Re: lilo removal in squeeze (or, "please test grub2")
On Fri, 28 May 2010 21:26:01 -0400 (EDT), Stan Hoeppner wrote:
> Stephen Powell put forth on 5/28/2010 9:45 AM:
>> The problem can be circumvented by taking an image backup
>> instead of a logical backup, but that gets into special backup
>> requirements.
>
> Can you mix and match? Does the image backup grab the entire disk or does it
> work at the partition level? Can you, say, do an image backup of the MBR and
> boot sector and the /boot partition, and then use file backup on the rest of
> the disk.
I'm not sure. But the whole point is for the backup people to be able
to backup and restore a Linux server using the same procedure as they
would for a Windows server. And their standard method is to take a
logical backup of the entire disk.
>
> What backup software are you using that can take an image backup of a Linux
> boot disk? Does it install a local agent for this? Or are you booting from
> SAN? If so, you should have all kinds of backup flexibility, depending on
> whose storage arrays you use.
The machine is backed up by doing a PXE network boot directly from the
hardware BIOS. The backup client does not exist on the hard drive
that is being backed up. It is downloaded over the network, just as
the netboot operating system is. The backup itself is done by connecting to
a backup server and sending the data over the network. There is no
local tape drive or anything of that nature. The restore procedure
is similar.
Yes, there is backup
flexibility. But the whole goal here is to make the backup process
standard for every server, regardless of whether it runs Windows or
Linux. I don't want the backup people to have to make a decision.
"OK, now let's see. Is this a Linux server or a Windows server?
If it's a Linux server I have to remember to take the backup this
special way. Otherwise, I do it the standard way." They'll forget.
Or a new guy will come along who doesn't know to do it differently
for a Linux server and he won't do it right. And then, if we have
to restore from the backup that wasn't taken the proper way, the machine
won't boot. And then Linux looks bad. I want the standard method that
they use for Windows machines to work for a Linux server too. And as
long as I live within the restrictions of supported file systems and
boot loaders, the backup and restore software understands the file system
and can backup the disk on a file-by-file basis, and the restore software
knows how to patch the boot loader after the restore to make the machine
bootable.
As time goes on, these restrictions are getting more restrictive.
And we are looking at alternatives to our existing backup software.
But for now, I have to live within these restrictions.
--
.''`. Stephen Powell
: :' :
`. `'`
`-
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