Topic: Server Backup

[Kronkvist]

I use my E-smith server as a file server for the local network. I have about 15 gb with data stored on in.

My question is:

Is it possible, when I take backup of the server data, to make it skip making backup the 15 gb with data, and only take backup of the real important stuff?

It takes too much time and disc space if I perform a backup now.


Thanks for help.

[Jason Miller]

I've done something similar on my home server.  Not nearly as much data, but enough that I didn't want to have an extensive backup:>  Actually a few GB of MP3s for that Jukebox rpm, which are already on CDs so there is no point in backing them up again.

I didn't want to edit the actual backup script to say "skip these directories" as that gets too far into customization.

[this assumes you are using "backup to desktop" and know a little bit about linux]

The backup takes only the configuration information, user data, i-bay data, and several system files like /etc/passwd.

So, to get around it, I made a new directory off /, called /mp3 and then stored all my .mp3 files in there.  I then made a customization to httpd.conf (templates-custom) to FollowSymlinks on ibays, created my mp3 ibay, symlinked the contents from /mp3, to the mp3 ibay, and therefore everything functioned as expected, and the backup will only backup the actual contents of the ibay (i.e. the symlinks themselves but not the .mp3 files in /mp3).  

Cut my backup from ~4GB to ~300MB.

Regards,

Jay

[Kronkvist]

Thank you for your answer, but I have to admit that I don't really
 understand...!
 
 " then made a customization to
 httpd.conf (templates-custom) to FollowSymlinks on ibays, created my mp3
 ibay, symlinked the contents from /mp3, to the mp3 ibay,..."
 
 I understand what you've done, but not how I can do it.
 
 Can you give me an explanation of how you make that "symlink" stuff?
 
 
 Regards
 Øyvind Kronkvist

[Jason Miller]

Sure thing.

The following is an example of what I did at home.  Any command line actions should be performed as root of course.

PREMISE:
- I wanted an i-bay where I could store my mp3 music and then use the e-smith-jukebox addon, called 'mp3'.  However, there I felt no need to have to backup these files as they are already burned onto separate CDs.

PROCEDURE [to make it so that it won't be backed up but still make any html stuff work and samba browsing through windows]:

1. Make the ibay, 'mp3' through the manager with whatever permissions you require [in my case, r/w for my home group, and accessible only over the local network without password].

2. Create a separate directory on the system from the command line [as root]:

mkdir -p /mp3

3. Make additional subdirectories to be used to keep the music separate:

mkdir -p /mp3/Favourites
mkdir -p /mp3/Classical
mkdir -p /mp3/Country

4. Make symlinks from the /mp3 directory to the 'mp3' ibay:

ln -s /mp3/Favourites /home/e-smith/files/ibays/mp3/html/Favourites

ln -s /mp3/Classical /home/e-smith/files/ibays/mp3/html/Classical

ln -s /mp3/Country /home/e-smith/files/ibays/mp3/html/Country

5. Load the mp3s into the i-bay as required through network neighbourhood.

6. Make sure that apache can read these symlinks by using a custom template:

cp /etc/e-smith/templates/etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf/90e-smithAccess40ibays /etc/e-smith/templates-custom/etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf/90e-smithAccess40ibays

-> Apologies for any strange line feeding from phorum, the basic is [cp