Topic: Breaking Up Backup to Desktop

[Dan G.]

I'd like to see a system in which you can break up the Backup to desktop download.  It certainly seems logical to at least break it to be under the 2GB limit, but in some cases, being able to archive things to CD would be useful too.  I'm thinking it would be possible to have the first file download, then you return to a web page with a button that says "Download Next File," and so on until done.

Sound reasonable?

[Robert Boerner]

The request sounds very reasonable and useful.

I seem to remember a thread on the dev-info mailing list where the technical aspects of such a system were discussed. If I remember correctly, it is not as easy as it sounds.

As a pseudo-workaround, I have a found a nice freeware utility that will split a file up. Check out Gsplit at http://www.gdgsoft.com. It works in all Windows versions.

Again, just MHO, YMMV

[stephen noble]

I do this in a fashion in my dungog-backup rpm
you can select parts of your system to backup in sets
you can automate the backups and backup to multiple desktops

www.dungog.net/sme/faq.html -> custom backup

stephen noble

[Stan Coleman]

Yes a new backup to desktop would be nice. I can't even begin to use the current system to back up my 40gig server to my desktop since 40gig is WAY over the 2gig limit. Maybe more info on low cost tape backup systems too.

[Ruusvuu]

Could someone enlighten me on the 2 gig limit?

Thanks

[Duane Rinehart]

I too am curious.  I recently attempted several time to do a backup to desktop and each attempt failed.  I am having other issues with the same server so I couldn't put my finger on the problem.  I was trying to backup around 3.5GB of data.  If > 2GB is backup to desktop not functional?

[stephen noble]

search google eg '2gb ext2'

all 32 bit computer operating systems have 2gb size limitation

i'm adding a multivolume function to my custom backup rpm
for situations when you can't split up your backups into sub 2gb parts.

www.dungog.net/sme/howto/backup.html
regards
stephen noble

[Ken]

I don't particularly like backups as 1 big file as if anything goes wrong the entire thing is garbage. Their is no 2 gig limit on the following xcopy method.

Currently I use an  even day xcopy backup from a windows 2000 workstation  in the form

xcopy \e-smith\data\*.* h:\bueven\data\*.* /s/e/v/c/f/h/r/k/y
rem Did everything copy ?
pause

an odd day (look at the calendar number) backup is

xcopy \e-smith\data\*.* h:\buodday\data\*.* /s/e/v/c/f/h/r/k/y
rem Did everything copy ?
pause


I run the above and H: is a Windows 2000 professional drive with compression of the drive turned on so all files compress while on that drive so I can fit 2 full backups on 1 drive.

At lunch the next day I burn a rewriteable CD from the workstation. I have a weeks supply of these + mid and end month.

What I don't like about burning the CD is all files become readonly and are of course not compressed.

I would like to keep the directories in an uncompressed mode but have all files zip individually as they xcopy to H:  and of course a predefined method of unzipping back to the server if I ever needed to. In this manner a CD would hold a lot more and yet if a single file failed it might not ruin the rest of the backup.

Winzip won't work but I was wondering about something in the manner of a piped command
pkzip *.* | xcopy \e-smith\data\*.*     | h:\buodday\data\*.* /s/e/v/c/f/h/r/k/y
rem Did everything copy ?
pause

Or Arc if not pkzip. Also I remember at one time a batch file called xcopier.bat that would stop and let one insert a new disk perhaps someone smarter than me could figure how to have the zipped xcopied files batched into 650 meg blocks.

Ken

[stephen noble]

using windows will only get you so far, do you want to backup your mail ?

i going to use rarlinux  http://www.rarlab.com as an option for the engine of my backups   www.dungog.net/sme/howto/backups.html
it'll do all i need and more, and the backups can be read with winrar [1] for trivial restore of individual user files

[1] and i think winzip etc

   RAR features:

 o RAR introduces a NEW and original compression algorithm.  It
   allows higher compression ratios than other PC archiving tools,
   especially on executable files, Object libraries, large text
   files, etc.

 o RAR offers a NEW, optional, compression algorithm highly optimized
   for multimedia data.

 o RAR provides functionality for creating a 'solid' archive, which
   can raise the compression ratio by 10% - 50% over more common
   methods, particularly when packing large numbers of small files.

 o RAR offers the ability to create and change SFX archives using
   default and external SFX modules.

 o RAR offers the ability to create a multi-volume archive as SFX.

 o RAR offers a number of service functions, such as setting a
   password, adding archive and file comments.  Even physically
   damaged archives may be repaired and an archive may be locked
   to prevent further changes.  Authenticity information may be
   added for additional security and RAR will store information
   on the last update and name of the archive.

[D.Garrett]

Quote:"Author: stephen noble (stephen_AT_dungog.net)
Date:   05-11-02 00:08

search google eg '2gb ext2'

all 32 bit computer operating systems have 2gb size limitation":end quote.

Do they???   Try NTFS5 to allow files larger than 2gb  

Darren.