Re: [cobalt-users] Backup in general - Qube2

[Kris Dahl <kris@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Ok no specific problem here except backup in general.  When I was first shown
> the Qube and all its easy to set up features, great (I thought) however I feel
> exposed to problems due to the backup.
> 
> I don't know about anyone else but I have had quite a few timeout problems
> when trying to do a backup 'real time' via the interface.  There appears to be
> no way of altering the timeout of the browser so once you have too many files
> for it to backup in the time the browser waits... backup useless.  I'm not
> saying the interface is not good but it needs to be capable of doing the job
> and I have had if fail on backing up 32Mb of files!!

I don't really consider the web interface appropriate for making system
backups. This is one very specific reason why.  You pretty much have to set
up a scheduled backup using FTP, which is a much better way to do it.  But
still the backup software is largely useless in my opinion.

> I also see from time to time on this mailing list that there is a limit to the
> size of file that Linux will handle (2Gb?) and seeing as the Qube's smallest
> flavour is 4.3Gb you can less than half fill this before you get a problem, a
> problem made worse by the fact that it will still continue to backup and say
> everything is ok even after the 2Gb boundary (from what I have read on the
> mailing list).

I haven't run into this problem myself, but if I did, I would use a multiple
volume tar file to work around the problem.

> You also have a problem in that if the Qube has been backed up and is
> unavailable (no problem with this, any hardware can fail) you have a file
> which is non standard and cannot be used to extract files from.  I did read
> somewhere that it is a modified tar or something and you can 'fix' it but this
> sounds very messy.

It is indeed a standard archive file, with a header that can be trimmed.

> There is this Legato Networker option on the control panel but I have also
> read that you buy this in packs of four at a large cost $500+ not the sort of
> thing a small business is likely to go for.
> 
> I am not a Linux expert, it wasn't made clear that I would have to be to run
> the Qube, so my point is this.  I really like the Qube, it is somehow going in
> the right direction but there really needs to be a better backup solution.
> 
> So, would it be useful to use the scheduled backup to backup the configuration
> once a week (or however often it changes) as this is relatively small and can
> probably be done 'live' if you make changes anyway.  I have the restore CD so
> I feel a bit more secure in that I can create a 'blank' Qube on which to
> recopy my backup. and then use some sort of FTP type program to copy the
> /home/users directory to another location.  Would this get a full backup of
> the Qube?  or does someone know of a better solution?

I also don't consider Legato to be much of a solution as it costs almost as
much as the entire machine.  Plus you need to have a client/server with the
tape drive.  So I am working on some backup software for the Qube, and I am
aware that so are some other people/companies.  It will use built in SCSI
card and tape drive, and I am attempting to make it so that you can backup
both AppleTalk and Samba client volumes as well.

They should have that kind of support out of the box--people would pay for
it too.  I feel its the single largest weakness of the Qube2.

-k