Re: [rdiff-backup-users] Incremental, automated, remote, secure

[Grant]

> rdiff-backup preserves metadata in separate files so it doesn't need to
> be root on the storage node.  If you can make that work, you can avoid
> the rsync-to-root and use an rdiff-backup-specific non-root user.

I've been informed on this list before that rdiff-backup has
shortcomings when used to transfer data over the internet and it is
better to use rsync over the internet and rdiff-backup locally on one
side of the other.  I did find out that rsync --fake-super will store
permissions and ownership in ACLs so that negates the need for remote
root.

> If you're that paranoid, you should have removable media  and take it
> ofline and off site.  In the old days we'd use tape, and have multiple
> tapes.

That's the next step.  I'm trying to lay the foundation first and then
add encryption and an offsite procedure.

> The scary risk is silent corruption and losing old backups. So you need
> to keep periodic backups essentially forever.

If the clients rsync data to the backup server and the server runs
rdiff-backup locally on that rsynced data, and another system pulls
that rsynced data from the server and maintains its own rdiff-backup
repository, I think I should very likely be OK as far as corruption.
Offsite backups would negate the corruption threat completely I think.
 Does that sound right?

- Grant