Hot Copy is a Linux software that creates online snapshots of disks or volumes. It is a command line utility and does not require LVM, thus compatible across any Linux system and block device.
One of the best features of Hot Copy is its ability to quickly and efficiently put even the busiest file systems into a consistent state for a brief moment to take a snapshot. This ensures that your snapshots are in a consistent point-in-time state.
Hot Copy uses a Copy-on-Write Snapshot Method to backup changed block levels to the real device, such as your hard disk. These changed blocks are stored in unused space on your hard disk and maintain a point-in-time snapshot. The best part is that space is only needed when you make changes to the real device.
You can read and write snapshots if you want, which opens up endless possibilities for usefulness in system administration. Hot Copy does not require a dedicated snapshot device or storage. Instead, it uses free space on your block device. You do not need dedicated Volume Group space to maintain the snapshot, unlike LVM.
Hot Copy also allows you to specify an alternate device with more space to use as a changed block store. The device you use to store changed blocks can even be mounted since it uses space without interrupting the file system.
Here's a Hot Copy tip for you - turn legacy backups, such as tar and rsync, into online backups. Take a Hot Copy of your disk before starting your tar or rsync backup. This process turns your tar backups into consistent point-in-time online backups.
Overall, Hot Copy is a versatile utility that is a must-have for system administrators who are looking for an efficient and reliable way to create snapshots of their Linux block devices.
Version 3.1.0: N/A