From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Oct 30 13:50:23 2005 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9430816A41F for ; Sun, 30 Oct 2005 13:50:23 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from csaba@beastie.creo.hu) Received: from beastie.creo.hu (www.creo.hu [217.113.62.14]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id F231143D48 for ; Sun, 30 Oct 2005 13:50:22 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from csaba@beastie.creo.hu) Received: from beastie.creo.hu (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by beastie.creo.hu (8.13.3/8.13.3) with ESMTP id j9UDn2s2039727 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NO) for ; Sun, 30 Oct 2005 14:49:02 +0100 (CET) (envelope-from csaba@beastie.creo.hu) Received: (from csaba@localhost) by beastie.creo.hu (8.13.3/8.13.3/Submit) id j9UDn2e2039726 for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Sun, 30 Oct 2005 14:49:02 +0100 (CET) (envelope-from csaba) Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 14:49:02 +0100 From: Csaba Henk To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Message-ID: <20051030134902.GG2911@beastie.creo.hu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.9i Subject: backup strategies X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 13:50:23 -0000 Hi! We plan to set up a backup server. While the basic backup procedure is clear -- use some archiving utility like dump, tar, or cpio and send data to the backup server via ssh or a network mount -- there are many details which are unclear for me. The two biggest problems are: 1) What parts are to be backed up? If I backup the whole system, the backup disk will get full soon. You could say it's not necessary, and that only the valueable data should be backed up (and not those parts which are easy to re-create by means of a new installation). But, say, someone breaks into the machince. How could I reliably find out the Achilles heel she used to get in if I don't have a complete system backup? Or if she has a backdoor left behind? 2) How to schedule backups? I guess services should stop for the backup period as the backup could be unreliable or inconsistent if disk/file writes were going on during backup. It sounds as if I should drop to single user mode. Or is there a less drastic approach? And if I dropped to single user mode, I would lose control over the box for that period, as the box is accessed via ssh and sshd is also stopped in single user mode -- this sounds scary... TYA. -- Csaba Henk My sense of humour is often too subtle to cope with getting smileyd. Please don't take it personal.