Re: Restoreing Dump on FreeBSD headless server


Le 4 janv. 2010 à 22:36, Jerry McAllister a écrit :

On Mon, Jan 04, 2010 at 08:42:33PM +0100, bsd wrote:


Le 4 janv. 2010 à 19:56, Jerry McAllister a écrit :

On Mon, Jan 04, 2010 at 07:08:51PM +0100, bsd wrote:

Hello folks,


I would like to know how to proceed in order to restore a dump from a
backup headless server (remotely using ssh).

How am I supposed to proceed, should I first install the server (a FreeBSD
Fresh install with spare partition) then restore the dump on an empty
partition ?

Depends on what you have and what you want to restore.
Is the reason for the restore because the old disk went belly up?
Or did you just nuke some stuff accidently. Is the restore the
boot disk or an extra work disk?

Well, to tell you the truth: I am using a remote backup solution since 2.5
years and the provider has just told me that he would no longer support
my hardware so I need to rebuild a new server based on my previous config

I am not clear on what you mean by a 'remote backup solution' - do you
mean that you are using dump(8) but writing to some remote device or
do you mean you are using some '3rd party' backup software/hardware
that your provider/hoster is supplying?

I am using dump(8).
I have successfully created a backup of all major partition of my server which is now secured on a remote HD.



In the first case, yes you will need to create something on the disk -
some sort of filesystem. Probably that would mean using a fixit
image to boot and do an fdisk(8), bsdlabel(8) and newfs(8).


Ok, I think the server I will install that on might use some sort of
virtual KVM that could allow me to do that

Well, that could be helpful. It should give you a console type access
which is convenient in installation situations. Does that 'KVM'
supply the backup device too, or talk to it directly?

I haven't tried It so I don't know what functionnality It offers…
But I guess I might start a fresh install from that console…

At which point should I do the restore(8) in the install process ?



It the second case, the filesystem[s] is[are] still intact and you
only need to do an 'interactive' restore of just the files you want.
IF you are doing an intereactive restore and if you have room, it may
be easiest to copy the whole dump file over to some big space on the
system and run the restore from that copy. Then you can just ssh in
and run it just as if it was setting beside you.

The same might not be true if you are replacing a destroyed disk
because the restore will be a complete one and no file selecting
will be necessary.

If you cannot get physical contact with the machine, and the disk was
damaged and replaced, you may have to learn how to do a network boot
and install. I have never had to do that so am not a good one to guide
that process.


Well my idea was to rebuild the new server based on the dump I have
realised (in order to save me the time to do the reinstall).
But from what you are telling me It might not be so easy

I am not clear again just what you are meaning by 'based on the dump
I have realised'. Do you mean that you would keep the filesystem
structure you have already? IS there a dump file/tape for each
filesystem in the old system?

Dump is stored on a remote HD.
There is one dump file per partition (not for /tmp).


If that is what you mean, good. There is no harm in keeping the
old filesystem structure if it was working for you. Take a look
at how much is used in each filesystem and think if you need to
change the size. But, that is just a detail of sizing the partitions
and not a critical structure consideration. If the new system has
larger disk, then you can make use of it just by making bigger
partitions where they are needed.

Ok.




In either case of having to create slices, partitions and filesystems,
you do not have to do a complete system install. You need to do just
enough building to have the filesystems created and mountable.

Yes but how should I partition that ?

Should I re-create the

/
/var
/usr
/tmp

or

/ with minimal system

and re-create the mapping with nothing on slice.

Create what you want it to be and go from there unless the old and
the new structure are incompatible in some way. My usual set of
partitions/filesystems are:

/
swap
/tmp
/usr
/var
/home or other convenient name such as /bighome
/work if there is a lot of extra space on the new disk and
you don't want it clumped in with the rest for some reason.
I usually put all the rest in that /bighome filesystem.
If I have an extra disk with lots of space, I make that /work


But, if your structure is working for you, stick with it.



The fixit
is just fine for that. If you can get that going remotely, then
do the fdisk, bsdlabel and newfs-s from that and then restore from
the dump to the new filesystems.

