Dana Bourgeois wrote:

> [fast from disk restores vs. tape restores]

I simplified your questions a little.  In the context of backup-to-disk
vs. backup-to-tape, consider this too.

Modern OS's can do snapshots of their filesystems (at least one of the
later releases of Solaris 8, and the volume manager of Linux).

On systems that are capable, I make a snapshot each night, just
before running the amanda backups.  The backups are made from that
snapshot.  The snapshots are left mounted there up to the next night.

I make my backups with gnutar, and doing the backups on the snapshot
instead of the live filesystem has the advantage of not touching the
atime, and never having a warning like "file changed".

Also, given the fact that most restore requests from users are the
result of the familiar oops-type (rm wrongfile, overwrote good file with
bad file), and they want the status from yesterday, it's available
online through the snapshot.  Fast and easy, do-it-yourself restores.

Since setting this up, the restore requests decreased dramatically.
The tapes are still there if they need an older version.
My archive tapes are also available and they are stored offsite.

--
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
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