05-13-2008
There's two main types of backups:
Bare Metal Recovery backup: You backup the entire system so that you can recover everything back in one hit if you totally fry the system.
Application / Data Recovery backup: You backup only the customised config and data for your app (optionally backing up the application binaries too). If you have to recover from a totally stuffed system, you rebuild the base OS, the apply your backup over the top to put the custom stuff back.
Bare metal recoveries are generally difficult to do and notoriously unreliable as they are hard to test properly. (But I am a bit biased there, so a 2nd opinion might be in order).
Based on my above (biased) opinion, I'd recommend you look at backing up the data only - ie the contents fo the website and webserver config files (including any authentication databases it uses). In the event of a problem, reinstall your OS, reinstall the webserver, restore your backup.
If your webserver isn't installed via a linux package (eg .rpm or .deb etc), you could consider backup up the webserver application directory too - it'll save a step in your recovery in the event of a failure at the expense of longer backup times and more space used.
The final decision should really come down to the following questions:
How fast do you need to recover?
How much storage can you afford?
How are you planning on testing your backups periodically?
Then choose a model that best meets your needs.
As an aside to think about, consider backing up over the network to another server instead, it'll save tapes and time. The drawback is that a total site failure could destroy your backups as well as the original.
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LEARN ABOUT DEBIAN
backup_delhost
BACKUP_DELHOST(8) AFS Command Reference BACKUP_DELHOST(8)
NAME
backup_delhost - Deletes a Tape Coordinator entry from the Backup Database
SYNOPSIS
backup delhost -tapehost <tape machine name>
[-portoffset <TC port offset>] [-localauth]
[-cell <cell name>] [-help]
backup delh -t <tape machine name>
[-p <TC port offset>]
[-l] [-c <cell name>] [-h]
DESCRIPTION
The backup delhost command deletes the indicated Tape Coordinator entry from the Backup Database. It is then impossible to submit backup
operations to that Tape Coordinator, even if it is still running. To keep configuration information consistent, also remove the
corresponding entry from the /var/lib/openafs/backup/tapeconfig file on the Tape Coordinator machine.
To list the Tape Coordinator machines and port offsets defined in the Backup Database, issue the backup listhosts command.
OPTIONS
-tapehost <tape machine name>
Specifies the hostname of the machine housing the Tape Coordinator to delete.
-portoffset <TC port offset>
Specifies the port offset number of the Tape Coordinator to delete. If omitted, it defaults to 0. If provided, it is an integer
between 0 (zero) and 58510, and must match the port offset number assigned to the same combination of Tape Coordinator and tape device
or file in the /var/lib/openafs/backup/tapeconfig file on the Tape Coordinator machine indicated by the -tapehost argument.
-localauth
Constructs a server ticket using a key from the local /etc/openafs/server/KeyFile file. The backup command interpreter presents it to
the Backup Server, Volume Server and VL Server during mutual authentication. Do not combine this flag with the -cell argument. For more
details, see backup(8).
-cell <cell name>
Names the cell in which to run the command. Do not combine this argument with the -localauth flag. For more details, see backup(8).
-help
Prints the online help for this command. All other valid options are ignored.
EXAMPLES
The following command deletes the Backup Database entry for the Tape Coordinator with port offset 2 on the Tape Coordinator machine
"backup3.abc.com":
% backup delhost -tapehost backup3.abc.com -portoffset 2
PRIVILEGE REQUIRED
The issuer must be listed in the /etc/openafs/server/UserList file on every machine where the Backup Server is running, or must be logged
onto a server machine as the local superuser "root" if the -localauth flag is included.
SEE ALSO
backup(8), backup_addhost(8), backup_listhosts(8)
COPYRIGHT
IBM Corporation 2000. <http://www.ibm.com/> All Rights Reserved.
This documentation is covered by the IBM Public License Version 1.0. It was converted from HTML to POD by software written by Chas
Williams and Russ Allbery, based on work by Alf Wachsmann and Elizabeth Cassell.
OpenAFS 2012-03-26 BACKUP_DELHOST(8)