O’Reilly: Using NFS for Networked Backups

“Arguments abound between system administrators as to the
correct way to back up a network of Unix hosts. Some argue that
tapes are the answer, while others lean toward more modern means,
such as rewritable CD-ROMs. No matter the method, the end goal
remains: to back up hosts over a network, in a manner that is
conveniently indexed and easily retrieved.

“During the late 80s, I decided to cut costs by using a spare
server running NFS along with a single 500MB tape drive loaded with
1/4” DC6525 tape cartridges. The idea was simple and performed
well. I dedicated three tapes per host and performed a revolving
backup of each host three times a week. The only problem was that
the media was cumbersome and, in many cases, unreliable. Gone are
the days of DC6525s; they’ve been replaced by more expensive,
complex devices.

“Over the past year, I’ve been revamping my network of 24 hosts.
Before I began, I considered writable CD-ROMs and other commercial
products. After comparing the cost of commercial products to mass
storage drives, I concluded it would be more economical to
construct a central NFS server running Linux. Based on my original
model, I replaced the tape drive with two hot-swappable SCSI drives
running RAID. This allows for real-time backup, removable data, and
future expansion…”

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