What we take as server information as backup...

This is the very common question to Unix administrators. Sometimes servers will crash during the change or any implementation. sometime backup is not help to recover the server. System administrator needs to build the server from initial stage. So what information require to build server initial level. These are some basic.

1. Kernel type and version
2. patch level
3. disk partition and mount point
4. installed software
5. IP address
6. routing table
7. running processors

I tried to developed small script to get these information to one file. before do any change to the server, system administrator can run the script and collect information. 

#!/bin/bash

###################################################

#                                                 #

#      BACKUP SERVER INFO BEFORE PATCHING         #

#                      Version 1.0                #

#              Created Date 14/03/2012            #

#     Last Modified Date 14/03/2012               #

# INSTRUCTIONS-                                   #

# Log file will save on /home/admin directory     #

# file name is server_backup_info.<date>.log      #

# example - server_backup_info.14Mar2012.log      #

###################################################

echo "             Server Information" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "             ++++++++++++++++++">> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "HOSTNAME: " $(hostname) >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "DATE: " $(date) >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "=======================================================" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo " " >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "IP Address information" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "-------------------------------------------------------" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

ifconfig -a >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "_______________________________________________________" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "ROUTING TABLE" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "-------------------------------------------------------" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

netstat -rn >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "_______________________________________________________" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "Kernel Information" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "-------------------------------------------------------" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

uname -a >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "_______________________________________________________" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "Disk information" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "-------------------------------------------------------" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

cat /etc/fstab >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "_______________________________________________________" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "Disk Usage" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "-------------------------------------------------------" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

df -h >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "_______________________________________________________" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "Boot Loader Information" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "-------------------------------------------------------" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

cat /boot/grub/menu.lst >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "_______________________________________________________" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "RPMs" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "-------------------------------------------------------" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

rpm -qa >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "_______________________________________________________" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "Running Processors" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "-------------------------------------------------------" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

ps -eaf >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "_______________________________________________________" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "How Long Server UP and Running" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "-------------------------------------------------------" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

uptime >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "_______________________________________________________" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "Patch Level" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "-------------------------------------------------------" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

cat /etc/SuSE-release >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

echo "_______________________________________________________" >> /home/admin/server_backup_info.`date +%d%b%Y`.log

exit 0

This script for SuSE Linux. For other Linux version require to do small changes. And sometimes you need more information to collect.If anyone wants modified script please send comment.