Duplicity

How does Duplicity backup open files?

Asked by Alexander Pokluda

First of all, thank you for creating such a great backup tool! Before Duplicity and Deja Dup were available it Ubuntu, I used to have a crude, manual backup procedure that I followed once in a while--now I have daily, automatic, encrypted off site backups thanks to you :-)

I am curious about how Duplicity handles open files. Does Duplicity use some kind of mechanism to obtain a snapshot of open files so that an in-use virtual disk image or database file, for example, will be backed up in a consistent state? Or does it just do a read-through that may result in a corrupted copy of the file in the backup if the file changes while it is being backed up?

Thanks.

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Solved
For:
Duplicity Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Solved by:
edso
Solved:
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
Best edso (ed.so) said : 		#1

On 03.02.2012 23:15, Alexander Pokluda wrote:
> Question #186746 on Duplicity changed:
>
> I am curious about how Duplicity handles open files. Does Duplicity use
> some kind of mechanism to obtain a snapshot of open files so that an in-
> use virtual disk image or database file, for example, will be backed up
> in a consistent state? Or does it just do a read-through that may result
> in a corrupted copy of the file in the backup if the file changes while
> it is being backed up?
>

i am not ware of any protection within duplicity against concurrent read/writes during backup. if your filesystem does not protect you here you will probably corrupt your backup.

..ede/duply.net

Revision history for this message
Alexander Pokluda (apokluda) said : 		#2

Thanks edso, that solved my question.