laurent22/rsync-time-backup
Rsync Time Backup
This utility is a command-line tool designed to create incremental, time-stamped snapshots of local or remote data. It functions as a shell-based orchestrator that coordinates system utilities to maintain versioned file archives, allowing for the restoration of specific data states without the need for proprietary software.
The tool distinguishes itself by using filesystem hard links to reference unchanged files across multiple snapshots, which minimizes storage consumption while keeping each backup directory structure independent. It incorporates a dedicated retention manager that automatically prunes older snapshots based on time-based policies or available disk space to optimize storage usage.
Operational reliability is maintained through a series of safety mechanisms, including lock-file concurrency control to prevent simultaneous access and atomic state markers that allow interrupted operations to resume from the last successful point. The system supports remote synchronization over encrypted shell connections and includes a pattern-matching engine to selectively include or exclude files during the transfer process.
Features
- RSync - Creates incremental, time-stamped snapshots of local or remote data using rsync and hard links for storage efficiency.
- File System Incremental Backups - Creates space-efficient, timestamped incremental snapshots of files to ensure versioned data recovery.
- Snapshotting Strategies - Uses filesystem hard links to reference unchanged files across snapshots, minimizing storage consumption while maintaining independent directory structures.
- Backup and Recovery - Ensures reliable backup operations by enforcing file locks and supporting resumption of interrupted tasks.
- POSIX-Compliant Shell Scripts - Coordinates system utilities and backup logic through POSIX-compliant shell scripts.
- Synchronization Exclusions - Filters file paths against user-defined rules to selectively include or omit data from the synchronization process.
- SSH Infrastructure Managers - Provides a secure synchronization solution that transfers files to off-site storage using encrypted shell connections.
- File Locking - Prevents data corruption by creating temporary filesystem lock files to block simultaneous access to backup destinations.
- State History Markers - Maintains metadata markers to track backup progress and allow resumption of interrupted operations.
- Remote Backup Transfers - Transfers and stores critical data on off-site servers over secure shell connections to protect against local hardware failure.
- Policy-Based Retention - Automatically prunes old snapshots based on time-based policies or available disk space to optimize storage usage.
