Backup utilities?

[Bill Davidsen]

Oliver Ruebenacker wrote:
>      Dear friends,
> 
>   What are some popular tools for backing up the file system? Is dump
> still popular? What are alternatives?
> 
Before you pick a tool, decide if you want a backup which is best for 
restoring the whole system after a major failure, or just something to 
keep old files in case you need them.

Tools like rsync are good for a mirroring, but in general they are lousy 
backup, if you delete a file, or mess it up, unless you catch it quickly 
you now have two copies of the problem.

Tools like tar/dump/star/cpio make a backup and can easily make 
incrementals as well. You can keep those as long as you feel the need, 
and decide if each incremental is the data since the last full or last 
incremental backup, choosing speed of restore or of backup, fast restore 
of all files, or fast access to just one.

This is one of those cases where it's easier to solve the problem if you 
define it first, there's no perfect solution I've found.

-- 
Bill Davidsen <davidsen at tmr.com>
   "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked."  - from Slashdot