[CentOS] evaluating backup systems: rsync

Fri Jan 11 19:33:58 UTC 2013
m.roth at 5-cent.us <m.roth at 5-cent.us>

ken wrote:
> On 01/11/2013 12:36 PM Les Mikesell wrote:
>> On Fri, Jan 11, 2013 at 11:29 AM, ken<gebser at mousecar.com>  wrote:
>>> Considering using rsync on a couple systems for backup, I was wondering
>>> if it's possible, and if so how difficult is it, to delete files which
>>> have been backed up (in order to save space on the backup media).
>>>
>>> Anyone with experience doing this?
<snip>
> Les, thanks for replying.  Yeah, I guess I need to clarify.
>
> I've got a system which is due for an upgrade and, at the same time,
> would like to clean up (delete) files and, in some instances, entire
> directories.  Insurance against sudden disk failure is one other concern.
>
> If I delete files and entire directories on that (source) machine, will
> rsync then subsequently automatically delete them on the destination
> (backup) system?  Or would I need also to run an rsync command to delete
> the same on the destination system?  And, if yes, what rsync command
> would do that?
>
> I remember you speaking well of Backuppc previously and so am open to
> using that in future.  At the moment though, I'm looking for the
> simplest possible solution for those three current concerns.

We use rsync here. Actually, we've got a home-rolled system. We created
timestamped backups, which also removes them after a configuration file
item of how many days or weeks. Note that we *heavily* use rsync's parm to
use hard links, which saves a lot of space.

       mark