Backing up a living system
Serve It up Hot

© Photo by Aliona Gumeniuk on Unsplash
The tools and strategies you use to back up files that are not being accessed won't work when you copy data that is currently in use by a busy application. This article explains the danger of employing common Linux utilities to back up living data and examines some alternatives.
Tools to make backups of your files are plentiful, and the Internet is full of tutorials explaining how to use them. Unfortunately, most entry-level blogs and articles assume the user just wants to back up a small set of data that remains static throughout the backup process.
Such an assumption is an acceptable approximation in most cases. After all, a user who is copying a folder full of horse pictures to backup storage is unlikely to open an image editor and start modifying the files at random while they are being transferred. On the other hand, real-life scenarios often require backups to occur while the data is being modified. For instance, consider the case of a web application that is under heavy load and must continue operating during the backup.
Pitfalls of Common Tools
Traditional Unix utilities such as dd, cpio, tar, or dump are poor candidates for taking snapshots from a folder full of living data. Among these, some are worse than the others.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
First Release Candidate for Linux Kernel 6.14 Now Available
Linus Torvalds has officially released the first release candidate for kernel 6.14 and it includes over 500,000 lines of modified code, making for a small release.
-
System76 Refreshes Meerkat Mini PC
If you're looking for a small form factor PC powered by Linux, System76 has exactly what you need in the Meerkat mini PC.
-
Gnome 48 Alpha Ready for Testing
The latest Gnome desktop alpha is now available with plenty of new features and improvements.
-
Wine 10 Includes Plenty to Excite Users
With its latest release, Wine has the usual crop of bug fixes and improvements, along with some exciting new features.
-
Linux Kernel 6.13 Offers Improvements for AMD/Apple Users
The latest Linux kernel is now available, and it includes plenty of improvements, especially for those who use AMD or Apple-based systems.
-
Gnome 48 Debuts New Audio Player
To date, the audio player found within the Gnome desktop has been meh at best, but with the upcoming release that all changes.
-
Plasma 6.3 Ready for Public Beta Testing
Plasma 6.3 will ship with KDE Gear 24.12.1 and KDE Frameworks 6.10, along with some new and exciting features.
-
Budgie 10.10 Scheduled for Q1 2025 with a Surprising Desktop Update
If Budgie is your desktop environment of choice, 2025 is going to be a great year for you.
-
Firefox 134 Offers Improvements for Linux Version
Fans of Linux and Firefox rejoice, as there's a new version available that includes some handy updates.
-
Serpent OS Arrives with a New Alpha Release
After months of silence, Ikey Doherty has released a new alpha for his Serpent OS.