From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: from pigeon.gentoo.org ([69.77.167.62] helo=lists.gentoo.org) by finch.gentoo.org with esmtp (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1L1hMW-0003ap-6v for garchives@archives.gentoo.org; Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:08:25 +0000 Received: from pigeon.gentoo.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by pigeon.gentoo.org (Postfix) with SMTP id B8232E0191; Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:08:24 +0000 (UTC) Received: from yx-out-1718.google.com (yx-out-1718.google.com [74.125.44.157]) by pigeon.gentoo.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8E4CBE0191 for ; Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:08:24 +0000 (UTC) Received: by yx-out-1718.google.com with SMTP id 4so963870yxp.46 for ; Sun, 16 Nov 2008 05:08:22 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:received:received:from:to:subject:date :user-agent:references:in-reply-to:mime-version:content-type :content-transfer-encoding:content-disposition:message-id; bh=qVawtV9dQW4Os+Rjgg5xQtUiYwN5nhYrASZI3cWHwfI=; b=md0UhrTamPDiJTwSXd275Xm/ZmcP/59Jpl8ClvQ0viN837JXWN3d49Vlb40VRtKddU N0r4GafCuBaoIj9jRi5eoU9Ef/le1s4qrbEFjmVLJrtaTuCED0ruVxGP8MfiHxXnXyhE mSTK6x2sWHM8y+xSNaKGaVzN4rS2cSznbk0Tk= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=from:to:subject:date:user-agent:references:in-reply-to:mime-version :content-type:content-transfer-encoding:content-disposition :message-id; b=Bek982sAEl4te5K9YxQCVeGULrBKtRmfzfpsucO53MLEIq+ce11G8wQRGjOMV2zCTW FwR3JdF1uHWmMrYQ4n+Y87brmNHxGNfo60vwbNrRr8UeHW057f/jiDisRULZbkTtf1MW JuCghW5zfvb1urZTG1GmoUJLOOO9Dp+GdFQh0= Received: by 10.64.10.2 with SMTP id 2mr2761996qbj.76.1226840902334; Sun, 16 Nov 2008 05:08:22 -0800 (PST) Received: from ?10.0.0.4? (dsl-243-253-47.telkomadsl.co.za [41.243.253.47]) by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id s12sm4699792qbs.9.2008.11.16.05.08.19 (version=SSLv3 cipher=RC4-MD5); Sun, 16 Nov 2008 05:08:21 -0800 (PST) From: Alan McKinnon To: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] Back up a server in real-time Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2008 15:08:16 +0200 User-Agent: KMail/1.9.10 References: <200811151945.23398.michaelkintzios@gmail.com> <200811161154.04361.alan.mckinnon@gmail.com> <200811161151.51284.michaelkintzios@gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <200811161151.51284.michaelkintzios@gmail.com> Precedence: bulk List-Post: List-Help: List-Unsubscribe: List-Subscribe: List-Id: Gentoo Linux mail X-BeenThere: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org Reply-to: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-15" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline Message-Id: <200811161508.16400.alan.mckinnon@gmail.com> X-Archives-Salt: d6e8a75c-90d1-4138-8626-42ceaea48206 X-Archives-Hash: bc496aad29144dfb7d73f71dac8d80d7 On Sunday 16 November 2008 13:51:23 Mick wrote: > > Yes. Unix does some RealSmartThings(tm) when using files. The name is > > just a pointer to the actual file, represented by an inode. Once you ha= ve > > an inode open, it stays open until everything using it closes it. So you > > can add/delete/copy/move files by name with impunity as you then just > > move names around. Contrast this with other inferior systems, like say > > Windows for example, which has a built-in self-destruct button when you > > try this... > > Sure, but isn't there a problem with atime mtime metadata when you carry > out a backup in real time and then restore from it? With a restore, you have really just two options: =2D consider the file being restored to be a new file and set the *time to = now =2D consider it a full restore and set them the same as what's in the backup root or the file's owner is permitted to do the latter There's a third option which makes little sense: set the *time of the resto= red=20 file to be the same as whatever file it is repalcing on disk. But this is=20 mostly silly as the file data is now inconsistent with the recorded times > > > I was gravitating towards using LVM snapshot and then tar'ing that to > > > an external USB drive. > > > > This is the preferred way, as you get a consistent snapshot frozen at a > > point in time. This deals nicely with inconsistencies caused by files > > changing while you are backing up other ones. > > Right, that's what I was thinking too. =A0What does restoring from a back= ed > up snapshot involve? The backup is just a backup, the fact that it was made from a frozen disk=20 snapshot is irrelevant. So you would restore it in the usual manner for the= =20 backup format/method in use =2D-=20 alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com