From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Mar 3 17:23:11 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 950A8106564A for ; Thu, 3 Mar 2011 17:23:11 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from wonkity.com (wonkity.com [67.158.26.137]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 56A0A8FC0A for ; Thu, 3 Mar 2011 17:23:11 +0000 (UTC) Received: from wonkity.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by wonkity.com (8.14.4/8.14.4) with ESMTP id p23HN7Ev065869; Thu, 3 Mar 2011 10:23:07 -0700 (MST) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from localhost (wblock@localhost) by wonkity.com (8.14.4/8.14.4/Submit) with ESMTP id p23HN7VC065866; Thu, 3 Mar 2011 10:23:07 -0700 (MST) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2011 10:23:07 -0700 (MST) From: Warren Block To: John Levine In-Reply-To: <20110303144754.26001.qmail@joyce.lan> Message-ID: References: <20110303144754.26001.qmail@joyce.lan> User-Agent: Alpine 2.00 (BSF 1167 2008-08-23) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-4.2.6 (wonkity.com [127.0.0.1]); Thu, 03 Mar 2011 10:23:08 -0700 (MST) Cc: freebsd@edvax.de, freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Fastest way to get an entire FBSD system back online? X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:23:11 -0000 On Thu, 3 Mar 2011, John Levine wrote: >>> It's not as automated as the Windows approach, but if you know what >>> you're doing it's mostly limited by the speed of the disks. ... > >> Unlike "Windows", UNIX gives you the ability to create a fully >> programmable automated approach according to your needs, e. g. for >> multiple installations, defective systems can be booted via LAN, USB >> or CD, ... > > Of course. But the more interesting question is whether anyone's done > that, e.g., a script to put dumps and a description of the disk setup > on a backup device, and a boot image that will take the description > and the dumps and put them back. As far as I know, nobody has. Sometimes called "bare-metal restore". The tools are there, but I haven't seen it done with FreeBSD, either. Handling media changes might be a little tricky for, say, a multi-DVD restore. And of course it should have a suitably scary "This will destroy the system you are running!" warning.