Xen users - Dec 2006 - backing up a shared server with single VPS

Hello,

I am very new to xen and not even a linux novice.

I would like to install a shard hosting environment in one large Xen vps in
a dedicated server and then backup the image of the server instead of
performing a regular backup if I have a general system failure.

I was hoping to reduce downtime.

Is this process documents elsewhere?


_______________________________________________
Xen-users mailing list
Xen-users@lists.xensource.com
http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users

On 12/11/06, Nagita Karunaratne <nagita.k@gmail.com>
wrote:
> I am very new to xen and not even a linux novice.
>
You really mean you are *not* a novice, or did you wanted to say you
*are* a novice? If you are a novice, I really recommend you learn more
about Linux, and about backup strategies and available tools before
trying to setup zero-downtime systems.
> I would like to install a shard hosting environment in one large Xen vps
In my understanding, a VPS is already a virtualized system
(VPS=Virtual Private Server) - mostly they are made with vserver or
virtuozzo. It''s unlikley that you can install Xen inside of it.
> in
> a dedicated server and then backup the image of the server instead of
> performing a regular backup if I have a general system failure.
It depends very much of the features your VPS/dedicated server, and
the type of backup your hosting provider offers. To get really all
data into a backup, also all from the xen domains, if you don''t want
to use a backup strategy that does something within the domUs (like an
rsync or amanda backup client), then you could snapshot the lvm
volumes(assumed you are going to use lvm voumes) of the domUs and
backup them.
>
> I was hoping to reduce downtime.
This is really something that cannot be answered in one sentence. I
think, in general, it can''t be said that you always spare a lot
downtime by just making bare metal copies of the full harddisk.

The idea you have _might_ if done and thought through very well, save
a bit downtime when the whole host goes down.
But then, what do you want to do if only one domU is hacked or
whatever? If you only have a dd image of the whole server disk, you
cannot recover a single vm easily.

You should first  be really clear what and how you want to back up,
and against which types fo failures you want to be more secure. Then
ypu can think of a backup strategy that matches your requirements.
>
> Is this process documents elsewhere?

There are quite some posts in the list archive about filesystems, lvm
backups and stuff.
All won''t help as long as yoiu aren''t clear about your
scenario''s and
requirements. If thiese are clear, search the web, search the archive,
search the wiki. Then test and try, and ask if you have further
questions.

Henning

_______________________________________________
Xen-users mailing list
Xen-users@lists.xensource.com
http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users

On 12/12/06, Henning Sprang <henning_sprang@gmx.de>
wrote:
>
> On 12/11/06, Nagita Karunaratne <nagita.k@gmail.com> wrote:
> > I am very new to xen and not even a linux novice.
> >
>
> You really mean you are *not* a novice,
>
I''m a linux novice. I am trying to gauge what is possible before I talk
to
my sysadmin.
> I would like to install a shard hosting environment in one large Xen vps
>
> In my understanding, a VPS is already a virtualized system
> (VPS=Virtual Private Server) - mostly they are made with vserver or
> virtuozzo. It''s unlikley that you can install Xen inside of it.


I just thought of using Xen as a wrapper around a regular shared hosting
environment

>
> > I was hoping to reduce downtime.
>
> This is really something that cannot be answered in one sentence. I
> think, in general, it can''t be said that you always spare a lot
> downtime by just making bare metal copies of the full harddisk.

Maybe I should be  looking at regular backup systems.

I currently have three Xen vps instances for development and I have asked
for one vps to be copied onto another.

Therefore I thought of installing a single vps onto a dedicated server and
backing up the image instead.

Therefore if there is a problem that cannot be fixed quickly I can simple
restore the original OS, Xen and then copy the backup image. I can also
install it on another spare server.


* I just want a reliable way to restore a backup very quickly.*


Thats all,
Nagita


_______________________________________________
Xen-users mailing list
Xen-users@lists.xensource.com
http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users

On 12 Dec 2006 at 4:23, Nagita Karunaratne wrote:
> I''m a linux novice. I am trying to gauge what is possible before I
talk to
> my sysadmin.
Better ask you local sysadmin before asking the world!

Ulrich


_______________________________________________
Xen-users mailing list
Xen-users@lists.xensource.com
http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users

I may be a linux novice but I never rely on one persons opinion on anything.

On 12/13/06, Ulrich Windl <ulrich.windl@rz.uni-regensburg.de>
wrote:
>
> On 12 Dec 2006 at 4:23, Nagita Karunaratne wrote:
>
> > I''m a linux novice. I am trying to gauge what is possible
before I talk
> to
> > my sysadmin.
>
> Better ask you local sysadmin before asking the world!
>
> Ulrich
>
>

_______________________________________________
Xen-users mailing list
Xen-users@lists.xensource.com
http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users

Ulrich Windl wrote:
> On 12 Dec 2006 at 4:23, Nagita Karunaratne wrote:
>
>   
>> I''m a linux novice. I am trying to gauge what is possible
before I talk to
>> my sysadmin.
>>     
>
> Better ask you local sysadmin before asking the world!
>
> Ulrich
>   
Or hop over to Usenet, and comp.os.linux.setup, to see typical 
installation issues and foibles for a week.

_______________________________________________
Xen-users mailing list
Xen-users@lists.xensource.com
http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users