Peter Serwe wrote: > Todd Cary wrote: >> Mark - >> >> Thanks! That did it. >> >> /usr/bin/rsync -av --exclude=".*" -e ssh /home/ 192.168.0.22:/home/ >> My next step will be to brush the dust off of my Perl book and write >> a crontab script to backup nightly. >> >> Question: I may not be using the term "backup" absolutely correctly. >> The destination server is a "standby" server. This is if the source >> server fails, all I have to do is change the router to point to the >> standby server. These are in a home office and I do not consider >> myself a system administrator; just someone who knows enough to keep >> the server running (it's main task is FTPing). Do you have any >> suggestions about using rsync as I am doing? > I'm confused *what* in the world would make you want to write perl > for this purpose when two lines of bash would serve the purpose > (admirably). > > #!/bin/bash > /usr/bin/rsync -av --exclude=".*" -e ssh /home/ 192.168.0.22:/home/ > > If for some reason, you wanted to do something sexier or more dynamic > in terms of the source/destination, that would add 4 more lines to > make it something like: > > #!/bin/bash > for dir in 'ls -1 /home/' > do > /usr/bin/rsync -av --exclude=".*" -e ssh /home/$dir/ > 192.168.0.22:/home/$dir/ > done > > You can even nest loops and iterate multiple parameters. > > Peter Peter, Was this just an example of using a for loop?? I wouldn't do this with rsync, it can handle recursive directories on its own. Putting it in a for loop, then calling rsync over and over again, will take a huge performance hit because rsync will have to build the file list for each directory in /home. Just point it to /home, and all will be fine. Thanks! Mark Schoonover IS Manager American Geotechnical V: 858-450-4040 - F: 714-685-3909 - C: 858-472-3816 "Stop the Earth!! I want off!!"