How can we use amanda to backup cpanel server to remote server?

[quicklyweb]

Currently we are backing up cpanel server using rsync in daily basis. So we backup /home and mysql directory to rsyncpalace everyday via cronjobs. But this way i am not being able to create daily, weekly or monthly snapshots.
Quick search on google came up with rsnapshot and amanda. Amanda seems a good solution and it is open source. But i just wanna find out if anyone used amanda with CPanel server and if it creates high server loads?

[4u123]

I'm also looking into using Amanda. Having investigated R1soft and decided to stay well clear, I started looking at more cost effective and reliable products. Amanda looks good.

Amanda Open Source Backup

Have you attempted to use it yet? I will be installing and testing it within the next couple of days.

[david-r1soft]

Hello 4u123

Having investigated R1soft and decided to stay well clear

Why did you decide against R1Soft?

Thanks!
-David

[sehh]

I use Bacula: Bacula, the Open Source, Enterprise ready, Network Backup Tool for Linux, Unix, and Windows

The Good:
- Encrypted communication
- Scales well for future expansion
- One machine can do everything or you can split jobs around, different storage servers, etc.
- Command line, configuration is just a few text files in /etc/bacula
- Can backup just about everything, can even execute scripts on remote systems before doing backups
- Supports extended attributes in the file system, can have an ignore/exclude list of files
- Can backup to disk, tape or CD/DVD
- Easily installed via RPM
- Open source

The Bad:
- Complex configuration, for simple backups you might consider rsync or similar system
- Configuration is based on the idea that you use legacy TAPE backups, the authors still
use legacy tape backups and thus the entire configuration and documentation thinks you
use tapes as well. Once you figure out all the stupid things about tape "retention" and how
it applies to real harddisk based backups, you are fine.

Very complex but it works!

[cPanelSean]

Have you looked at dirvish? Its rsync based but will create dated vaults like you are wanting with symlinks back to files that haven't changed so its also space efficient

[hostmedic]

We use R1 and love it - it has saved us many a time
we also however like dirvish

howto:dirvish [Open Source (tm) Guides & Tutorials]

that is a pretty decent how-to

R1soft however offers an excellent support opportunity - and that is something that the opensource @ present just does not give us

What I really want to figure out now is how to do the DRBD + heartbeat between 2 cpanel boxes easily

[ljesh]

hmm goooooooooooooooooood

[SoftDux]

I use Bacula: Bacula, the Open Source, Enterprise ready, Network Backup Tool for Linux, Unix, and Windows

The Good:
- Encrypted communication
- Scales well for future expansion
- One machine can do everything or you can split jobs around, different storage servers, etc.
- Command line, configuration is just a few text files in /etc/bacula
- Can backup just about everything, can even execute scripts on remote systems before doing backups
- Supports extended attributes in the file system, can have an ignore/exclude list of files
- Can backup to disk, tape or CD/DVD
- Easily installed via RPM
- Open source

The Bad:
- Complex configuration, for simple backups you might consider rsync or similar system
- Configuration is based on the idea that you use legacy TAPE backups, the authors still
use legacy tape backups and thus the entire configuration and documentation thinks you
use tapes as well. Once you figure out all the stupid things about tape "retention" and how
it applies to real harddisk based backups, you are fine.

Very complex but it works!

Would you mind telling me how this works with cPanel? For example, does it backup everything related to the client's account, including user, ftp & email passwords? And can the end users perform their own account restores?

[hostmedic]

At present, unless someone has built one that I do not know about, there is no interface to bacula for the end consumer.

R1Soft has an excellent product for this - interfacing very well with the control panel.

Hope that helps

[SoftDux]

@sehh,

How did you configure the cPanel servers, aka Bacula "clients" - did you have to install the "Bacula File service" on the cPanel servers? Or, how do you backup the cPanel servers to the Bacula server?

And how do you perform restorations?

[sehh]

yes I installed the RPM for the bacula file service on the remote server and used the "director" to backup the files.

I'm stopped using Bacula because its just too complex and the entire software is designed to backup stupid tapes, so unless you use tapes, I suggest you avoid it and go for something that isn't stuck with 70's technologies.