Which Backup solution?
Brian Lavender
run an orthodontists application. The solution needs to produce
verified backup media that can be used to restore the system if the
drive crashes plus produce media that can be taken offsite. I would
also like to have it where the backup application can be run from a
text based terminal and can be run via a scheduled job such as cron.
It will also need to run a post install shell script. Here is what I
am currently looking at:
What software do I use?
I read the SuperTar review at
http://www.pcunix.com/Reviews/supertar.html and it looks like I am
going to use Lone-Tar. Microlite looks pretty good as well, but it
looks like a toss up, so I am thinking of Lone-Tar, maybe just because
I have heard of it longer.
What backup media do I use?
I am thinking some sort of tape backup. The amount of data I will be
backing up is under 2 Gigs, plus the install of OSR 5.0.7. I looked at
SCO's page regarding tape drives, and here is what I found.
http://wdb1.sco.com/chwp/owa/hch_search_corp.action
I am not sure if tape is the way to go. Should I use Tape, or should I
go with some sort of DVD device?
Any other things I should consider?
brian
gbur...@databasix.com
: I am creating a backup solution for a system I am building that will
: run an orthodontists application. The solution needs to produce
: verified backup media that can be used to restore the system if the
: drive crashes plus produce media that can be taken offsite. I would
: also like to have it where the backup application can be run from a
: text based terminal and can be run via a scheduled job such as cron.
: It will also need to run a post install shell script. Here is what I
: am currently looking at:
:
: What software do I use?
:
: I read the SuperTar review at
: http://www.pcunix.com/Reviews/supertar.html and it looks like I am
: going to use Lone-Tar. Microlite looks pretty good as well, but it
: looks like a toss up, so I am thinking of Lone-Tar, maybe just because
: I have heard of it longer.
I like Lone-Tar too.
DLT works nicely. Room for growth.
--
gburnore at DataBasix dot Com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
How you look depends on where you go.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary L. Burnore | нлГКнГоГКнГГнлКнГоГКнГнГоГКнГннлГ
| нлГКнГоГКнГГнлКнГоГКнГнГоГКнГннлГ
Official .sig, Accept no substitutes. | нлГКнГоГКнГГнлКнГоГКнГнГоГКнГннлГ
| нл 0 1 7 2 3 / нГо 3 7 4 9 3 0 лГ
Black Helicopter Repair Services, Ltd.| Official Proof of Purchase
===========================================================================
bill
> I am creating a backup solution for a system I am building that will
> run an orthodontists application. The solution needs to produce
> verified backup media that can be used to restore the system if the
> drive crashes plus produce media that can be taken offsite. I would
> also like to have it where the backup application can be run from a
> text based terminal and can be run via a scheduled job such as cron.
> It will also need to run a post install shell script. Here is what I
> am currently looking at:
>
> What software do I use?
>
> I read the SuperTar review at
> http://www.pcunix.com/Reviews/supertar.html and it looks like I am
> going to use Lone-Tar. Microlite looks pretty good as well, but it
> looks like a toss up, so I am thinking of Lone-Tar, maybe just because
> I have heard of it longer.
>
We use Lone-Tar and I really like the fact that when the feces hits the
fan and you just can't quit figure out what to do next (first ?) there
is somone on call 24 x 7 who can walk you through the disaster recovery.
Of course you could do it yourself, but it sure is nicer to have someone
else who does it regularly available for the bumps.
Rainer Zocholl
>I am creating a backup solution for a system I am building that will
>run an orthodontists application. The solution needs to produce
>verified backup media that can be used to restore the system if the
>drive crashes plus produce media that can be taken offsite. I would
>also like to have it where the backup application can be run from a
>text based terminal and can be run via a scheduled job such as cron.
>It will also need to run a post install shell script. Here is what I
>am currently looking at:
>What software do I use?
>I read the SuperTar review at
>http://www.pcunix.com/Reviews/supertar.html and it looks like I am
>going to use Lone-Tar. Microlite looks pretty good as well, but it
>looks like a toss up, so I am thinking of Lone-Tar, maybe just because
>I have heard of it longer.
I found lone-tar much more complicate to install than Microlite.
Microlite installs it self almost "alone", finds always
all devices. The only thing the user has to know:
"Howto place media in the drives."
And: "what might st0 mean?"
The user interface is much more uptodate.
If someone needs a quick backup solution without
lengthly investigations how that dammed tape drive is called
this time under this OS: mircolite will "investigate" it for him.
Very nice done!
The generating of restore images (almost) never failed
(only once when i had a linux kernel that had all modules compiled
in, in have to configure that. (And the error message wasn't as clear
as could be)). The boot image is generated sufficient fast.
