Linux system how to set up a backup

Computer store news Backup is an important job, but many people did not do it. Once data is lost due to improper use, backup becomes a real life saver. This article discusses strategies for setting up backups and how to choose backup media, and introduces the tar and cpio tools for backups.

Setting Backup Policies

Setting up backup policies and schedules increases the likelihood of making backups. Before starting the backup, determine which data to back up, how often to back up, and what media to use for backup. When backing up, you should make a full backup.

Backups are usually scheduled to take place during idle time. In most systems, the number of open files is minimal due to the minimum number of users at this time. Because backups take up some system resources, users will find the system unresponsive when running backups.

If the Linux computer has only one user, you can back up the entire system once a week or a month. If there are critical files, you should plan to copy them to a removable disk.

Before backing up, first make sure that the backup device is set up correctly. Most tape backup systems can be found to be correct at the time of installation. After the system boots, open a terminal window and enter the following command:

$dmeg |  Less

Scroll through the list and look for drivers for your tape system. If it is not found, you need to load a component driver.

If you run a Linux server, you have to make a backup plan, but that doesn't mean you have to back up everything every day. Only a few things in the system need to be backed up every day. The items that need to be backed up are listed below:

User Files The user files in the /home directory are backed up every day.

Configuration Files Configuration files in the /etc and /var directories do not require frequent backups, and can be backed up once a week or monthly, depending on how often the configuration changes.

Program Files The program files in the /usr and /opt directories are rarely changed. You can do a backup after installation. Normally, program files can be easily restored from the original installation disk.

Choosing backup media

There are several options for saving backups. Here are some optional backup media:

Floppy Disks If you want to quickly back up important files or bring them to your home, the floppy disk is still an optional backup medium.

Disc Writer As disc writers become more reliable and less expensive, the disc itself is also very cheap. One of the benefits of using this option is that the disc is not easily damaged and its backup reliability is high.

There are two disadvantages to using a disc writer: they are slower and can only hold about 650MB.

Rewritable Discs Rewritable optical drives are much more expensive than optical writers and work in a similar way. However, these discs can be rewritten, and it is much more expensive than a disc that can only be written once. Other features of rewritable discs are similar to disc writers.

Jaz and Zip Zip drives are very popular and have become standard on many PCs, and their disks and drives are not expensive. With a disk that holds up to