I am thinking about backup procedures for my server. I am currently using the following partitions on my Windows server: A) Main boot, OS and programs, B) Minimal OS install for restoring the OS if necessary, C) Data Partition for storing all shared data, D) Partition for storing drive images for mission critical work stations.
Every day at midnight, the data is backed up to a file on a removable HDD identically configured (except that the backup files are stored on the D) partition). Additionally, a backup is made to a duty workstation left on Monday thru Thursday nights. The removable drives are exchanged at least once a week. Since Windows is less forgiving than Linux on changing hardware, a second computer identical to the server is used in location that is not mission-critical. If the server system fails, I swap the drive into the duplicate machine, or if the drive goes bad, I swap the removable drive with the internal boot drive. If possible, I transfer the current data from the old boot drive, or I restore the data from the duty workstation. Of course, if the worst nightmare occurs, loss of all computers due to a fire or total theft, I can use the removed drive to setup a new server quickly. The company for which I use this model starts having serious financial pains after as few as three hours of downtime depending on the time of month. (I just wish I had such protection on my own computer.) The restore process cannot restore an active operating system so I have to have the second install just in case. That was my thinking when setting it up, but if the internal drive and both removable drives all have a corrupt operating system, things are pretty bad. I set that up before I decided to use the removable drives. I don't know what "normal" backup procedures look like, I don't think I have seen any since about 1990. Anyone have any helpful suggestions? Buck -- redhat-list mailing list unsubscribe mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/redhat-list
