Linux Administration Labs

Backup & Restore Using rsync

Objective: Implement a local backup solution using rsync and demonstrate restore capability.

• 1. Verify Backup Destination

  lsblk
  df -h

  Confirm that /backup exists and is mounted.

  

• 2. Create Test Source Directory

  sudo mkdir -p /data
  sudo touch /data/file1.txt
  sudo touch /data/file2.txt

  Simulates production data.

  

• 3. Perform Initial Backup

  sudo rsync -av --delete /data/ /backup/data/

  Explanation:

  • -a → archive mode (preserves permissions, ownership, timestamps)
  • -v → verbose output
  • --delete → removes files in backup deleted from source
  • Trailing slash on /data/ ensures contents are copied, not the directory itself
  

• 4. Verify Backup Integrity

  ls /backup/data
  df -h

  Confirm that files exist in the backup location.

  

• 5. Test Incremental Behavior

  sudo rm /data/file2.txt
  sudo touch /data/file3.txt
  sudo rsync -av --delete /data/ /backup/data/

  Verify:

  • file2.txt removed from backup
  • file3.txt added to backup
  

• 6. Log Backup Output

  sudo rsync -av --delete /data/ /backup/data/ >> /var/log/rsync-backup.log 2>&1

  Records stdout and stderr for auditing and troubleshooting.

  

• 7. Simulate Data Loss and Restore

  sudo rm -rf /data/*
  sudo rsync -av /backup/data/ /data/
  ls /data

  Verify that the data has been restored from backup.

  

• 8. Optional: Automate Backup with Cron

  sudo crontab -e

  Example daily backup at 2:00 AM:

  0 2 * * * /usr/bin/rsync -a --delete /data/ /backup/data/ >> /var/log/rsync-backup.log 2>&1