Jon Jagger's picture
Jon Jagger - Tue, 2013/04/16 - 11:17

 

Hi,
I run http://cyber-dojo.com (a free, no registration, browser-based coding dojo for 10+ languages with test frameworks) from a Small Turnkey server. 
I would like to make a backup of it so I've enabled S3 amazon backup.
However, Amazon is giving me a page that enables me to generate an Activation key.
 
Question:
Does this activation key need to be used to configure my Turnkey server?
I can't see anywhere obvious from the Servers page, but backups is still off.
Or is there simply a delay before backup is enabled? 
 
Question:
Can I clone a new server from the backup once I get a backup?
 
Turnkey is great
Thanks
Jon
Forum: 
Support
Tags: 
amazon s3
Jeremy Davis's picture

Jeremy Davis - Wed, 2013/04/17 - 01:08

It was so long ago and I think I set up servers and backups at the same time so I think I only one key. So bottom line is that I can't answer your question sorry. I suggest that you use the Hub feedback (blue button on the left when logged into the Hub) to contact the devs directly. You could point them to this post for detail (rather than writing it all again).

But once you have taken a TKLBAM backup then you can restore that to a fresh server and depending on your server config you can create a new server that is pretty much like your current one. Note thought that user data in 'naughty places' won't make it across (i.e. you need to follow the Debian FHS and not put stuff in places handled by package management). Also packages installed from non standard repos won't make it across automatically.

If you are using an EBS backed instance then you also have the option of AWS snapshots. Which AFAIK is more like a normal VM snapshot although I haven't used it and can't really comment on it.

Alon Swartz's picture

Alon Swartz - Mon, 2013/04/29 - 14:21

There might have been a delay with Amazon processing, so you'll need to re-trigger the Hub into verifying against Amazon again. Try this:

  • Make sure you are logged into the Hub
  • Go to http://www.amazon.com/dp-activate and click "Go to application" next to TKLBAM (you don't need the activation key, the Hub will get it automatically when you are redirected to the Hub)

Hopefully you'll see that TKLBAM is now enabled.

To re-iterate what Jeremy said, yes, you can restore the backup to a new server (under the Backups tab, you'll see an option to "launch this backup as a new server". Snapshots and cloning the server are also possible if you're using an EBS-backed instance as Jeremy mentioned.

Jeremy Davis's picture

Jeremy Davis - Fri, 2014/11/07 - 00:14

Personally I would wait longer than 1 or 2 hours (although theoretically it shouldn't take too long, sometimes it can be a bit slow updating).

If you go back to your AWS Payment page and look under Applications. If Bronze is still there you are still being charged for it. However keep in mind that as it is charged pro rata; 24 hours ~= 67 cents! So it probably isn't worth risking data loss for the sake of less than a dollar!

Jeremy Davis's picture

Jeremy Davis - Fri, 2014/11/07 - 00:48

I would suggest that you do some initial diagnostics to see what is causing the problem - RAM? CPU? Network throughput? Network packet loss? Do you get the same behaviour if you connect to Webmin from a physically different location? On a different computer?

If you keep in mind that TurnKey is Debian under the hood (v13 = Wheezy) then you should find plenty of info via google. Although in the case of Webmin, TurnKey package it and it is installed from the TurnKey repo. Although considering that no one else has reported similar behaviour I think it is probably something unique to your server.

That doesn't rule it out as a TurnKey bug, but makes it unlikely IMO. If you get stuck I suggest that you start a new thread detailing your server, what you've tried and what you've discovered.

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