A systems administrator wants to back up the directory data

A systems administrator wants to back up the directory data - CompTIA Linux + XK0-005

Question

A systems administrator wants to back up the directory /data to /backup/data on a remote server remote.
Which command will achieve this?

Answers

p /data remote:/backup/data
i /remote:/backup/ /data
correct

a /data remote:/backup/
r /data /remote/backup/

Explanation

Correct Answer: c. rsync -a /data remote:/backup/

The correct command is rsync -a /data remote:/backup/ because rsync is a powerful tool for efficient and secure backups. The -a (archive) option ensures that all file permissions, timestamps, symbolic links, and directory structures are preserved.

It is optimized for syncing large directories, supports incremental transfers, and works seamlessly over SSH when copying to a remote server, making it ideal for remote backups like this one.

Why the other options are incorrect:

a. scp -p /data remote:/backup/data: scp can copy files recursively with -r, but -p only preserves file timestamps and permissions, not directory structures or symlinks. Also, scp doesn't handle incremental changes efficiently and may fail with large or complex directory trees, making it less suitable for backups compared to rsync.
b. ssh -i /remote:/backup/ /data: This syntax is incorrect. ssh is used for remote command execution, not file copying. The format here does not specify a valid command structure or copy syntax, so it will fail outright.
d. cp -r /data /remote/backup/: cp -r is used for local file copying. /remote/backup/ implies a remote system path, but cp cannot access remote systems unless mounted via NFS or similar. This command will fail unless /remote/backup/ is a locally mounted remote path, which isn't stated here.