Changes

=== Description ===

=== Description ===

The main purpose of this affa package is to make a SME 7 Server a dedicated backup box in a few minutes. Affa backups as many as you like SME servers or any other servers which have sshd running and rsync installed. Once it was configured, Affa runs reliable and unattended and send warning messages in case of any errors.  

The main purpose of this affa package is to make a SME 7 Server a dedicated backup box in a few minutes. Affa backs up as many SME servers as you like or any other servers which have sshd running and rsync installed. Once it is configured, Affa runs reliably unattended and sends warning messages in case of any errors.  

All backup archive are full backups. As Affa make use of the hardlink technique. Therefore a new full backup only needs disk space for the differences plus the filesystem overhead for the hardlinks and directories (which is typically 2-3%).

All backup archives are full backups, as Affa make use of the hardlink technique. Therefore a new full backup only needs disk space for the differences plus the filesystem overhead for the hardlinks and directories (which is typically 2-3%).

Affa is based on the rsync program and supports the rsync --compress option. This allows you to run backups over the internet or VPN. A typical setup is one or more Affa backup servers placed in different locations, which backup the production server(s) over the VPN.

Affa is based on the rsync program and supports the rsync --compress option. This allows you to run backups over the internet or VPN. A typical setup is one or more Affa backup servers placed in different locations, which backup the production server(s) over the VPN.

A special feature is the rise option, which allows you to rise the backup server to your production server from a backup archive in case of a dead loss of your production server. The rise is executed within a extremly short time, even with huge amount of data. The rise feature uses hardlinks and therefore does not use up additional disk space.

A special feature is the rise option, which allows you to rise the backup server to your production server from a backup archive in case of a dead loss of your production server. The rise is executed within a extremely short time, even with huge amount of data. The rise feature uses hardlinks and therefore does not use up additional disk space.

Affa is a command line tool for system administrators and is intentionally designd without a GUI. Therefore it can be efficiently managed on the console and over slow internet connections.

Affa is a command line tool for system administrators and is intentionally designed without a GUI. Therefore it can be efficiently managed on the console and over slow internet connections.

==== Affa features at a glance ====

==== Affa features at a glance ====

* Uses hardlink technique, i.e. physical disk space only needed for the differences between two full backups

* Uses hardlink technique, i.e. physical disk space only needed for the differences between two full backups

* Keeps a configurable number of scheduled, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly full backup archives

* Keeps a configurable number of scheduled, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly full backup archives

* The archives are browsable. No need to unpack them first.

* The archives are browseable. No need to unpack them first.

* Backup jobs are started by the cron daemon

* Backup jobs are started by the cron daemon

* Interrupted jobs continuing with already tranferred data when restarted

* Interrupted jobs continuing with already transfered data when restarted

* Backups the default e-smith directories and files, when property SMEServer is set to yes

* Backups the default e-smith directories and files, when property SMEServer is set to yes

* Additional directories and files can be included

* Additional directories and files can be included

* Directories and files can be excluded from the backup

* Directories and files can be excluded from the backup

* Non-SME server linuxes can be backuped by setting the SMEServer property to no and using an include list

* Non-SME server linux systems can be backed up by setting the SMEServer property to no and using an include list

* Configurable nice level for rsync processes on the backup and source server

* Configurable nice level for rsync processes on the backup and source server

* Optional run of custom programs before and after a job run (e.g. running tape backup)

* Optional run of custom programs before and after a job run (e.g. running tape backup)