Tool for semi-cloning a hard drive: recommendations?
Dan Thurman
dant at cdkkt.com
Fri Jan 11 19:07:22 UTC 2008
On Friday 11 January 2008 10:52:50 am Phil Meyer wrote:
> Dan Thurman wrote:
> > Is there a [Fedora/Linux] clone/partition tool that will clone a hard
> > drive with features that allows one to specify any partition size to the
> > target new drive? For example, the original drive may have a partition
> > with a size of say, 10GB and instead of a direct clone, I'd like to
> > specify a larger target partition size of say, an increase of 25GB?
> >
> > As a feature, I'd also like the capability if need be, to be able to
> > change the source drive's partition sizes and to be able to move
> > partitions around so as close partition gaps? System Commander was such
> > a tool for windoes but is there one for Fedora/Linux?
> >
> > Any suggestions?
> >
>
> Copying the contents of one drive to another is as simple as:
> cp -a <source> <target>
> Or there is the most correct way:
> cd <source>
> find . -depth -print | cpio -pdmu <target>
> If both file systems are LVM or hardware raid, then that solves the
> other part of your question.
> But lets look at a specific example since you did not provide one:
> Lets assume that /var keeps filling up and its currently on / which is a
> fixed partition.
> You have hardware based raid from a SAN or new shoebox.
> Use whatever tools are appropriate to create <new volume>.
> Mount the new raid device on /mnt
> mount <new volume> /mnt
> Quiesce applications
> cd /var
> find . -depth -print | cpio -pdmu /mnt
> umount /mnt ; mv /var /foo ; mkdir /var ; mount <new volume> /var
> revise /etc/fstab to correct the new /var
> restart apps or reboot
> rm -fr /foo
> You need to MOVE /var because there will surely be something running
> with a file open in /var
> You need to be quick making the changeover to the new /var, thus the
> commands all on the same command line.
> Don't remove the old /var until you are positive that all apps that use
> /var have been restarted. Sometimes a reboot will be necessary. If
> unsure, reboot.
> Tried and tested many times. :)
> Good Luck!
>
First, thanks for your tips! I am sincere here and please do not be offended
if I come across as an ignorant idiot, of which I can be at times.
What happens when you have a multiboot drive, of which there are windoes of
many variants (98,2K,XP,...), Solaris, Linux(Fedora,Ubuntu,...)?
Which is why it is not so simple. :-/
Also - manually "walking through" each partition of the source drive and
manually creating/copying partitions to the target drive could be quite a
chore I think, and getting all of the MBRs for each partition could be a
nightmare?
Which is why I said: "semi-clone" tool...
I must be joking, right? Unfortunately, no. Am I asking for a "pie in the
sky"? Maybe.
But then that is why I am asking - although you are absolutely right, I did
not 'specify' the conditions and I apologize for that - must be getting old
at my age and forget important details. *sigh*
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