I have a rack mounted server with 3 IDE drivers running in LVM so that I have tons of space. Whats the best option to back it up? Only other drive it has at this time is a DVD/CD-RW.

Need more info here I think.

How much data do you have to backup? How important would this backup be?

Do you want to just backup files that may get changed that you would need to restore, or are we talking backup for the purposes of restoring from failure of your LVM?

Typicall "tar" is used for making simple backups. Then its up to you what to do with the subsequent file it makes. You could either put that on CD, leave it on the LVM, or move somewhere else. Alot really depends on what your trying to accomplish with your backup.

I have backups that are nothing more than an rsync of one directory to an external or network drive.

Others that are scripted, run tar, copy files to tape or wherever.

Actually Im sure in the future it will be alot, but for now I would like to back up the system so if there is a failure to the point the system is lost I would like to be able to restore it. Mainly the system will hold web files and mysql. It would also be nice if it could be backup to the point where I can for example build up a new box and just load that backup onto. For now I could burn all the data on CD or to an external HD.

google "tar backup"

The first few hits should be decent enough to get you started with tar.

I'd highly recommend getting an external drive of some sorts for backups. My experience with CD/DVD type backups is they are either not done often enough, or create a great many drink coasters. Especially when you break the 4gb limit on your backups. Perhaps your really anal about backups, and have a few thousand spare blank DVD's around, then go for it

haha thanks for the help. I do have a good external usb drive I could use.