From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Jan 8 17:23:15 2010 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 504E61065695 for ; Fri, 8 Jan 2010 17:23:15 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from fjwcash@gmail.com) Received: from mail-px0-f182.google.com (mail-px0-f182.google.com [209.85.216.182]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 18E628FC26 for ; Fri, 8 Jan 2010 17:23:14 +0000 (UTC) Received: by pxi12 with SMTP id 12so13143530pxi.3 for ; Fri, 08 Jan 2010 09:23:06 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:mime-version:received:in-reply-to:references :date:message-id:subject:from:to:content-type; bh=JrX9vpALY5QvHPcQf9XeYxJdLAiqzE/N9VvcGaO8Xjk=; b=unxk0lsmNtZW/CGe8XN9bWEQlaJtXdABTG6fpqgUeBFoKGDYnYXz/lLRntH94OZfou 4BHFlbTW9MDNrIgYc9Op4gAAXtqs2zi5U/xWCoL9PJiB32vElm/3Sj7OpmOEww5zYubj x6C1nxcI1UPp9v8Tk2YItzBcSTlKR4/4acD4Q= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :content-type; b=iqf0rsubjT/8vxQGqQBh/XJMgaMQD/Hm0VMwjfGpIRkxaun/CIsc59QHDAPFM1gn1W pcFivnjfNMlU2C8dcgmn3e/8fmO6YTixtJicnsu0JXpgVccSiAEcS8wA0mXSClEGn2Vv rz5x6xdIYXomcI810rLt6y3pUJ6ufsGm8mVY4= MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.142.2.27 with SMTP id 27mr4649693wfb.278.1262971386752; Fri, 08 Jan 2010 09:23:06 -0800 (PST) In-Reply-To: <002201ca9083$528ba740$f7a2f5c0$@com> References: <002201ca9083$528ba740$f7a2f5c0$@com> Date: Fri, 8 Jan 2010 09:23:06 -0800 Message-ID: From: Freddie Cash To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.5 Subject: Re: Question about imaging / migrating freebsd X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:23:15 -0000 On Fri, Jan 8, 2010 at 8:54 AM, kevin wrote: > I have a quick question regarding moving freebsd from one server to > another. > I have read and am exploring several methods for efficiently migrating one > freebsd server to newer hardware. > > Without getting into too many details, it is preferable to migrate each > partition/slice in their entirety. I have read methods where utilizing > dump/restore in single user mode seems to be the way to go, however I would > like to know if anyone has any recommendations or has a tried & true method > (dd over ssh?) for accomplishing this kind of a task that may save me any > headaches, since the servers in question are production systems. > > Both systems will be 7.1-PRERELEASE. And I am unable to physically mount > the new server's disk in the old server, unfortunately. > > Any help / suggestions is greatly appreciated. > In the past, we've used cpio piped through SSH to image servers booted from a Linux LiveCD. We've also used DAR (the Disk ARchiver) to do the same. Recently, we've switched to using Rsync over SSH. On the FreeBSD side, it's as simple as: - boot from Frenzy LiveCD - partition/format disk(s) - mount filesystems under /root/mnt/ (or wherever) - rsync from other server (be sure to use --numeric-ids, --archive, and --hard-links) - install boot blocks - reboot We also use rsync to backup all our Linux and FreeBSD servers to a single backup server (ZFS+Snapshots was made for this). And then use that as the source for imaging new harddrives. -- Freddie Cash fjwcash@gmail.com