> Hi.
> 
> Is anyone backing up Zimbra on-the-fly? I don't think taking server
> offline for pure file-based copy is a modern method of doing things.
> Neither do I want to use zmbackup, because as I understand, that dumps
> all the mailboxes (which are on disk anyway) to separate files which
> would just waste so much space.

Hi Silver... The "Network Edition" (eg: commercial/pay-for) version of Zimbra 
supports internal full and incremental backups that it does on-the-fly and 
automatically once configured.

At our client sites, we use Bacula to backup the automatic Zimbra backups 
directory structure.

It's a pretty reliable method of backing up Zimbra, and I have unfortunately 
had the experience of having to fully test process this when a client's Zimbra 
server lost 4 drives in a 6-drive RAID5 array at the same time. :( 

The good new though is that we were able to rebuild the Zimbra server (virtual 
this time), install the Zimbra software, restore Zimbra's automatic full and 
inc backups from our Bacula backup, and then re-import all Zimbra 
accounts/emails/calendars etc

I think with the non-commercial "Community Edition" (assuming that is what you 
are using) you are best off running an live rsync of the /opt/zimbra directory 
structure, then shutdown Zimbra services (zmcontrol stop), run an offline rsync 
of the /opt/zimbra directory structure to the same place, restart Zimbra 
services (zmcontrol start, THEN run a Bacula backup of the rsync'ed directory. 

On smaller sites using the non-commercial edition of Zimbra, we do those steps 
in a RunBefore script for the Zimbra job.

Does this cost you a few minutes of Zimbra downtime each night?   Yes, but only 
a few at most while the offline rsync runs.

But if you are running the non-commercial version the benefit of this method is 
in your cost savings - IMHO.

Hope this helps. 

-- 
Bill Arlofski
Reverse Polarity, LLC
http://www.revpol.com/

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