1<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"><title>Chapter�29.�Backup Techniques</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="samba.css" type="text/css"><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.66.1"><link rel="start" href="index.html" title="The Official Samba-3 HOWTO and Reference Guide"><link rel="up" href="optional.html" title="Part�III.�Advanced Configuration"><link rel="prev" href="unicode.html" title="Chapter�28.�Unicode/Charsets"><link rel="next" href="SambaHA.html" title="Chapter�30.�High Availability"></head><body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">Chapter�29.�Backup Techniques</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="unicode.html">Prev</a>�</td><th width="60%" align="center">Part�III.�Advanced Configuration</th><td width="20%" align="right">�<a accesskey="n" href="SambaHA.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr></div><div class="chapter" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title"><a name="Backup"></a>Chapter�29.�Backup Techniques</h2></div><div><div class="author"><h3 class="author"><span class="firstname">John</span> <span class="othername">H.</span> <span class="surname">Terpstra</span></h3><div class="affiliation"><span class="orgname">Samba Team<br></span><div class="address"><p><tt class="email"><<a href="mailto:jht@samba.org">jht@samba.org</a>></tt></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl><dt><span class="sect1"><a href="Backup.html#id2608994">Features and Benefits</a></span></dt><dt><span class="sect1"><a href="Backup.html#id2609010">Discussion of Backup Solutions</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="sect2"><a href="Backup.html#id2609057">BackupPC</a></span></dt><dt><span class="sect2"><a href="Backup.html#id2609135">Rsync</a></span></dt><dt><span class="sect2"><a href="Backup.html#id2609243">Amanda</a></span></dt><dt><span class="sect2"><a href="Backup.html#id2609277">BOBS: Browseable Online Backup System</a></span></dt></dl></dd></dl></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2608994"></a>Features and Benefits</h2></div></div></div><p> 2The Samba project is over ten years old. During the early history 3of Samba, UNIX administrators were its key implementors. UNIX administrators 4will use UNIX system tools to backup UNIX system files. Over the past 5four years, an increasing number of Microsoft network administrators have 6taken an interest in Samba. This is reflected in the questions about backup 7in general on the Samba mailing lists. 8</p></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2609010"></a>Discussion of Backup Solutions</h2></div></div></div><p> 9During discussions at a Microsoft Windows training course, one of 10the pro-UNIX delegates stunned the class when he pointed out that Windows 11NT4 is so limiting compared with UNIX. He likened UNIX to a Meccano set 12that has an unlimited number of tools that are simple, efficient, 13and, in combination, capable of achieving any desired outcome. 14</p><p> 15One of the Windows networking advocates retorted that if she wanted a 16Meccano set, she would buy one. She made it clear that a complex single 17tool that does more than is needed but does it with a clear purpose and 18intent is preferred by some like her. 19</p><p> 20Please note that all information here is provided as is and without recommendation 21of fitness or suitability. The network administrator is strongly encouraged to 22perform due-diligence research before implementing any backup solution, whether free 23software or commercial. 24</p><p> 25A useful Web site I recently stumbled across that you might like to refer to 26is located at <a href="http://www.allmerchants.com/Software/Backup_Software/" target="_top"> 27www.allmerchants.com</a>. 28</p><p> 29The following three free software projects might also merit consideration. 30</p><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2609057"></a>BackupPC</h3></div></div></div><p> 31 <a class="indexterm" name="id2609065"></a> 32 BackupPC version 2.0.0 has been released on <a href="http://backuppc.sourceforge.net" target="_top">SourceForge.</a> 33 New features include support for <span><b class="command">rsync/rsyncd</b></span> and internationalization of the CGI interface 34 (including English, French, Spanish, and German). 35 </p><p> 36 BackupPC is a high-performance Perl-based package for backing up Linux, 37 UNIX or Windows PCs and laptops to a server's disk. BackupPC is highly 38 configurable and easy to install and maintain. SMB (via smbclient), 39 <span><b class="command">tar</b></span> over <span><b class="command">rsh/ssh</b></span> or <span><b class="command">rsync/rsyncd</b></span> 40 are used to extract client data. 41 </p><p> 42 Given the ever decreasing cost of disks and raid systems, it is now 43 practical and cost effective to backup a large number of machines onto 44 a server's local disk or network storage. This is what BackupPC does. 45 </p><p> 46 Key features are pooling of identical files (big savings in server disk 47 space), compression, and a comprehensive CGI interface that allows users 48 to browse backups and restore files. 49 </p><p> 50 BackupPC is free software distributed under a GNU GPL license. 51 BackupPC runs on Linux/UNIX/freenix servers, and has been tested 52 on Linux, UNIX, Windows 9x/ME, Windows 98, Windows 200x, Windows XP, and Mac OSX clients. 53 </p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2609135"></a>Rsync</h3></div></div></div><p><span><b class="command">rsync</b></span> is a flexible program for efficiently copying files or 54 directory trees.</p><p><span><b class="command">rsync</b></span> has many options to select which files will be copied 55 and how they are to be transferred. It may be used as an 56 alternative to <span><b class="command">ftp, http, scp</b></span>, or <span><b class="command">rcp</b></span>.</p><p>The rsync remote-update protocol allows rsync to transfer just 57 the differences between two sets of files across the network link, 58 using an efficient checksum-search algorithm described in the 59 technical report that accompanies the rsync package.</p><p>Some of the additional features of rsync are:</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p> 60 Support for copying links, devices, owners, groups, and permissions. 61 </p></li><li><p> 62 Exclude and exclude-from options are similar to GNU tar. 63 </p></li><li><p> 64 A CVS exclude mode for ignoring the same files that CVS would ignore. 65 </p></li><li><p> 66 Can use any transparent remote shell, including rsh or ssh. 67 </p></li><li><p> 68 Does not require root privileges. 69 </p></li><li><p> 70 Pipelining of file transfers to minimize latency costs. 71 </p></li><li><p> 72 Support for anonymous or authenticated rsync servers (ideal for 73 mirroring). 74 </p></li></ul></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2609243"></a>Amanda</h3></div></div></div><p> 75 <a class="indexterm" name="id2609250"></a> 76 Amanda, the Advanced Maryland Automatic Network Disk Archiver, is a backup system that 77 allows the administrator of a LAN to set up a single master backup server to back up 78 multiple hosts to a single large capacity tape drive. Amanda uses native dump and/or 79 GNU tar facilities and can back up a large number of workstations running multiple 80 versions of UNIX. Recent versions can also use Samba to back up Microsoft Windows hosts. 81 </p><p> 82 For more information regarding Amanda, please check the <a href="http://www.amanda.org/" target="_top"> 83 www.amanda.org/ site.</a> 84 </p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2609277"></a>BOBS: Browseable Online Backup System</h3></div></div></div><p> 85 <a class="indexterm" name="id2609286"></a> 86 Browseable Online Backup System (BOBS) is a complete online backup system. Uses large 87 disks for storing backups and lets users browse the files using a Web browser. Handles 88 some special files like AppleDouble and icon files. 89 </p><p> 90 The home page for BOBS is located at <a href="http://bobs.sourceforge.net/" target="_top"> 91 bobs.sourceforge.net.</a> 92 </p></div></div></div><div class="navfooter"><hr><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="unicode.html">Prev</a>�</td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="optional.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right">�<a accesskey="n" href="SambaHA.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">Chapter�28.�Unicode/Charsets�</td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top">�Chapter�30.�High Availability</td></tr></table></div></body></html> 93