ZFS vs btfrs

[Ken D'Ambrosio]

On 2022-02-24 11:31, Ian Kelling wrote:
> Chuck McAndrew <chuck.mcandrew at adhocteam.us> writes:
> 
>> I would add one feature about ZFS that is super useful and that is the 
>> ability to replicate datasets to a remote server. I don't know if 
>> btrfs has a
>> similar feature, but the ability to have a backup server offsite and 
>> just setup a cron job to replicate it was awesome for DR. It makes 
>> backing up
>> your snapshots very very easy.
>> 
> 
> Yes, btrfs has this. I use it mostly through this tool:
> https://github.com/digint/btrbk . I recommend it.

I use the btrfs-send (which, of course, is modeled after zfs-send)... 
except, I kinda don't.  And this isn't a dig at btrfs (or ZFS), but just 
paranoia: I'm afraid that, if there were corruption on the source FS, 
using a FS-specific/replicating tool to do the data transfer might bring 
over whatever corruption was on the source in the first place.  So what 
I do:

* Create a copy on the destination host.
* Snapshot it.
* Mount the snapshot as my rsync backup destination.
* And make a snapshot of _that_.

That way, I have two essentially identical CoW hierarchies, but that 
have "left" the source FS, and gone to the destination one.  Not as 
efficient as sending CoW deltas, but it gives me a little more peace of 
mind.  Yes, my scenario seems awfully unlikely, buuuuuuuuuut...