Linux System Administration

Backing Up and Archiving to Tape with Amanda

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d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e /dev/sr0

amy@desk12:~$

The checksum from the MD5 program is the 32-character hexadecimal part. If it is

not the same for both the ISO image file and the contents of the CD-R drive, the

recording is defective.

A failed recording is derisively called a “coaster.” You can use it to protect your cof-

fee table from unsightly rings, but unlike a real drinks coaster, it’ll explode into a

shower of sharp fragments and sparks in a microwave.

When a write to disc fails, try in turn:

1. Repeating the recording with another blank disc

2. Recording at a slower speed

3. Using a different batch or different brand of blank discs

If failures persist, you may have a defective recording drive.

Backing Up and Archiving to Tape with Amanda

Tape is still a popular backup medium. The Advanced Maryland Automated Net-

work Disk Archiver (Amanda) is an open source package that manages tape back-

ups. Developed at the University of Maryland, it’s included in many distributions of

Linux, including Debian. Amanda’s features include:

• The use of traditional Unix backup formats such tar and dump

• Operation over a LAN, backing up client data to a central tape server

• Support for backing up Windows clients via file shares

• Support for standard tape devices and many tape changers, jukeboxes, and

stackers

• Ability to balance full backups over a multi-day ...