Input Tutorial: Create a loop device on /var/lib/psa/dumps as samba storage

[B4c4rd1]

Hi Guys,

I have a new tutorial for you today. I will show you a samba share, how to create a loop device and then mount it and use this as internal backup space!

Advantages compared to a FTP storage:

• Full access rights
• Natural limitation of speed through your connection
• No server lag during creation or restoration
• Memory is used as normal as internal memory
• really fast restore!

Difficulty: medium (does this tutorial only if you know what you are doing, false information can lead to data loss)
Testet on: Ubuntu 16.04 (further tests are welcome)

Now to the tutorial:

The tutorial assumes that you are using a FTP storage with samba support. For example, an FTP store by Hetzner.

Installing CIFS support:

apt install cifs-utils

# Create directories

mkdir /mnt/hetzner-backup-space

# Create cifs-credentials file

nano /mnt/backup-credentials.txt

# Insert the following

username=your_username
password=your_password

This file is used to protect your password if someone can read the fstab file.

Now you have to enter the following in the fstab:

//SAMBA_SERVER/backup /mnt/hetzner-backup-space cifs iocharset=utf8,rw,credentials=/mnt/backup-credentials.txt,cache=none,nobrl,file_mode=0660,dir_mode=0770,rsize=65536,wsize=130048,uid=0,gid=0 0 0

Now save the file and do the following to mount the samba storage:

mount -a

Now we create a loop device. To do this, we need an image file that we need to format. Execute the following command:

# create 100GB image, fast create for lage file sizes
dd if=/dev/zero of=/mnt/hetzner-backup-space/backup-fs.image bs=1024 count=0 seek=$[1024*1024*100]

# create an ext3 filesystem inside the image
mkfs.ext3 /mnt/hetzner-backup-space/backup-fs.image

Now we just need to include the formatted file as a loop device and link it to the /var/lib/psa/dumps folder:

mount -o loop /mnt/hetzner-backup-space/backup-fs.image /var/lib/psa/dumps

If you do not want to do this after each reboot, we have to add the following in the fstab * not yet tested!

# Insert after CIFS-Mount line
/mnt/hetzner-backup-space/backup-fs.image       /var/lib/psa/dumps       ext3       loop       0 0

Now you can use the samba storage as a your lokal storage.

As always, test the tutorial before in a virtual environment and to take notes.

 

[B4c4rd1]

More background knowledge: Why do I use a loop device and bind samba not directly?

Plesk creates in the dump folder during a update, backup files and uses the command chown. Chown does not work in a samba network folder. The process is interrupted and a error occur. The same happens with plesk repair.

In a loop device you can use all commands as well as the command chown. You can change the user, the group and so on.

 

[B4c4rd1]

Edit: Changed from ext2 -> ext3

 

[daanse]

Is this still the best way to do a Backup on NFS/ CIFS ? Or is there a better way now without Problems?
Maybe @IgorG has something?

 

[IgorG]

Maybe @IgorG has something?

Backup to the clouds is better.

 

[daanse]

Backup to the clouds is better.

Cloud is not good for us. 1. Privacy 2. I need Storages mounted to VM as i don't have much Space left...