Ok, that should be the good path


Yes, unless you are changing the structure (not size, but organization
of the filesystems) just make the partitions and newfs them and resture
the dumps to them.


Forget about doing a real install.


Should the new empty partition be the exact same size as the dumped
partition ?

It just has to be large enough to hold what you restore.
In fact, it is a good time to increase or adjust filesystem sizes if
you have more room on the replacement disk.

Good


That is the advantage of using dump/restore for your backups. It is
agnostic to the size of the partition as long as there is enough room
to hold things. Something like dd(1) which is great for some things
forces you to stick with the exact sector complement and so isn't
really a good backup tool.

One thing to consider, if you are copying from an old machine
to a new one is to create the slice/partitions/filesystems and
then use rsync to move the files from the old machine to the
new one. It is quite efficient if both machines are available
to be running at the same time. But, if you have to work from a
backup file or tape somewhere, then that is not a good option.

Ok Thank you very much Jerry.
As both filesystem are going to be up and running at the same time, I guess It will be quite easy to do this operation…
Even if I have to crash couple of system on the new machine, that shouldn't be a problem -- after all It is by experimenting that we all progress!

I'll maybe do a follow-up on the thread if I have problem somewhere during the operation (It shouldn't take place until one week)…


Thanks.


////jerry





Is there a tool that could allow me to restore remotely ?


You can use rsh(1). I have done that.
Probably some specific ssh method too, but I am so old I haven't
done one with that new fangled secure ssh yet...

Ok.


Thanks.


////jerry



Any advice or howto will be (very) welcome.


Thanks.


P.S. Happy new BSD year !!


¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Gregober ---> PGP ID --> 0x1BA3C2FD
bsd @at@ todoo.biz
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

P "Please consider your environmental responsibility before printing this e-mail"


_______________________________________________
freebsd-questions@xxxxxxxxxxx mailing list
http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions
To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxx"


¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Gregober ---> PGP ID --> 0x1BA3C2FD
bsd @at@ todoo.biz
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

P "Please consider your environmental responsibility before printing this e-mail"


_______________________________________________
freebsd-questions@xxxxxxxxxxx mailing list
http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions
To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxx"


¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Gregober ---> PGP ID --> 0x1BA3C2FD
bsd @at@ todoo.biz
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

P "Please consider your environmental responsibility before printing this e-mail"


_______________________________________________
freebsd-questions@xxxxxxxxxxx mailing list
http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions
To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxx"

Relevant Pages

  • Re: XP System Backup. ASR No floppy drive
    ... My own choice would be to install a fresh copy of Windows and then run restore using that. ... hoping to use System Tool Backup to create ASR. ... but says Invalid or damaged bootable partition when I ... The KB actually discusses which USB CD drives that the XP ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)
  • Re: Hard Drive Replacement
    ... are on my 'D' partition. ... you want to restore you have to restore two images, ... Remember even after a couple of days your backup is that much behind present ... is deeper and you may have to reinstall or restore the Operating System. ...
    (microsoft.public.win2000.general)
  • Re: Backup advice
    ... methodology but the restore methodology. ... Some backup solutions will copy the files as separate files. ... Dump seems to be the best at doing what I'm looking to do. ... Try dropping one of those drives on a hard floor ...
    (freebsd-questions)
  • Re: Hard Drive Replacement
    ... All my application programs are on my 'E' partition. ... Do you mean that when you do a backup or create an image it will take about four minutes more time to do a larger OS image? ... So now instead of having everything on one image you have to create two different images every time you want to back things up and if you want to restore you have to restore two images, I can't see what good that does. ... As for the system not being changed often, or left just as it was when installed then I suppose you never tweak the operating system to your likings, not to mention that you don't do any security updates, even if only a few times a year. ...
    (microsoft.public.win2000.general)
  • Re: Restoring an image after repartitioning the image restore drive?
    ... of insufficient disk space for storing the images, ... When one restores an image of their system drive partition, ... Suppose the backup drive ... Remember, strictly speaking, if I restore an earlier system drive ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)