[SLE] Trying to make a near Perfect Backup System

From: Dale L Roblin (daler_at_geoscience.org.za)
Date: 07/14/05

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    To: suse-linux-e@suse.com
Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 08:57:02 +0200

    Hello all,

    I would like some advice on what would be considered as a "bullet-proof"
    backup system. The system I am currently using is as follows:

    some P4
    5X 200GB HDD configured as an LVM using ReiserFS (2X SATA, 3X IDE)
    1X 20GB HDD holding the OS: SuSE 9.2
    Backup Software: Rsync-based shell script run from cron every 24 hours
    to backup the entire division.
    Most of the rsync script was gathered from:
    http://www.mikerubel.org/computers/rsync_snapshots/

    I only backup our division, not the entire organisation - that is the IT
    department's problem.

    Currently we have no large-capacity tape drive for off-site storage, so
    that is an obvious MUST-HAVE. I am considering the HP Ultrium 100-200GB
    tape device for this, should I be going in another direction with tapes?

    The above PC works very well. However, it's greatest weakness is
    disk-failure.
    We recently had the backup system die due to disk failure (there were no
    spare 200GB disks available in our IT section at the time too :( ), and
    at the same time one of our most important data analysis pc's also had a
    disk failure. I could not recover data from the backup LVM, so we had
    effectively lost all data. Fortunately we were able to recover data from
    the analysis PC disk via a data recovery specialist.

    Since we have 40+ pc's in the division, the likelihood of both the
    backup system and a crucial PC failing at the same time is remote, but
    it happened. Not surprisingly I was immediately in the "hot-seat" to
    answer why it happened and why there was no plan for this etc...

    So, my questions on how do I make a "bullet-proof" backup system are
    these:

    1. I need a tape device for off-site storage, are the LTO Ultrium
    devices good enough?

    2. Should have a 'twin' of the above PC so I have a backup of the
    backup, since I can't fit more disks into the box?

    3. Would a RAID system be better (I have not used RAID yet though) -
    would that need to be hardware RAID?

    4. I have read a little on SUN Storedge systems, can these be used with
    Linux, and are they better than anything else?

    5. So far I have only been using shell scripts for backup, should I be
    considering commercial packages, if so which are "in-favour" at present?

    Sorry for the epic posting, but the aforementioned disk failures have
    prompted the investigation into a "bullet-proof" backup system (and
    quite rightly so).

    Many many thanks for any assistance.

    -dale 

    -- 
Dale Roblin
Council for Geoscience
South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 12 841-1492
Fax: +27 (0) 12 841-1424
 
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