[H-GEN] Linux backup tool of choice

[Robert Stanford]

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On Tue, 2003-04-08 at 13:22, David Findlay wrote:

> Could anyone give me recommendations on their preferred linux backup tools? 
> I'm after something to do backups to tape. I'd like to do a full system 
> backup, as well as incremental backups daily. Needs to run unattended and 
> email a report somewhere. Any preferences, ideas? Thanks,

A line like:

50 0    * * *   root    /sbin/dump -A /root/backup/log/dump.log -f /dev/tape /home && eject /dev/tape

in /etc/crontab and aliasing root to your email address works well.
You will get a daily email with a body like this.

DUMP: Date of this level 0 dump: Tue Apr  8 03:31:29 2003
  DUMP: Dumping /dev/md0 (/home) to /dev/tape
  DUMP: Added inode 8 to exclude list (journal inode)
  DUMP: Added inode 7 to exclude list (resize inode)
  DUMP: Label: none
  DUMP: mapping (Pass I) [regular files]
  DUMP: mapping (Pass II) [directories]
  DUMP: estimated 40162200 tape blocks.
  DUMP: Volume 1 started with block 1 at: Tue Apr  8 03:32:04 2003
  DUMP: dumping (Pass III) [directories]
  DUMP: dumping (Pass IV) [regular files]
  DUMP: 1.54% done at 2062 kB/s, finished in 5:19
  DUMP: 4.31% done at 2885 kB/s, finished in 3:41
  DUMP: 7.38% done at 3291 kB/s, finished in 3:08
  ...
  DUMP: 84.81% done at 4054 kB/s, finished in 0:25
  DUMP: 88.00% done at 4062 kB/s, finished in 0:19
  DUMP: 90.91% done at 4056 kB/s, finished in 0:15
  DUMP: 93.83% done at 4051 kB/s, finished in 0:10
  DUMP: 97.13% done at 4063 kB/s, finished in 0:04
  DUMP: 100.00% done at 4067 kB/s, finished in 0:00
  DUMP: Closing /dev/tape
  DUMP: Volume 1 completed at: Tue Apr  8 06:20:16 2003
  DUMP: Volume 1 40935110 tape blocks (39975.69MB)
  DUMP: Volume 1 took 2:48:12
  DUMP: Volume 1 transfer rate: 4056 kB/s
  DUMP: 40935110 tape blocks (39975.69MB) on 1 volume(s)
  DUMP: finished in 10052 seconds, throughput 4072 kBytes/sec
  DUMP: Date of this level 0 dump: Tue Apr  8 03:31:29 2003
  DUMP: Date this dump completed:  Tue Apr  8 06:20:16 2003
  DUMP: Average transfer rate: 4056 kB/s
  DUMP: Archiving dump to /root/backup/log/dump.log
  DUMP: DUMP IS DONE

Thats if all goes well.

If somthing goes wrong, like someone forgetting to insert a fresh tape,
you get something like this

/dev/tape: No medium found
mt: The device is offline (not powered on, no tape ?).

And yes, dump supports incremental backups (see the man page).
-- 
Robert Stanford <rob at rotapile.com>


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