RE: [cobalt-users] backup methods

["Andy Brown" <andy.brown@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Unfortunately I haven't tried to restore a system from a basic tar,
although in theory it should work providing the machines are identical.
I'd suspect that you'd need to use the cobalt restore CD first, so that
the base O/S was in place (since a tar should not recreate things like
/proc /dev and suchlike) and then expand the tar to write the configs to
the raq. Following a reboot it should pick up the settings and boot with
the un-tarred configs. But as I say, I haven't tried this approach as
yet.

What we do for a restore, is we've build a machine based on the cobalt
restore CD. It runs in the same way (ip address/bootp assigned ip to
temporary raq, nfs-mounts the volumes), but adds an additional
installation process on the end of the raq restore which uses cmu to
restore the sites, and also applies all new patches to the raq so its
ready to go into service.

I'd look at cmu backup/restore
(ftp://ftp.cobaltnet.com/pub/users/jeffb/cmu/ ) which is a good way of
exporting/importing users and data from a raq, although it does not
backup your individual configurations (i.e. php/mysql installations and
configurations, IP addrsss for the server, netmask, default gw) However
if you combine the cmu with tar'ing the other important parts (the /etc)
for your individual builds that should give the result you're after.


As a side note, why isn't there a better way?? Surely it would be nice
if we could say do a system backup to floppy disk or similar and during
the cobalt cd restore it asks if we have a machine config to restore
from?? Just a thought :)


Andy Brown
http://www.linuxnetworking.co.uk/
 

-----Original Message-----
From: William J.A. Brillinger [mailto:billy@xxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: 11 September 2001 4:43 PM
To: cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [cobalt-users] backup methods


If you just tar the entire drive and untar it on a new drive, can you
just 
drop the new drive in and it will work?

(forgive me if this is a dumb question)

- Bill B.

At 03:41 PM 11/09/01 +0100, you wrote:
>Obviously using willpower/black-magic for your backups there Brad??
>
>
>Another good way is to setup another spare linux system with big
>hard-drives and setup an nfs export,
>then on the Raq's use CMU export or just tar everything up then send it
>to an nfs mounted volume, thats what we do and it works perfectly. Its
>in a cron job so each raq we run sends its data back staggered so as
not
>to flood the network.
>(We use raq3i's with the second network card on our local network to do
>the network backup)
>
>Andy Brown
>http://www.linuxnetworking.co.uk/
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Kevin D [mailto:kdlists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
>Sent: 11 September 2001 3:04 PM
>To: cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: [cobalt-users] backup methods
>
>
>Hey brad,
>
>What's the method?
>
>Kevin
>
>From: "Web Host Supply Sales" <sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> > We have a great method for backups but you will need to contact me
>offline
> > for info.
> >
> > Brad Galbraith
> > Web Host Supply
> > http://www.webhostsupply.com
> > sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>
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