Backup a server - Best solution?
 

Backup one of my servers, best solution? If a website, url?

CF

how big is it?

Buy him a drink first for christ sakes! :pimp:pimp:pimp

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

Raid mirroring and daily sql dumps downloadable via ftp :pimp

RAID isn't a backup solution. If some event destroys your machine physically (or even electronically), or the OS goes crazy and commands the controller to overwrite sectors in an important part of your file system, you're "fscked"... :helpme

Occasional full backup + periodic incrementals is probably the simplest solution, including mysql dumps as you mention. (No point restoring your scripts if the data hasn't been saved :) )

personally i suggest picking up a cheap box at another hosting company, something lower end with a grip of storage. have your hosting co setup rsync so that it'll dump you data onto that server once day/week, whatever. also include 7 once/day dumps of your db's and have them sync to the remote server.

the bad part about backing up to your home is you have to get the data to the host if you should have a total drive loss, so you have to wait for that to upload which can take a LONG time. having it at another host makes the data transfer to the old machine, or even spawning a new machine at a different host, nice and fast.

and having it at a different host, preferably in a different city, means that if the Stay Puft Marshmallow man destroys the building your hosting company is in, you didn't lose your sites :)

i have hosting in seattle, atlanta, and jersey.