Backup help needed. Using "Simple Shell Script Method"

[physikal]

So currently my script looks like:

 #!/bin/bash
 
 # Zimbra Backup Script
 # Requires ncftp to run
 # This script is intended to run from the crontab as root
 # Date outputs and su vs sudo corrections by other contributors, thanks, sorry I don't have names to attribute!
 # Free to use and free of any warranty!  Daniel W. Martin, 5 Dec 2008

 
 # Outputs the time the backup started, for log/tracking purposes
 echo Time backup started = $(date +%T)
 before="$(date +%s)"

 # Live sync before stopping Zimbra to minimize sync time with the services down
 # Comment out the following line if you want to try single cold-sync only
 rsync -avHK --delete /opt/zimbra/ /backup/zimbra

 # which is the same as: /opt/zimbra /backup 
 # Including --delete option gets rid of files in the dest folder that don't exist at the src 
 # this prevents logfile/extraneous bloat from building up overtime.

 # Now we need to shut down Zimbra to rsync any files that were/are locked
 # whilst backing up when the server was up and running.
 before2="$(date +%s)"
 backupdate="$(date +%F)"

 # Stop Zimbra Services
 su - zimbra -c"/opt/zimbra/bin/zmcontrol stop"
 sleep 15

 # Kill any orphaned Zimbra processes
 kill -9 `ps -u zimbra -o "pid="`

 # Only enable the following command if you need all Zimbra user owned
 # processes to be killed before syncing
 ps auxww | awk '{print $1" "$2}' | grep zimbra | kill -9 `awk '{print $2}'`
 
 # Sync to backup directory
 rsync -avHK --delete /opt/zimbra/ /backup/zimbra

 # Restart Zimbra Services
 su - zimbra -c "/opt/zimbra/bin/zmcontrol start"

 # Calculates and outputs amount of time the server was down for
 after="$(date +%s)"
 elapsed="$(expr $after - $before2)"
 hours=$(($elapsed / 3600))
 elapsed=$(($elapsed - $hours * 3600))
 minutes=$(($elapsed / 60))
 seconds=$(($elapsed - $minutes * 60))
 echo Server was down for: "$hours hours $minutes minutes $seconds seconds"

 # Create a txt file in the backup directory that'll contains the current Zimbra
 # server version. Handy for knowing what version of Zimbra a backup can be restored to.
 su - zimbra -c "zmcontrol -v > /backup/zimbra/conf/zimbra_version.txt"
 # or examine your /opt/zimbra/.install_history

 # Display Zimbra services status
 echo Displaying Zimbra services status...
 su - zimbra -c "/opt/zimbra/bin/zmcontrol status"
 
 # Create archive of backed-up directory for offsite transfer
 # cd /backup/zimbra
 tar -zcvf /tmp/mail.backup.$backupdate.tgz -C /backup/zimbra .
 
 # Transfer file to backup server
 ncftpput -u -p  xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx /zimbra /tmp/mail.backup.$backupdate.tgz

 # Outputs the time the backup finished
 echo Time backup finished = $(date +%T)

 # Remove Backup File from Temp Directory
 rm -f /tmp/mail.backup.$backupdate.tgz
 
 # Calculates and outputs total time taken
 after="$(date +%s)"
 elapsed="$(expr $after - $before)"
 hours=$(($elapsed / 3600))
 elapsed=$(($elapsed - $hours * 3600))
 minutes=$(($elapsed / 60))
 seconds=$(($elapsed - $minutes * 60))
 echo Time taken: "$hours hours $minutes minutes $seconds seconds"

I'm loving it. It works great. My only question is this. I would really like it to create a log file with the whole process, and send it along with the tar file. So that on my backup server I have a .tar for that days backup as well as the log file for that .tar. So if for some reason I go to restore that day's .tar and I'd like to check out the log file for that .tar. Hope this makes sense.

I'm not much of a coder so I have no clue how to do this.

Also, and probably most importantly, is this method a good route to take with backing up? Is restore with these backups easily done? Should I be considering an alternate method of backups? If so what would those alternate methods be? Thanks in advance!

[physikal]

Anyone have any ideas?

[Enake]

Hellow...

I'm using the same script for my backups...

If you want a log you could implement the backup via cron.

I have this in the root crontab:

0 3 * * * /root/zimbrabackup.sh > /tmp/zmbackuplog.txt 2>&1

Every night at 3:00 a.m. the backup starts...

This backup restore the whole installation of Zimbra... if you prefer per user backups you may consider the NE version...

Hope this helps.

[physikal]

Ya, I would love the NE version. I just can't justify the cost. If it was like 2-3k flat fee for unlimited users then I would have bought it a week ago. heh.

Don't get me wrong. I think its well worth it. With the kind of support these guys provide, that truly is priceless. We as a small business just don't have 10k laying around just yet. Some day though, I hope!