Need help to create a bootable backup of my solaris 9 box

[pearlBubble]

Hi,

We have an application server that's up 24/7. We have an automated backup script that only backs up the file systems containing transactions and databases. As the system adm, I was told to make a bootable backup of the OS quarterly. I think I need to backup my OS to a CDROM since I need to make it bootable, right? Do I need to backup the whole root system?

I have these two packages installed on my system: SUNWmkcd SUNWcdrw to make CD and write to CD.

Would you please share your procedure with me or point me to the right direction?

 

[maximusGeek]

Do your backups have to be on RO media? What about miroring your drive? Your root disk will probably not fit on a CDROM.

You can use dd to clone drives (if its SCSI).

 

[djr111]

I would have to agree with maximumgeek on this one, you should be more worried about being proactive, and not reactive (relying on CD's)

At minimum, you should be mirroring your root drives, I never hand off a server to app/DBA's till at least this is done. What some people do since cost is more of a factor(providing your server configs do not change on a freq. basis), is they will mirror their root drives, then pull out one of the root drives and store it for safe keeping, then put another drive in the place of the drive previously pull out, then re-attach that sub-mirror to the main mirror. Now they have a fall back point. The only issue with this is if you make any changes to the system, your previously pulled out drive will not have them, but hey your system will be up and running, re-installing patches..etc is easy.


Keep in mind, you will have to lose both root drives before you even get to the point of needing the stored disk, possible, but not likely.


This is the cheap mans way of keeping a server up and running, kind of pre-historic, but it will work.

If your server is that important, then less downtime would be critical, restoring from CD is not the best or fastest solution.

 

[maximusGeek]

I use Sun Volume Manger to set up a 3-way mirror. I pull one out and put it on the shelf and run off the other. Disk failure, I'm still good. Configuration miss-hap, I have a backup.

 

[spamly]

I create backups (ufsdump files) on an NFS mount. During a DR situation, I boot to an install cdrom in single-user mode, manually configure the IP address and speed/duplex, and restore off of the NFS mount.

Not exactly a bootable backup, but it does the job. If you're interested in the formal procedure, let me know and I'll post it for you.

 

[cndcadams]

spamly;

actually I would be interested in that procedure so ya go ahead and post away..

I can never have enough recovery procedures.

Thanks

CA