Automating Hourly Server Backups with rsync, tar, and Cron

The task requires a client to pack /etc and /var/log every hour, store the archives in a directory named hostname_ip_timestamp, push them to a backup server via rsync, and keep only the last two days locally. The server must receive the data, verify integrity, notify an administrator, and retain backups for seven days.

Client Side

Create a base backup directory /backup.

Generate a timestamped subdirectory using

$(hostname)_$(ifconfig eth1|awk 'NR==2{print $2}')_$(date +%F_%H)

.

Archive /etc and /var/log with tar -czf into that subdirectory.

Move the created .tgz files into the timestamped folder.

Export RSYNC_PASSWORD and sync the /backup tree to the server with rsync -avzP /backup/ [email protected]::backup-nfs.

Delete local backups older than two days using find /backup/ -mtime +2 -delete.

Client Script (autorsync.sh)

#!/bin/bash
export PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/root/bin
mkdir -p /backup/$(hostname)_$(ifconfig eth1|awk 'NR==2{print $2}')_$(date +%F_%H)/
cd / && tar -czf /backup/$(hostname)_$(ifconfig eth1|awk 'NR==2{print $2}')_$(date +%F_%H)/etc.tgz etc
cd / && tar -czf /backup/$(hostname)_$(ifconfig eth1|awk 'NR==2{print $2}')_$(date +%F_%H)/log.tgz var/log
export RSYNC_PASSWORD=mima666
rsync -az /backup/ [email protected]::backup-nfs
find /backup/ -mtime +2 -delete

Server Side

Install rsync and configure /etc/rsyncd.conf with a module [backup-nfs] pointing to /backup.

Create a system user www, set permissions, and store credentials in /etc/rsync.passwd.

Start the rsync daemon.

After each sync, verify file integrity with md5sum -c /backup/md5_tgz.txt.

Send the verification result via email using mailx (configured with a QQ SMTP account).

Remove backups older than seven days: find /backup/ -mtime +7 -delete.

Server Script (checkrsync.sh)

#!/bin/bash
export PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/root/bin
md5sum -c /backup/md5_tgz.txt > /backup/check_md5_result.txt
mail -s "check-rsync-$(date +%F)" 877348***[email protected] < /backup/check_md5_result.txt
find /backup/ -mtime +7 -delete

Cron Scheduling

Client:

0 * * * * /bin/bash /scripts/autorsync.sh > /tmp/backup.log 2>&1

(run at every hour).

Server:

30 * * * * /bin/bash /scripts/checkrsync.sh > /tmp/backup.log 2>&1

(run 30 minutes past each hour).

The provided commands and scripts form a complete automated backup solution, handling packaging, naming, transfer, integrity verification, notification, and cleanup.