Shell Script to Backup Files and Directories Using rsync

This article we bring shell scripts to backup your files and directories from you local Linux machine to a remote Linux server using rsync command. This would be an interactive way to perform backup, where you need to provide remote backup server hostname/ip address and folder location. We keep a separate file where you need to provide files and directories that need backup. We have added two scripts where first script ask password after each file had been copied (if you have enabled ssh authentication keys , then password will be not be asked) and in second script password will be prompted only once.

We are going to backup bckup.txt, dataconfig.txt, docs and oracledb.

[root@Fedora21 tmp]# ls -l
total 12
-rw-r--r--. 1 root root 0 May 15 10:43 bckrsync.sh
-rw-r--r--. 1 root root 0 May 15 10:44 bckup.txt
-rw-r--r--. 1 root root 0 May 15 10:46 dataconfig.txt
drwxr-xr-x. 2 root root 4096 May 15 10:45 docs
drwxr-xr-x. 2 root root 4096 May 15 10:44 oracledb

SQL Server Back Up and Restore usin...

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SQL Server Back Up and Restore using Script

This file contains backup files / dir details

[root@Fedora21 tmp]# cat /tmp/bckup.txt
/tmp/oracledb
/tmp/dataconfig.txt
/tmp/docs
[root@Fedora21 tmp]#

Script 1 :

#!/bin/bash

#We will save path to backup file in variable
backupf='/tmp/bckup.txt'

#Next line just prints message
echo "Shell Script Backup Your Files / Directories Using rsync"

#next line check if entered value is not null, and if null it will reask user to enter Destination Server
while [ x$desthost = "x" ]; do

#next line prints what userd should enter, and stores entered value to variable with name desthost
read -p "Destination backup Server : " desthost

#next line finishes while loop
done

#next line check if entered value is not null, and if null it will reask user to enter Destination Path
while [ x$destpath = "x" ]; do

#next line prints what userd should enter, and stores entered value to variable with name destpath
read -p "Destination Folder : " destpath

#next line finishes while loop
done

#Next line will start reading backup file line by line
for line in `cat $backupf`

#and on each line will execute next
do

#print message that file/dir will be copied
echo "Copying $line ... "
#copy via rsync file/dir to destination

rsync -ar "$line" "$desthost":"$destpath"

#this line just print done
echo "DONE"

#end of reading backup file
done

Running the script with output

[root@Fedora21 tmp]# ./bckrsync.sh
Shell Script Backup Your Files / Directories Using rsync
Destination backup Server : 104.*.*.41
Destination Folder : /tmp
Copying /tmp/oracledb ...
The authenticity of host '104.*.*.41 (104.*.*.41)' can't be established.
ECDSA key fingerprint is 96:11:61:17:7f:fa:......
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? yes
Warning: Permanently added '104.*.*.41' (ECDSA) to the list of known hosts.
root@104.*.*.41's password:
DONE
Copying /tmp/dataconfig.txt ...
root@104.*.*.41's password:
DONE
Copying /tmp/docs ...
root@104.*.*.41's password:
DONE
[root@Fedora21 tmp]#

Script 2 :

#!/bin/bash

#We will save path to backup file in variable
backupf='/tmp/bckup.txt'

#Next line just prints message
echo "Shell Script Backup Your Files / Directories Using rsync"

#next line check if entered value is not null, and if null it will reask user to enter Destination Server
while [ x$desthost = "x" ]; do

#next line prints what userd should enter, and stores entered value to variable with name desthost
read -p "Destination backup Server : " desthost

#next line finishes while loop
done

#next line check if entered value is not null, and if null it will reask user to enter Destination Path
while [ x$destpath = "x" ]; do

#next line prints what userd should enter, and stores entered value to variable with name destpath
read -p "Destination Folder : " destpath

#next line finishes while loop
done

#next line check if entered value is not null, and if null it will reask user to enter password
while [ x$password = "x" ]; do
#next line prints what userd should enter, and stores entered value to variable with name password. #To hide password we are using -s key
read -sp "Password : " password
#next line finishes while loop
done

#Next line will start reading backup file line by line
for line in `cat $backupf`

#and on each line will execute next
do

#print message that file/dir will be copied
echo "Copying $line ... "
#we will use expect tool to enter password inside script
/usr/bin/expect << EOD
#next line set timeout to -1, recommended to use
set timeout -1
#copy via rsync file/dir to destination, using part of expect — spawn command

spawn rsync -ar ${line} ${desthost}:${destpath}
#as result of previous command we expect 「password」 promtp
expect "*?assword:*"
#next command enters password from script
send "${password}\r"
#next command tells that we expect end of file (everything finished on remote server)
expect eof
#end of expect pard
EOD
#this line just print done
echo "DONE"

#end of reading backup file
done

Screenshot running the second script with output

Hope these scripts help you to take backup !!