[mythtv-users] Backup software

[CACook at quantum-sci.com]

On Monday, July 23, 2012 03:14:31 PM Amy Overmyer wrote:
> Anyway, what I was thinking is since I do have a stack of harddrives, if there is software out there that could backup my existing linux setup on that slave to another harddrive? I don't think any of them are identical in size, so imaging would probably not work.  I've read a little about MondoRescue on this list, but that thread was from 2006! Does anyone do something similar?

Disks are so large these days that the only practical way of backing them up is to other disks.  I don't understand reusing small disks, as a 2TB costs only about a hundred now.

I have a backup server in my attic on the far side, where it'll be safe from fire or theft.  It's a SuperMicro Atom with IPMI so I can control it completely remotely.  I can even install Debian on it from another machine using an iso file.  The backup server has five 2TB drives in a SuperMicro cage, four of which are in a ZFS array. (tank)  

The backup server reaches out over the LAN through an SSL tunnel (logging in with public/private keypair) to back up with rsync /home and then / without home, on each machine.  rsync is smart enough to only back up changes.
/usr/bin/rsync --archive --hard-links --delete-excluded --inplace --numeric-ids --progress --exclude='backups.Droog' --log-file=/tank/hex/home-$(date +"%Y-%m-%d").log root at hex:///home/ /tank/hex/home/

That's weekly.  My Myth recordings alone are about 4TB, but then I use an R5000 so get lots of content.  Then monthly I use zfs snapshot to freeze that moment in time so I can always go back and get something if needed.