[CentOS] Backup Server with rsync methods

Peter Farrow peter at farrows.org
Thu Jul 7 22:20:21 UTC 2005


My advice to you is rsync'ing the whole machine is never going to work 
without problems.

You should concentrate on rsync'ing data partitions and simple configs 
that may accompany the data sets eg: httpd.conf or /etc/mail

You may wish to tar up the config files for each of the setups you are 
using, and rsync the tar ball to the remote machine.

Then write a script to untar and restart services if configs (tar ball)  
changes.

Forget the idea of rsync'ing the kernel especially if the hardware is 
different, what real operational benefit is this going to give you
for something that will generate a lot of problems?.  I can see that the 
only possible benefit is that you test on the local machine and then 
rsync the config
to the hosted machine,  for offline testing of configs, the concept of 
rsync ing in the manner you describe will create so many other unknowns
or problems it will almost certainly cloud the validity of your test bed 
and its processes anyway.

The best way to truly test in the manner you describe is to have 
identical machines and then create a config on one and replicate it by 
hand onto the other when you are happy
the config is good.  Trying to do it automagically will imho screw it up 
in some other way....

P.




scott wrote:

>Hi guys:
>
>I'm about to migrate a sever to a managed server facility.  I've alwau=ys
>used tape to backup my server, now that's not an option.  I've read abut
>using rsync to do backups and have several scripts to do same.  I believe
>rsync is a good solution.
>
>I am missing some important nuiances though...  I would like to have
>essentially a "mirror" server at my facility ( call it "master") that I can
>backup to, and from, completely from the other server (call it "hosted").
>
>Obviously I have to have at least different IP addresses on "master" and
>"hosted", but other than that, I'd like them to be mirrors of each other.  I
>would like to do all my configs, setup, etc. at my leisure on "master",
>where I have hands on control, then when ready, have "hosted" setup with a
>basic Centos server install, then configure it to rsync to my "master" and
>update the entire thing (updates and all) to my "master".
>
>1. Which files tdo I need to exclude to avoid IP address and hostname
>changes?
>
>2. What caveats do I need to be aware of?  Are there other files such as
>'live" libraries that I cannot sync to?s
>
>3. The "master" server at my facility and their server may have different
>hard drive architecture (i.e. IDS and SCSI drives, different processor,
>etc.).  As long as I use a generic Kernel (i.e. stock) that supposts the
>hardware on both, this shoudl not be a problem, right?
>
>4. Am I missing something, is there a better way?
>
>Thanks,
>Scott
>
>
>
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