[webmin-l] Filesystem Backup Module Feedback

[Alan D. <We...@Om...>]

I recently began using the Filesystem Backup module, and I have some
feedback and a few requests for improvement.

First, there is a useful feature in the scheduling interface, where
multiple backup jobs can be chained to each other to have them run in
series.  However, the selection list only shows the directory path of
the backup to chain it to.  The problem is that there can be multiple
jobs scheduled for that same directory, for example with different dump
levels to save full and incremental/differential backups.  This
selection makes it impossible to know which of these backups it is being
chained to.  Has anyone else run into this problem, or is there a better
way to do it?

As a possible resolution, perhaps each backup could be assigned a job
number to identify it, and/or the selection list could other attributes,
such as the dump level and the parent job's schedule.  Or, better yet,
it could use a move up/down interface similar to the rule configuration
tables in the Linux Firewall module.

The other improvement that I would like to suggest is a way to retain
multiple backups and auto-expire them after a given amount of time.  For
example, it is bad practice to overwrite a good backup with a second
(possibly bad) backup.  Instead, the second backup should be written to
a second destination (file, tape, remote host, etc.), and then the first
backup can be deleted after a set amount of time.  This could be
extended to retain any number of old backups before expiring/deleting
them, similar to how the logrotate program keeps a certain number of old
backlogs.  In order to accomplish this now, I have to create multiple
backup jobs for each repetition, which is very cumbersome.  But again, I
would welcome any suggestions if someone knows of a better way to do
this given the current interface.

Thanks,
Alan