Re: Amanda general question

[Joshua Baker-LePain]

On Sat, 16 Mar 2002 at 9:52am, Robert SHEN wrote

> >>> 3) if I want to apply the following strategy, what config should I put?
> >>> Monday full backup for a directory /home/public
> >>> Tuesday->Friday incremental backup of /home/public
> >>>
> >> AGH!  :)  Why?  This has been discussed *many* times.  You *can* 
> >> force amanda into your schedule.  But, unless you have a very good 
> >> reason why, then it really is best to let amanda set the schedule.  
> >> It does a very good job at it.
> >>
> >> If you must do it, the canonical method is via two configs, one which 
> >> does the full (via a dumpcycle=0 dumptype) and one which does only 
> >> incrementals.
> >
> Sorry would you explain how amanda set the schedule.? would you post the 
> config?

dumpcycle, runspercycle, (and possibly runtapes) are the parameters you 
set.  dumpcycle tells amanda the maximum time allowed between full dumps 
(level 0) of any particular filesystem.  runspercycle tells amanda how 
many times per dumpcycle you are going to run amdump.  You only need 
runtapes if you plan on using a changer of some sort and thus use more 
than one tape per amdump run.

Using these parameters, amanda spreads the level 0 backups throughout the 
dumpcycle.  The goal is "balanced backups", such that each night uses 
approximately the same amount of tape and takes the same amount of time.

The chapter on amanda at www.backupcentral.com 
 makes very good reading...

-- 
Joshua Baker-LePain
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Duke University

Re: Amanda general question

[Robert SHEN]

Don Potter wrote:

> Also if you have duplicate configs make sure to set "record no" in the 
> global dumptype
> Joshua Baker-LePain wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 15 Mar 2002 at 1:35pm, Robert SHEN wrote
>>
>>> 1) how amanda records how many runs performed in a dumpcycle? Let's 
>>> say if dumpcycle=7 and runspercycle = 5 and what happens if I 
>>> configure 6 cron jobs to run from monday to friday
>>>
>>
>> Then you'll get extra backups -- I don't think it'll confuse amanda 
>> too much.  Note that dumpcycle has units -- I'm assuming you mean 7 
>> days.
>>
>>> 2) what happens if runspercycle > dumpcycle?
>>>
>>
>> Then you're telling amanda that you plan on running it more than once 
>> a day (again, assuming your units on dumpcycle is days), and you'd 
>> better do so or amanda will get very unhappy.
>>
>>> 3) if I want to apply the following strategy, what config should I put?
>>> Monday full backup for a directory /home/public
>>> Tuesday->Friday incremental backup of /home/public
>>>
>>
>> AGH!  :)  Why?  This has been discussed *many* times.  You *can* 
>> force amanda into your schedule.  But, unless you have a very good 
>> reason why, then it really is best to let amanda set the schedule.  
>> It does a very good job at it.
>>
>> If you must do it, the canonical method is via two configs, one which 
>> does the full (via a dumpcycle=0 dumptype) and one which does only 
>> incrementals.
>
Sorry would you explain how amanda set the schedule.? would you post the 
config?

>>
>>> 4) What suggestion for disaster recovery?
>>>
>> A boot floppy/CD with, minimally, mt, dd, and tar/restore, and 
>> possibly with the amanda tools.
>>
>
>
>

Re: Amanda general question

[Joshua Baker-LePain]

On Fri, 15 Mar 2002 at 10:38am, Don Potter wrote

> Also if you have duplicate configs make sure to set "record no" in the 
> global dumptype

Actually, if you're trying to force amanda's schedule, then you need 
"record yes" in your Weekly (or whatever) full-only config in order for 
the Daily incr-only config to know when the last level 0 was run.  You'll 
also need "record yes" in the Daily config to ensure you're getting the 
right levels.

-- 
Joshua Baker-LePain
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Duke University

Re: Amanda general question

[Don Potter]

Also if you have duplicate configs make sure to set "record no" in the 
global dumptype
Joshua Baker-LePain wrote:

>On Fri, 15 Mar 2002 at 1:35pm, Robert SHEN wrote
>
>>1) how amanda records how many runs performed in a dumpcycle? Let's say 
>>if dumpcycle=7 and runspercycle = 5 and what happens if I configure 6 
>>cron jobs to run from monday to friday
>>
>
>Then you'll get extra backups -- I don't think it'll confuse amanda too 
>much.  Note that dumpcycle has units -- I'm assuming you mean 7 days.
>
>>2) what happens if runspercycle > dumpcycle?
>>
>
>Then you're telling amanda that you plan on running it more than once a 
>day (again, assuming your units on dumpcycle is days), and you'd better do 
>so or amanda will get very unhappy.
>
>>3) if I want to apply the following strategy, what config should I put?
>>Monday full backup for a directory /home/public
>>Tuesday->Friday incremental backup of /home/public
>>
>
>AGH!  :)  Why?  This has been discussed *many* times.  You *can* force 
>amanda into your schedule.  But, unless you have a very good reason why, 
>then it really is best to let amanda set the schedule.  It does a very 
>good job at it.
>
>If you must do it, the canonical method is via two configs, one which does 
>the full (via a dumpcycle=0 dumptype) and one which does only 
>incrementals.
>
>>4) What suggestion for disaster recovery?
>>
>A boot floppy/CD with, minimally, mt, dd, and tar/restore, and possibly 
>with the amanda tools.
>

Re: Amanda general question

[Joshua Baker-LePain]

On Fri, 15 Mar 2002 at 1:35pm, Robert SHEN wrote

> 1) how amanda records how many runs performed in a dumpcycle? Let's say 
> if dumpcycle=7 and runspercycle = 5 and what happens if I configure 6 
> cron jobs to run from monday to friday

Then you'll get extra backups -- I don't think it'll confuse amanda too 
much.  Note that dumpcycle has units -- I'm assuming you mean 7 days.
> 
> 2) what happens if runspercycle > dumpcycle?

Then you're telling amanda that you plan on running it more than once a 
day (again, assuming your units on dumpcycle is days), and you'd better do 
so or amanda will get very unhappy.

> 3) if I want to apply the following strategy, what config should I put?
> Monday full backup for a directory /home/public
> Tuesday->Friday incremental backup of /home/public

AGH!  :)  Why?  This has been discussed *many* times.  You *can* force 
amanda into your schedule.  But, unless you have a very good reason why, 
then it really is best to let amanda set the schedule.  It does a very 
good job at it.

If you must do it, the canonical method is via two configs, one which does 
the full (via a dumpcycle=0 dumptype) and one which does only 
incrementals.

> 4) What suggestion for disaster recovery?
> 
A boot floppy/CD with, minimally, mt, dd, and tar/restore, and possibly 
with the amanda tools.

-- 
Joshua Baker-LePain
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Duke University

Amanda general question

[Robert SHEN]

Here are my questions
1) how amanda records how many runs 
performed in a dumpcycle? Let's say if dumpcycle=7 and runspercycle = 
5
and what happens if I configure 6 cron jobs 
to run from monday to friday
 
2) what happens if runspercycle > 
dumpcycle?
 
3) if I want to apply the following 
strategy, what config should I put?
Monday full backup for a directory 
/home/public
Tuesday->Friday incremental backup of 
/home/public
 
4) What suggestion for disaster 
recovery?