Topic: Backup Question

[confiarus]

In order to cut costs, I have a client who is interested in using SME 7.4 Server only for a file server and for backups. I set up a test server to demonstrate how it could be used in their environment.   I used the built-in backup utility and backed up to an attached external USB hard drive without any problems.

However, they had 1 requirement.  They wanted to know if the DAR archive file could be opened to view files on a Windows based computer.  I searched on Google, this forum, and the DAR website, but, couldn't find any information on how to do this with the exception of installing DAR/Cygwin on their client machines.    I tried various programs (7zip, freezip, winzip, etc..) but
none of these could open the DAR archive.   

Does anyone know if there's a way to tweak the backup utility to store in *.zip archive format, or, if there's an easy to use "unzip" utility for DAR
which is Win32 based ???

[p-jones]

I THINK you can only get into a DAR file on a windows machine with a command line instruction. (CLI) but I am not 100% certain.

I am intrigued as to why your client would want that feature. The interface built into SME makes looking at the files quite easy (verify backup) and the process to restore an individual file, or a group of files could not be much more simple than what SME offers already from the management GUI.

My own personal philosophy is that backups are sacred and shouldnt be "dicked" around with by any soul who may be bored because the day will come when they are needed and some soul will have damaged / corrupted them.

[confiarus]

Thanks for the reply.  The customer staff only uses Windows clients. 
The plan is rotate USB Hard Drives on and off-site on a weekly basis.

Their mindset is that if the building burns down, or, if theft of the server occurs, they want to be able to easily retrieve data from any (Windows
computer) computer if needed from the off-site backup.  So you might ask why use a Linux Server ?

This client is not a regular client and they wanted know what the options
were for a file server (they have 25 users).  So I presented them with the Windows 2003 and Linux SME 7.4 scenarios.    I think they are leaning
towards SME 7.4 vs Windows, but, since I'm not all familiar with DAR I didn't want to give them wong information about retrieving the data.

[girkers]

To tell you my story of restoring from a backup, once I worked out how to work it properly, it only takes a very short time to restore to a fully working system. In your clients case, if the server is stolen/ business burns down, I reckon it would be quicker to get the SME restored prior to get any windows clients working again with all the software.

What I mean is that as a disaster recovery plan, they simply need another computer, an SME install disk and the backup drive. Once SME is reinstalled, do the restore and your server is like it was when the backup was taken.

[LANMonkey]

I THINK you can only get into a DAR file on a windows machine with a command line instruction. (CLI) but I am not 100% certain.

I am intrigued as to why your client would want that feature. The interface built into SME makes looking at the files quite easy (verify backup) and the process to restore an individual file, or a group of files could not be much more simple than what SME offers already from the management GUI.
My own personal philosophy is that backups are sacred and shouldnt be "dicked" around with by any soul who may be bored because the day will come when they are needed and some soul will have damaged / corrupted them.

 

I was searching trying to figure out how to restore individual files from a backup.  I found this post and went back to my management GUI and there is an option in the menu of the first window of the Backup part of Administration.  Your backup must be to a workstation, at least.

[janet]

LANMonkey

.... Or alternatively (as was mentioned earlier in this 2009 thread), you can open the dar backup file using midnight commander (mc) at the Linux command prompt (ssh to it from your workstation).
See
http://wiki.contribs.org/DAR2#Midnight_Commander_.28MC.29_dar-extension