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_posts/2024-07-21-rsync-backups.md

@@ -24,3 +24,34 @@ Make sure you have set up [SSH Alias](./2024-07-22-ssh-cheats.md#ssh-aliases) fo
 Importan Notes:
 - If files are removed at source, they will still remain in backups machine. Add `--delete` in order to also reflect deleted files.
 - After each rsync finishes it would be smart to archive received backups and keep them for necesssary period. This way you will have multiple restore points instead of one.
+
+## Clone OS using rsync
+
+Sometimes only option to migrate VM is using rsync.
+Preconditinos:
+- Target server should have same OS.
+- Target server SSH key is authorized at source server
+
+Sample rsync command to run on target server:
+
+```sh
+rsync -avzl --delete --stats --progress \
+    --exclude '/boot' \
+    --exclude '/swapfile' \
+    --exclude '/var/log/*' \
+    --exclude '/tmp/*' \
+    --exclude '/sys/*' \
+    --exclude '/proc/*' \
+    --exclude 'lost+found/*' \
+    --exclude '/etc/fstab' \
+    --exclude '/etc/mtab' \
+    --exclude '/etc/network/interfaces' \
+    --dry-run \
+    sourceserver:/ /
+```
+
+*Notes:*
+- Make sure you know remote host user/pass, as sync will replace /etc/passwd and shadow files.
+- Check "mount" and "df -h" output, make sure to exclude all mounted FS!
+- Skip `/etc/mdadm.conf` if there is RAID set up.
+- If process is halted, you can lose private key and other files (on target server), due to `--delete` flag, so use with caution.