Re: Feature suggestion : test restore
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Stefan G. Weichinger wrote: > This is the perfect lesson to remember that one should test restores > regularly. > > Couldn't we build this *into* amanda? Outstanding. I'd add it to amverify, though, and have the switch(es) in the configs turn amverify on and off. I backup with a shell script that always runs amverify after a backup. This would make things a little easier... - -- Glenn English [EMAIL PROTECTED] -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.6 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFFv8wA04yQfZbbTLYRAmvqAJ4nu3u9Mv5J1btkFx/xhc/+3seTiwCgkqdB EyvESRv6afWFQd4WFeb98Xc= =k6ou -END PGP SIGNATURE-
Re: Feature suggestion : test restore
On Tue, Jan 30, 2007 at 09:27:53PM +0100, Stefan G. Weichinger wrote: > > Greets to all of you, > > as some of you may have noticed on amanda-users-ml I ran into trouble > when trying to restore data on an older server (and I am still in > trouble there). > > This is the perfect lesson to remember that one should test restores > regularly. > > Couldn't we build this *into* amanda? > > I imagine something like: > > After successful amdump (ran by cron, so that the testing would be > includable into doing the backups), amanda chooses one of the DLEs > dumped onto the current tape, amrestores it to a temporary space ... > > There could be parameters like: > > - testrestore yes|no > switch it on off > > - testrestore_cycle num_days > how often to do these tests > > - testrestore_filelist file > containing a list of dirs/files that were placed for testing, > and which are pretty static on the given DLE > Maybe even with MD5-checksums or something like that. > > - testrestore_tmpdir > where to restore those files to > > - testrestore_tmpdir_size > how much space to take there (similar to holdingdisk-handling) > > ... > > I think you get the picture. > > This is a rough idea, and has to be discussed, sure. > Top of the head things to consider: - may not be space to restore large DLEs - assuming the restore is done to the original client; right now the client is only asked to supply things to the server, this would be putting data to the client, and substantial security considerations arise - assuming the restore is done to the server; the tools used to create the dump may not exist on the server or be in different locations -- Jon H. LaBadie [EMAIL PROTECTED] JG Computing 4455 Province Line Road(609) 252-0159 Princeton, NJ 08540-4322 (609) 683-7220 (fax)
Re: Feature suggestion : test restore
Glenn English schrieb: > Stefan G. Weichinger wrote: > >> This is the perfect lesson to remember that one should test restores >> regularly. > >> Couldn't we build this *into* amanda? > > Outstanding. I'd add it to amverify, though, and have the switch(es) in > the configs turn amverify on and off. Thanks for the suggestion. > I backup with a shell script that always runs amverify after a backup. > This would make things a little easier... Yup. Would you mind sharing your script (maybe off-list) ? Greets, Stefan.
Re: Feature suggestion : test restore
Jon LaBadie schrieb: > On Tue, Jan 30, 2007 at 09:27:53PM +0100, Stefan G. Weichinger wrote: >> This is a rough idea, and has to be discussed, sure. > > Top of the head things to consider: > > - may not be space to restore large DLEs Could be caught by "testrestore_tmpdir_size" ... > - assuming the restore is done to the original client; >right now the client is only asked to supply things to >the server, this would be putting data to the client, >and substantial security considerations arise ACK > - assuming the restore is done to the server; >the tools used to create the dump may not exist on >the server or be in different locations I think this is a general issue: An amanda-admin has to know if he wants to do these tests, and after that he has to provide ressources (diskspace ...) and software (binaries like tar, dump, gzip ...) on the machine he wants to perform these tests. Same as with amanda itself: "Wanna use holdingdisk? Gimme one ..." Additionally every comfort brings its risks ... Nonetheless thanks for the suggestions. Stefan.
Re: Feature suggestion : test restore
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Stefan G. Weichinger wrote: > Jon LaBadie schrieb: >> - may not be space to restore large DLEs > > Could be caught by "testrestore_tmpdir_size" ... > >> - assuming the restore is done to the original client; >>right now the client is only asked to supply things to >>the server, this would be putting data to the client, >>and substantial security considerations arise To say nothing of possibly scribbling all over your web sites and zone files. Wouldn't restoring a few randomly selected files to the (now empty) holding disk deal with these probs? The planner could pick which ones as part of its process. Then they could be kept around after the write to tape and compared to the restored bits. >> - assuming the restore is done to the server; >>the tools used to create the dump may not exist on >>the server or be in different locations > An amanda-admin has to know if he wants to do these tests, and after > that he has to provide ressources (diskspace ...) and software (binaries > like tar, dump, gzip ...) on the machine he wants to perform these tests. It'd never occurred to me there might be such a thing as a write-only backup server before. And I always restore to the server anyway -- it's in the same room as the tape drive... - -- Glenn English [EMAIL PROTECTED] -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.6 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFFwTxA04yQfZbbTLYRAhNaAJ9cjUOUkHvBzVwO0V5QrhrzBUCqTACbBG7P sFFfkKfYcKXjOiXiQ1djP78= =iCiH -END PGP SIGNATURE-
Re: Feature suggestion : test restore
On Wed, Jan 31, 2007 at 06:02:58PM -0700, Glenn English wrote: > Stefan G. Weichinger wrote: > > Jon LaBadie schrieb: > >> - assuming the restore is done to the server; > >>the tools used to create the dump may not exist on > >>the server or be in different locations > > > An amanda-admin has to know if he wants to do these tests, and after > > that he has to provide ressources (diskspace ...) and software (binaries > > like tar, dump, gzip ...) on the machine he wants to perform these tests. > > It'd never occurred to me there might be such a thing as a write-only > backup server before. And I always restore to the server anyway -- it's > in the same room as the tape drive... All of the backup servers that I used to run were write-only. It becomes a major issue with recent changes in RHEL4. Some of our Amanda servers were RHEL3. A new version of dump was integrated into RHEL4 which broke binary compatability from the old version. This split the versions and restore would give really scary errors about "unable to find start of tape" if you attempted a bad combination. -- Ross Vandegrift [EMAIL PROTECTED] "The good Christian should beware of mathematicians, and all those who make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine man in the bonds of Hell." --St. Augustine, De Genesi ad Litteram, Book II, xviii, 37
