Hi, Simlinks will work with tar, databases will restore correctly under certain conditions. My backup script will actually mysqldump the databases because that is more reliable and also allows me to go back easily. Using dd or similar may be possible depending on the file system they use for the underlying system (if it is a virtual machine especially so), though I am not sure how you would even go about restoring that without overrighting some critical data from the new image. Andrew. ________________________________________ From: blind-sysadmins-bounces@lists.hodgsonfamily.org [blind-sysadmins-bounces@lists.hodgsonfamily.org] On Behalf Of Dave [dave.mehler@gmail.com] Sent: 24 July 2009 20:42 To: 'Andrew Hodgson' Cc: 'Blind sysadmins list' Subject: Re: [Blind-sysadmins] backing up a partition via the internet Hi, Thanks for your reply. My problem is i have soft links and databases i need to ensure get across. Whenever i use tar that doesn't always happen. I was thinking of dump/restore. My problem is i would then have to mount the remote server partition here and do the dump or mount a local partition here to the remote server, i am not sure if this is even possible or if it is if it's secure, i would definitely want this encrypted. Thanks. Dave. -----Original Message----- From: Andrew Hodgson [mailto:andrew@hodgsonfamily.org] Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 3:13 PM To: dave.mehler@gmail.com; Blind sysadmins list Subject: RE: [Blind-sysadmins] backing up a partition via the internet Hi, This machine that runs the list runs under a similar configuration. I just tar up the relevant directories and then send them across. There is also an NFS space they provide for such backups, which I could FTP off if I wanted to, but I just Rsync the whole thing to my server here. You could tar / if you wanted but probably easier to just backup what you wanted (you could backup /etc for example). Thanks. Andrew. -----Original Message----- From: blind-sysadmins-bounces@lists.hodgsonfamily.org [mailto:blind-sysadmins-bounces@lists.hodgsonfamily.org] On Behalf Of Dave Sent: 24 July 2009 20:10 To: 'Blind sysadmins list' Subject: [Blind-sysadmins] backing up a partition via the internet Hello, I've got a remote server, Linux, that i have to redo. My hosting provider makes the redo easy, as they have images you can select, operating system version and dependingo on what you pick is what you get. My problem is it'll kill my current data. I've got to back up the / partition from this server to a local server here, then redo the remote machine, then reload the data. Has anyone done partition backups over the net? Thanks. Dave. _______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list Blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org http://lists.hodgsonfamily.org/mailman/listinfo/blind-sysadmins _______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list Blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org http://lists.hodgsonfamily.org/mailman/listinfo/blind-sysadmins -- allpay achieved PCI DSS and ISO 27001 certification in 2008 Registered in England No. 02933191. UK VAT Reg. No. 666 9148 88. Telephone: 0844 225 5729, Fax: 0844 557 8350. Website: www.allpay.net Email: enquiries@allpay.net This email, and any files transmitted with it, is confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the allpay Information Security Manager at the number above.