[CentOS] your advice on backup procedure

Bob Hoffman

bob at bobhoffman.com
Sat Mar 24 00:19:41 UTC 2012


Hello all,
I am down to my last hurdle of my project, backups.
I am thinking of three different ways to go and wanted to ask for input 
on what you think is the better choice.
Not asking for 'how to' but more of 'what is best in your experience'

The scenario...
centos server acting as a virtual host. Virtual machines are webservers 
and dns servers. All on one machine, all running centos 6.
Virtual machines are kvm, sitting in lvm storage.

What I want to do..
auto backups of the virtual machines to be stored on the virtual host's 
extra drives for later download to my home computer.

Many backup solutions and programs seem centered on a network of 
computers with file sharing. I do not have this and don't think I want 
to go that way on my host.


My three thoughts, not sure which one to pursue...
(involves certain folders, /home/ (which includes maildir), /var/www/, 
/mysqlhotcopys and bin files, and maybe a few more. I can rebuild the 
comp pretty quick and then restore, or maybe just do one big backup of 
each server, then work on the folders as a solution)

1- Amanda. I do not know much about it or how it would deal with mysql 
databases, but it look promising. I do not have a NFS in place on any of 
the installs.

2- rsnyc - some kind of rsync going from the host to each machine, 
putting it on the host's backup drives. Adding a mysql hotcopy of some 
kind on the VMs, along with bin files, saved to a special folder that 
will then be part of the rsync. Once a week full of both rsync and 
mysqlcopy, then incremental daily.

3- Use kpartx ? and access the lvm the VM is on to rsync internally on 
the host, ditto above with the mysql copy/bin setup.

Number 3 seems like it is the securest way, but obviously not much info 
out there on it.
Number 2 seems like the 'old way' and will require some real work to get 
it right
number 1 looks good, but do not really know anything about it.

Which way would you go, or do you have a different way you like better?



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