thelinuxlink.net

I have rather simple needs. I have a mixed network of WinXP machines with Ubuntu machines, and one slackware box.

I would like to back up their "My Document" folders and "Home" directories to one Ubuntu machine with a large hard drive.

What would you suggest as a mix of software to get this to work? I would like the easiest set up and administration as possible, because I'm a relative noob with Linux.

Steve
mowestusa

The no-cost solution would be use rsync. Setup samba on the *buntu box and mount windows shares on it. Then use rsync to backup whatever you need. This is fairly easy but almost totally insecure. There are vpn and ssh-tunnel solutions, but they are a hassle, usually.

For the linux machines, you can use rsync over ssh easily.

Make a fileserver and map the home dirs and my doc folders to there. Then using a normal back up solution, during slowtime you can tape or cd or ftp (offsite) backup it.

::edit::

Oh, forgot. If you are open to how you move the data (ie, SAMBA, NFS) I would HIGHLY reccomend using IBM's OpenAFS. Its supported on Linux, BSD, and NT based Windows environments. One protocol to deal with ;D

Otherwise I would stick to Samba. OAFS is superior, but one protocol is better than more since you can only have one instead of two or more ports open for the services.

Mandriva has a whole category on backup. Bakula, DVDbackup, bashbackup, drakbackup, etc. There is really a lot of choices and flexibility. I found an interest settup which basically works re-burning a DVD-RW as a cron job so basically everynight your DVD will be rewritten, if for some reason it gets full it will hold up the info untill you put a new DVD disc.

wall you can use Unison as server/client
and you wont need to run smb/nfs/file shre on the server
in using it for year on mix network (win2K3/linux/soleris 9) and no complans

http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/unison/

This OpenAFS sounds interesting, since I'm thinking about putting up a fileserver at work with a bunch of Macs, and in my experience, NFS doesn't always play nicely with a linux server and a Mac client--for me, the Mac wouldn't write to the NFS share, it would only read, no matter how many settings I changed.

Looking at the OpenAFS website, it's interesting that the volumes can be moved without interruption of the service, and that there's one namespace over an entire cell. Are there any other advantages to using OAFS over SAMBA and NFS? Just a quick note of some experiences you've had with it would be nice.

Vogateer wrote: Looking at the OpenAFS website, it's interesting that the volumes can be moved without interruption of the service, and that there's one namespace over an entire cell. Are there any other advantages to using OAFS over SAMBA and NFS? Just a quick note of some experiences you've had with it would be nice.

Stale locks arent so much an issue. I have had good dealings with NFS, and OAFS was that plus the cell naming bonus and no more BS with stale locks. I am sure there is more, but I am no longer adminning and just whatever I have at home ;D