Restore from files

[Baxter]

Hi,

I had a Hard-drive failure last night and it seems the regular scheduled backups had been failing for 2 months as the folders their backedup to are empty.

I have the original Operating system files that the datacenter was able to extract to a USB drive.

I also need to change my os registered to the license but I believe support are the only ones that are able to do this? I've tried emailing support for the last 4 hours but have not received a response.

Does anyone know how to re-create/restore the server from the old files?

I can't install DA yet until the OS is changed but would like to have a plan on how to restore the server.

Thanks for your help

Jay

 

[johannes]

Hi,
I had a Hard-drive failure last night and it seems the regular scheduled backups had been failing for 2 months as the folders their backedup to are empty.

What did you backed-up? /home ? OS ?

I have the original Operating system files that the datacenter was able to extract to a USB drive.

Only the OS? no user and domains (aka /home) ?

I also need to change my os registered to the license but I believe support are the only ones that are able to do this? I've tried emailing support for the last 4 hours but have not received a response.

Which support? Support to change OS or support to change license? You can try to contact DA-support here .. https://www.directadmin.com/clients/safesubmit.php

Does anyone know how to re-create/restore the server from the old files?

Do you want or need to change your OS registered or not? What do you want with old files in another OS?

I can't install DA yet until the OS is changed but would like to have a plan on how to restore the server.

So you can forget your backup, right? Old files from another OS on USB?
A plan? Its a little bit late to make a plan.
If you have old files and want another OS, what do you want to restore? Customerdatas alias /home? Configs? What?
You should explain all in detail..

 

[Baxter]

Hey Johannes,

Yes I have all the files that were on the system before it crashed. They were unable to restore, or in their words clone, the hard drive because of some corruption in the /etc/ folder.

I've looked at the restore points that DA makes during a full backup and so far I realize that I need:

/etc/named.conf
/var/named/
/etc/httpd/

I've already moved the old home directory back. But yes idealy I would like to create a backup from the old files I have so I can retain the users sites, mysql database, dns settings, email accounts, passwords etc... that they had prior to the failure.

Thank you for the link I didn't know about that link and will send them another email via that link in case there not getting the direct emails.

If you have any ideas that could help me I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[scsi]

As long as you did admin level backup you just use the admin level backup/restore to restore the files.

You will have to install directadmin before being able to restore the files.

 

[Baxter]

I have backups scheduled to a 2nd drive, those backups have empty folders after Feb, not sure why but it seems every backup attempted just created the initial folder to hold the backup data but not the underlying data inside.

Which means for me to restore, I'd be restoring back to Feb...

 

[johannes]

Hey Johannes,
Yes I have all the files that were on the system before it crashed.

2 monthes old or new?

They were unable to restore, or in their words clone, the hard drive because of some corruption in the /etc/ folder.

Do you have already a new harddrive?

I've looked at the restore points that DA makes during a full backup

I`ve never seen that, amazing, however, are they 2 monthes old or new?

and so far I realize that I need:
/etc/named.conf
/var/named/
/etc/httpd/

You didnt answered my question - are they /etc /var on your USB? Do they have right file-permissions saved also in the backup? Otherwise (2 monthes-limit) it would be better to install from fresh, on new HD, copy-back configs as far you have it, let run permissions-shellscript from DA to fix and control manual, and copy-back /home and check again file/folder-permissions.

But yes idealy I would like to create a backup from the old files I have so I can retain the users sites, mysql database, dns settings, email accounts, passwords etc... that they had prior to the failure.

I`m confused, what do you mean by " I would like to create a backup" .. i think you have it already on USB? I cannot help you if you dont answer my questions, sorry. I understand you want to restore your datas (no matter if 2 monthes old or not), but i cannot follow you. If you have /home (and you didnt changed the path(es)) so copy-back, check permissions, but be sure to have the same OS and all updates / modules inside which you plugged-in since 2 monthes.

Thank you for the link I didn't know about that link and will send them another email via that link in case there not getting the direct emails.

Whish you the best, hope it helps.

 

[Baxter]

2 monthes old or new?

New, from the day of the failure

Do you have already a new harddrive?

Yes setup with Centos, can't install DA as my license as the version numbers of Centos don't match

I`ve never seen that, amazing, however, are they 2 monthes old or new?

Backups were on a seperate hard drive, the last successful backup was Feb 2010

You didnt answered my question - are they /etc /var on your USB? Do they have right file-permissions saved also in the backup? Otherwise (2 monthes-limit) it would be better to install from fresh, on new HD, copy-back configs as far you have it, let run permissions-shellscript from DA to fix and control manual, and copy-back /home and check again file/folder-permissions.

Yes its the same as just before they crashed, its got the complete file structure with permissions and owners. Although the users aren't created on this new hd.

I`m confused, what do you mean by " I would like to create a backup" .. i think you have it already on USB? I cannot help you if you dont answer my questions, sorry. I understand you want to restore your datas (no matter if 2 monthes old or not), but i cannot follow you. If you have /home (and you didnt changed the path(es)) so copy-back, check permissions, but be sure to have the same OS and all updates / modules inside which you plugged-in since 2 monthes.

Sorry to be confusing, I'll try to elaborate:

Originally I had Centos 3.x now the new drive has Centos 5.6 on it. Its a fresh install. I have all the files from the old hard drive mounted on a USB stick under /OLD_OS provided by the datacenter.

I would like to get DA support to fix my OS information on my license so that I can re-install DA.

After that I would like to restore the customers files, email accounts, dns settings via the files on /OLD_OS mount.

Whish you the best, hope it helps.

I appreciate the well wishes Johannes!

 

[SeLLeRoNe]

Regarding the license you have to contact directadmin.

Regarding the restore will be an hard work restore it, BUT, using a mix of feb 2010 backups and /home files you should (is hard but i think not impossible) merge the up2date data in the tar.gz file created by directadmin backup and then using admin restore option in directadin panel.

You will have to work on it a lot i suppose.

Hope this idea will help.

Regards

 

[Baxter]

thanks for all your support, we've restored it!

Cheers,

Jay