I tried "mondo" which seems to need hours to generate the image
and finally failed so hard while generating the
restore image on debian linux that i had to hard reboot the box :-(
Disadvantage of microlite:
The setup is still(/again?) not capable to accept "-" in the domain name.
(last time i tried the linux version)
The errormessages shown on the gui are not very helpful.
The errormails could be more detailed too.
("3 files failed to verify". Why are the names not mentioned?
It's annyoing to go to the customer site and see it's only ntp.log
and ntpstat, wow.. ;-( . But it could be dangerous not to look at because
the last time it were only ntp... So: upto 10 file names that failed
verify and a MD5 of the remaining file names in the mail/(!) would be nice.)
The handling of tape changers should be more "look and feel".
It should not give up instantly if there is no response from drive
without any retry.
Remote backups required root permissions on both systems.
That's generally no good idea but mircolite staff thinks it's ok... ;-(
Selecting a single file for restore could be more informative.
(Is backedge holding a database of all tapes?)
But that're all no K.O. criteria (except the last if you need
remote backups and you don't would like to give everybody root permissions
on or backup server or you don't want to have root permission on
very single box on the campus only to be able to make backups of
some files the owner wished to archive. )
Does someone ever try "unitrends" products?
>What backup media do I use?
>I am thinking some sort of tape backup. The amount of data I will be
>backing up is under 2 Gigs, plus the install of OSR 5.0.7. I looked at
>SCO's page regarding tape drives, and here is what I found.
>http://wdb1.sco.com/chwp/owa/hch_search_corp.action
>I am not sure if tape is the way to go. Should I use Tape, or should I
>go with some sort of DVD device?
In which time range you are sure the 4,7GB of a DVD will be still
sufficient?
Tha DVD would have the big advantage that you can use ANY
DVD-reader to restrore the data, in the case that the writer breaks
down.
A "bootable Tape device" like HPs would be nice.
DDS-4 "scales" relatively good in size and media costs.
Long time ago DDS had problems but those seems to be solved meanwhile.
I don't know if it works under SCO:
Ever thought of IDE-Hardware RAID1 Controler?
>Any other things I should consider?
How to hardwire the backup device?
SCSI, USB2.0 or Firewire?
Bill Vermillion
Rainer Zocholl <UseNet-Pos...@zocki.toppoint.de> wrote:
> (Brian Lavender) 23.06.03 in /comp/unix/sco/misc:
>>I am creating a backup solution for a system I am building that will
>>run an orthodontists application. The solution needs to produce
>>verified backup media that can be used to restore the system if the
>>drive crashes plus produce media that can be taken offsite. ...
[deletia - wjv]
>I found lone-tar much more complicate to install than Microlite.
>Microlite installs it self almost "alone", finds always
>all devices.
I've not noticed that. I have clients that user both and they also
support different HW platforms - so in some instances I the one
that supports the HW. The current versions are pretty
straightforward - on both - as far as I'm concerned.
The interface is decidedly different.
...
>Disadvantage of microlite:
...
> The errormails could be more detailed too.
> ("3 files failed to verify". Why are the names not mentioned?
We'll I'd just as soon not have them in email, and ssh to the site
and see the files instead of having [possibly] huge emails sent to
me.
I get daily messages from a couple of local SCO Microlite users
and one from a remote Lone-Tar [DC area] BSD list-server. I don't
need huge mails in my mailbox when if there are problems I need
to get into the system to see the problem.
The approaches are different in the BackupEdge sends a combined
message while the LoneTar sends a message on backup completion and
another at the completion of verify. That's a basic design
choice.
> It's annyoing to go to the customer site and see it's only ntp.log
> and ntpstat, wow.. ;-( .
Well on clients I ssh in. If you have to physically go to a customer
then I can see why you'd like more information. Maybe it should be
a user configurable option?
> Remote backups required root permissions on both systems.
> That's generally no good idea but mircolite staff thinks it's
> ok... ;-(
Two-sided coin - or sword. If you don't limit the backups to root
what is to prevent non-root users from accessing the backup.
Non-root would be a big security hole if the machine was accessible
via the net.
>Does someone ever try "unitrends" products?
I had some client's that used to use it - but none recently.
A couple of years ago I 'lent' Steve a machine to compile an SGI
version of core. [That was remote access - the machine stayed
here]
>>What backup media do I use?
>>I am thinking some sort of tape backup. The amount of data I will be
>>backing up is under 2 Gigs, plus the install of OSR 5.0.7. I looked at
>>SCO's page regarding tape drives, and here is what I found.
>>http://wdb1.sco.com/chwp/owa/hch_search_corp.action
>>I am not sure if tape is the way to go. Should I use Tape, or should I
>>go with some sort of DVD device?
>In which time range you are sure the 4,7GB of a DVD will be still
>sufficient?
It's just a matter of time for most systems.
Bill
--
Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com