[KLUG Members] Backup

[Adam Tauno Williams]

> > > I'm looking for backup software for Linux that supports open files.
> > > Does such an animal exist? You do you all use for backup?
> > > I have the hardware. An Ultrium2 autoloader. I just need the software.
> > > I'm not looking for to disk backup.
> > star,  included in your distro; they also have their own rmt server for
> > backing up to a remote tape drive - VERY fast.
> > Of course, according to the System Administrator's Moral Code I'm
> > required to point out that backing up open files is a very dicey affair
> > - if you need true 'hot' backup then your application ***MUST***
> > implement transactions (and obviously have a corresponding rollback
> > facility).
> Most backup solutions for NetWare or Microsoft offer an open file
> option. There are also products like St. Bernard Open File Manager.
> I'm looking for something like this for Linux.

I have no idea what "St. Bernard Open File Manager" is.

> I have a Novell GroupWise server running on SLES9. Novell states to
> backup the data you must use a backup system that supports open files.
> It there something about Linux that negates the need for a specific
> open file manager?

Most backup utilities on Linux/UNIX backup up Open files;  there really
isn't an issue here, it is just normal.  When backing up you should
never 'skip' a file.    This may be due to the fact that locking is sane
on POSIX systems; whereas the locking semantics of Win32 are FREAKIN'
BIZARRE and horrifically complicated.  I'd assume that something like
Groupwise implements transactions and journalling,  it is a complex
enough application that if it didn't I'd image it would be thrashing
data right and left.

Perhaps what you want is to snapshot the data volume and backup the
snapshot, this will give you the most instantaneous copy possible which
is very important if your volume is very large.  It does require that
you used LVM when you installed the system (or created the volume).