On Friday 25 November 2005 06:22, Harry Putnam wrote: > I came to learn to use bacula, is it also required to become thoroughly > proficient with mysql? I know nothing about databases, does that rule > me out as a bacula user?
Depends on the size of your setup. If you just backup one server and don't have a large number of files then you really don't need to know much about databases. I would recommend you use "sqlite" instead. It's a tiny database in a file - no permissions other than file system permissions. Easy to backup, too. And you don't have to learn about databases if you don't want to. In case you are responsible for a company backup or are administering a number of clients or a large number of files I strongly recommend you learn how to setup, operate and optimize a DBMS like MySQL or Postgresql. > Bacula has already proven to be a huge time sinc with no real kick > back so far. If I were to count the hours I've spent on bacula in the > 2 times I started trying to learn it they would top out pretty high > like 20-30 solid hours over weeks. Bacula is complex. If you just want to run a backup of your home directory once a month then grab a DVD recordable and a DVD burner and burn it. I run Bacula for a file server and an internet application server. My backup runs on a second hard disk and a tape for double security. Works like a charm and although the first setup (schedules, devices, permissions, DBMS access, DBMS optimization through proper indices) took a while it was worth it. Bacula has a good tutorial to tell you how the basics work. And if you got that you may want to read about the other components (storage daemon, file daemon, director) and learn their details. The first time I read about Bacula I was really shocked. It started with a graph showing how all the components work together. I didn't want 10 components. I just wanted to backup my machine. And after reading a bit I found out that it can do it. Now that I need to backup other machines I'm glad Bacula can handle that, too. It may appear overkill for a small setup though. > I have yet to backup a single file with bacula. Would I be better off > spending my time with something more direct and to the point? Bacula is still fun to use. But you need to decide for yourself if "cp" or "tar" are suited better for that. > I looked at bacula because of the network capability. I've come to > need a network backup tool since my home network has grown to 5-7 > machines and some have at least semi-important data on them. Over the net you can still use rsync or scp. > What kind of time frame might I expect to begin to see something > getting backed up... That is, for a novice with databases and bacula > but a fair bit of experience in things linux. Backup is a serious issue. Allow me a bit or sarcasm... I know that most Windows admins think that all the operating things that whole bookshelfs deal with must be as easy as a mouse click. And Windows admins laugh about long-bearded UNIX admins who spend half of their lives operating such services. But those issues are not trivial at all. If you just backup things for your personal use then copy the file somewhere else. But backups save your job and sometimes important parts of your life. Most people don't think about backups before the photos of their kids have just gone into nirvana and they virtually lost parts of their lives. It's good that you think about backups. But they *are* tricky sometimes. At least they require some reading and understanding. But be assured that you will not regret spending some hours on a decent backup when your hard disk dies. You should have seen me sitting at my 19" rack when I really depended on my backup, crossed my finger and begged Bacula to work. Yes, it did. :) > I'm not in a terrific hurry and am under no actual time constraint. > Only how long I can maintain an interest compared to effort required. > And how long this list will put up with me... : ) I hope that you find this list friendly and helpful. At least I do. So if you show some dedication to the matter and are ready to read and learn you will get all the help there is. Christoph -- ~ ~ ".signature" [Modified] 1 line --100%-- 1,48 All ------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by: Splunk Inc. Do you grep through log files for problems? Stop! Download the new AJAX search engine that makes searching your log files as easy as surfing the web. DOWNLOAD SPLUNK! http://ads.osdn.com/?ad_id=7637&alloc_id=16865&op=click _______________________________________________ Bacula-users mailing list Bacula-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bacula-users
