You are browsing the archive for Backup.

Avatar of knut

by knut

Linux based backup solutions using RSYNC

November 1, 2006 in Backup, Hosting, Linux

This one is of the more manual kind and requires comand line knowledge and you needs to edit batch files to make it work.

Rsync is a Linux/Unix tool that transfers files from one computer to another.

Here’s an example of the use of RSYNC:

rsync -e ssh -av username@servername.domain.com:remote_directory local_directory

The steps to backup your files can be summarised like this

  • Make a directory on your Linux-server to store your backups
  • Create daily/weekly/monthly snapshots of your files. I havent researched how to do this yet. There’s lots of documentation of this process on the internet
  • Find a way to make incremental backups, maybe RSYNC already does this
  • Transfer the files to Dreamhost or another webhoster using RSYNC

Pros

  • Can do whatevere you want
  • Makes use of incredibly cheap storage
  • Can be automated
  • Uses encryption and can compress files

Cons

  • Requires knowledge of Unix comands
  • Dependant of the bandwith of the web hoster. Dreamhost is at times slow.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Avatar of knut

by knut

Cobian backup software

November 1, 2006 in Backup

In my research for good backup solutions I found the Cobian backup program. It uses ordinary ftp to copy files and directories to a ftp server of your choice. It works like a simple ftp client and runs as a service and with a good scheduler. This makes it possible to have unatended backups running. Cobian semms to have encryption features to make secure backups and it can have incremental backup tasks.

The good

  • FTP makes it possible to make offline bakcups to a webhost
  • FTP makes it possible to restore from any ftp clients
  • Incremental backup ensures you only backup changed files after the first full backup
  • Integrated encryption

The bad

  • Runs only on Microsoft Windows
  • No restore functionality from the program. Must use ftp

Popularity: 3% [?]

Avatar of knut

by knut

Cheap online storage revisited

October 31, 2006 in Backup, Hosting

Here’s some of articles regarding cheap online storage options for backup purposes.

  • Eirik Solheims article here made me take a closer look on offline backup solutions for the home user.
  • This article talks about using Amazon S3‘s cheap storage service for backup. Theres some hints here that the insanely cheap web hoster Dreamhost can be used for the storage bit by some of the tools.
  • This article talks about backup tools to use as backup software with Amazon S3

Popularity: 5% [?]

Avatar of knut

by knut

Cheap online storage with Amazon

October 25, 2006 in Backup, Hosting, Linux

Amason now offers cheap online storage with Amazon S3. Jeremy D. Zawodny has written an article comparing the cost of using Amazon S3 with having a PC based sollution at home.

I also notice that Dreamhost now offers 200 GB of storage for just 7,95$ per month. This makes this another atractive offering.

“In other words, switching to S3 could save me $587 over five years! “

Popularity: 5% [?]