Backing up backups w/ Backup Exec

[atlee]

We want to backup up our backups to tape offsite. The initial full backup of /opt/zimbra/backup is 344 GB. Our backup solution is Symantec Backup Exec 12.5.

After getting the agent running, our first attempt ran our SAN volume out of space at 700 GB. Enabling prescan, BE reports that our job size is 1.8 TB, wrong by a factor of 5!

Has anyone tried using BE for zimbra off site archiving and run into this (and found a solution)?

[deepblue]

Originally Posted by atlee

After getting the agent running, our first attempt ran our SAN volume out of space at 700 GB. Enabling prescan, BE reports that our job size is 1.8 TB, wrong by a factor of 5!

Hi atlee,

the factor of 5 is explained by the fact that zimbra uses hard links when writing the backup files on the disc. Most files do not change in the time between 2 full backups. This results in just one additional hard link.

When you copy the directory /opt/zimbra/backup the copy process will create 2 different files on the target volume (the hard link structure is not preserved) - doubling the required space...

Traditional file based backup procedures have problems dealing with /opt/zimbra/backup...

Regards
Thomas

[atlee]

Thanks, Thomas.

What are alternatives to file-based backup--snapshot-based? Symantec has such a solution (for a price, of course). Any recommendations?

[LMStone]

You can run rsync using the H option to preserve hard links:

rsync -azH /opt/zimbra/backup user@remote_backup_host_IP_Address:/backup_target_directory

For "belts 'n suspenders" off site backups, consider backing up things like the /opt/zimbra/conf directory, the installation logs in /tmp, the spamassassin bayes databases, things like that.

Hope that helps,
Mark

[atlee]

I use a similar command to create a secondary disk backup. Different RAID volume on a different controller. What we want now is off site tape archive...we're in earthquake country. How do I do that?

[LMStone]

Originally Posted by atlee

I use a similar command to create a secondary disk backup. Different RAID volume on a different controller. What we want now is off site tape archive...we're in earthquake country. How do I do that?

If your tape drive is supported with drivers by your host operating system, you can use tar to do disk-to-tape backups.

Many of the commercial tape drives out there require proprietary drivers, so the paid software backup folks provide them--for a cost.

It's obscure, but less expensive than Symantec: We have used Arkeia (Network Backup Software | Enterprise Backup Solutions | Arkeia) throughout the years, going all the way back to OS/2. They support a lot of tape drives and their software is rock solid we have found.

Hope that helps,
Mark