Koozali.org: home of the SME Server

Proper integration

dave_d

Proper integration
« on: March 07, 2006, 11:35:44 AM »
Some time ago (now in the legacy archives) I wrote about using BoxBackup to implement a server to server backup.  I have been using the system without problem ever since.    .....  Well, that's not quite true - hence this new topic.

The problem I'm experiencing arises (only sometimes) after a reboot caused by a power outage - something that happens all too often on one of the sites that I maintain.  Despite my best efforts at writing startup/status/shutdown scripts I still get the situation where BoxBackup on one of the boxes fails to start.

Until now this has not really been a problem - more of a nuisance.  The local IT person has simply spotted the problem, restarted the thing manually, and all is well again.

However, the matter is now becoming more important.  With the ever increasing size of server discs (One client wants 300Gb!) the use of tapes as backup is becoming impossibly expensive if not simply impossible.  OTOH, the purchase of a second, less capable server with correctly sized disks is becoming ever cheaper.  Last week I priced up a backup server with capacity to back up 300Gb of primary server at just over £300.00 whereas a tape device would cost over £2,500.00 - no contest, really.  Not only that, the server/server method happens all the time whereas 300Gb to tape happens overnight and would probably take more than 8 hours.

And this brings me to the real point of this post.  If I am to implement BoxBackup on this new site, I really need to get a grip on making sure that the backup survives a reboot.

I suspect that the real reason for the startup failure is that I have not properly integrated the BoxBackup into the SME server startup/shutdown procedure.  Despite hunting through contribs.org for the best part of two days, I have not yet chanced upon any documentation that tells me how properly to integrate a new facility into SME server.  I'm sure such documentation exists - and I would be grateful if someone could point me to it.  OTOH, should it be tha case that no such documentation exists, could someone give me an explanation of how a new service should be integrated?

In hope .....

Regards,

Dave

Offline CharlieBrady

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Re: Proper integration
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2006, 08:45:25 PM »
Quote from: "dave_d"

Despite hunting through contribs.org for the best part of two days, I have not yet chanced upon any documentation that tells me how properly to integrate a new facility into SME server.  I'm sure such documentation exists - and I would be grateful if someone could point me to it.


Follow the Development link, and check out the Devguide you'll find there.

dave_d

Proper integration
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2006, 09:55:55 AM »
Thanks Charlie - that did the trick. (Now why didn't I think of doing that - must be going senile, I guess!)

Dave