On Tuesday 02 May 2006 22:35, Arno Lehmann wrote:
> Hi,
>
> On 5/2/2006 9:25 PM, Ambahunen Gebremariam wrote:
> > I am new to Bacula and to this mailing list. I have been reading
> > people's questions and answers for the last two days and I am encouraged
> > by the activity of this mailing list. I hope to come an active
> > participant! I am currently half way through reading the manaul, but I
> > am running out of time.
> >
> > ENVIRONMENT:
> > - We own 18 RedHat 7.3 Linux servers, all backing up each other
>
> Does that mean that server A backs up server B, server B backs up C, ...
> R backs up A?
>
> > - We use Bacula Version 1.32 for backup jobs
>
> Get one server with decent disk space, preferrably a tape autochanger,
> install it as a dedicated backup server, and start fresh with Bacula
> 1.38 would be my recommendation...
>
> > QUESTIONS:
> > 1) Because of my Pool Resouce & Schedule Resource configuration, I know
> > I am required to have at least 2 pools. Why do I have the 3rd one?
>
> Which pool? You didn't show us any existing pools except CT-pool, nor
> the definition of a second or third pool.
>
> > (Please see partial result of MEDIA LIST and CONFIGURATION FILE below)
> > 2) On this particular client (CT), I have only 17GB of data in my
> > FileSet to backup. But my volumes indicate that I have a total of 39GB
> > of data in my backup. Why is that? Is my differential backup being
> > promoted to full backup?
>
> That can only be answered when you give us more information. I'm not
> even sure if the pools retention times are all that matters in 1.32,
> concerning volume retention.
>
> > 3) Can you please explain to me the difference between the volume
> > statuses: Used, Append, purged, Recycled ...?
>
> Used: Contains data, could be theoretically be appended, but is kind of
> logically closed.
> Append: Volume contains data and new data can be appended.
> Purged: Volume contents is (logically) deleted and will be overwritten.
> Recycled: This volume was selected to be used next.
>
> A typical volume life cycle is like this:
>
> because job count or size limit exceeded
> Append ----------------------------------------> Used
> ^ |
>
> | First Job writes to Retention time passed |
> | the volume and recycling takes |
> | place |
> | v
>
> Recycled <-------------------------------------- Purged
> Volume is selected for reuse
Nice picuture. Worth a thousand words as they say. I've added it to the
manual. :-)
>
> The situation you have _might_ be this one:
>
> CT1 contains a full backup.
> CT2 is used for an incremental backup on day 1
> CT3 is used for an incremental backup on day 2
> On day 3, Bacula needs another volume. It can't append, because you set
> Maximum Volume Jobs=1. So it purges the oldest volume, the full backup
> is gone, and Bacula has to run another full (effectively also rendering
> the previous incremental backups worthless).
>
> This is mostly guesswork as I'm not sure how 1.32 works in detail
> (another reason to upgrade - better support). Also, if this comes close
> to the truth, you notice that your backup scheme is broken.
>
> > 4) What is the proper way of deleting a file volume and what is the
> > consequence?
>
> In 1.38: 'delete media volume=CT3' for example. This results in deletion
> of all related records from Baculas catalog, the disk file itself
> remains intact.
>
> > MEDIA LIST (partial):
> > CT-pool
> > VolumeName VolStatus VolBytes LastWritten
> > CT3 Used 13 GB 2006-04-14 01:28:52
> > CT2 Append 18 GB 2006-04-21 01:37:00
> > CT1 Purged 8 GB 2006-04-07 01:55:47
> >
> >
> > CONFIGURATION FILE (partial):
> > Pool {
> > Name = CT-pool
> > Pool Type = Backup
> > Recycle = yes
> > AutoPrune = yes
> > Volume Retention = 10 days
> > Accept Any Volume = yes
> > Maximum Volume Jobs = 1
> > }
> >
> > Schedule {
> > Name = "WeeklyCycle2"
> > Run = Full 1st friday at 1:05
> > Run = Differential 2nd friday at 1:05
> > Run = Full 3rd friday at 1:05
> > Run = Differential 4th friday at 1:05
> > Run = Differential 5th friday at 1:05
> > }
>
> This schedule, together with a retention time of 10 days, does not look
> very promising to me.
>
> > Below this ... it is ONLY a further explanation of my situiation
> >
> >
> > BACKGROUND:
> > I started this job a month ago and was given the responsiblity of backup
> > (bacula) about a week ago. Since then I have been trying to learn bacula
> > and understand the mess we are in.
>
> Sounds like you really are.
>
> > The people who installed and
> > configured Bacula are not here anymore. The worst part is that they did
> > not have any documentation. Now we are having disk space problems and no
> > one in the team knows where to start to resolve the issues. Oh yea ...
> > did I mention no one has tried restoration before?
> >
> > MY BIGGEST ISSUE:
> > Time! I have to understand the backup environment and present it to the
> > team the coming Thursday Morning .
>
> Present them that there is no effective backup at all. Ask for one
> server for backups, four weeks, and make sure they know what it means to
> not have any useful backups. Even assuming that the backups are actually
> happening and the data is kept as long as necessary who is expected to
> know how to handle an emergency restore effectively with such a setup?
>
> Start with a clean system and evaluate the backup needs that actually
> exist. Install some linux on the new server, and make Bacula run on it.
>
> This is work for about two weeks. The next few days will be used to set
> up the clients, prepare volumes, pools, Baculas configuration etc.
> according to your needs, then comes a week of test runs, and finally
> some days writing down your installation, creating the necessary
> manuals, and educating some of your co-workers.
>
> Need a quote? ;-)
>
> > THE GOOD NEWS:
> > I hope I will have answers for most of their questions :)
> >
> > Wish me luck,
>
> Good luck, then... I think the place where you work really needs someone
> to care for their data security. And if they expect a report with a
> summary like "all is well, everything's really safe here" they should
> start to listen carefully and think about it.
>
> Arno
>
> > Ambex
> >
> > PS: Sorry for making my first one too long.
--
Best regards,
Kern
(">
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