SUMMARY: Automated Backup

From: boyd0009@mc.duke.edu
Date: Tue Jan 23 1996 - 11:03:41 CST


My original question/post was:

> I have recently been asked to support/manage a SPARC20 running
> Solaris 2.4 and have a question about backup schemes. The previous
> manager has a script that he manually ran every so often to maintain
> backups of the system. This script performs a full dump of the
> machine using ufsdump. I would prefer to have some kind of automated
> scheme that ran scheduled backups so I would only have to swap out
> backup tapes.

> Could someone please tell me what they use to backup their system on
> a scheduled basis? Do most of you do full dumps or use an
> incremental approach? I would prefer a free/shareware product as a
> solution. Thanks for the help,
>
> Howard Boyd

I received many replies which can basically be broken down into the
following categories:

   1) Use a backup script (ufsdump, cpio, tar) and cron
   2) Get the freeware/shareware package called AMANDA, Advance
       Maryland Automated Network Disk Archiver
   3) Use DumpTool from Artecon. This is apparently a freeware
      program that uses tar and dump for backup and cron for
      scheduling.
   4) Use the Networker backup software that comes w/ Solaris 2.5

Most respondents suggested taking my backup script and using cron to
schedule the backups. Several people use a script and have it mail
them a report on whether the backup was successful or not. Most admins
also have the script eject the tape when the backup is complete to
remind them to change the tape and to keep from overwriting it.

Since I have a single system to backup and the backups will all fit on
one tape, I will probably use a ufsdump script and cron for the job.
As for a schedule, I plan on implementing a weekly full dump and
incremental dumps during the week. Some admins simply perform a
full dump once a week and do not use incremental at all. The backup
strategy seems to depend on how critical the data is and how often one
might have to restore a file from tape. Admins in a larger environment
w/ multiple systems to backup seem to prefer the AMANDA program.

AMANDA can be obtained from ftp.cs.umd.edu/pub/amanda. I did not
receive information on how to obtain DumpTool.

Thanks to all who responded to my plea for help:

        A700102@aetna.com
        alanp@zycad.com
        cota@dpg.rnb.com
        cwainri@siue.edu
        gdonl@gv.ssil.com
        Glenn.Satchell@Uniq.com.au
        jayl@lattice.com
        john@trda3430.tdi.com
        keith@oz.health.state.mn.us
        kopacik@alpha.dcs.fmph.uniba.sk
        lkopl@ctp.com
        msiple@mfg.wb.xerox.com
        phil.kao@artecon.com
        spoulsen@laguna.transcrypt.com
        tehoyt01@morehead-st.edu
        tkennedy@phoenix.csc.calpoly.edu

and a special thanks to those who offered to email me copies of their
backup scripts. Thanks in advance for any more responses after my
SUMMARY goes out :)

Howard Boyd



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