Alternate ways for Backing up a Large account sized 10GB

[mohit]

A account which is currently excluded from backup account list cause whenever i include it, the server remains on high loads and we get complaints from users for server being slow.

since we excluded this account from backup the server performs fine even during weekly backups.

but having a backup is must, if try to pkgacct from ssh, the loads gets pretty high.

What are other options to backup this atleast once a month.

Should i just rsync this to another server
or
should i use any 3rd party script
or

Is there any way to run "/scripts/pkgacct" with a load threshold ?

thanks all for your time

[Infopro]

Once you have one full backup, you might trim down the size of whats actually backed up (next time) with the cpbackup-exclude.conf file located in the root of every account. Does that 10GB account change often or is it just the sites databases, and a few files from time to time and the rest is mail? If the rest is just static files you might choose to exclude some of it.

A 10 GB backup is going to be a monster to deal with anyway you look at it.

[cPanelDon]

Is there any way to run "/scripts/pkgacct" with a load threshold?

It is possible to run pkgacct with a lower CPU process priority using "nice"; in the following example, the least CPU priority is assigned for an account specified by its username:

# nice -n19 /scripts/pkgacct username

The valid range for CPU priority is from negative twenty ("-20") for the most/highest CPU priority to positive nineteen ("19") for the least/lowest CPU priority.

Please also reference the documentation (manual) "man" page for the nice utility to obtain additional clarification and command usage:

# man nice

An alternative to excluding the account and running it manually or via a separate crontab would be to use incremental backups (that do not use compression and would significantly reduce CPU usage), as configured via the WHM Configure Backup page.

Other than incremental backups, there is a new feature in cPanel/WHM v11.25 to disable compression for backups, providing that sufficient disk space is available; this new option is separate from the incremental backup option; this can be enabled/disabled via the same Configure Backup page in your root WHM control panel.

For specific build tree availability of cPanel/WHM v11.25 please refer to the following link:
http://httpupdate.cpanel.net/#builds

[geekeffect]

I ran into this same issue basically, with two of my accounts who have large files. I wanted at least monthly backups of each, if not more. One of them is my own account, so I know when there is a major change I want backed up. I kept my automated backups and excluded both accounts, and just use "CP Site Saver" from a home computer to login and backup both accounts for me from home. Simple and easy and works for me, might work for you too, and the program seems free and has worked for a few months now for me without issue.

-geekeffect

[mohit]

Thanks cpaneldon and infopro.
the account is not changing much weekly but its looks like some real large files which are uploaded by user, although its some open-source stuff but bandwidth usage of account certainly shows its not much in demand

I'll try the Nice method donald suggested and then duly inform the user to back up on his own, he's certainly over-using the pains that could be taken for a few dollars a year.

[Jinovich]

I have had similar issues to this only to find that the 10gb account had about 4 years of home backups in the accounts root directory so it was essentially backing up redundant backups.

Turned out their actual content was only 120MB.

[Infopro]

I have had similar issues to this only to find that the 10gb account had about 4 years of home backups in the accounts root directory so it was essentially backing up redundant backups.

Turned out their actual content was only 120MB.

Yes I've seen this as well, many times. Recently a user asked what was taking up all the space and we found several GB of backups in the Fantastico directory from backed up gallery upgrades, logging was enabled, and full system backups left on the account they left for "safe keeping".

Go figure.