“For backups, especially network backups, I have been using, developing, and advocating Bacula, the Network Backup Tool for Unix and Windows. Bacula backs up to tape, disk, DVD, CD, etc. The server runs on Unix operating systems, yes, including Mac OS/X. The client runs on Unix, and on Windows, and has support for VSS which allows you to backup files that are in use (if the application using the file has VSS support).”
Bacula is an excellent backup system. Takes a little time to configure the config files correctly but just works when finished. I use it to backup ~1.3TB of data to a storage array when gets swapped out weekly. It makes for very fast restores. Good article. I have an older autoloader that I might try for smaller backups at another site now.
Won’t he be pissed for using his name?
lose a starship and now this…
I realize that it is a quote from the front page, but since this is after all OS news, would it be too much to ask using the correct denomination for “Mac OS X”? (that is, no “/”)
The nits must be ripe this time of year.
Ha well said. I’ll reuse that one if you don’t mind.
If I read that right it only backs up the X subdirectory of OS on a mac.
Well, I thought that was funny…
I don’t know about Bacula. I tried it, setup it up backed up some stuff, couldn’t restore it. I’ve given backup systems a bit of thought and have tried a few including some Windows proprietary solutions (ArcServer mainly).
I’ve come to the conclusion that simpler is better.
The last thing I want to do in an emergency backup restore is attempt to reinstall and reconfigure a complicated backup system. Murphy’s law generally comes into play here.
Tar makes a great backup system for tapes. Rsync makes a great backup system for network or disk. No need for a special client. If the backup server blows up, I can take a tape and put it in any linux system with a tape drive and restore data. Also, some other administrator can as well, without having to be intimately familiar with a complicated system.