From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG  Fri Mar  1 18:59:22 2013
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org
 [IPv6:2001:1900:2254:206a::19:1])
 by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 975E6588;
 Fri,  1 Mar 2013 18:59:22 +0000 (UTC)
 (envelope-from mauzo@anubis.morrow.me.uk)
Received: from isis.morrow.me.uk (isis.morrow.me.uk [204.109.63.142])
 by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7682BFEB;
 Fri,  1 Mar 2013 18:59:21 +0000 (UTC)
Received: from anubis.morrow.me.uk
 (host86-177-98-144.range86-177.btcentralplus.com [86.177.98.144])
 (Authenticated sender: mauzo)
 by isis.morrow.me.uk (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id 8D19A450CF;
 Fri,  1 Mar 2013 18:59:20 +0000 (UTC)
DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.7.4 isis.morrow.me.uk 8D19A450CF
DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=simple/simple; d=morrow.me.uk;
 s=dkim201101; t=1362164360;
 bh=OfgCeCN47ljkxj96dJRhk1CvGEGa/oH7nYZVjqyYdy4=;
 h=Date:From:To:Subject:References:In-Reply-To;
 b=Olni1hhWjggverVR6f/4975H8w+YRtCbqaeJu1oTcfWmRwVL2Xn/5vMETn8DMRidg
 1kfcxpouWotAWrkHjpFpZHVR5eYeX/bYEWg99FXUkBwWV3h/SoKTpT328cjaFpEoNb
 eFvfRZ9jnPwDe4WLZm2UHAhmUoxXUCWUgEcKHQu0=
X-Virus-Status: Clean
X-Virus-Scanned: clamav-milter 0.97.6 at isis.morrow.me.uk
Received: by anubis.morrow.me.uk (Postfix, from userid 5001)
 id 7857D9BE2; Fri,  1 Mar 2013 18:59:16 +0000 (GMT)
Date: Fri, 1 Mar 2013 18:59:16 +0000
From: Ben Morrow <ben@morrow.me.uk>
To: deischen@freebsd.org, freebsd-stable@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: Musings on ZFS Backup strategies
Message-ID: <20130301185912.GA27546@anubis.morrow.me.uk>
References: <20130301165040.GA26251@anubis.morrow.me.uk>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Disposition: inline
In-Reply-To: <Pine.GSO.4.64.1303011209321.2046@sea.ntplx.net>
X-Newsgroups: gmane.os.freebsd.stable
Organization: morrow.me.uk
User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.21 (2010-09-15)
X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.14
Precedence: list
List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code <freebsd-stable.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/options/freebsd-stable>,
 <mailto:freebsd-stable-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-stable>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-stable@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-stable-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-stable>,
 <mailto:freebsd-stable-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 01 Mar 2013 18:59:22 -0000

Quoth Daniel Eischen <deischen@freebsd.org>:
> 
> Yes, we still use a couple of DLT autoloaders and have nightly
> incrementals and weekly fulls.  This is the problem I have with
> converting to ZFS.  Our typical recovery is when a user says
> they need a directory or set of files from a week or two ago.
> Using dump from tape, I can easily extract *just* the necessary
> files.  I don't need a second system to restore to, so that
> I can then extract the file.

As Karl said originally, you can do that with snapshots without having
to go to your backups at all. With the right arrangements (symlinks to
the .zfs/snapshot/* directories, or just setting the snapdir property to
'visible') you can make it so users can do this sort of restore
themselves without having to go through you.

Ben