Details to consider when making a backup on a Linux server

Source: Internet
Author: User
Tags data structures file system

If you make a general backup, on a daily basis (at least for the most frequent user profiles), you will help reduce the loss of the file and increase the level of resilience. The safest backup method is to record them in different media, such as tapes, removable drives, and writable CDs.

A general backup should be the highest priority for a responsible system manager. Although Linux is a highly reliable operating system, system failure can still occur. May be due to a hardware failure, power interruption, or other unforeseen problems. The more common of these problems are human errors, improper changes, and even the deletion of important files. If you are responsible for managing the users on your system, you may often be asked to recreate the files that were accidentally deleted.

If you make a general backup, on a daily basis (at least for the most frequent user profiles), you will help reduce the loss of the file and increase the level of resilience. The safest backup method is to record them in different media, such as tapes, removable drives, and writable CDs. and store your backups separately from your Linux system. Sometimes this may not be practical-maybe there is no fire room where you can store backup tapes! Or there is no way to access such an external backup system at the first priority location. However, backups can still be made, but are subject to a little restriction.

Server Backup Program

There are several different ways to perform Linux backups, including command-line tools that are available in all Linux distributions, such as "DD", "Dump", "Cpio", and "tar". Other text-type tools, such as "Amanda" and "taper", are designed to add a friendlier user interface to the backup and back up process. Of course, there are graphical interface tools, such as "Kdat". Finally, there are commercial backup tools, such as "Bru" and "perfectbackup+". Any one of these backup plans is sufficient to provide protection for your valuable information.

Here are a few things that include a list of where to get tools, can be found in "Linuxapplicationsandutilitiespage", and when you decide on a good backup, you might consider the following factors:

Portability-The portability of backups (i.e., from a Linux release or application UNIX backup and then back to another; For example, from Solaris to Redhatlinux) is it important for you? If so, you might want to select a tool for the command column (i.e.. " DD "," Dump "," cpio ", or" tar ", because you can reasonably determine that the tool can be found on another *nix system.

Unattended or automated backup-the ability to automate backups on a regular basis without human intervention is important to you? If so, you may need tools and backup media to support the scenario.

User friendliness-is the user friendly interface important to you? If so, you may want to select a tool for text or graphic interfaces. Business applications can provide the easiest interface and technical support.

Remote backup-is the ability to back up and back up from a remote machine important to you? If so, you might want to select a command column or text Mode tool instead of a graphical interface (unless you have a fairly fast network connection and the ability to perform remote xsessions).

Network backup-Is it important for you to back up and save from a network host? If so, you might want to use some command-line tools (like "tar") that support access to the backup device from the network, or special-purpose tools such as "Amanda" or some business tool programs.

Media type-backups can be stored in many different media, such as tapes, external drives, Zip disks, or writable CDs. Consider price and reliability, storage capacity, and transmission speed.

Warning: When backing up your system, do not include the "/proc" pseudo-file system the files in!/proc are not real files, but are just descriptions that look like files, and links to core data structures. Backup "/proc/kcore", which is in fact a camouflage file that contains all the information in the memory, will waste a lot of tapes! You may also need to avoid backing up the "/mnt" file system unless you have special requirements for backup from CD-ROM, floppy disk, network share files, or other installation devices.

Obviously, the backup and back up process will vary depending on the backup method that you choose. However, in this section, I will discuss the two tools I use most frequently to back up the method: "Tar" (whose name is "Tapearchiver"), a command-line tool that is highly portable in *nix systems, and "Kdat", A graphical interface tape backup tool from the KDE suite.

Finally add that, depending on the way you choose to backup, even if the tool is not built on the ability to automate backup schedules, you can still use the cron feature for this automatic backup. Refer to using cron and crontab files for automated jobs about using cron details and how to build crontab itinerary files.

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