An incremental backup strategy

ericovk

ericovk

Verified User
Joined
Apr 17, 2012
Messages
229
Location
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Hi guys,

I have been using DirectAdmin for about a year now and I'd like to have a better backup plan.

Right now I have a cron job running for all user accounts, separated by files, databases and email. On another server, I've setup Rsnapshot. Rsnapshot is based on Rsync. It downloads the files incrementally to the external server via ssh. Pretty save, and decent to have external backups, just in case...

But as the DirectAdmin user backups runs full backups of the user accounts, the backup storage become huge. If only one email arrives, one row is written to the database, or one file is changed on the user account, than Rsnapshot downloads the entire user (db/mail/file) backup as one file. So actually this solution isn't really incremental. It's mostly a waste of energy, system resources and data.

What I'd like to have is a backup solution via Rsnapshot, that can look what emails, database info or files have already been backupped, skip this data, and downloads only the new/changed ones. But is this possible? What folders do I have to setup on Rsnapshot? Or does anyone has a better solution to make real incremental backups?

Cheers!
 
As far as i remember there was a feature for exclude folders from backup, not sure if it should help you (excluding backusp folder from backups) but i cant find it atm.

Maybe someone else will link you

Regards
 
Yes, I've read this DA article about excluding folders. But I do want a backup of all email in case of a server crash or an accidental delete action. But I'd like to have it incremental.

I can't really figure out where these files are. And If I can just copy them / restore them the same way when I need to do so.

Right now my backup is growing with GB's a month. It shouldn't have to.
 
That's a good start! And is it possible to use general names/variables for username and domainname? Just like DirectAdmin uses |domain| ? That would automate the process a lot :)
 
it depend where you use those. In a pre/post da script should work (but not totally sure)

But, also would work /home/*/imap/*/

Regards
 
I dont use any incremental backup for now, made a script that save my last 3 weeks backups and delete older.

For now it work... Once ive the new ced ready ill start think about an exernal incremental backup.

Regards
 
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