Replicating a Back Repository using ZFS send/Rsync

flakpyro

Hi Everyone

So in our current environment we use XOA to backup our environment nightly to a large ZFS array of disks. I am in the process of standing up new remote offsite backup, i was wondering the best way to send a copy of these backups over there.

I have the choice of using a nightly rsync job, ZFS replication, or using XOAs own mirror backup function.

I am learning more towards using rsync or zfs replication as then traffic flows directly from the onsite backup repo to the remote and is completely transparent and separate from the XO environment, while using XOAs mirror function sends the data though the XOA appliance itself. In the case of zfs replication i can also keep multiple snapshots of the zfs pool as well.

My understanding is once the data lands at the remote site i could simply add the remote server as a "remote" to an XOA appliance and the backups would then appear in its inventory, at which point i could restore or test my backups if i wanted.

Any pitfalls with doing that as opposed to the XOA Mirror backup function that i'm missing?

olivierlambert

@flakpyro said in Replicating a Back Repository using ZFS send/Rsync:

My understanding is once the data lands at the remote site i could simply add the remote server as a "remote" to an XOA appliance and the backups would then appear in its inventory, at which point i could restore or test my backups if i wanted.

Any pitfalls with doing that as opposed to the XOA Mirror backup function that i'm missing?

That's correct!
You only need to be sure the transfer is done to replicate "entire data" and not "partial data" (ie replicating while a backup is occurring on the original BR). Outside that, it's fine.

flakpyro

@olivierlambert Makes sense! I would schedule the replication to occur a couple hours after the backup runs are complete to ensure its a replica of all data and not a partial replica!