Create a disk-to-disk clone of system disk using Clonezilla

1st Official Post

    I have read through the support forum and also read Headless backup. The Headless backup seems dated as it was done in 2015 and consists of 22 steps and ends up with the image on a data drive. You then have a number of additional steps to burn that image to an external SSD.


    I run OMV5 from a 32GB SSD and have recently purchased 2 identical SSDs. I would like to clone the system SSD to each of the backup SSDs. Having read the Clonezilla Live Doc for this disk-to-disk process (consists of 11 steps) I am unable to see how to do it in OMV using the built in version of Clonezilla?


    Any advice on how to do this? It seems to me that it would be a lot simpler than the existing directions provided. I'd be happy to document the process if I can get it to actually work.

    OMV 7.1.1-1 ■ AMD 6 Core ■ 4TB RAID6 ■ 32GB SSD Boot

    All you need to do is use dd. It's a one liner in the shell.

    --
    Google is your friend and Bob's your uncle!


    OMV AMD64 7.x on headless Chenbro NR12000 1U 1x 8m Quad Core E3-1220 3.1GHz 32GB ECC RAM.

    • Official Post
    Quote from ShamusLit

    I am unable to see how to do it in OMV using the built in version of Clonezilla


    1. Install omv-extras, if not already done
    2. Go to the Kernel Tab in omv-extras and download Clonezilla
    3. note the information in the Clonezillla field (user name and password --> user/live)
    4. after the download is completed, choose: "boot once into Clonezille"
    5. "reboot" the server; the server will now not boot into OMV but into Clonezilla
    6. check the IP of your server in your router; depending on the setup it might change
    7. ssh into the server (user and password from above) and start clonezilla with "sudo clonezilla"
    8. follow the Clonezilla documentation

    Done. And only 8 steps ;)

    Follow 8 instructions above. did from putty. Now OMV does not boot, no activity light on boot disk. Cloned disk same . dead in the water

    running omv 5 Willing to install omv 6 if data drives will be saved.


    Went back into bios changed disk priority boot w/monitor and keyboard. Works fine from webgui and putty now.

    Maybe add step 9!!!! :)

    gderf - Thanks for your reminder about dd.

    OK so as I'm somewhat of a Linux noob i reread the dd man page and paid attention this time. The process ended up being:

    1. Attach the target drive to OMV (in my case a USB drive toaster)
    2. SSH into OMV root
    3. lsblk to see what drives are there and they were if=/dev/sdc & of=/dev/sdg
    4. sudo dd if=/dev/sdc of=/dev/sdg status=progress
    5. Receive completion status (took about an hour but my USB toaster is slow)

    OMV 7.1.1-1 ■ AMD 6 Core ■ 4TB RAID6 ■ 32GB SSD Boot

    Edited once, last by ShamusLit ().

    macom Thanks for the list. However your 8 steps only gets to the first step of Clonezilla - then need to complete the next 8 to actually get a backup.

    I had already done your steps, at least up to 7, and after getting Clonezilla Live started I ran into the problem of not finding my backup drive listed in the available options.

    So now that I have at least one good backup of the OS drive I will follow your steps to see if I can also do the same from Clonezilla Live. More to follow...

    OMV 7.1.1-1 ■ AMD 6 Core ■ 4TB RAID6 ■ 32GB SSD Boot

    Edited 3 times, last by ShamusLit ().

    Quote from macom
    1. Install omv-extras, if not already done
    2. Go to the Kernel Tab in omv-extras and download Clonezilla
    3. note the information in the Clonezillla field (user name and password --> user/live)
    4. after the download is completed, choose: "boot once into Clonezille"
    5. "reboot" the server; the server will now not boot into OMV but into Clonezilla
    6. check the IP of your server in your router; depending on the setup it might change
    7. ssh into the server (user and password from above) and start clonezilla with "sudo clonezilla"
    8. follow the Clonezilla documentation

    Done. And only 8 steps ;)

    I did all the steps, I managed to clone the disk, but now my system always reboots to clonezilla. Can anyone tell me how I exit and return to openmediavault?

