Re: [opensuse] Suggestions for backup software?

Hello Stan,
If you have to manage one system only with not too much data on it then
linux native backup commands "dump" and "restore" will do it for you. The
catch is however, that you need to be in Single User mode to do it to avoid
any running programs and any open files including locks.

So let say if you have 160 GB inter HDD partitions as /, /var, /home, for eg.
then you can use dump to individually backup this on a removable USB HDD of
similar capacity with or without compression.

This is pretty straight forward and much safer as you will creating dump files
for each partitions on removable media from which you can individually back
then on Rewritable DVD to keep updation the future incremental or Full
backups if you need double protection.

If in case your internal HDD crashes, then all you have to do is boot from
Linux Bootdisk, go to rescue mode, partition the new HDD and mount it and
start restoring it from / first and then subsequent partitions mounted under
the new root and so forth. Once done just do a grub install and that's it.

The dump and restore documentation is pretty straight forward and there is no
need to install any third part softwares for native things.

I use this to manage my personal systems as well as the primary server in my
office.

Hope this helps.

Regards
NS
PS: dump can also write on Tapes. :)


On Monday 31 March 2008 02:45:21 am Stan Goodman wrote:
I would be grateful for advice about backup software appropriate for my
situation, and for remarks people using such utilities, including what to
avoid. I can see that there are several packages available through YaST,
but it would be helpful to know what others think about them and about
relative advantages.

I have only one Linux system here, so network capability is not important.
I do not have a tape drive, but would be read carefully any remarks about
whether I need one. If not, then it would have to be something capable of
bridging DVDs for a total backup, and probably CDs for incremental
backup.

--
Stan Goodman
Qiryat Tiv'on
Israel


--
To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxx
For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@xxxxxxxxxxxx

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Fwd: Re: Please help. Cant see HD
    ... >>might go back to installation and try to create the same slices, ... > Have a database running which may not backup well. ... > can shutdown everything for the dump process. ... If you have dumps of all partitions then the slicing and partitioning sizes ...
    (freebsd-questions)
  • Restoring System and Boot Problems
    ... I backup my complete system to external HDD using True Image. ... partitions which are data and the like. ... When I tried to reboot to WINXP Pro (floppy disk removed) the system hung ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: Restoring System and Boot Problems
    ... I think there has been two occasions where I have had to resort to 'GoBack', I have never had to reinstall the complete system from the backup copies on the external HDD. ... I backup the system in 'groups', that is one backup file contains the 'C' and 'D' drives and the second file the remaining partitions which are data and the like. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: DVD-RAM on spindle
    ... days of backup before I start formatting over the work. ... the internal HDD for backup, ... R (does not have 50 partitions on his home PC) ...
    (rec.arts.movies.production.sound)
  • Re: backing up a drive
    ... dump the partitions from the HDD. ... Do NOT dump a mounted partition. ... To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx with a subject of "unsubscribe". ...
    (Debian-User)