Topic: How to backup and restore if user data over 2GB limit?

[joemetro2000]

Hi,

I have been using the sme server-manager's backup
and restore to a file on a windows xp client and
now my user data is over 2GB.  I read in one of
the sme manuals that going over 2GB for the
.tgz file will fail on a restore.

Questions:

a. Is there a workaround in windows that anyone
   knows of to get over the 2GB limit?

b. Is there a way to backup just the user data
   to a usb 2.0 hard disk attached to the server
   directly?  I think I can backup the entire
   server by mounting the usb disk but I think
   this will get me into trouble when I restore
   from upgrading to a newer version.  I like the
   sme server manager method for the restore from
   one compressed file of just user data and config
   files.

I don't have or want to buy a tape drive and have
disk mirroring but I will upgrade in the future
to a new version and I want to make sure I can
restore easily when I upgrade to a new version of
the server.  

I have a couple of extra usb disks I could attach
and a ximeta network attached storage disks available
for the data.  If there is an inexpensive backup
program available, I would be willing to buy this
too.

Thanks for your help,

--JOe

[Quail_Linux]

Hi joemetro2000,

I don't mean to be rude here, but this has been taken up in posts b4.

Please use the search that is here and you will find the answer you want.

may the force be with you

[joemetro2000]

Hi,

I'm sorry if I'm asking dumb questions.  I thought
this was the forum for new users.  I did do
a search of the entire site.  All that I can find in the search are a mondo solution but this is for restoring an entire distribution which isn't helpful for me because I want to use this to upgrade to
the new SME release in the future similiar to the
sme server-manager restore panel.

There is a boxbackup opensource solution that again
backs up all the data.

The troubleshooting fax doesn't say anything.
I've gone thru the 3 manuals in the doc
section which don't list a solution as far as I
can find.

Isn't there a simple workaround like mount a usb
hard disk and run the sme-server backup to it
instead of a network client?

Maybe you could refer me to a solution you know
that works for this problem or refer me to the
somewhere in the search mechanism where there is
an answer?  I have searched on backup and restore.

Thanks for your help,

--JOe

[jackl]

joemetro2000

I don't use backup to workstation but there is a contrib by Darrel May that deals with this issue I'm not sure if this is the right one:
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/distributions/smeserver/contribs/index.php?subdir=dmay%2Fsmeserver%2F6.x%2Fcontrib%2Fbackup2ws&sortby=name

Regards
Jack

[raem]

joemetro2000

> I did do a search of the entire site.
> All that I can find in the search are a mondo solution....

I don't believe that, look at my search result for 'backup'. There are over a dozen pages of results.

http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?action=search2&search=backup

....and if you happened to search on backup2ws

http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?action=search2&search=backup2ws


When using the backup2ws contrib you will still run into the 2Gb issue. What you need to do is limit the backup file chunk size ie specify a max file size of less than 2Gb, the backup2ws program will then split the backup file into parts, which get treated as if they are one big file. That way you can backup and restore servers with 80Gb of data on them etc.
If you want all the gory details re the contrib & the 2Gb tar/smb limitation, read the posts from early 2004.
The backup job you want to use for a full backup & recovery scenario is the 911 Disaster Recovery job. It includes all the data & configuration you need plus the mysql databases, whereas other backup jobs you create DO NOT do a dump of the mysql databases.

[raem]

Might be of interest also

http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=25506.msg102992#msg102992

[joemetro2000]

Thanks for the information and links.  

I'll look into the backup2ws solution and hope
it will work.  

Thanks,

--JOe