Copying data locally to Drobo

[Hylton Conacher (ZR1HPC)]

Hi,

As a fairly long time subscriber to this list and running OpenSuSe 11.2.

I had initially hoped that installing the Drobo software would give me
the ability to use the Drobo software to initiate and maintain a
backup. I could then update the machine to a newer release and using
newer software restore the backup.

Dreams will be dreams and whilst the Drobo certainly did give the
ability or attached storage space on which to make a backup, the
software side as such, would need to take the line of something via the
cli for the time being i.e. rsync especially as cp was FAR too time
intensive.

I want to make a backup of the home directory as well as a few others
i.e. /etc, to the Drobo via USB as there is no Firewire on the computer
nor an Ethernet connection on the Drobo.

The Drobo is owned by root and whilst I know the root password, I prefer
to be logged on as a regular user, using sudo if necessary. but it is
the syntax of the rsync command that is stopping me from executing as
rsync can apparently be a BEAST if used incorrectly.

I have read and re-read the man pages as well as doing some Google
searches and reading Suse Linux Toolbox by Chris Negus. Many of
references show copying from a remote host or using a remote daemon.
Since I am doing it all locally I hope the list can help i.e. I am at
the terminal on the machine that holds the information to be backed up
and that also has the Drobo connected.

My reading has given me the command so far as:
$> sudo rsync -avhP --stats /home root@Umalusi:/drobo/backup-'date +%A'/

This would, I believe, recursively copy all items in the /home
directory, archiving files and folders, being verbose, and provide a
human readable progress indicator, and place them in a dated folder on
the backup medium with path being /Drobo?

Since it is copying onto a root file-system is sudo still required or
would it not still request the root password?

Can you answer any of the queries, correct my command syntax, or
redirect my thinking?

Help towards using the cli property is the main aim, besides doing the
backup.

Your thoughts?

Regards
Hylton