[CLUE-Tech] Disaster Recovery (was Linux laptop)

[Cyberclops]

>>>>Just don't do a blind copy of /etc over to the new system.  You have
to be a little more conscious of the files moved.<<<<<

Which files do you suggest can be copied over without danger of corrupting
the system, or perhaps it would be easier to list the files that would be
corrupted by copying over the entire "/etc" directory.



ian wrote:

> Fantastic.  I have been working on just data backup systems
> for both windows & linux for over a year now.   I've developed a
> small program to date to take the data files created by different
> programs and save only them.
>
> Its amazing how large systems have become and as an individual
> home system; backup up the entire system (OS, apps and data) is
> amazing overkill if you have the install media.  (Which you should
> have anyways.. otherwise if you lose it its your problem).
>
> However on linux its significantly easier to just backup the
> data with the assumption that you have OS and easy re-download
> of the other packages you use.
>
> I currently backup this way
> /etc, /var, /www, /usr/src/redhat/SRPMS (custom modified RPMs)
>          and `rpm -qa > rpm_install_list` onto one CD
> /home onto 2 more CDs
>
> This way only data is stored and the plan for disaster recovery
> is as follows:
>
> 1) Reinstall the OS (Stay disconnected from network at the current time)
> 2) copy /etc, /www, /usr/src/redhat/SRPMS and /home back
> 3) recompile the SRPMS for the new build
> 4) copy /home back
> 5) copy /var piece meal back.. still trying to figure out how to get this
> to work properly
> 6) Bring system back online and begin testing of network
> 7) If any RPMs aren't installed that need to be download and install
>
> This basic system works pretty good for home system disaster recovery
> along with the same basic format can be used for upgrading the OS.
>
> Just don't do a blind copy of /etc over to the new system.  You have
> to be a little more concious of the files moved.
>
> ian
>
> On Mon, Jun 25, 2001 at 09:58:46PM -0700, Brandon N wrote:
> > I too have been thinking about backups.  Here is what I've been
> > thinking of so far.
> >
> > I only want to back up actual data, which in my case is user
> > directories, mysql databases and web pages, (and /etc)  I want
> > everything else to be as close to the initial packages as possible (I
> > use slackware because it's a easy task to rebuild the packages the way
> > I want them.
> >
> > For the actual OS stuff I think I have two solutions.  I can save a
> > list of the packages installed on the system, then just restore off of
> > my distribution (I mirror slackware weekly)  Or I can make a mirror of
> > the OS partitions.
> >
> > I have several hotswappable 4.5GB SCSI drives, but I need to aquire a
> > UW SCSI external case so that I can easily mirror the drives, then all
> > I have to do is swap it should it fail.  For the laptop that I use as a
> > router, I don't have a spare hard drive, so I'll probably just have my
> > desktop machine ready to take over it's functions from the latest
> > backup.
> >
> > I'm currently working on writing up my procedures as well as the
> > function of each machine using XML.  All the doucmentation will be
> > burned to a CD-RW and stored at my aunts house, along with inventory
> > and database backups.
> >
> > It's all probably overkill for a home network, but I figure it is good
> > practice and good for a job interview.
> >
> > Disaster recovery is a very complicated issue and I would definatly be
> > interested in hearing thoughts about mine or other peoples plans.
> >
> > Brandon
> >
> >
> > --- Cyberclops <Cyberclops at hawaii.rr.com> wrote:
> > > I use Libranet on a full sized computer, but I'm interested in the
> > > same
> > > thing in a sense.  I want to make a complete backup of my system that
> > > I
> > > can use to restore it.  I have a Plextor CD-burner on the machine.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Roger Frank wrote:
> > >
> > > > Haven't had a laptop since I had a real job.  But I saw one surplus
> > > > for $100 with 2G drive, 40 MB memory, Ethernet/modem card.  No CD
> > > ROM,
> > > > and a 75 MHz 486 for a CPU.  I thought it might be a good time to
> > > > learn about Linux on laptops.
> > > >
> > > > I'm surprised at how well Linux runs on this little NEC Versa M/75.
> > > > I did a floppy install just to get to where it could use the
> > > > Ethernet card, and then did the rest of the (Debian) install
> > > > over the network.  I'm using Blackbox as a window manager
> > > > and it's quite zippy.  The screen is 800x600 color, but for my
> > > > needs that's just fine.  I've already done some editing with
> > > > nedit and I've compiled some Java programs.
> > > >
> > > > Now that it works - and it did take some work to get it going -
> > > > I wish there were a way to do a partition dump thru the serial
> > > port.
> > > > I know partimage is excellent, but there is no second drive or
> > > > second partition.  I'd like to be able to get the exact image of
> > > > what's on the disk onto another machine as an image, and I'd
> > > > like to be able to restore it easily.  I guess it's the Linux
> > > > equivalent of Ghost that I'm looking for.  Any ideas?
> > > >
> > > > Thanks!
> > > >
> > > > Roger Frank
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