Backup directory /files from Server A to Server B using rsync.

Rayna is a RHEL Sysadmin at Red Hat. Her task: Backup directory /home/rayna/files/ from RHEL Server_A to Server_B using rync.

Her account name on both servers: rayna.martinez@ibm.com

Her personal rule: never run commands as root: only use sudo.

Please list and explain all of the commands that Rayna will need to execute to complete this task.

Absolutely, here are the commands Rayna would need to execute to complete the task of backing up the /home/rayna/files/ directory from RHEL Server_A to Server_B using rsync, while following her personal rule of not running commands as root:

1. On Server_A:

   a. Open a terminal.

   b. Log in to Server_A using SSH with her account rayna.martinez@ibm.com:

   ssh rayna.martinez@ibm.com@Server_A

2. On Server_B:

   a. Open a terminal.

   b. Log in to Server_B using SSH with her account rayna.martinez@ibm.com:

   ssh rayna.martinez@ibm.com@Server_B

3. On Server_B:

   a. Create a directory on Server_B to hold the backup data (if it doesn't already exist):

   mkdir -p /home/rayna.martinez@ibm.com/backup

4. On Server_A:

   a. Use rsync to perform the backup from Server_A to Server_B:

   rsync -avz --progress --stats --exclude-from=exclude-list.txt /home/rayna/files/ rayna.martinez@ibm.com@Server_B:/home/rayna.martinez@ibm.com/backup/

   Here's what the options used in the rsync command mean:

   • -a: Archive mode, which preserves permissions, ownership, timestamps, and more.
   • -v: Verbose mode to show detailed output.
   • -z: Compress data during transfer to save bandwidth.
   • --progress: Show progress of the transfer.
   • --stats: Display statistics at the end of the transfer.
   • --exclude-from=exclude-list.txt: Exclude files or directories listed in the exclude-list.txt file from the backup.
   • /home/rayna/files/: Source directory to be backed up.
   • rayna.martinez@ibm.com@Server_B:/home/rayna.martinez@ibm.com/backup/: Destination directory on Server_B.

5. On Server_B:

   a. If necessary, log out of Server_B's terminal.

6. On Server_A:

   a. If necessary, log out of Server_A's terminal.

7. Rayna's Notes:

   • Rayna can create an exclude-list.txt file in her home directory on Server_A to specify any files or directories that should be excluded from the backup. For example:

     secret-file.txt temp/

   • Remember, Rayna's personal rule is to avoid running commands as root. Using sudo might be necessary for certain tasks or configurations, but for the purpose of this specific backup task, standard user privileges are sufficient.

   • To ensure the safety and security of data during transfer, the SSH keys associated with Rayna's account on both Server_A and Server_B should be properly configured. Public keys should be added to the respective ~/.ssh/authorized_keys files.

   • This setup assumes that Rayna has the necessary permissions and ownership to access the files she needs to back up. If there are any permissions issues, she might need to address them before proceeding with the backup.

Please keep in mind that this guide provides a general approach. Rayna should tailor these steps to her specific environment and follow any company policies or security guidelines in place.