Backup full system, including configurations.

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NissimC

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Joined
Jan 23, 2005
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12
Hello everybody,
tommorow I'm moving from server to a server on my own country.
But the server wouldnt be up when I transfer the server.

So I need a quick question:
How do I backup all user info(passwords, usernames, and so on..),
all configurations, all /home directory, all databases,
all subdomains, ftp account and so on.. ?

I really need this because I want my accounts details,
because it will take a LONG time to create it back.

Thanks,
Nissim Cohen

P.S.
I heared about a program called "sysbk" or something like that,
can You please instructe me what to do with her if I need to use it?

Thanks again,
Nissim Cohen
 
Nissim,

Sysbk is integrated into DA; it's configured as the "backup" link from the admin main control panel.

At one time there were some things left out but I believe now it will do an almost completely successful backup. however you'll have to restore manually.

You may decide to backup the entire /home directory or to backup only the users inside the /home directory. The DirectAdmin system backup page should be fairly self-explanatory.

You will have to restore manually.

Jeff
 
Thanks Jeff,
but the most important to me is the users on the system with the correct details.
Does the backup restore the users or I need to create again the users?

Thanks,
Nissim Cohen
 
Sysbk should backup your users. You'll have to restore the files properly to get them restored. The biggest problem will probably come with /etc/passwd, /etc/group and /etc/shadow.

If you're moving between RH and FreeBSD you'll run into some path problems as well as problems with the format of the above files.

(FreeBSD doesn't us a shadow file iIrc.)

Jeff
 
Well thanks,
but in a regular backup from the admin control panel it's backing up like the Sysbk?
I dont really understand English good so I ask to confirm.
I did a backup from the control panel, when I restore it,
the users will restored too?
Or I need to activate sysbk?
If yes, what is the command + syntex?
Thanks and sorry,
Nissim Cohen
 
I'm sorry Nissim; I didn't realize you didn't understand that sysbk is the admin backup used by DirectAdmin.

From my notes, this is what we back up; you can set all of these from the admin control panel:

Directories:
/etc/mail
/etc/virtual
/usr/local/directadmin/data
/usr/local/frontpage
/usr/share/ssl
/var/log
/var/mail
/var/spool/cron
/var/spool/mail
/var/spool/virtual
/var/www

and all user directories from /home

Files:
/etc/group
/etc/hosts
/etc/passwd
/etc/proftpd.conf
/etc/proftpd.passwd
/etc/proftpd.vhosts.conf
/etc/resolv.conf
/etc/shadow
/etc/system_filter.exim
/usr/local/directadmin/conf/mysql.conf

Note that you cannot just restore the backup; it takes some intelligent restoration and some files must be edited and/or selectively merged.

Note also that we do not guarantee results from following the instructions in any of our posts. We do guarantee our work, but for us to backup and restore a server for you is not inexpensive.

Jeff
 
jlasman said:

Note that you cannot just restore the backup; it takes some intelligent restoration and some files must be edited and/or selectively merged.
Click to expand...

Jeff

I guess you are talking about /etc/passwd ,/etc/group and /etc/shadow. What merging do you do.

I thought the idea of the backup was that you cold restore a system were it to need rebuilt?

regards

Jon
 
I can't describe intelligent merge any more succinctly than that. If I could, I'd write a script to do it.

And there may very well be other files to merge as well; i'm not looking at my notes as I write this.

If you were backing up from a DA system and restoring to a fresh DA install on the same version of the same OS with the same rev level of DA, then perhaps you could do a blind restore.

It sounds as if you're trying to avoid being a systems administrator. That's not really possible.

Cobalt Systems tried it before eventually selling out to Sun, and we became the largest thirdparty Cobalt support company, because so many non-admins bought it and found they really did need to know how to do systems administration.

Jeff
 
blind restore

jlasman said:
...

If you were backing up from a DA system and restoring to a fresh DA install on the same version of the same OS with the same rev level of DA, then perhaps you could do a blind restore.

...

Jeff
Click to expand...

Sorry to dig this one out from the past, but I noticed you refer to a "blind restore" and wondered if you had a method for this, to do such a restore on the same OS with the same rev level of DA?
 
Yeah, well, it's only been five and a half years :).

No, I don't. The few times we had to use sysbk to restore a server (before the DirectAdmin admin reseller backup/restore came out), we updated the OS and DirectAdmin revision first.

Just copying over all files might work, but I wouldn't trust it or guarantee it.

Jeff
 
Off-Topic

I prefer this link (amazon.com) :). Note that this is a generic link; not a referral link. If you order from this link I make nothing; I point it out only because I think it's a really great book; I first read it between 40 and 50 years ago.

Jeff
 
I am trying to make 'System Backup'. I configure it to backup everything except database and users (they are backed up separately). I mostly want the system backup for reference in case any system files get changed.
The backup is successfuly made by admin, and DA shows the log of it.

Here's my problem: I can't find the backup. I am looking as root. Supposedly the backup path was $MOUNT_POINT/backup. If I 'echo $MOUNT_POINT' it is blank. Anyway, 'find' can't find any backup made today. So where did the backup go?

Afterthought: Do I need to use the ftp option instead of the $MOUNT_POINT?

Never mind! I found the backups in /home/backup.
 
Last edited:
$MOUNT_POINT is defined in the sysbk configuration. Look in /usr/local/sysbk.

Jeff
 
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