How to create running server images Linux?

We have CentOS and Fedora server running on old hardware. We got new Dell servers.

We are looking any open source tool which can take backups and restore all the partition as it is, with out rebooting the server.

From serverfault Rajat

• You better get used to things like filesystems, volumes etc.

  Please answer the following questions to complete my answers:

• Are you using LVM?
• what kind of filesystems are you using?

  answers was: no lvm, ext3 fs

  My answer is: your system can be backed up by standard utilities (tar, dd), but do not expect the backup to be easily restorable.

  you can save the partition table and mbr by issuing

  dd if=/dev/sdX bs=512 count=1 of=/backup/mkb-backup.img
  

  after that, archive your devices with tar,

  Next time use LVM (support snapshots, makes backup easier) and a filesystem has dumping utility (xfs_dump for XFS, for example).

  Rajat : # Are you using LVM? i'm not using lvm # what kind of filesystems are you using? ext3 filesystems we running / 80gb /boot 100mb /var 10gb /usr 10gb /export/home 10gb
  From asdmin

• The 'without rebooting the server' part makes it impossible.

  The main problem you'll have is that ALL hardware is different. You need different drivers with different settings on the new servers. Also migrating a system to different hardware without any preparation mean downtime if you have to retain any state information (i.e. you have some kind of database that is updated).

  Given your current status I recommend something like this:

  • install the new servers with a brand new clean OS (CentOS).
  • install the applications you want
  • copy all the information to the new servers
  • stop all changes (i.e. take it offline)
  • copy the last few updates.
  • switch to the new servers and bring them online.

  If you had your server running within a Xen or VMware you could have done a live migration. But this would mean you prepared before creating the servers you have now.

  Rajat : i agree with you but in windows server what i have done is i use symantec back software it got install on new hardware and same time with any driver issues. Same time i have try with partition one tool from open source for that all running server is need to install it just like 'dd' but here i'm not looking same of the thing to change
  From Niels Basjes

• While i've never had luck with it myself on ubuntu, mondo/mindi might work for a hot image and restore.

  Rajat : i'm just try once i get luck in using thing i'll update you for the same thanks a ton!!

  Rajat : this is gr8 options no need to downtime for this is work well!! for me
  From The Journeyman geek