    Quote from Endearing

    I did all the steps, I managed to clone the disk, but now my system always reboots to clonezilla. Can anyone tell me how I exit and return to openmediavault?

    Select one of the Debian kernels from the grub menu.

    --
    Google is your friend and Bob's your uncle!


    OMV AMD64 7.x on headless Chenbro NR12000 1U 1x 8m Quad Core E3-1220 3.1GHz 32GB ECC RAM.

    You have to have a console to see and select from the grub menu. So that's any of the following:


    Monitor and keyboard, or


    Serial over LAN connection


    You can't use SSH via putty because the OS isn't even running at that point.

    --
    Google is your friend and Bob's your uncle!


    OMV AMD64 7.x on headless Chenbro NR12000 1U 1x 8m Quad Core E3-1220 3.1GHz 32GB ECC RAM.

    So....I connected the computer to a monitor and a keyboard and everything is still the same, it goes directly to clonezilla and doesn't show me the grub menu. Do I have to press any specific key for the menu to appear? Sorry but this is the first time something like this has happened to me.


    PS: sorted out. I created a bootable USB with Super Grub2 Disk and selected the grub corresponding to the OMV. Then I entered the OMV page and set the OMV kernel to default, which strangely was already selected but didn't work. :rolleyes: I've done this so many times and it's never happened to me, but there's always a first time.


    Thanks for the help gderf.

    Does clonezilla plugin still exsist?


    just had a system drive failure and spent a week 'rebuilding' everything.


    or is there a new better way to do a automated complete os drive backup, plugging in monitor/keyboard isnt ideal as server is in the loft.


    Matt

    Quote from matt77303

    Does clonezilla plugin still exsist?

    Depends on what system you are running OMV.

    On x86-x64 systems, YES.


    Quote from matt77303

    or is there a new better way to do a complete os drive backup?

    Again, depends on HOW you are running the OS, on WHAT media is the OS and HOW accessible is the system.


    As a personal choice and because I run Pis and have access to them, I power down the server and clone the OS drive (either SDcard or USB stick) on a different computer.

    After flashing that image to another same size, equal media (either SDcard or USB stick), use it on the server and power it up.

    OMV won't know any difference since it's a 1:1 copy of the old media.


    Other solutions are to make a disk image with dd full command to a shared folder and keep copies on a difference PC/device.

    Or use the kernel plugin to boot from Clonezilla (if on x86-x64 system)


    Too many possibilities.


    Only remark: a cloned OS backup is only valid after being successfully tested.


    It all depends on those factors mentioned.

    Thanks for the reply...


    im curently looking into the 'backup' plugin.


    dd the system drive to a shared folder ( probably a usb drive )


    what would be the process of restoring this is the main drive fails.


    Matt

    Quote from matt77303

    dd the system drive to a shared folder ( probably a usb drive )


    what would be the process of restoring this is the main drive fails.

    On a different computer, dd that full image back to a new => size media and place it on the server.

    If all goes well, the system won't know the difference.


    I don't run x86-64 so, can't really give you any remarks. From what I see regularly on here is, sometimes grub goes bananas but a simple boot with a liveCD and a grub repair will suffice.

    Hi


    I'm using OMV 6.9 version in my CM3588 device (ARM) and I'd like to "clone" it to a NanoPC T6 with the same processor (RK3588). My OS is installed in the eMMC.


    It would be possible to use Clonezilla? (Probably, not)


    Perhaps, it would be better to install a new/fresh OMV in the T6 eMMC and then to use OMV-Regen to "copy" the OMV configuration from the old CM3588 to the new T6 ?


    Thank you in advance

    • Official Post
    Quote from Pharizna

    Perhaps, it would be better to install a new/fresh OMV in the T6 eMMC and then to use OMV-Regen to "copy" the OMV configuration from the old CM3588 to the new T6 ?

    That should work without problems.

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