[clue-tech] [Fwd: [clue-admin] Advice admin newb on doing a System backup]

[Michael Benavides]

David L. Anselmi wrote:
> Dave W. wrote:
>>
>> Hello,
>>  I want to learn how to make a system recovery disk(s) for my 
>> company's dev. server.  This is what I've figured so far as a plan.
>
> The usual advice is to figure out your recovery procedure first.  Then 
> design your backup process.  (Then implement, then test.)
>
>> For the initial compression: boot the server via a liveCD with tools 
>> I need.
>>
>> Tar/compress root to a temporary folder then if >4.4GB span the file 
>> over multiple disks (not sure how to do that, but I got idea's)
>>
>> Using some sort of tool I don't know of yet (but I am sure exists), 
>> make differential saves of / and /boot every sunday via a cron script.
>
> My advice is: don't even think about writing your own scripts.  Use 
> rdiff-backup or bacula (for more than one machine).
>
> So.  Recovery procedure from bare metal (doesn't address file recovery 
> or archiving or off-site storage):
>
> Buy new hardware as needed (~1 week).
>
> Boot off live CD of choice.
>
> Partition as needed (RAID, disk, LVM, ext3 for hardware RAID or disk, 
> RAID, LVM, ext3 for software RAID).  Mount partitions to match running 
> config under /mnt.
>
> Restore with rdiff-backup.  Restore MBRs with dd.
>
> Reboot.
>
> Then, backup procedure:
>
> Get an extra (external) disk (500GB or at least enough larger than the 
> data on the server).
>
> Nightly backups with rdiff-backup from cron.  Nightly saves of MBRs 
> with dd from cron.  Tune rdiff-backup to keep an appropriate amount of 
> history.  All backup stuff goes on the extra drive.
>
> Document everything you have to do to make backups work.  Document 
> everything you have to do to restore.  Now test and adjust process and 
> documents as necessary.
>
> Write an SLA and let your developers know what a good SA you are.  
> Enjoy a pop-tart in a commie-free world.  (Don't forget to add in the 
> pieces I skipped like your utility partition (which you may be able to 
> rebuild from the install media)).
>
> While recreating the partitions by hand might seem clumsy, it's easy 
> if you have all the steps written down.  And that's the piece you 
> don't do very often.  And you want the nightly piece to be simple and 
> reliable.
>
> Does that help?
>
> Dave
> _______________________________________________
Does this sound like a good Monthly topic for  the Group?  Data backup 
is  coming out of the basement and we really have to recover that data 
we put on tape. .... ... .. . ..  Linux Backups made Easy by Dave.... 
Sounds like a book there? 

Mike