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Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!simtel!noc.netcom.net!ix.netcom.com!howland.reston.ans.net!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!news.sprintlink.net!psgrain!agora!agora.rdrop.com!sundans From: sundans@agora.rdrop.com (Craig Keenan) Subject: Backing up the whole 9 yards...??? Sender: news@agora.rdrop.com (David Greenman) Nntp-Posting-Host: agora.rdrop.com Organization: RainDrop Laboratories Message-ID: <DDHIzE.25r@agora.rdrop.com> Date: Fri, 18 Aug 1995 02:30:49 GMT Lines: 35 I would like to ask a frequently unanswered question. Many of us out here in userland have managed to come up to speed on our various FreeBSD systems, but I think the information regarding backups and how to manage them has been addressed very litle. Asking this question in various places (usenet, mail lists, rabid foaming linux irc sessions) yields many different answers: cpio, tar, dump, buy a scsi tape, buy a Colorado QIC tape, (or don't buy this & that). What it boils down to is: 1) What is the simplest AND most complete way of backing up an ENTIRE filesystem, so that in the case of something disastrous, Joe User would at least have a nice mirror of his system xx days ago. Also, what is the best way to perform a recovery from ground 0 (maybe a good backup-recovery floppy would be good here?? There's an idea...). 2) What seems to be the best philosophies for different types of systems (ie. Joe's home-piss-around-with-Doom system, slightly critical systems like maybe an ISP user database, and super-critical like Barney Clark's Artifical Heart GUI Interface [running FreeBSD -stable, of course]). I've heard of full backups every week, with 4-hourly incrementals; every month full backups only; and lotsa other schemes. 3) Is there any good free package out there that can automate a large percentage of this, or does it usually boil down to each and every user tailoring his own backup script? This might be a good thing to merge into the handbook too. Please post your opinions regarding backup strategies/software... I will try to summarize this all up in some knd of document (yes, I'm volunteering to be Editor in Cheif of this, no problem). Should be able to help out lots of folks, including my [at this time] ignorant self. Thank you, CK PS: Anythings goes.... hardware, software, porno-jpegs (well, almost...)