From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Jun 1 20:32:26 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 573A01065676 for ; Sun, 1 Jun 2008 20:32:26 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jerrymc@gizmo.acns.msu.edu) Received: from gizmo.acns.msu.edu (gizmo.acns.msu.edu [35.8.1.43]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0199D8FC25 for ; Sun, 1 Jun 2008 20:32:25 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jerrymc@gizmo.acns.msu.edu) Received: from gizmo.acns.msu.edu (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by gizmo.acns.msu.edu (8.13.6/8.13.6) with ESMTP id m51KSFDJ055877; Sun, 1 Jun 2008 16:28:15 -0400 (EDT) (envelope-from jerrymc@gizmo.acns.msu.edu) Received: (from jerrymc@localhost) by gizmo.acns.msu.edu (8.13.6/8.13.6/Submit) id m51KSFaW055876; Sun, 1 Jun 2008 16:28:15 -0400 (EDT) (envelope-from jerrymc) Date: Sun, 1 Jun 2008 16:28:15 -0400 From: Jerry McAllister To: Robert Huff Message-ID: <20080601202815.GA55808@gizmo.acns.msu.edu> References: <48420FF3.8000304@gmail.com> <18498.42600.288236.193974@jerusalem.litteratus.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <18498.42600.288236.193974@jerusalem.litteratus.org> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.2i Cc: Sdavtaker , freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: small office backup hardware advice 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, 01 Jun 2008 20:32:26 -0000 On Sun, Jun 01, 2008 at 09:38:48AM -0400, Robert Huff wrote: > Sdavtaker writes: > Im working in a small office (4 PC with 80GB HD each and a > "server" with a 200GB HD). > We were working with no backups at all until now, we was just > replicating some critical data in more than 1 PC all the time, > back then there was no money for any hard copy of the data > outside of the network (maybe a couple DVDR time to time). > Now, they gave me some money for backup stuff. Depends on just what you need. If you just want to cover a system failure, then maybe you should get some USB connected hard drives. They are pretty cheap now. If you have 4 80 GB drives to back up, then get at least 3 drives with 350 GB space or more. Use fdisk/disklabel/newfs to create 4 (or more) 90 GB filesystems on each drive. Then set up a rotation of those drives so you use dump(8) to back up each current file system that has important data to those USB drives. So, PC A gets dumped to filesystem da0s1a, PC B to da0s1b, etc. Say there is a root, /usr and /data file systems that you want to back up, just for example, then you would plug in the USB disk and mount them something like this. On PC A, mount /da0s1a /pcabak dump 0aLf /pcabak/root.bak / dump 0aLf /pcabak/usr.bak /usr dump OaLf /pcbak/data.bak /data Then on PC B, mount /da0s1b /pcbbak dump 0aLf /pcbbak/root.bak / dump 0aLf /pcbbak/usr.bak /usr dump OaLf /pcbak/data.bak /data This will crate three appropriately named backup files for each PC on the USB disk. This is presuming the USB connects as /dev/da0 It could be something else if you have other SCSI devices. So, it might ende up as /dev/da1 or something like that. Really, you don't need all the extra partitions and filesystems. Just make one and create appropriately named directories. But the separate filesystems will enforce separation of that us useful to you. Or, since there are just exactly 4 systems and it is possible to make up to 4 slices on a drive, then make 4 slices and then partitions within each slice to match those on the current machines. Say you want, for some reason, to back up partitions a, d, e of PC A and partitions d, f, g of PC B, etc (just grabbing partitions out of the hat here to use as example here), then Make slice 1 for PC A, slice 2 for PC b, slice 3 for PC C and slice 4 for PC D on each USB disk. Then make partitions a, d, e on slice 1, d, f, g on slice 2, etc. Use newfs(8) to build file systems of each of those partitions and then use dump to create the dump files in each. That makes sense but may be more bother then really needed, since you can distinguish the dumps just by the names you give them. If you must create archive backups, then you will probably want to go to a good tape system, such as DLT or LTO tapes. But, they are so expensive relative to buying a handful of 350 - 500 GB USB hard drives that you should think carefully about your needs before deciding. Have fun, ////jerry > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org"