The Main Features of afbackup

Afbackup is a client-server backup system allowing many workstations to backup to a central server (simultaneously or serially). Backups can be started remotely from the server or via cron jobs on the the clients. This section provides an overview of some of the main features that afbackup has to offer:

• Scheduling: The fact that afbackup's does not contain a central scheduler gives the user enormous power in customizing the backup schedule. Clients can choose to make backups whenever they want to (These are known as client initiated backups). The server can be configured to start backups on certain clients at certain times (called server-initiated backups). Cron-jobs can be used on either the client or server side to manage the backup schedule.

• Security: Since afbackup is a client-server backup system, data security is a major issue. Afbackup can be configured and setup to adhere to different levels of security.
  • Data can be encrypted on a per file basis using external (third party) programs before being sent to the backup device for storage.

  • Backup data can be sent over the network through an ssh tunnel, or other encrypted means like IP-Security.

  • The server can be set up to get clients to authenticate themselves using an encrypted key before the server accepts the identification of a certain client.

  • Each client can read only the data backed up by it.

• Media related:
  • Make backups to virtually any storage device, including tape drives, floppy disks, MO (Magneto Optical) drives, CD-Burners, and even hard drives.

  • Autochanger: Afbackup can handle almost any kind of media changer device including tape jukeboxes. Afbackup interfaces with these devices using standard unix commands (like mt and mtx), which makes it possible to hook up virtually any backup device and/or changer to afbackup.

  • Media Database: Afbackup includes an integrated media database. This helps you know exactly where you placed a particular media unit. Want to know where tape 14 is? Afbackup will tell you: "Offsite, Room 445, Anycity". Or where disk 27 is? "Inside Slot 3 of the media changer".

  • Filesystem Size Vs. Media Capacity: Unlike other backup systems (like AMANDA), backups need not have to be made all to one media unit. A single backups can span across several media units. Conversely, several different backups can reside on one media unit. Afbackup will keep track of where a particular backup resides.

  • Advanced Appends to Media: Afbackup can append backups to a single media unit using advanced modes such as "Full-append mode" and "Variable-append mode". This will helps in highly efficient use of backup media. More about these options can be found at Section  on page .

  • Arbitrary Media Unit Sets: Afbackup can maintain arbitrary sets of media units. For instance, if you use tapes, tapes 1 through 5 can be designated for incremental backups, 6 through 25 for full backups, and 26 through 200 for offsite backups.

    The use of media sets can be combined with access control, providing clients with access to only certain cartridge sets. For instance, client "dorky" can be allowed to access cartrige sets 2 and 4, while client "measly" can be allowed to access sets 4, 7, and 9.

    Media units can be automatically transferred from one set to another based on age, usage, etc.

  • Duplicate tapes automatically

• Efficiency:
  • clientside/hardware compression
  • Several servers per client for load balancing/optimization/other

• Ease of use:
  • Restore command-line can be used for a high degree of customization
  • User Restore: End users, that is, users of the system can restore their own data without the need for administrator intervention.
  • Windoze client / via smbmount, and otherwise

• Other features:
  • GNU-GPL: Use and distribute freely, under GNU-GPL.
  • Server/client can change - flexibility
  • Manual restore
  • Database backup support
  • Raw device contents backup