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Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2008 12:52:53 +0100 (CET)
From: Wojciech Puchar <wojtek@wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl>
To: David N <davidn04@gmail.com>
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Cc: questions@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: Backing Up ZFS
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> As ZFS is becoming more stable and approaching production ready, how
> would one "Backup" ZFS? In terms of backing up to an external media or
> storage rather than doing snapshots. In case the the server
> spontaneously bursts into flames.

use tar it's filesystem independent if you have tape drives.

actually you can tar to anything even multivolume backup using USB 
connected drivers.

> I'm just curious at what others are currently doing to back up huge
> amounts of data. eg. 2TB and onwards.
>
> 1. ZFS -> External HDD (External HDD aren't even big enough to handle
> greater than 2TB) Taken offsite daily
> 2. ZFS -> Another ZFS box (Not sure how you take it off site daily)
> 3. ZFS -> Remote ZFS using RSync (Living in Australia, there are
> limits on data transfer of a few hundred GB per month, to costs are
> prohibitive)

you don't require your backup target to have ZFS.

all your 3 solutions are filesystem-independent