RE: System Backup

["Ben Yau" <byau cardcommerce com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: redhat-install-list-admin redhat com
> [mailto:redhat-install-list-admin redhat com]On Behalf Of Rick Stevens
> Sent: Friday, January 02, 2004 10:20 AM
> To: redhat-install-list redhat com
> Subject: Re: System Backup
>
>
> John Strunk wrote:
> > All,
> > I have been watching this list for the last few months and have found
> > some good advice.  Thanks.
> >
> > Now I have a situation that I need help to resolve.
> >
> > I have four RedHat systems that I take care of, two are RH9 and two are
> > RH8.  They are all servers with most everything available
> installed.  My
> > backup strategy in the past has been to backup all data files both
> > system and private.  Then if  there is a failure I can reload
> the system
> > and download all the current patches and updates to the system and
> > finally restore the data files.
> >
> > Now that Red Hat is dropping support for release 8  and soon dropping
> > support for release 9 I am faced with the problem of keeping a complete
> > system backup as well as the data.
> > I am not sure if I have the knowledge to do this.  Can anyone explain
> > what system files I need to backup so that I can rebuild the system
> > starting with the RedHat distribution DVDs?
> > It may be a simple thing but I seem to lack a few of the
> details to pull
> > it off.
>
> The problem is in differentiating between what constitutes the OS and
> what constitutes user data.  Since things can be intertwined (tweaked
> .conf files and such), this isn't such an easy thing to do.
>
> I'd back up the whole system, OS and all.  During a recovery, you'd
> install the OS from CD and RPM updates, then you can restore the files
> from the backup set but specify that the system may NOT overwrite
> existing files.  This will prevent your customized stuff (or older


My practice has been similar.  I back up /  (/etc, /, /root, /usr/local).
Particularly /etc since if you've tweaked any config files manually like
sendamil.cf or any of the rc* .   Usually backing up / does not include /usr
or /var.  You may want to back up /usr/local if you use that often and
possibly /var/log or /var/spool

Ben Y


>