# Cloning a server



## artcurmudgeon (Dec 7, 2009)

Morning!

here is my problem, I have an old freebsd server(6.3-R5) running a raid that works as an email archive system. I originally wanted to virtualise it, but when I tried to move it using xen, first try it hung. and on the second try with the legacy settings, I got a kernal panic. So I tried Clonezilla, it saw the individual drives not the partitions. I have looked at ghost and other disk cloning software and run into the same issue.

I need a good solution to clone this server so I can put it on out blade server til its retirement and make my life easier...

HELP!!!!


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## graudeejs (Dec 7, 2009)

you can use dd to clone it... [slow]

or you can use dump/restore if you're using ufs..... [faster]


you can use restore to even restore to zfs


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## wonslung (Dec 8, 2009)

artcurmudgeon said:
			
		

> Morning!
> 
> here is my problem, I have an old freebsd server(6.3-R5) running a raid that works as an email archive system. I originally wanted to virtualise it, but when I tried to move it using xen, first try it hung. and on the second try with the legacy settings, I got a kernal panic. So I tried Clonezilla, it saw the individual drives not the partitions. I have looked at ghost and other disk cloning software and run into the same issue.
> 
> ...



if they are ufs partitions dump would be the best option, but you could also use rync. depending on what you're trying to do, rsync may be better.


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## artcurmudgeon (Dec 8, 2009)

we started an unattended dump yesterday before I left work. I hoped to copy the dumps up to an nfs share, but I forgot that you cant access nfs shares in single user mode. so I am copying the dumps to a thumbdrive, should that fail I will put them on in an iso format so I can load it into the blades virtual terminal. 

thanks again, I will update on how it turns out.


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## artcurmudgeon (Dec 8, 2009)

just to give a bit more detail...

I was able to pull the dump files off via thumb drive and create iso's from them to use.

What I am doing now is using Xencenter so I can create a 20 gig VM to restore the server to.

so far so good...


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## wonslung (Dec 9, 2009)

you can access nfs via single user if you bring up the proper services.


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## FRANCOIS (Dec 9, 2009)

artcurmudgeon said:
			
		

> Morning!
> 
> here is my problem, I have an old freebsd server(6.3-R5) running a raid that works as an email archive system. I originally wanted to virtualise it, but when I tried to move it using xen, first try it hung. and on the second try with the legacy settings, I got a kernal panic. So I tried Clonezilla, it saw the individual drives not the partitions. I have looked at ghost and other disk cloning software and run into the same issue.
> 
> ...



Try G4U it's a NetBSD-based project + it's free
http://www.feyrer.de/g4u/


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## artcurmudgeon (Jan 11, 2010)

Its official....

between the raid system acting up and not being able to copy this, I am going to just build a replacement server from scratch...

thanks to all who helped...


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