Topic: USB backup questions

[leiw]

Hello

I'm planning to use USB to backup smeserver 7.4, I have following questions:

1. Is this 7.4 version support 1TB USB harddisk?
2. Which brand USB harddisk good for 7.4?
3. Is USB backup option only support manually? can it support automatically? or scheduling backup?

Thanks !

[philbrearley]

Hello

I'm planning to use USB to backup smeserver 7.4, I have following questions:

1. Is this 7.4 version support 1TB USB harddisk?
   Yes, Most external 1TB drives will work, but depends more on your own hardware.
   When using external drives, those with their own power supply tend to be more reliable.

2. Which brand USB harddisk good for 7.4?
   Most drives will work, I am using a Western Digital 1TB USB drive

3. Is USB backup option only support manually? can it support automatically? or scheduling backup?
   You could use the manual backup from the console (or using putty) but be aware of file size limitations.
   Most drives come formatted as FAT32. I personally reformat with two partitions,
   The first 10GB as FAT32 so it can be used by both SME and Windows. The rest of the drive as EXT3 for backups.

   You can also schedule your backups using the Server Managers built in backup facility, this is a much better option.
   this can write to FAT32 partitions as well but slices the backups into 750MB chunks so as to avoid the file size limitations.

Phil Brearley

[leiw]

Hello philbrearley

3. Why I have to format two partitions with 10 GB FAT32 and rest to EXT3? can I format with one partitions with EXT3 for backups? I think EXT3 no need to worry about 2GB limitation, right?

You mean using Server Manager, I have following questions:
1. Is it Backup and Restore option in Administartion?
2. I never try it, but web document shown has Backup to Desktop only?
3. Is it no need consider about siz limitation?
4. Is it backup all server config files and user data (email, file sharing data)?
5. it it has incremental backup and full backup contorl backup method ?

Thanks !!!

Thanks

[Curly]

Use the DAR contrib (http://wiki.contribs.org/DAR2) , you can make an manual backup or schedule something, to any sort of medium including an USB disk. It comes with a extra panel in the server-manager. You could make an incremental backup.

The maximum file size depends on the filesystem of the disk you are using, but DAR can split the backup in parts (named slices), so that shouldn't be a problem. Ext3 supports big files. The standard configuration makes a backup of all configuration and user-files.

[janet]

Curly

Use the DAR contrib (http://wiki.contribs.org/DAR2) .... You could make an incremental backup.

I believe the DAR2 contrib only does full backups every day, and does not do incremental backups.

The sme server default Backup or restore panel, has a Configure workstation backup option. It can mount and backup to a workstation drive or to a local USB drive.

The Configure workstation backup option does a full backup and then daily incrementals, if you set it that way. It also supports multiple backup sets, again if you configure it that way.

It is in the the manual under the section titled To Workstation or USB Drive
http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Documentation:Administration_Manual:Chapter10
Please read more carefully

I can recommend the default options, they work fine. Note the Configure workstation backup option also uses dar.

For further info re backup generally see
http://wiki.contribs.org/Backup_server_config#Standard_backup_.26_restore_inclusions

http://wiki.contribs.org/Backup_server_config#Backup_and_Restore_concepts.2C_issues_and_other_information

[leiw]

Hello Mary

Can the sme server default Backup or restore panel backup data to local mounted drive (not USB drive)?

As you mention smeserver default Backup or restore panel can do full backup and then daily incrementals, I can't see any screenshot mentioned on web doc (if there are any screenshot also perfect). You recommended the smeserver default Backup or restore option, how to avoid the 2GB limitation?

Thanks !!!!

[idp_qbn]

leiw.
1.Logon to your server (http://yourserver/server-manager)
2. Navigate to the Backup or Restore section and open it.
3. Look on the main panel for the section marked Backup configuration and status
4. Now look at the box labelled Select an action. It should say "back to Desktop"
5. Now look even more closely at the little blue down arrow at the end of the box. Click it and a list of options appears.
6. Explore the choices....

I use backup to workstation, which is really very easy - and reliable. It is listed as "Configure workstation Backup" - which is what you have to do next.

I believe using a second SME box and AFFA is the best solution but Backup to Workstation is a pretty good second choice, allowing you to keep a full backup plus daily incrementals. You can even keep two (or more) backup sets for longer term backup storage.

Good luck.

[janet]

leiw

See
http://wiki.contribs.org/Backup_with_dar

Also search for a very long forum thread re development of the e-smith backup with dar contrib, which was eventually incorporated into the sme server base code.

The backup is split into 700Mb slices, which can be varied via custom template eg 1.5Gb to suit burning 3 parts/slices to a 4.7Gb DVD  for archival retention purposes. The slice size should be less than 2Gb.

Not sure if local disks can be used, they would need to be configured as network shares.
There was another long thread/s about the seperate Dar2 contrib, which IIRC mentioned how to use local disks, search for that for further info.
The Dar2 contrib can backup to local disks, see http://wiki.contribs.org/DAR2 so as dar is used in both backup methods then it should be doable on the default backup.

The manual is probably missing screen shots as the e-smith backup with dar method was a recent incorporation into the base code, and when the manual was updated no screen shots were added (more complicated to do).
As suggested just open the panel and select the option in order to see what the "screen appearance" is.

Note that backup to local connected disks is not considered good backup policy, if something goes wrong you may loose everything. Even with a local USB disk, you should rotate with another USB disk and/or have more than one backup set functioning.
Remember that backups can become corrupted, and with the incremental backup this can have disastrous effects (rendering the backup useless), so it's always better to have more than one.

An issue with local eSATA backup drives is that they are not hot swappable, as the kernel does not yet support hot swap. You would have to power down the server to swap a drive.
USB drives can be swapped on a live server OK.

[leiw]

Hello

So I think use Backup and Restore option is simple, this option also can backup users data(email and shared files) and system config setup file.

The 2GB limiation also can aviold if the remote backup server is Windows XP NTFS.

Thanks all, I will try it later!