Software for backups

Thu Oct 23 13:53:39 PDT 2003

(I'm on the list, no need to include me).

Quoting John Costello (cos at indeterminate.net):
> > Quoting David Wolfskill (david at catwhisker.org):
> >> At my workplace, one of the things I need to implement is backups (and
> >> demonstrate an ability to perform restores).  I'm somewhat familiar
> >> with the general issues -- it's something I've dealt with since about
> >> 1988.  And I have a copy of W. Curtis Preston's _Unix Backup and
> >> Recovery_, and I have started reading it.  :-}
> [snip]
> >
> > Vertitas netbackup is a fine tool from a cross platform vendor.
> 
> I have heard, but haven't seen, that Veritas for UNIX will allow users to
> restore their own files.

And I really really like NetApps for user files when feasable.
I've played restore monkey plenty of times (it's rarely not
urgent). I'd used NetApps a lot in applications that needed
shared storage and don't deal with users much these days.

So when *I* did the stupid thing and accidentally did the ol'
"rm *" from the wrong dir and ran to our IT guys and was told
~/.snapshot.$SOMETHING and do it yourself, I was delighted.

> I had to replace a user's hard drive recently, and the data restoration
> was painless (it helped to have OS images).  The backup server dumped data
> and the registry to the new system (same shell, different hard drive), and
> all I had to do was clean out a couple of short cuts that no longer
> applied.

That's the BIG test.  "My computer fell in the bathtub*.  Make it
so I can work today."

Chuck

*bathtubs, run over by a truck|forklift, fell off the roof of my
car, etc.
 Me?  I only have them die of old age.  Ok, broke a screen once,
 I don't know how.  But I'm typing on a 1999 computer now (replaced
 a 1993 machine).  How much cpu do vi and xterm really need?