On Tue, Aug 23, 2005 at 09:16:03AM +0100, Dave Ewart wrote:
> On Monday, 22.08.2005 at 22:53 -0400, Jason 'XenoPhage' Frisvold wrote:
> 
> > [ ... some are new mail messages coming in ... ]
> 
> I've often wondered about this.  I back up the mail spools in /var/mail
> of the appropriate server and occasionally get a 'STRANGE' from it
> because one of the spools changes during the course of the backup job.
> 
> What is considered the Correct Way to handle backing up files which are
> so dynamic?  Our mail spools are pretty quiet at the time the backup
> runs, but some of you out there must have more traffic than us ...
> 
> My thoughts:
> 
> 1. Just put up with it: spools that are changing will result in a backup
> which is probably not of any use once in a while.  This is probably
> fine, unless there is a large amount of mail coming in at the time the
> backup runs;

Just one point on this.  I don't think you get a backup that is useless.
It is my understanding that the "backup" is still ok; the problem is
that specific files within the backup are questionable.

-- 
Jon H. LaBadie                  jon AT jgcomp DOT com
 JG Computing
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