thoughts on setting up an emergency server

[Darrell Shandrow]

Hi Greg,

OK.  Then, simply tarball all the configuration files for the various
applications and utilities you use, as well as all the mission-critical data
such as e-mail and web sites.  Do this in such a manner as to keep the
existing directory structure intact; I think tar already does this by
default?  Do this in the form of a full backup weekly and an incremental
backup nightly.  Make sure to keep current, full-installation CD-ROMS
available for the Linux distro you use.  It would probably be best to have
the backup be the same distro as that running on your actual
mission-critical system, as different distros do things differently.  Then,
do restore, just re-install your full Linux distro, then restore the
configurations and the data from the backup.  Of course, all your customized
binaries and sources would certainly need to be included in the backup...
:-)


----- Original Message -----
From: "Gregory Nowak" <greg at romuald.net.eu.org>
To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Saturday, October 26, 2002 9:45 PM
Subject: Re: thoughts on setting up an emergency server


> Thanks Darrel.
>
> Actually, this is a 2 drive system, with both drives in use (no, it's not
for raid).
> Every 24 hours, I have a script that tar balls the entire system, and
stores a copy on each drive. That way, if it's something like a drive
failure, All I have to do is to untar the last backup on the remaining
drive, and I'm all set.
> However, if it's something more critical, then ...
>
> I also have a cdrw set which I bring up to date weekly with my
configuration files, and user directories if they're not too big to fit on
the backup.
>
> This box is slackware 8.0, with the internet tools such as bind and apache
updated to the newest versions from 8.1 packages.
> If this box should ever go, I'd like to be able to do a full reinstall
with the newest version of slackware or maybe debian, so that I don't just
keep using an outdated distro version when I have the chance and excuse to
replace it.
>
> Greg
>
>
> On Sat, Oct 26, 2002 at 09:15:28PM -0700, Darrell Shandrow wrote:
> > Hi Greg,
> >
> > Well, first, especially if a particular system is mission-critical, it
is a
> > very good idea to make a full system backup and keep that backup up to
date.
> > Perhaps, do a full backup once weekly, then an incremental backup each
night
> > thereafter.  Of course, you'll need to devise a quick method of
restoring
> > such a full backup in the event of an emergency.
> >
> > Outside of that, well, it'd be best to just have another Linux box up
and
> > ready to go.  When the inevitable happens, just change the IP addresses
on
> > that second box as needed, and you're all set.  Of course, your second
Linux
> > box must be configured the same or similarly to your primary one; though
it
> > doesn't probably have to be nearly as powerful.
> >
> > OK; hope this helps.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
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