[Box Backup] bbackup as tool to synchronize two machines

[Doug Poland]

I'm looking for a tool/tools to keep two machines synchronized.  The
requirement is that changes made to conf files on one machine be
reflected on another.  I'm not trying to mirror entire drives, just
selected conf files and some user data.  To be more precise, one machine
is the primary production box, the other is a "warm" spare, or, failover
box.

The architecture I'm think of is this:

I have two machines, say PROD and SPARE.  Where:

  SPARE is a backup client of PROD
  SPARE is a backup client of SPARE

  PROD is backup client of SPARE
  PROD is a backup client of PROD

Data are backed up to PROD from SPARE using lazy mode.  When I need
SPARE to reflect these conf file changes, I connect from SPARE to SPARE
and restore needed files.

Backups would only occur in one direction at one time.  For example,
when PROD is *running*, bbackupd is moving data from PROD --> SPARE.
bbackupd would NOT be moving data from SPARE --> PROD.

When SPARE needs to take over, backups stop from PROD --> SPARE.
SPARE restores data from SPARE, and backups begin from SPARE --> PROD.

When PROD is ready to come back on-line, bbackupd stops moving data from
SPARE --> PROD.  PROD restores conf files from PROD, and bbackupd starts
saving data from PROD --> SPARE again.

If someone would like to comment on the feasibility of this environment,
or the use of boxbackup as a tool to facilitate this, I'd like to hear
what you have to say.


-- 
Regards,
Doug