NEMS Linux Command: nems-restore

The NEMS Migrator tool allows you to export/backup your NEMS configuration (backup.nems) as well as import a previous backup (through the Restore option).

The NEMS Migrator backup and restore options are great for keeping a safe backup without having to shutdown your NEMS server. Just download the file once in a while, or back it up automatically with your daily backup script.

NEMS Migrator is also helpful when upgrading from previous versions of NEMS, or when moving from one platform to another, saving you having to reconfigure your NEMS deployment just to get the latest features or upgraded hardware.

Important Note

I am a firm believer in redundancy, and protecting your data. What I’d like you to do is, export your migration file, then install NEMS on a new MicroSD card. Then boot from that and restore your NEMS Migrator backup. Once you’ve confirmed everything worked well, you can deprecate the old one safely. However, if something went wrong, you can contact me to fix it for you, and continue running from the old SD card in the interim.

How to Restore a NEMS Migrator Backup

While you can use NEMS Migrator to backup any version of NEMS Linux (and even NagiosPi) the restore feature requires NEMS Linux 1.2+

First Step

  1. Deploy the version of NEMS you wish to restore the backup to. Please heed my Important Note above.

  2. Boot the new NEMS Linux deployment and mount the USB flash drive.

Restore a Local Backup

  1. From any computer on your network, obtain a copy of your backup.nems file from a running NEMS server, you can download it directly in your web browser at https://nems.local/backup/ or click the Migrator menu item on your NEMS Dashboard.

  2. Get your backup.nems file to your NEMS Server via one of the following methods:

    • Place your backup.nems file on a USB flash drive and mount that flash drive on your NEMS Server.

    • Copy your backup.nems file to your NEMS Server over Samba at \nems.localhome which will place it in the home folder of your NEMS user, which will be accessible on NEMS Linux at /home/<username>/backup.nems

    • Copy your backup.nems file to your NEMS Server via SCP:

scp <path to backup.nems> <username>@<nemsIP>:/home/<username>

  1. Determine the location of backup.nems on your NEMS Server. For example, if you mounted the USB flash drive on /mnt/flash you may determine the location to be /mnt/flash/backup.nems, or if you copied it to the home folder, your file will be located at /home/<username>/backup.nems

  2. Armed with that information, run the following command (use the full path to your backup.nems file):

sudo nems-restore /mnt/flash/backup.nems

or

sudo nems-restore /home/<username>/backup.nems

Restore an Off-Site Backup

This requires an active NEMS Migrator Off-Site Backup (NEMS-OSB) account.

  1. Run the command and choose the date you’d like to restore to:

sudo nems-restore osb

Restore Off-Site Backup from Other Device

By default NEMS-OSB will assume you are restoring to the same device that was used when the Off-Site Backup was created. However this may not always be the case (ie., perhaps your device failed and you need to restore to a new device).

  1. In NEMS System Settings Tool’s “NEMS Cloud Services” tab, enter the NEMS Cloud Services Key from your old device. It will fail to authenticate since it is for a different HWID, but this is required in order to authenticate your account.

  2. You will also need to enter your Personal Encryption/Decryption Password so NEMS can read the OSB data from your old device.

  3. Run the command and choose the date you’d like to restore to:

sudo nems-restore osb OLD_HWID

(where OLD_HWID is the HWID from your old device)

Every Off-Site Backup is hard-tied to its originating HWID. You must restore your backup to the new device before closing the old NEMS-OSB account. Once a NEMS-OSB account is closed or moved to another HWID, the old backups are no longer recoverable (for security reasons). You do not need a NEMS-OSB account on your new device to restore, as long as you know the originating HWID and NEMS Cloud Services key.

Final Step

  1. Follow the prompts on screen to restore your configuration to the new NEMS Linux deployment. If it fails for any reason, you can safely shut down and replace the SD card with your original deployment.

If you have any problems (or praise) please post in the NEMS Linux community forum.