Topic: backup2ws SME7 testers needed

[dmay]

I've updated my backup2ws contrib with a few feature requests I received. Details here:

http://myezserver.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=678

I'd appreciate it if experienced users would perform the following on their SME 7 beta test servers:

1) perform 911 backups, simulate total hard drive failures by reinstalling a fresh instance of SME, perform a 911 restore, and report results.

2) perform your own custom backups, and report results.

3) please test the new {pre,post}-backup2ws-custom event features, and report results.

Also, is anyone still using the rsync capability? I personally only use rar and am thinking of dropping this functionality completely.

[gbaird]

DMay

Backup to workstation is the BEST contrib that Sme has
should be included in the iso

I have tested your latest btw 24 I believe and it works as it should 22 & 23 did not

Sme beta 4 & 5 has some problems with add users & add ibays so I would not be concerened until a final release comes out my thoughts anyway

If it was not for btw I would not use Sme I have lost data in the past and it seems no matter how you plan it happens but with btw I don't worry - Network Admin since 1998

Btw is like the Ron Popel roaster set it and forget it!
if you need to restore something you have it

Now on to Rar the cost is cheap. So why worry 29 or 39 bucks is not that much. Now let me rebuild a server without a backup
install the system and what about the rest of my files?

YOU HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB AND SME NEEDS YOUR BACKUP CONTRIB

Rsync works but create the script and then use cron and hope

Gregory Baird
Eelriver Networks

[dmay]

Thanks Gregory. Please try my latest build 26:

http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver/contribs/dmay/smeserver/7.x/Alpha/smeserver-backup2ws-0.0.1-26dmay.noarch.rpm

See changelog for new features added since 24.

As for adding this contrib into the iso, the rar license is a shareware license. This may pose a significant roadblock for the SME core team to add the contrib directly into the iso. I have read posts talking of establishing an official certified contrib yum repository. This sounds like a great idea to me. I welcome anyone to take this contrib and polish it up to meet SME core team acceptance for inclusion into this future repository.

[gregswallow]

Darrell, I haven't look at the inner workings of your contrib, but I was wondering if there's any chance that a GPL archiver like p7zip could replace rar?

EL4 RPMS for p7zip:
http://dag.wieers.com/packages/p7zip/

Main page:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/p7zip/

Warning from the man file:
DO NOT USE the 7-zip format for backup purpose on Linux/Unix because :
 - 7-zip does not store the owner/group of the file.
On Linux/Unix, in order to backup directories you must use tar :
 - to backup a directory :
tar cf - directory | 7za a -si directory.tar.7z
 - to restore your backup :
7za x -so directory.tar.7z | tar xf -

[dmay]

Warning from the man file:
DO NOT USE the 7-zip format for backup purpose on Linux/Unix because :
 - 7-zip does not store the owner/group of the file

One of the key strengths or Linux rar is it does correctly retain (and restore) all rights & ownerships. I have found rar and winrar to be an unbeatable combination.

[gregswallow]

Yes, it's too bad it doesn't have direct support to retain file ownership (likely as it's based on the windows software 7zip), but when used in combination with tar it does work apparently:

On Linux/Unix, in order to backup directories you must use tar :
- to backup a directory :
tar cf - directory | 7za a -si directory.tar.7z
- to restore your backup :
7za x -so directory.tar.7z | tar xf -

I guess the implication would be it would require more empty space on the hard drive than using rar, but it would make the contrib 'free', if it is possible...

[hanscees]

I've updated my backup2ws contrib with a few feature requests I received. Details here:

http://myezserver.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=678

Hi,
I can't seem to find what this contrib does and so on? Where should I look?

Hans-Cees

[dmay]

Hi,
I can't seem to find what this contrib does and so on? Where should I look?

Hans-Cees

Code: [Select]

# rpm -qip smeserver-backup2ws-0.0.1-26dmay.noarch.rpm
Name        : smeserver-backup2ws          Relocations: (not relocatable)
Version     : 0.0.1                             Vendor: (none)
Release     : 26dmay                        Build Date: Thu 27 Oct 2005 03:16:02 AM UTC
Install Date: (not installed)               Build Host: e-smith.myezserver.com
Group       : Mitel/addon                   Source RPM: smeserver-backup2ws-0.0.1-26dmay.src.rpm
Size        : 65946                            License: GPL.
Signature   : (none)
Packager    : Darrell May
Summary     : Backup to workstation panel for SME Server
Description :
smeserver-backup2ws provides a panel for performing server backups to Windows workstation share(s). Two backup methods are available, rar or rsync.

Rar (http://rarlabs.com) is a robust backup tool. It archives to either a single file or may split archives over several files. It includes compression and provides proper saving and restoration of links and extended ownership/rights attributes. The files are viewable on the Windows workstation with winrar.

Rsync performs a file by file transfer to the remote Windows share. The files are easily viewable on the Windows workstation. However, rsync looses all ownership/rights attributes and does not handle linked files.

[berdie]

Hi Darrell,

thanks a lot for your new release!
Reading that your contrib is one of the most wanted add-ons, I would like to ask you for a possible solution for international localizations of your contrib.
I remember that in 7.0 B5 there are translations in several languages integrated (french, italien and german). What do you think about this?

Rgds.
Dietmar

[dmay]

As I mentioned above, I encourage anyone to polish this contrib. Localization would be one of them. The SME way would be to rewrite the panel in FormMagick with appropriate locale language files.

I've also asked for feedback on dropping rsync. Have not received any as yet. I'd probably drop this and recommend a panel re-write including rar only.

Have no time, nor am I fluent with FormMagick, to undertake this myself.

[Dxl]

I have not tested SME 7.0 yet

But the thing I miss the most is a options to add password to the rar files, this makes it very easy/fast to uploade it to a remote location after the backup2ws is finish.
Is it possible to add this option?

Sorry for my bad English

Best regards
Morten

[mackayr]

Though a bit delayed, I came across this thread and would like to pursue the licensing issue.  I understand that Rar is shareware, but I'm unclear as to how many licenses it requires.  Only one user (me) would ever run/set-up the backups, but I have 5 machines on my network - Primary server, backup server (ibay for holding backups), and three user machines.

Any insights would be appreciated.  It's very important to me personnally that I comply with the licensing requirements.

[dmay]

It's very important to me personnally that I comply with the licensing requirements.

You should direct your rar licensing question to sales@win-rar.com.

[dmay]

smeserver-backup2ws-0.0.1-27dmay.noarch.rpm

* Thu Nov 24 2005 Darrell May <dmay@myezserver.com>
- removed rsync support
- added user definable Expiry time
- updated panel text
- [0.0.1-27]

Uploaded to contribs.org however I note the ibiblio mirror is having issues currently.

Darrell

[rf131]

Hi Darrel,

Great job... This looks like what I have been searching for to do my backups.  I have a 12 user NT 4 server that I'm going to replace with SME.  I have an XP Pro box that has USB external drives that I'll swap out for the target WS.

I ran a custom job, works great.  WinRar was able to open and extract the files.

I ran a 911, and it appeared to backup what I had in the system; not very much there.  I got the following message:

Nov 26 11:32:13 server2005 e-smith-bg: Cannot open /etc/smbpasswd

I'm running this on a Dell PowerEdge 500SC, 640MB RAM, 2 ea. 80 GB in a RAID-1 setup.  The build is Version 7, Beta 8.

Thanks,
Kevin