Linux backup and restore server project- several particulars needed.

[Oren Beck]

Let me start by saying I know there are packages to do much if not all of
this already.

Concise statement of a non-trivial larger concept is to have a Linux server
make timed backups of several windows systems in a zero user interaction
format- and be able to remote restore those boxes equally "no user assist"
required.

Expanding the short concept as :

Backups being BOTH data AND drivers etc.


Restore as being from a file up to a drive wipe and reload  using some image
system.


The simple explanation is to make supporting windows boxes a bit less
painful.

The expanded explanation is as "life support" while beginning a migration to
Linux.
The reason is that having such a system in place also becomes a
pre-migration tool.
Imagine doing a ms to LNX  migrate where the majority of system users would
already have server resident current recently checked backups before you
arrive onsite? This is one way to make that possible.

OR the much more mundane target of being a data resurrection for non geeks

Here's where it gets potentially real rewarding. CAN this group we make up
work together on making such a beast?  My initial project vision is to break
it down to baby steps. One bite ones.

First bite being a method of scripting the backups and archiving them.
That means defining WHAT gets grabbed from where when etc rules and
namespace conventions to make admin less painful. Since many windows users
are schiziod in their file naming we have to be mindful of that.


Second Bite being creating the restore method/s. Ranging from a web menu to
?

Third is assembling a crude demo tabletop setup for degubbing.

While it's quite psychotic to even joke about- what a mindblower it would be
at ITEC if we had a demo going. Just how fast CAN a network "drive image
restore" of Ubuntu with the data from a typical windows cubicle farmer's
level be run? that's to say - power up with formatted blank drive to fully
usable Ubuntu with local copies of files? Showing that we can image up a
Ubuntu workstation and have productive work restared faster than one could
restore windows would be a kudo for Linux eh?

Oren
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