Topic: Status smeserver-affa 2.0.0, usage with SME 8.1; concepts for automatic backups

[turandot]

Hi there,

there are quite a number of errors on the bug tracker related to smeserver-affa, and the code is obviously unmaintained. The original author seems to depreciate the use of SME, see e.g. http://affa.sourceforge.net/ or http://wiki.nikoforge.org/How_to_move_Affa_from_SME-Server_to_a_Server_with_Affa_V3 .

Affa on SME is still useful and saved one of my SME installations a month ago using this HowTo http://wiki.contribs.org/Moving_SME_to_new_Hardware . I was just able to retrieve a backup before the HDD of my SME 8.1 failed completely 

I am currently evaluating new concepts to regularly and automatically backup my SMEs. Affa would be a great candidate, but what about the prominent warning here http://wiki.contribs.org/Affa "Warning: This code is deprecated and unmaintained. smeserver-affa has a waiting list of 32 open bugs . And a lot of unpredictable bugs are associated or related with the use of Affa after restoration or rise, such as missing groups, service crash, CGI errors" ?

Pros I see:

• certain success stories like mine, see above
• ease of use
• Affa 3 probably portable to SME, runs on CentOS

Cons from my perspective:

• Affa 2 for SME is unmaintained
• author seems to have moved away from SME
• not too much discussions on http://sourceforge.net/p/affa/discussion/ : is Affa 3 unmaintained as well?

What kind of solution for automated backups would you recommend? Would you still favor smeserver-affa 2.0.0?

Regards, turandot

[stephdl]

test affa 3 -> http://bugs.contribs.org/show_bug.cgi?id=7633

[turandot]

Wow... I wasn't aware about this bug tracker item.

I will thoroughly go through it in the next days. May be I can contribute by testing etc.

Thanks a lot,

turandot

[turandot]

Just wanted to let you know that Affa 3 works on SME 8.1 as expected in general, see http://bugs.contribs.org/show_bug.cgi?id=7633 , as well as using an SME server to backup another SME server. See http://forums.contribs.org/index.php/topic,51040.0.html for more details how I did that.

Thanks,

turandot

[janet]

turandot

What is wrong with using the built in backup (to workstation) in server manager to either a locally connected USB drive or a network share (workstation or NAS).
I realise it does not have the same feature set as Affa (eg rise feature, & ability to quickly rise a backup server to production status).
The built in backup using dar is fully supported by sme core developers.

For an alternative that is used by sme server professional support personnel, & can backup locally or remotely via ssh, see
http://wiki.contribs.org/Rdiff-backup

[stephdl]

Just wanted to let you know that Affa 3 works on SME 8.1 as expected in general, see http://bugs.contribs.org/show_bug.cgi?id=7633 , as well as using an SME server to backup another SME server. See http://forums.contribs.org/index.php/topic,51040.0.html for more details how I did that.

Then you ought to convince the developer to bring out his baby to the light and set up a  wiki page on this topic. If it is not yet possible, then you should help arnaud to finish that contrib (test, development, ....)

[turandot]

What is wrong with using the built in backup (to workstation) in server manager

Nothing at all, except one thing: manual intervention is required.

I realise it does not have the same feature set as Affa (eg rise feature, & ability to quickly rise a backup server to production status).

Right, this is very attractive. I have used it in the past, e.g. to migrate to new hardware. Workstation backups should work perfectly for that.

For an alternative that is used by sme server professional support personnel, & can backup locally or remotely via ssh, see http://wiki.contribs.org/Rdiff-backup

I simply wasn't aware of Rdiff-backup up to now. I have used Affa since a long time... Keep also in mind that I started this thread asking for recommendations 

A 'must have' for me was to have a second machine making fully automated remote backups each and every day without any manual intervention over a VPN network connection, using hard links for rolling backups. Affa is capable for all that. Rdiff-backup probably too...

Then you ought to convince the developer to bring out his baby to the light and set up a wiki page on this topic. If it is not yet possible, then you should help arnaud to finish that contrib (test, development, ....)

Absolutely. I have been in touch with Arnaud directly, but I guess he is currently out on holidays. (So I will be in a few days.) I have tested Affa 3 quite a bit, and I posted my experiences and detailed steps in the bug tracker. Unfortunately I am not capable to build RPM packages, so this needs to be left e.g. to Arnaud. I would be happy to transfer my steps from the bug tracker e.g. into the Wiki. I have never done this before in the SME forum (I have used Wikis elsewhere), but why not start with a HowTo on Affa 3!?

Regards, turandot

[stephdl]

why not start with a HowTo on Affa 3!?

Go but in the header let a warning for test purpose, backups are a sensitive topic.
If you lack of experience on how to write with wiki, either you can edit other pages to see how it works (what I did sometime ago) or you can start and other will come to help.

Alone you can walk faster, but numerous we can go much far than alone....

[turandot]

As I said: I will be out on holidays in a few days, so please be patient with me.

Please let me know how to create an account for the Contribs Wiki (I couldn't find a 'create account' button), as well as how to create a new Wiki page.

Would you recommend to modify the existing description http://wiki.contribs.org/Affa , or should I start with a new one? There are substantial differences between earlier versions and Affa 3, therefore I would vote for a new one...

Thanks, turandot

[stephdl]

see http://wiki.contribs.org/Help:Contents#How_to_get_a_wiki_account.3F

Yes you should start to create a new page.

On the main page of the wiki you have a wiki search box (below one of google) simply search affa3 and if nothing exists then it proposes to create the page affa3.

Here you have the wiki help http://wiki.contribs.org/Help:Contents

Take your laptop and an internet connexion in holidays

Keep us (me) in touch if you have issue on the granting of wiki edit permissions.

[turandot]

stephdl,

I have now requested edit rights for the Wiki.

I will indeed take my laptop with me in the vacation, but you may (or may not!?) know that Corsica is quite attractive for outdoor activities 

turandot

[stephdl]

Obviously if the challenge is to walk on the GR20, please let your laptop at home, it will be too heavy for your ballad.

Good holidays !!!

[janet]

turandot

Would you recommend to modify the existing description http://wiki.contribs.org/Affa , or should I start with a new one? There are substantial differences between earlier versions and Affa 3, therefore I would vote for a new one...

Personally I prefer one Contrib article per contrib name, so editing the existing article & adding everything about the new smeserver-affa3 there would be best (in my opinion).
You could say it supersedes the older information & is (most) applicable to sme9.0

RequestedDeletion suggested a good way to deal with versioning, by use of tabbed pages, otherwise just add everything at the start as the latest & greatest for sme 9.0

I am also in favour of keeping old & superseded information & wiki articles etc, as they are a source of good ideas & procedures, even if dated & no longer exactly applicable, rather than deleting old stuff.