Re: backing up a complete Debian GNU/Linux system
On Tue, 3 Aug 1999, xxxxx xxxxx wrote:
> Hi! Could anyone tell me what's a good hardware/software combination
> to use to make frequent FULL backups of a Debian system (operating
> system, "applications", and data). I asked recently at a fairly large
> Linux group meeting, and everyone seemed suprised by the question and
> there were no good answers, which completely floored me... how could
> anyone smart enough to use Linux not back up their entire system
> RELIGIOUSLY?
Well, here are my two cents on this subject. First method of
backup: Once a week I backup the system (/, /var, /usr, /etc, etc...) of
each of my machines to tape, and then the next night I backup the data of
my machines (/home, /web, databases). Every other night I just do an
incremental of everything. I have about 4-5 machines I backup regularly,
via a network, and NFS mounting the root of each system to the machine
with the tape drive, and then backing up from there with afio. I hacked up
my own scripts to handle all of it.
As for hardware, I use an Exabyte 8700LT external, scsi, 8mm tape
drive. It is about 1.5yrs old, and runs great! I can use either 5GB or 7GB
tapes (native size), and by spliting the system from the data into
seperate backups, that make maximum backup about 14GB, which is pretty
large for even medium sized networks. While the drive was a bit expensive
(~$600), the media is cheap (~$4 for 5GB, ~$9 for 7GB per tape), and the
reliablity is excellent. Though you can now get the equivalent internal
drive, an 8505XL, from Ebay for $300 to $400.
So, far as I see it, if you are serious/smart enough to use Linux,
you will also be serious/smart enough to set aside some money for a good
quality backup hardware. After that, software is a matter of choice.
Ok, my two cents. Hope they help.
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| "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." |
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| Ryan Kirkpatrick | Boulder, Colorado | rkirkpat@nag.cs.colorado.edu |
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