AWS Backup scripts

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So, moving off to the cloud for some clients. Here is an article that helps “roll your own” backup of AWS servers using AMI (AWS Machine Images). It deletes old backups etc. What I really like about the article is it tells us that we have to understand the manual process first and it leads one through two different scenarios of a snapshot backup and an AMI backup BEFORE instructing one to install the CLI (command line interface) and roll your own unix scripts. Articles follow. Know how each affects costs – EBS? S3? Your own? How much your ISP will charge for transferring and how long it will take etc. etc.

Cool. However, there are a few articles to read in a certain order in my opinion

  • Here is a pdf FROM amazon discussing backup at AWS
    • Create an initial snapshot
    • Do you know what a snapshot is? It is NOT a complete backup. Read the article a couple times if this is your first time with VMs or Amazon (unless you set things up and made some mistakes – cough cough – it might not be clear what is going on). Making mistakes (like picking a drive that is too small the first time – makes you really understand this the 3rd time – but leave me out of this)
    • When you create a new EC2 volume – it merges your snapshots – this could be the time 0 backup and you COULD make a new time 1 backup in a month and delete the time0 backup etc. etc.
    • make incremental snapshots on an automated basis (see scripts below)
    • File level backup might still prove reliable and a good idea
  • Read “Backup and Recovery” best practices from AWS’ site. Understand the diff between an AMI and a snapshot
    • This article is a little technical, but it discussed 3 approaches – snapshots of EC2, taking an image of an EC2 and making a copy of an EC2 (the same approach as increasing your AWS hard drive size). If you understand this article, then you are doing OK in your AWS understanding of VMs in the cloud
  • File level backup still off the table? NO NO NO – you can and should cart off backups of those files on a regular basis as well. Paragon is a nice tool that works and has proven reliable even if its user interface is a little backwards. Point it , it works.
  • Here is the script link.