How to sync data between 2 servers automatically

Have you ever wanted to know how to easily synchronize the data between multiple servers automatically?

In this article I’ll explain how to setup 2 Linux servers to automatically synchronize data between a specific directory on each server. To do this we will use rsync, ssh key authentication, and a cron job.

Secure Backups

A fast Easy way to setup a Remote Backup system using OpenSSH, cron and rsync.

(more...)

Backups using Rsync, Bash & Cron

I wanted to backup my home directory using rsync to a separate drive, and to make it happen automatically.

I spent ages doing research into the various commands, and found everything I needed to know, but not all in the same place. While it was fun for me, others may just want to know how to do it immediately. So here goes!

Introduction to Backups with Rsync

Rsync can be used to copy files and full paths from one place to another while preserving permissions and ownerships. For this reason, Rsync is my preferred backup tool. Although all Linux distributions come with countless tools to copy, move and transfer data bits, Rsync is your one stop shop for secure data backup and synchronization. I'll outline some key, introductory features below.

(more...)

Backup with Rsync under Linux

UNLESS YOU'VE GOT a couple of mirrored hard drives to ensure that a disk failure won't send all of your precious data to that great bit-bucket in the sky, you need to backup your data.

Surely some of your data is very important to you, whether it's email, school or work papers, professional records and works in progress, financial and tax records, photos, music or films, whatever. For me, it's about 10 years of professional output plus email and some digital photos and music. I'd hate to lose all of that, so I make sure that I back up all my data regularly.

If you're like most of us, you might have a CD or DVD burner in your system, and that's fine for periodic backups. But how often do you remember to do that, burn a backup CD or DVD? Once a month? Once every six months? Maybe once a year, if you're lucky? It's better to have an automatic backup process.

If you run Windows, you can buy backup programs to copy all your data to a second hard disk, an external hard disk or even tape. All you need is the money to buy the software plus the storage media. So if you run Windows, there are commercial data backup resources available to you, and good luck to you.

Commercial backup software is available for Linux as well, but unless you're running a data center for a business those are likely more, and more expensive, than you really need. If you run Linux, you're fortunate because Linux includes system features and utilities that make it easy to automate backups. Here I'll show how to set up a daily backup to a second hard disk.

Back up like an expert with rsync

In the last two months I've been traveling a lot. During the same period my main desktop computer went belly up. I would have been in trouble without rsync at my disposal -- but thanks to my regular use of this utility, my data (or most of it, anyway) was already copied offsite just waiting to be used. It takes a little time to become familiar with rsync, but once you are, you should be able to handle most of your backup needs with just a short script.

(more...)

How to automatically back up your computers with rsync

Gadgets and tech weblog Engadget has put together a very detailed tutorial for setting up automatic backups on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers to a backup server using the all-powerful rsync command line utility coupled with the security of SSH.

(more...)