Backup & Disaster Recovery Flashcards

Which rsync option preserves symbolic links, permissions, timestamps, and owner info in a single flag?

Answer: -a

The -a (archive) flag combines -rlptgoD, preserving symbolic links, permissions, timestamps, owner, group, and device files.

A full backup is taken Sunday; incremental backups Monday–Saturday. If Wednesday's backup is corrupt, which backups are needed to restore to Friday's state?

Answer: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Incremental backups depend on every previous backup in the chain, so all backups from Sunday through Friday are required; a corrupt Wednesday breaks the chain.

Which tar option appends new files to an existing archive without re-creating it?

Answer: --append (-r)

The -r (--append) option adds files to the end of an existing tar archive without modifying existing entries.

What does the dump level 0 signify in the dump/restore backup utility?

Answer: Full backup of the entire filesystem

Dump level 0 always means a complete (full) backup of the entire filesystem; higher numbers back up changes since the last lower-numbered dump.

Which command restores files interactively from a dump archive, allowing you to select specific files?

Answer: restore -i

restore -i starts an interactive shell where you can browse and selectively extract files from a dump archive.

In Amanda backup software, what is the role of the 'holding disk'?

Answer: Temporary staging area before data is written to tape or final media

Amanda's holding disk is a local staging area where backups spool before being flushed to the final backup medium, improving throughput.

What is the primary purpose of a backup catalog or index?

Answer: Track what data is on which backup media to enable fast restores

A backup catalog records metadata about backup contents and their location on media, allowing administrators to quickly locate and restore specific files.