Network Backup application

netpumber · 07-27-2013, 03:45 AM

Hello.

I have set up a pc for network backup but i cannot decide the way to do it ?
Found many applications out there but which one you suggest? which one you use ?

All i want to do is just to take backup from specific dirs and store them in the backup PC through network ?

Thanks.

lleb · 07-27-2013, 02:00 PM

we need much more information then you have provided.

how many systems, what OS are they running, how are they connected, how much data to backup, etc...

netpumber · 07-27-2013, 04:51 PM

there are 3 computers and all are running linux. They are not connected with samba or nfs . They are in the same network behind the same switch.

We dont talk about a big amount of data to backup. Just some documents and misc files.

btmiller · 07-27-2013, 04:59 PM

I've been using duplicity a lot and rather like it, but be sure you get the latest version; earlier releases had some obnoxious bugs in them. It's basically rsync on steroids with built in encryption of back-ups.

netpumber · 07-27-2013, 05:22 PM

Hmmm i see. My first thought was to setup a nfs share between the PCs and backup server and write a script to copy specified directories into these share OR to write a simple script that uses scp. I don't like that duplicity uses ncftp. I don't want ftp clients/servers in my PCs.

lleb · 07-27-2013, 08:00 PM

no need for NFS unless you just want to share files across the LAN. a basic rsync script will do the trick just fine, then place it in cron to when as often/little as you desire.

i have several rsync scripts that backup both my local systems to my file server as well as backup my web server to my local workstation via WWW.

the best thing about rsync is you can encrypt or not your choice, or you could just create a tarball and encrypt the tarball to move across the LAN via rsync.

John VV · 07-28-2013, 12:58 AM

Quote:

here are 3 computers and all are running linux.

well what operating systems are they ?

for example OpenSUSE 12.2 and 3 have that built into the os already
it is just part of the os , there is no need to install anything

netpumber · 07-28-2013, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John VV

well what operating systems are they ?

for example OpenSUSE 12.2 and 3 have that built into the os already
it is just part of the os , there is no need to install anything

They are running Arch linux

mbvo · 07-28-2013, 08:37 AM

If they're all running linux I'd set up a rsync cron on the backup server. If you want to keep more than 1 backup of each system you can set up 2 crons:

1) a basic perl script that rsyncs into a folder with a time/date stamp in the name
2) a perl script that removes any folders that are older than x days.

lleb · 07-28-2013, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbvo

If they're all running linux I'd set up a rsync cron on the backup server. If you want to keep more than 1 backup of each system you can set up 2 crons:

1) a basic perl script that rsyncs into a folder with a time/date stamp in the name
2) a perl script that removes any folders that are older than x days.

dont even need something as complex as perl, just a basic BASH script will do the trick. set it up to save the data into day of the week folders and you will have 7 days of backups for all systems, but that does require considerable more storage space

thats what i do for my web server as well as selected data on my workstations.