Best way to set up backup user

[Chrisl_2]

Hi all,

I am using rsync and ssh from a linux box to backup an HP.

something like...

rsync -ave ssh backupuser@targethost.com:/ /bu/

What is the best way to setup the user account (backupuser) on the HP so that it has permissions to backup the entire server (I don't want to use root).

TIA

[A. Clay Stephenson · Accepted solution]

Only root will have sufficient priviliges to access everything. So you either run it as root or setup sudo to allow a regular user to execute the command as root. Don't even think about creating another UID 0 account.

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom Chris,

I think your approach is going to mangle file permissions and ownership. This will make restoring the data have an extra problematic step, restoring ownership.

It may be impossible to restore ownership and get your system working.

Here is why.

scp -p means preserve permissions. Universally, it does not preserve permissions very well, and does not preserve ownership, even if the file owners exist on both systems.

If you had the same users on both systems, your scheme might work, except for certain files that only root has access to.

I reluctantly conclude that you should use root.

I use root user and a script very similar to yours to maintain data sync in a Red Hat Cluster in my home office. There is absolutely no security problem doing this.

SEP

[Chrisl_2]

OK, sudo it is. It's a cronned script, doesn't sudo require another password? If so, I need a way to automate that.

Thanks!

[A. Clay Stephenson]

If it's cronned then it might as well be root's crontab. Only root will have access to that file so you don't need sudo. You might also use sudo to allow a regular user to manually initiate an rsync.