Bacula

References

http://www.bacula.org/5.2.x-manuals/en/main/main/Contents.html

Major Components & Concepts

Reference: http://www.bacula.org/5.2.x-manuals/en/main/main/What_is_Bacula.html

• Director
  • manage all backup / restore / verify / archive operations (usually have only one)
  • run as a daemon
  • configurations (bacula-dir.conf)
    • Client - point to computer to be backed up
    • Storage
    • FileSet - definitions of paths to files to be backed up, rules to exclude certain files
    • Schedule - when to run and (full / incremental) backup
    • Pool - tapes / disk files that make up the storage, may have multiple pools in different rotations
    • Job - mixture of [ one FileSet + single Client + Schedule -> Pool @ Storage ]
      • there are backup / restore / verify / admin jobs
      • use JobDefs to set defaults for jobs then change in job resource
      • should also have a job to backup catalog
• Console
  • tool (text or GUI) used by administrator to communicate with Director and perform setup
  • configuration (bconsole.conf)
    • which director can connect to
• File
  • aka the Client program, File Daemon (FD)
  • when requested by Director, provide file data and attributes (backup) or restoring them (recovery)
  • as daemon on machines to be backed up
  • configuration (bacula-fd.conf)
    • Client - one record, for general setup)
    • Director - Authentication details for connection of Director to this daemon
    • Messages - what messages are sent back to Director
• Storage
  • perform the storage to physical backup media or volumes
  • run as a daemon on machine has the media
  • configuration (bacula-sd.conf)
    • Storage - one record for general setup
    • Director - Authentication details for connection of Director
    • Messages - what messages are sent back to Director
    • Device - configuration of storage device (tape/disk)
  • Volume - an archive unit, a single tape or named disk file; there is software label to id volume
    • Volume Retention Period - minimum time to keep a Volume
    • will normally never overwrite a Volume that contains only backup of a file
    • Scan - operation scans volumes and store information to Catalog
    • Disk Volume
      • May move, but do not rename: file name must be consistent with volume label
  • Pool - group together Volumes
• Catalog
  • maintaining indexes and volume databases
  • should also be backed up by a job
  • supports MySQL / PostgreSQL / SQLite
  • File Retention Period - for how long information to the file is browsable; note file records are tied to the Job that backed up the file
  • Job Retention Period - Job record can preserve even File records all pruned. Normally, when Job record purged, all File records also purged (Job 1->many File)
  • Scan (see Volume)
  • Database selection
    • SQLite - most easy, but may be unstable and performance constraint
    • MySQL - slightly more complicated, less efficient than PostgreSQL
    • PostgreSQL - according to document, most efficient (than MySQL) but complicated
• Monitor
  • watch current status of Directors, File daemons and Storage daemons
  • only a GTK+ version currently available