Re: File transfer

[David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com>]

On 02/26/2015 07:46 PM, Maureen L Thomas wrote:
> [Why] back up a new install?

1.  To integrate the machine into your backup procedures and make sure 
it is being backed up correctly, so that you can trust it with your data 
moving forward.

2.  To have a baseline to compare changes to.

3.  To have a baseline that you can revert to if changes don't produce 
the results you want.


As an aside, the term "backup" has multiple meanings:

1.  Copying working files to another device via the file system (e.g. 
'rsync').

2.  Copying raw device contents to a binary file (e.g. 'dd').


I like to use the term "backup" for the former and "image" for the later.


(Backups can be further split into two categories: "full" and 
"incremental".  This saves space on the destination devices, but adds 
complexity.)


A related term is "archive".  I like to use that for files collect into 
a single file that is never modified thereafter (e.g. 'tar').


Related terms include:

1.  "scope" -- what files or devices are being backed up, imaged, and 
archived.

2.  "frequency" -- how often you create backups, images, and archives.

3.  "redundancy" -- multiple copies of backups, images, and archives.

4.  "site" -- the physical location of the backups, images, and archives.

5.  "strategy" -- a specific set of decisions involving all or part of 
the above.


It helps to segregate your working files based upon your backup, image, 
and archive strategies.  For example, every machine on my SOHO LAN has a 
small solid-state or USB flash "system" drive, and one machine has a 
shared large magnetic "data" drive.  I only take images of system 
drives.  I take backups and archives of all or part of the system drives 
and of the data drive.  As your systems and networks grow, so must your 
backup, image, and archive strategies and infrastructure.


I found [1] to be a helpful book on the subject.


David


References:

[1]  W. Curtis Preston, 2007, "Backup & Recovery, Inexpensive Backup 
Solutions for Open Systems", O'Reilly Media, ISBN: 978-0-596-10246-3, 
http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780596102463.do