Topic: Backup AFTER my server died

[b2vn]

Hi everybody

I have managed to break my server, not just crash it lightly, I dropped a latter on it while I was painting my house.... Yes I know I should have had it in a computer case, but it was just the bare components lieing on a shelf...

Now I have set up a new server, and I would like to get a backup from the old one.

Probably since I'm not too experienced with linux, I'm running into all kind of troubles.
- I can not mount the disc on my workstation since it's a linux raid.
- When I try to set up a raid with with just this one disk, it comes out and tells me that the disk is not formatted. This could be because the disc is broken, but I think/hope it's not.
- I have tried to mount the old disc in the new server, but I get a kernel panic on startup, guess it comes of the raid stuff

How do I move on from here?

[byte]

Have you tried booting from knoppix...if your harddrive got a direct hit I would say your hd is probably broke

[dvdsmith]

Probably since I'm not too experienced with linux, I'm running into all kind of troubles.

I know the feeling, learning as I go along.  I've found the Live CD "INSERT" highly useful for recovering off many formats.  Its based on Knoppix I think, has a GUI, and is relatively easy to learn for someone more familiar with Windows.  You can find an ISO by visiting the site http://www.insert.cd/  FYI, it supports Linux software RAID.  

Hope this helps.

[TrevorB]

Read Backup vs Upgrade (http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=30745.0).

You can build a new server and then restore from disk (your old disk).

[raem]

b2vn

> This could be because the disc is broken, but I think/hope it's not.

Download a Drive Fitness Test (DFT) program like the one from IBM/Hitachi, other manufacturers have similar. Boot your computer from the floppy disk you create and then fully test the drive.

If the drive i sfaulty you are out o fluck.


> I have tried to mount the old disc in the new server, but I get a kernel panic on startup, guess it comes of the raid stuff

Depending on the result of testing the drive you may not be able to boot up to it. Just ensure that you have connected the single drive to  the same channel it was originally on ie hda or hdc.