Opinions wanted: ZFS backup

S

Synthetickiller

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 5, 2009
Messages
285
First, I want to thank all of the people on this subforum for helping me out with with ZFS and providing, what I consider, I very useful education in non-windows storage solutions.

Currently, I have an AMD G34 based server running a VM for OpenIndiana & Napp-it. I have nearly lost all my data due to issues w/ the VM getting locked in an infinite boot. (Yes, I know snapshots are really important), but just having a ZFS raid is not really a back up, just a storage solution.

Which is a better solution for a true back up:
1. Adding another LSI 9211-8i and running another VM of OI (8core opty / Rdimm ECC)
or
2. Building another rig (Athlon II x2 250, non-ecc ram)
or
3. Something else (if this, what specifically?)

What do you guys think?
 
Depends on your budget. What I do: I have about 500GB on a 2TB pool. I have an external 1TB SATA drive. Once a month for backups, I plug it in. The HBA sees it. I do the following:

zpool import backup
zfs snapshot tank/esxi-datastore@backup
zfs destroy backup/esxi-datastore.old
zfs rename backup/esxi-datastore backup/esxi-datastore.old
zfs send -vp tank/esxi-datastore@backup | zfs recv -ev backup
zfs destroy tank/esxi-datastore@backup
zpool scrub backup
zpool export backup

e.g. the backup drive should at any given time have 2 valid backups. Note that the esxi datastore dataset is only about 250GB, the rest is windows backups I don't care about backing up.
 
HDDs will be the limiting cost-factor. I have everything else I need, basically.

I have about 2.7TB of data I need backed up. 2 back ups is going to be fairly expensive right now, so I'd chance it with one. If the external hdd basically provides the same data storage safety as another ZFS array, I'd just go that route then.
 
I have another win 7 machine with vmware workstation, a freenas vm and a dedicated 1tb drive. I have roughly 500gb of data on my main freenas server that I simply automatically rsync over to the freenas vm. Works great.
 
Yeah you can certainly skip one. Being paranoid here, my concern was with having a failure that kills my data pool *during* the backup, so both would be hosed. I have the space to spare, so I can indulge :)
 
Synthetickiller said:
HDDs will be the limiting cost-factor. I have everything else I need, basically.

I have about 2.7TB of data I need backed up. 2 back ups is going to be fairly expensive right now, so I'd chance it with one. If the external hdd basically provides the same data storage safety as another ZFS array, I'd just go that route then.
Click to expand...

6TB of backup space (2 copies) is only $400. Cost is not the limiting factor.
 
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