BackupPC is a backup solution that can be configured to back up remote Linux and Windows systems.
It can use a variety of different protocols and has a flexible scheduler to coordinate full and incremental backups.
BackupPC is a powerful, user-friendly way to automatically backup
files from several servers to a central location. Backups are essential
for any kind of production environment. Just as important is making
sure that file restoration operations function correctly.
There are many backup tools available for Linux and Unix-like
operating systems. Choose the solution that fits your needs the best.
BackupPC is a great tool that should work well in many developers'
environments.
BackupPC is available in Ubuntu's default repositories.
The software "pulls" the data from client machines,
so the actual program needs to be installed on the machine that will function as the backup server.
The files will be stored at:
/var/lib/backuppc/pc/ip_address_of_client/#_of_backup
Open a terminal and enter the following commands:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install backuppc
During the installation, you will be asked what kind of mail server configuration is needed. We can select the "Local only" option, because we will not be configuring internet-aware mail:
On the next page, we can leave the Sytem mail name as "localhost":
Select "apache2" to configure Apache for use with BackupPC:
type "Enter" to continue with the installation.
Changing the Password
BackupPC uses a system user called "backuppc" to perform its tasks.
In addition, it configures an Apache user, also called "backuppc", with a randomly generated password, which was given briefly during installation. We can change this password to something more meaningful by typing:
sudo htpasswd /etc/backuppc/htpasswd backuppc
You will be asked to give and confirm a new password.
Configure SSH Access to Client Computers
There are a few different ways that servers and clients can communicate to authenticate and transfer data. In this guide, we will be using the rsync protocol over SSH.
To make this work, we'll need to create an SSH key pair for our system BackupPC user (called "backuppc", as mentioned above), and then transfer the key to the client machines.
First, log into the BackupPC user with the following command:
sudo su - backuppc
You will probably be presented with only a minimal prompt, represented by the dollar sign ($).
Generate an SSH key pair by typing:
ssh-keygen
You will be asked a number of questions. Just type "Enter" through all of the prompts to accept the default values.
Transferring the SSH Public Key
You now have a private and public key on your backup server. You need to transfer the public key to the root user on each client machine you wish to access.
You can do that by typing:
ssh-copy-id root@client_ip_address
Type "yes" to accept the new server's identity, and then enter the root password of the remote machine. The key should then be transferred.
Check that your key was transferred correctly by typing:
ssh root@client_ip_address
You should be able to log in without having to type a password.
Get back to the BackupPC server by typing:
exit
Back out of the "backuppc" account by typing "exit" again:
exit
Access the Web Interface
The rest of the guide will be configured through BackupPC's web interface.
Open a browser and navigate to:
backuppc_server_ip_address/backuppc
You will be prompted for a username and password. The username is "backuppc" and the password is what you set with the
htpasswd command earlier.
Set Up Client Configuration
On the left-hand side, click on the "Edit Hosts" link.
Click "Save" at the top of the page.
Configure Transfer Settings
Click on the "Xfer" tab on the top of the page. Under "XferMethod", select "rsync". Under "RsyncShareName", select the path you would like to back up.
You can leave it at "/" to back up the entire computer. You can also click "Add" to add additional areas to back up if you choose not to target the entire computer.
If you are backing up the entire computer, you'll need to add an "excludes" rule.
In the "BackupFilesExclude" segment, type "*" to match all shares.
Then insert the values "/proc" and "/sys" to exclude these directories
from back up.
Configure Backup Schedule
The default backup schedule is:
Full backup
Every 7 days
Keep only newest copy
Incremental backup
Every day
Keep the six most recent backups
If you would like to change the interval, click on the "Schedule" tab on the top bar.
Note: You will notice that full backups have a value of "6.97" in "FullPeriod", and likewise, incremental backups have a value of "0.97" in the "IncrPeriod" field. These are values corresponding to 7 and 1 day respectively, since it accounts for the time to complete the backup as well.
You can modify the number of backups that the system maintains. You can also specify times when no backup should be performed by setting up "blackouts" where no backup can begin.
In this guide, we will stick with the default values.
Remember to click "Save" if you make any changes.
Run a Manual Backup
To run your first full backup manually, select you client from the "Hosts" drop-down menu in the upper-left corner.
You will be taken to a client summary page. Click "Start Full Backup" under the "User Actions" section.
You will confirm the action on the next page.
Your backup should complete shortly, depending on the size of the droplets.
if you have problem in back up with windows pc
please configure smb in your ubuntu pc
if you want more help i will write it in here as i do
