http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_disk_cloning_software
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_disk_cloning_software
multiple remote stations
Acronis Server
supports RAID
VMWare Converter (free)
output = VMWare image
Clonezilla (DRBL server) (free)
requires a DRBL server to be set up
requires remote clients to be PXE booted
imaging is for homogeneous hardware only
supports hardware RAID
Single local station
Windows backup
Acronis
LiveCD
output = *.tib
local: copy C: to other hard drive
network: copy image to remote windows share (need admin access) or FTP site
supports RAID
can not put an image on a smaller drive
VMWare Converter (free)
windows application
output = VMWare image
copy to a remote windows share (need admin access)
Ubuntu backup
http://www.ubuntu-unleashed.com/2007/08/howto-clone-ubuntu-to-different.html
file copy
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BackupYourSystem/TAR
Create a compressed copy of everything on the hard drive, except for certain folders. Also, be sure to exclude the file you are creating
$ sudo tar cvpzf backup.tgz --exclude=/backup.tgz --exclude=/proc --exclude=/lost+found --exclude=/mnt --exclude=/sys /
Restoring: make sure you and the backup file are in the root of the filesystem, then
$ sudo tar xvpfz backup.tgz -C /
imaging
Clonezilla (free)
Live CD
can copy NTFS (Windows)
local: copied /dev/hda1 to /dev/sda1 @ 750MB/s
over SSH: [unknown transfer rate]
23Gb hard drive, using 7.3GB of space. Compressed to 3.5Gb in 11 minutes. 750MB/s IDE to SATA
output is a compressed file
supports hardware RAID
can not put an image on a smaller drive
even with "write original MBR" and "write replacement MBR" turn off, a larger image can not be put on a smaller disk
MondoRescue (free)
images while OS is in use (linux only)
to another hard drive, over SSH or to NFS
$ sudo apt-get install mondo
$ sudo mondoarchive