topic Re: can I ghost linux with Symantec Ghost 7.5 Corporate Edition ? in Operating System - Linux

can I ghost linux with Symantec Ghost 7.5 Corporate Edition ?

'chris' — Mon, 13 Oct 2003 10:22:13 GMT

hi

know someone, if I can create an Image
of whole hard disk ( linux only ) with
Symantec Ghost 7.5 Corporate Edition
and ghost it back to another hard disk ?

kind regards
chris

Re: can I ghost linux with Symantec Ghost 7.5 Corporate Edition ?

Alexander Chuzhoy — Mon, 13 Oct 2003 10:23:51 GMT

generally yes.There should be no problem.

Re: can I ghost linux with Symantec Ghost 7.5 Corporate Edition ?

Steven E. Protter — Mon, 13 Oct 2003 10:25:36 GMT

Yes.

Absolutely.

I use it as my secondary disaster recovery system.

You will have problems taking an image from machines with radically different hardware and pushing them around your Enterprise.

But the question in your call is fully tested by me. Syammantec also lists they support the Linux OS.

SEP

Re: can I ghost linux with Symantec Ghost 7.5 Corporate Edition ?

'chris' — Mon, 13 Oct 2003 10:35:14 GMT

hi Steven

and what's your primary disaster recovery system, if I can ask.

best regards
chris

Re: can I ghost linux with Symantec Ghost 7.5 Corporate Edition ?

Martin P.J. Zinser — Mon, 13 Oct 2003 11:07:19 GMT

Shadowing the system disk comes to mind immediatly. While taking full backups (if possible to be stored off-site) has to be part of each DR plan, it is also a part you usually do not want to have to execute in practice ;-)

Re: can I ghost linux with Symantec Ghost 7.5 Corporate Edition ?

Huc_1 — Mon, 13 Oct 2003 12:09:32 GMT

Yes A very good tool for DR.

A vast subject.

In a DR my priority's are

1) Good backup/valid (means restore has been tested)have this stored in other building/site

2) All informations about bios setup ,disk,labels,partions,cards,network setup,rpm list of install, particular script saved on a secured system in other site + a copy of this in print somewhere safe (this is because the hardware is gone you need to know what to order in replacement of what you had, and you can not restore your backup to find theses informations)

3)make a contingency plan and test it out (OK everything is gone what do We do in what order and who does it) a list of important phone numbers, list of critical applications and of what really needs to be up fast. same as point 2 keep this on an other system that is safe and on an other site.

4) always question the validity of your DR plan and keep it update (question like is the granularity of my backups adequate for today's needs etc..)

Just to name the few basic's

J-P

Re: can I ghost linux with Symantec Ghost 7.5 Corporate Edition ?

Steven E. Protter — Mon, 13 Oct 2003 12:41:54 GMT

Primary DR is as follows:

1) tape backup of all configurable data, /etc /home (where mhy web sites are stored. That gets copied to other machines as well that can act on backup. These files are backed up to tar files on the local server and two backup servers. I maintain offsite copies of these files at a customer site in the Chicago Courthouse district.
2)Install CD's plus all updates downloaded.

So the procedure is assuming the hardware is good, install the OS clean off the original CD's install all updates. If the hardware is splat, then I don't do the updates, or restore /etc hardware specific items. Web and mail server, primary function can actually be installed from backup servers using scp.

The reason Ghost isn't primary is that it requires me to bring the server offline for over an hour to make the Ghost Image. Thats a pain, even with backup servers, because mail needs to get forwarded, customers wonder about the hole in their stats. I generally take the system once a month for Ghost Images.

With my printed scripts, and backups, copies of which are kept 8 miles from my office, I can build a server and have it online 2 hours after the hardware comes in.

Current production setup is Red Hat 7.3, backup servers are Red Hat 9 and HP-UX 11.11

If there is a prolonged production outage, certain functions fail over to the backup servers such as DNS, mail and web, and other fuctions require manual failover.

This system was tested when a leak above caused the primary servers keybaord to fill up with water in April of 2003. I was on the DR server for 8 hours and getting ready to order hardware when I accidentally knocked he keyboard and was splashed by dirty water.

Probably more than you asked for.

SEP

Re: can I ghost linux with Symantec Ghost 7.5 Corporate Edition ?

'chris' — Mon, 13 Oct 2003 13:48:01 GMT

Hi Steve

Can You explain please, how do you create
an Image of linux server ?

If you can post the boot disk, will be great.

best regards
chris

Re: can I ghost linux with Symantec Ghost 7.5 Corporate Edition ?

Steven E. Protter — Mon, 13 Oct 2003 14:14:39 GMT

An intel boot disk will be posted in a few hours. It boots an intel nic to a Microsoft Windows NT server.

You will have to make adjustments if the NIC card is not Intel.

SEP

Re: can I ghost linux with Symantec Ghost 7.5 Corporate Edition ?

Steven E. Protter — Mon, 13 Oct 2003 19:09:23 GMT

attached is an image of by bootfile. If you unzip it in the root of C:\ on a windows box it will damage the installation.

You might need to make a boot floppy and copy this on. If your nic is intel it will work right out of the box, if its not, you can use it as a guide.

SEP

Re: can I ghost linux with Symantec Ghost 7.5 Corporate Edition ?

Steven E. Protter — Mon, 13 Oct 2003 23:44:56 GMT

Where the heck is my attachment!!!!

Here it is.

SEP