[molarszbt18]

Hello,
What programs do you guys use for backing up? Or do you guys use anything that allows for a secure back up, secure as in the connection to the server is secure and then the back up is too?

[Blue Flame]

i'm using Apple's Backup3 without a hiccup.

[molarszbt18]

What about on a larger scale then a home user?

[BZ]

Dantz Retrospect.

Retrospect 6.1.126 – Mac OS X – VersionTracker

(used to use it, but now Deja Vu and Backup do the trick)

BZ

[molarszbt18]

Yea thats what I am using now and I am not thrilled by it since there is no email option and there is security for the connection to the other machine like SSH.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by molarszbt18 

Yea thats what I am using now and I am not thrilled by it since there is no email option and there is security for the connection to the other machine like SSH.

rsync using SSH as its RSH, for sure.

I would not recommend backing up any sensitive data using .Mac Backup, as last I checked your username/password is sent in the clear.

I also don't recommend paying for a backup service unless you really want a certain degree of utility, because we sync 7 TB of data every night with rsync and it performs beautifully.

a quick rsync command + Platypus + scheduling via cron or anacron = awesomeness.

[Philip J. Fry]

SmartBackup

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by Philip J. Fry 

SmartBackup

Nice looking product!

Will SmartBackup actually mount network volumes that are not already mounted? Does it only copy changes, or initiate the entire backup each time it is run?

I do like the command line tools though, although iCal scheduling is a neat idea too... My only complaint is that it isn't free and/or open source.

[molarszbt18]

ok so that solves the security end but what about the emailing of the completion of the back up?

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by molarszbt18 

ok so that solves the security end but what about the emailing of the completion of the back up?

Just enable Postfix (there is an app called "Postfix Enabler" to do this, and lots of guides available online), add the -v flag to your rsync command, and add an entry in /etc/aliases to an email address of your choice (e.g. if your username is "fred"):

fred: [email protected]

Run "sudo newaliases" to pick up this mail alias addition.

This will email the output of each rsync command to you, letting you know what happened. If you want a simple "the backup was run" email, remove the -v, and add an:

Code:
echo "Your backup was run" | mail -s "your email subject" [email protected]

to the end of your rsync command, separated by a semicolon:

Code:
rsync -a /source yourremoteusername@yourremotehost:remote/path;echo "Your backup was run" | mail -s "your email subject" [email protected]

If you want rsync to delete everything from the destination machine not on your source machine, add the "--delete" argument right before or after the -a. If the usernames on your computers are different, let me know and I'll send you another alteration that won't try to preserve UIDs of your files.

If you want to authenticate to your remote machine without typing in your password each time, you'll need to setup SSH public/private keys. There are lots of guides, and even an OS X to help with this I believe.

Wrap up your final script in a Platypus GUI, learn how to schedule your job, and you'll have an awesome backup system that didn't cost you a cent.

[molarszbt18]

Thanks...there is no programs that can do this? I am surprised this is not asked of more especially since backups are so important!

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by molarszbt18 

Thanks...there is no programs that can do this? I am surprised this is not asked of more especially since backups are so important!

Everybody seems to have a different idea as to how they want their backups done, that most backup software I've seen tries to make you comfortable in its little bubble, and cannot accommodate leaving this bubble. I eventually grew sick of playing around with different solutions and trying to make them do what I wanted that I just gave in and came up with my own solution

[molarszbt18]

Like Retrospect seems to sometimes work and if not it sits and waits for the user which if its a server you kinda just want to set it and go. I hate remote in and seeing this because I can not trust this at all. Like i said i am surprised that there is no software advancement on this.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by molarszbt18 

Like Retrospect seems to sometimes work and if not it sits and waits for the user which if its a server you kinda just want to set it and go. I hate remote in and seeing this because I can not trust this at all. Like i said i am surprised that there is no software advancement on this.

If you've exhausted all Mac options, I know a lot of Unix guys are into Bacula.

[DrBoar]

Retrospect have the option to send emails of the backup log. Well hidden in the Mac version but it is there.


Otherwise I have my concerns about Retrospect in general and especially the mac version.
Way behind the Windows verison
Still not Intel native
Still some anoying bugs like the one with windows clients and daytime save. At the changes Summer-winter time all windows files are treated as new (NTFS), bloathing the backups...

January 6, 2004 Retrospect 6 was announced, now more than 3 years later we are at 6.1 with minor tweaks.