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I'm trying to backup a Linux Server from a Windows 7 Laptop. The Problem I'm facing is that backup solutions for Windows do not recognize Linux symbolic links. The backup clients just follow the symlink and copy it as it was a directory or file and I end up with massiv redundancy and oversized backups. I need the backup client to copy the symlinks as symlinks or skip them.

I installed cygwin to get access to rsync but I couldn't get a backup process running to save data from remote. I have the feeling that the portation of rsync from Linux to Windows via cygwin makes it very difficult to command it the right way.

There must be an easyer way to get that Backup done? Or is rsync the way to go?

Update

I finally went with Cygwin rsync and wrote a shell script to do the job.

The biggest problem was setting up the ssh infrastructure for both Windows and Cygwin and bringing them together. I found a nice Script called ssh-pageant which helped me merge them.

Another problem were the differences between native Bash scripting and Cygwin Bash scripting. But once you have the knack of it, you'll be fine.

I'm trying to backup a Linux Server from a Windows 7 Laptop. The Problem I'm facing is that backup solutions for Windows do not recognize Linux symbolic links. The backup clients just follow the symlink and copy it as it was a directory or file and I end up with massiv redundancy and oversized backups. I need the backup client to copy the symlinks as symlinks or skip them.

I installed cygwin to get access to rsync but I couldn't get a backup process running to save data from remote. I have the feeling that the portation of rsync from Linux to Windows via cygwin makes it very difficult to command it the right way.

There must be an easyer way to get that Backup done? Or is rsync the way to go?

Update

I finally went with Cygwin rsync and wrote a shell script to do the job.

The biggest problem was setting up the SSH infrastructure for both Windows and Cygwin and bringing them together. I found a nice Script called ssh-pageant which helped me merge them.

Another problem were the differences between native Bash scripting and Cygwin Bash scripting. But once you have the knack of it, you'll be fine.

I'm trying to backup a Linux Server from a Windows 7 Laptop. The Problem I'm facing is that backup solutions for Windows do not recognize Linux symbolic links. The backup clients just follow the symlink and copy it as it was a directory or file and I end up with massiv redundancy and oversized backups. I need the backup client to copy the symlinks as symlinks or skip them.

I installed cygwin to get access to rsync but I couldn't get a backup process running to save data from remote. I have the feeling that the portation of rsync from Linux to Windows via cygwin makes it very difficult to command it the right way.

There must be an easyer way to get that Backup done? Or is the rsync way the way to go?

Update

I finally went the Cygwin rsync way and wrote a shell script to do the job.

The biggest problem was to set up the ssh infrastructure for Windows and Cygwin and bring both together. I found a nice Script called ssh-pageant which helped me merge them.

Another problem were the differences between native Bash scripting and Cygwin Bash scripting. But once you have the knack of it, you'll be fine.

I'm trying to backup a Linux Server from a Windows 7 Laptop. The Problem I'm facing is that backup solutions for Windows do not recognize Linux symbolic links. The backup clients just follow the symlink and copy it as it was a directory or file and I end up with massiv redundancy and oversized backups. I need the backup client to copy the symlinks as symlinks or skip them.

I installed cygwin to get access to rsync but I couldn't get a backup process running to save data from remote. I have the feeling that the portation of rsync from Linux to Windows via cygwin makes it very difficult to command it the right way.

There must be an easyer way to get that Backup done? Or is rsync the way to go?

Update

I finally went with Cygwin rsync and wrote a shell script to do the job.

The biggest problem was setting up the ssh infrastructure for both Windows and Cygwin and bringing them together. I found a nice Script called ssh-pageant which helped me merge them.

Another problem were the differences between native Bash scripting and Cygwin Bash scripting. But once you have the knack of it, you'll be fine.

I'm trying to backup a Linux Server from a Windows 7 Laptop. The Problem I'm facing is that backup solutions for Windows do not recognize Linux symbolic links. The backup clients just follow the symlink and copy it as it was a directory or file and I end up with massiv redundancy and oversized backups. I need the backup client to copy the symlinks as symlinks or skip them.

I installed cygwin to get access to rsync but I couldn't get a backup process running to save data from remote. I have the feeling that the portation of rsync from Linux to Windows via cygwin makes it very difficult to command it the right way.

There must be an easyer way to get that Backup done? Or is the rsync way the way to go?

I'm trying to backup a Linux Server from a Windows 7 Laptop. The Problem I'm facing is that backup solutions for Windows do not recognize Linux symbolic links. The backup clients just follow the symlink and copy it as it was a directory or file and I end up with massiv redundancy and oversized backups. I need the backup client to copy the symlinks as symlinks or skip them.

I installed cygwin to get access to rsync but I couldn't get a backup process running to save data from remote. I have the feeling that the portation of rsync from Linux to Windows via cygwin makes it very difficult to command it the right way.

There must be an easyer way to get that Backup done? Or is the rsync way the way to go?

Update

I finally went the Cygwin rsync way and wrote a shell script to do the job.

The biggest problem was to set up the ssh infrastructure for Windows and Cygwin and bring both together. I found a nice Script called ssh-pageant which helped me merge them.

Another problem were the differences between native Bash scripting and Cygwin Bash scripting. But once you have the knack of it, you'll be fine.