Indeed. I starting using xfsdump|xfsrestore for XFS file systems years ago when there were so few tools backing up EAs (star was one of the few, and still had a few issues). So I kinda just continued using such after Ext3's dump|restore added EA support.
I like LVM for similar reasons. The more I can do without even bringing the file system up, the more I like it. And if it is the most efficient at block-sector copies, which both dump and the kernel's DeviceMapper are, they just make the most sense to me. Otherwise, if you must mount the file system, mount it read-only. Boot into rescue mode of the same distribution you are running. Again, I maintain a PXEBoot/PXELinux setup with a menu so I can boot any number of distribution installers and rescue modes. ----- Original Message ----- From: Jonathan S Billings <jsbil...@umich.edu> Sent: Friday, October 14, 2011 11:37 AM On 10/14/2011 11:06 AM, Bryan J Smith wrote: > I had not attempted the "-a" or "--preserve=all" options with special > nodes. I guess I'm biased towards dumps, since they are most > exacting for the file system. Plus, dump goes directory to the device rather than through the kernel's VFS layer, so you don't even need to mount the filesystem. Anytime someone says to use 'dd' I always suggest the filesystem's dump|restore. There is a time and place for 'dd', but in most cases I've encountered, dump and restore is the better choice. Plus, you can format the new disk with your choice of filesystem, often with more appropriate settings (block size, features, size of partition, etc.). _______________________________________________ rhelv5-list mailing list rhelv5-list@redhat.com https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/rhelv5-list
