Backing up to an automounted server partition?

burley · 02-08-2017, 12:15 PM

Is automount a safe bet to backup a laptop to an exported server partition? I had a problem that my local partition filled up where I believe backups were written to the automounted server partition.... On a laptop hard mounting the server may lead to stale mount points having their own problems... So what's a good policy here?

szboardstretcher · 02-08-2017, 12:41 PM

Are you stuck using nfs/exported file system?
Any reasong to not use rsync and SSH?
Is the laptop linux or windows?

burley · 02-08-2017, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by szboardstretcher

Are you stuck using nfs/exported file system?
Any reasong to not use rsync and SSH?
Is the laptop linux or windows?

- No, I'm not stuck with nfs/exported.
- Direct cp is faster than rsync (quite frequent backups).
- Linux (Debian).

suicidaleggroll · 02-08-2017, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burley

- Direct cp is faster than rsync (quite frequent backups).

I have a hard time believing that for anything other than the first backup. How are you doing these backups?

burley · 02-08-2017, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suicidaleggroll

I have a hard time believing that for anything other than the first backup. How are you doing these backups?

I use borgbackup. It works perfectly with rsync but I was just wondering if using automount would be safe as well. In the backup script straight before borg backups into the server partition I first do an "ls <server-backup-directory>" to be sure it's automounted.

MadeInGermany · 02-09-2017, 12:43 AM

NFS works okay.
If the server is not available it behaves a bit nasty.
Another test is

Code:

df <server-backup-directory>/.

or

Code:

timeout 5 df <server-backup-directory>/.

where the trailing /. ensures the automatic mount.