How to Backup Files From a Windows Server to a Linux Server

Backing up your files is very important, especially when you're running a server with important data. Copying the data to a different server is a great idea, and from a Windows server to a Linux is better yet. Linux file systems, whether ext3, hfs, or another, tend to be more stable than Windows' ntfs format, and Linux servers are nearly immune to viruses.

Instructions

1. Physically connect the two servers via a network, whether it be wired or wireless. Share the folder on the Windows server that you wish to back up. One way to do this is by opening Windows Explorer, right-clicking on the folder, and choosing from the pop-up menu.

2. Open a shell on the Linux server and run the following command:

   smbclient -L hostname

   Replace "hostname" with the name of the Windows server (you can check this by right-clicking on "Computer" and choosing "Properties" in Windows Explorer). Make sure the shared folder is listed.

3. Mount the shared folder with the following command:

   mount //hostname/folder /mnt/smb

   Again, replace "hostname" with that of the Windows server, and "folder" with the name of the folder being shared.

4. Copy the files with the following command:

   cp -r /mnt/smb/ /home/backup

   Replace "/home/backup" with the directory of your choice.

5. Archive the backed-up data, to save space, with the following command:

   tar -zcvf backup.tar.gz /home/backup

   Feel free to change the name of the output file, and of course change "/home/backup" to wherever the backup is actually stored on your server.

References

• Copying Files Between Linux and Windows
• Compressing a Linux Directory