use a -f as well, e.g.
tar -c /files_to_back_up -f - | cdrecord -b
Just off the top of my head, you might need different arguments.
There are other ways, e.g. the copy command, even software you have to pay
for, but tar is simple and effective.
If you stick this in as a cron job (crontab -e) then it will automatically
burn the backup to CD every day/week/whatever. Make sure you've got sensible
options to cdrecord before you set this up or a later backup will destroy an
older one.
There are graphical tools as well, e.g. karchiver, though it is a pain having
to load a graphical too each day. Have a look on freshmeat or slashdot if
you want to go that way.
I just noticed you were a video streaming company. If you mean fourty
megabytes/second rather than fourty megabytes total then that is rather a lot
harder.
Corrin
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.0.6d-cvs (GNU/Linux)
iD8DBQE8hufri5A0ZsG8x8cRAlENAKCMweAaQ1oEkdrK0XsJW4Il089kbwCfexpK
rrFqRYmUDJarBHb2IaZTwgo=
=LX5j
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
Reply to: