UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi Gurus,

I would like to clarify some doubts regarding a backup strategy.
I have been working on various *NIX as AIX,Solaris and Linux.
I would like to design a backup procedure.WOuld it be possible for me to use a single LTO tape device to backup all the different server with different OS.For example I connect the LTo to a Redhat /AIX box and use the tape device to backup the SOlaris,SUse and Other Unix OS.

I was just thinking wouldnt be possible to just tar,gzip and copy over these files to the backup server and use the Tape device to backup these files.

Secondly would it be possible to use any file sharing protocols like samba or something else so I could mount the other machines files to the backup server and take a backup.Wold these files be accessible while the backup is taking place.

Please advice me on a good way to so this.Hope we dont need to have seperate LTOs for each OS.

Thanks and Regards
Micky

Hi Micky

Mount the remote filesystems using NFS. Put the filesystems to be made available in your /etc/exports file and then run exportfs to make the system read the file (this is on linux by the way - it's been so long since I played around with any other UNIX that I can't remember if this command is peculiar to linux, I seem to remember in one flavour I had to send a HUP to the NFS daemon - check with man exports)

You can then mount it from the other system using mount -t nfs systemname:/filesystem/exported/on/other/system /mountpoint

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.
It would be great if you could share some more.
The case is I have a SUSE Linux,Redhat Linux,AIX box.I want to connect a tape device to any one of them.When u said NFS,i guess its network file sharing,in this case are these files accessible by the application while the backup is taking place.How about the security and consistency of the backup.

Is there any documentation or white papers related to this case of backup procedure.What would you recommend to have seperate backup devices or just one,cost is also a factor.

I had a different idea also,tar and gzip the files that are to be backed up and move it to the backup server and then write to tape.Is this a good idea.I have a feeling that this would take more time and space.It would be great if you could share more on this.

Thanks
Micky