Robert Tilden wrote:

I'd like to be able to back up some of my machines to a holding disk at
arbitrary times.

For example, I run backups every night at 0100. Some laptop users are
unable to leave their machines overnight. I'd like to be able to start a
backup for their laptop(s) only, with the results going to the holding
disk for that nights 'real' backup.

Does anyone have some guidance for doing this? I assume that I'd need a
separate configuration file...

No real solution here.
But maybe you can get away with this:

Set the "reserve" parameter in amanda.conf to something lower than

without a tape in the drive, and with the hosts as parameters, like:

  amdump daily laptop1 laptop2 laptop3

Now amanda dumps only the named hosts.

Note that you can have only 1 amdump running at a time, so you cannot
start amdump for laptop1, and 15 minutes later another one for laptop2,
unless the first is completely done.

Then set also "autoflush yes" in the amanda.conf, so that those
dumps are put on the normal nightly tape too.

You could even carefully set up a separate config for laptops that
is run during the day.  A long time ago, I had such a config, but
I removed it, because laptop users complained about the load on
their computer...

And you'll have to live with a nightly report complaining about not
being able to dump laptopX.

Another possibility is to have a large disk, and let the laptop users
make a backup to that disk when they feel it's time to do it, using the

or a xcopy-batch program, or some free software like rsync, and include
that area in the amanda backup scheme.

Also have a look at bacula:  http://www.bacula.org/


--
Paul Bijnens, Xplanation                            Tel  +32 16 397.511
Technologielaan 21 bus 2, B-3001 Leuven, BELGIUM    Fax  +32 16 397.512
http://www.xplanation.com/          email:  Paul.Bijnens AT xplanation DOT com
***********************************************************************
* I think I've got the hang of it now:  exit, ^D, ^C, ^\, ^Z, ^Q, ^^, *
* F6, quit, ZZ, :q, :q!, M-Z, ^X^C, logoff, logout, close, bye, /bye, *
* stop, end, F3, ~., ^]c, +++ ATH, disconnect, halt,  abort,  hangup, *
* PF4, F20, ^X^X, :D::D, KJOB, F14-f-e, F8-e,  kill -1 $$,  shutdown, *
* init 0, kill -9 1, Alt-F4, Ctrl-Alt-Del, AltGr-NumLock, Stop-A, ... *
* ...  "Are you sure?"  ...   YES   ...   Phew ...   I'm out          *
***********************************************************************