Nanotechnology Education and Research Center Backup ProjectAaron Boshers

The Problem

• The problem at the NREC is• The lengthy turnaround time from hard drive failures.• Lack of backups in the event of physical failures.• Backups currently are during working hours.• Backups currently require a physical use of the machine

Define the Goals

• Understanding how Backups work• Comparing Closed vs Open source projects• Learning and configuring Bacula server and clients• Implementing a centralized networked backup solution.

Define the Requirements

• The requirements are• Ease of use

• The backup client should be lite to not effect general users functionality.

• Backup storage• Backups pushed onto NAS already installed

• Recovery Window• Be able to push a restore from within the last 6 months within one

working day after replacing the hard drive with standard USF IT image.

• User considerations• Staff that will take ownership has all the tools and documentation to

keep server running and able to preform restores.

Architecture/Design

Architecture/Design

Define the Solution

• The solution used for this project is Bacula.• Using Bacula package with Ubuntu. • Implementing a centralized network backup server service.• Solving the lack of backups to ensure high level of uptime for

research.• Ability to preform backups during off hours.• For staff and users of the NREC facility.

Project Development and Testing Strategies Used

Project Development and Testing Strategies Used

Technology Gdrive, DropBox Crashplan

Local No Yes

Remote Yes Yes

File sync Yes Yes

Scheduling No Yes

Backup levels None Full, Incremental

Open Source No No

Documentation Limited Limited, Paid Support

Decision No No

Project Development and Testing Strategies Used

Technology Amanda Bacula

Local Yes Yes

Remote Yes Yes

File sync Yes Yes

Scheduling Yes Yes

Backup levels Full, Incremental Full, Incremental, Differential, Consolidation

Open Source Yes Yes

Documentation Documented Paid Support, Wiki, and courses

Decision No Yes

Application Walk-Through

• Interactive, Live display of the application• Bacula Admin Tool

Code Walk-Through

• Bacula-dir.conf• General structure

• Hostnames• Clients• Jobs• File selection

• Digital Toolbox turnover documentation

Problems Encountered• Hardware

• OS – installing an operating system required some troubleshooting as the bios did not support boot from USB. Only option was by CD-rom which limited to 700mb. Answer was Lubuntu lite x86 package.

• Bacula• Being a DHCP network hardcoding IP addresses similar to lab was not an option.

Answer was to use Hostnames in the configuration files to prevent loss of connectivity

• Firmware update• Gained FTP lost NFS

Problems Encountered

• Apartment Flood• Moved entire test

environment to laptop• 5 waterlines under

cement broke.

Next Steps

• What would you have liked to completed• Bacula – would have liked to further expand file signatures and

verification that are included in Bacula, opposed to creating it.• Bacula- automating the restores, if a backup fails, push the last known

good restore.

• Ideas you came up with as you were going through the process• Would be nice to have a configuration tool that asks about your

network and devices to enhance the adoption of Bacula.• Carrying on through the summer, I will be able to babysit the

system and ensure proper operation over the months to ensure success.

Conclusions

• What you learned• Languages

• Bacula scripts and their functions.• Deeper networking from configuring test environment.

• Technologies• Linux – gained confidence in use • Servers – better understand how they operate indifference to a

workstation.

• Tools• MobaXTerm – ssh and xserver, useful for remote management• Virtual Box – for setup of Test environment.

End/Questions