From owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Fri Aug 28 22:11:15 2015 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@mailman.ysv.freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:1900:2254:206a::19:1]) by mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 75C689C4347 for ; Fri, 28 Aug 2015 22:11:15 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from wam@hiwaay.net) Received: from fly.hiwaay.net (fly.hiwaay.net [216.180.54.1]) (using TLSv1 with cipher DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (Client did not present a certificate) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 451F49A for ; Fri, 28 Aug 2015 22:11:14 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from wam@hiwaay.net) Received: from kabini1.local (dynamic-216-186-222-143.knology.net [216.186.222.143] (may be forged)) (authenticated bits=0) by fly.hiwaay.net (8.13.8/8.13.8/fly) with ESMTP id t7SMB7M0013036 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES128-SHA bits=128 verify=NO) for ; Fri, 28 Aug 2015 17:11:07 -0500 Subject: Re: *Caution: Threadjack !!!!* Backup strategies To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org References: <55E047DC.40800@qeng-ho.org> <55E06B61.7040305@hiwaay.net> <55E07C7F.80102@freebsd.org> From: "William A. Mahaffey III" Message-ID: <55E0DC7A.6000304@hiwaay.net> Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2015 17:16:36 -0453.75 User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; FreeBSD amd64; rv:38.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/38.2.0 MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: <55E07C7F.80102@freebsd.org> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.20 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2015 22:11:15 -0000 On 08/28/15 10:27, Matthew Seaman wrote: > On 08/28/15 15:07, William A. Mahaffey III wrote: >> Warren's (fabulously lucid) page brings up a question for me. For years >> I have used a 'pull' strategy for across-the-LAN backups, w/ my 'backup >> servers' using tar or rsync to access data for backup on NFS-mounted (or >> automounted) directories that I want backed up. This all happens >> automatically overnight under cron. I am usually *not* backing up system >> files, but rather user data, although I have recently started backing up >> system stuff as well. Warren's page consistently illustrates a 'push'-ed >> backup, & involves system files. I am *dead* serious about automated >> backups, no possibility of forgetting to do it that way, but I always >> thought that trying to backup 'live' system files was a bad idea >> (right/wrong ?). There doesn't seem to be a way to do a 'push' backup >> w/o messing with live system files. I guess I am asking about 'best >> practices' for backups, & the wisdom/validity of backing up 'live' >> system files. Sorry for rambling, but the question(s) popped up for me >> while reading Warren's web page. Any input appreciated. Have a nice day >> & weekend :-). > Push vs pull strategies are a matter of taste. With a pull strategy, > almost all the configuration is in one place and the backup server can > control resource usage -- so it's preferable if you've got a large > number of machines to back up. Push is usually a bit simpler to script, > plus it's the only viable way of backing up to eg. a cloud service. > > True, you cannot guarantee a coherent backup from a live filesystem. > Your choices are either to unmount the filesystem (or otherwise render > it quiescent) or else use some form of snap-shotting. Can I unmount the root fs (for example) once booted ? I thought not .... One of the machines I am backing up is a RPiB+ running NetBSD 7.0-beta, serving as the time server for my LAN. It has only 1 large partition for root, so I get it all in my backup. Could that be unmounted (temporarily) for a backup ? > > Snapshotting is generally the preferable option, since it avoids > disrupting the system too much while the backup is happening. The > built-in native backup mechanisms support this: for UFS, dump(8) has the > -L flag (except with soft-updates+journalling), and for ZFS, zfs send > only works on snapshots. I just checked on the RPi & the '-L' flag has been hijacked to use for labelling the dump, bummer !!!! > > Of course you can always create snapshots manually, mount them somewhere > and then use whatever tools of your choice to backup the snapshot. This > is how I use tarsnap(1). Yeah, but I want automation !!!! > > Cheers, > > Matthew > > > -- William A. Mahaffey III ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "The M1 Garand is without doubt the finest implement of war ever devised by man." -- Gen. George S. Patton Jr.